Electronic tag location systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic price tag system comprising:
- a bus having a first portion and a second portion;
a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus;
a plurality of bus extensions each having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each of the bus extensions operatively connected with the first portion of the bus;
a plurality of switches operatively connected with the bus, each corresponding with a particular one of the bus extensions, each switch selectively connecting the second portion of the bus with the second portion of the corresponding bus extension; and
a multiplicity of tags, a plurality of which are operatively connected with each of the bus extensions, each tag having a display for displaying price information, each tag having a data driver for sending bus messages to the host and receiving bus messages from the host only when the switch corresponding to the bus extension connected to the tag connects the second portion of the bus with the second portion of the bus extension.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for locating electronic price tags in an electronic pricing system for use in retail environments. A host communicates with tags via a serial data bus, with identifier or switch chips geographically located within the system, each identifier or switch chip mediating communications between the host and a subset of the tags. By particular messages exchanged between tags and identifiers or switches, and by particular messages exchanged between identifiers or switches and the host, the host is able to confirm the geographic location of a particular tag.
170 Citations
63 Claims
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1. An electronic price tag system comprising:
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a bus having a first portion and a second portion; a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus; a plurality of bus extensions each having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each of the bus extensions operatively connected with the first portion of the bus; a plurality of switches operatively connected with the bus, each corresponding with a particular one of the bus extensions, each switch selectively connecting the second portion of the bus with the second portion of the corresponding bus extension; and a multiplicity of tags, a plurality of which are operatively connected with each of the bus extensions, each tag having a display for displaying price information, each tag having a data driver for sending bus messages to the host and receiving bus messages from the host only when the switch corresponding to the bus extension connected to the tag connects the second portion of the bus with the second portion of the bus extension. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for communicating with a particular tag in an electronic price tag system, the system having a bus having a first portion and a second portion;
- a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus;
a plurality of bus extensions each having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each of the bus extensions operatively connected with the first portion of the bus;
a plurality of switches operatively connected with the bus, each corresponding with a particular one of the bus extensions, each switch selectively connecting the second portion of the bus with the second portion of the corresponding bus extension; and
a multiplicity of tags, a plurality of which are operatively connected with each of the bus extensions, each tag capable of sending bus messages to the host and receiving bus messages from the host only when the switch corresponding to the bus extension connected to the tag connects the second portion of the bus with the second portion of the bus extension;
said method comprising;sending a bus message from the host to the switch corresponding with the bus extension connected with the particular tag causing the switch to connect the second portion of the bus with the second portion of the corresponding bus extension; and communicating with the particular tag. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
- a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus;
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13. An electronic price tag system comprising:
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a bus; a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus; a plurality of bus extensions each having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each of the bus extensions operatively connected with the first portion of the bus; a plurality of identifiers operatively connected with the bus, each corresponding with a particular one of the bus extensions, each identifier operatively connected with the second portion of the corresponding bus extension, each identifier capable of receiving bus messages from the host on the bus, each identifier capable of sending extension messages on the second portion of its corresponding bus extension; and a multiplicity of tags, a plurality of which are operatively connected with each of the bus extensions, each tag having a display for displaying price information, each tag capable of sending bus messages to the host and receiving bus messages from the host, each tag capable of receiving extension messages from the identifier corresponding to the bus extension connected to the tag, said extension messages communicated by the second portion of the bus extension connected to the tag. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for confirming the location of a particular tag in an electronic price tag system comprising a bus;
- a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus;
a plurality of bus extensions each having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each of the bus extensions operatively connected with the first portion of the bus;
a plurality of identifiers operatively connected with the bus, each corresponding with a particular one of the bus extensions, each identifier operatively connected with the second portion of the corresponding bus extension, each identifier capable of receiving bus messages from the host on the bus, each identifier capable of sending extension messages on the second portion of its corresponding bus extension;
each identifier having a unique address in the address space of the bus, each identifier responding to a predetermined bus message from the host by sending a corresponding predetermined extension message by the second portion of the bus extension corresponding thereto; and
a multiplicity of tags, a plurality of which are operatively connected with each of the bus extensions, each tag having a display for displaying price information, each tag capable of sending bus messages to the host and receiving bus messages from the host, each tag capable of receiving extension messages from the identifier corresponding to the bus extension connected to the tag, said extension messages communicated by the second portion of the bus extension connected to the tag, each tag having a memory storing information indicative of an extension message received on the second portion of the bus extension connected to the tag, each tag responding to a predetermined bus message for sending a bus message to the host including the stored information, said method comprising;sending a first bus message to an identifier on the bus; sending a corresponding predetermined extension message on the second portion of the bus extension corresponding to the identifier; sending a second bus message to the particular tag requesting a response from the tag including the stored information; sending a third bus message from the particular tag including the stored information; whereby the stored information is confirmatory of the location of the tag. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
- a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus;
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30. An electronic price tag system comprising:
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a bus; a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus; a plurality of bus extensions each having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each of the bus extensions operatively connected with the first portion of the bus; a plurality of identifiers operatively connected with the bus, each corresponding with a particular one of the bus extensions, each identifier operatively connected with the second portion of the corresponding bus extension, each identifier capable of sending bus messages to the host on the bus, each identifier capable of receiving extension messages on the second portion of its corresponding bus extension; and a multiplicity of tags, a plurality of which are operatively connected with each of the bus extensions, each tag having a display for displaying price information, each tag having a unique address in the address space of the bus, each tag capable of sending bus messages to the host and receiving bus messages from the host, each tag capable of sending extension messages to the identifier corresponding to the bus extension connected to the tag, said bus messages communicated by the second portion of the bus extension connected to the tag. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for confirming the location of a particular tag in an electronic price tag system comprising a bus;
- a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus;
a plurality of bus extensions each having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each of the bus extensions operatively connected with the first portion of the bus;
a plurality of identifiers operatively connected with the bus, each corresponding with a particular one of the bus extensions, each identifier operatively connected with the second portion of the corresponding bus extension, each identifier capable of sending bus messages to the host on the bus, each identifier capable of receiving extension messages on the second portion of its corresponding bus extension;
each identifier having unique address in the address space of the bus, each identifier responding to a predetermined extension message received at the second portion of the bus extension corresponding thereto by sending a corresponding predetermined bus message to the host; and
a multiplicity of tags, a plurality of which are operatively connected with each of the bus extensions, each tag having a display for displaying price information, each tag having a unique address in the address space of the bus, each tag capable of sending bus messages to the host and receiving bus messages from the host, each tag capable of sending extension messages to the identifier corresponding to the bus extension connected to the tag, said extension messages communicated by the second portion of the bus extension connected to the tag, each identifier having a memory storing information indicative of an extension message received on the second portion of the bus extension connected to the identifier, each identifier responding to a predetermined extension message for sending a bus message to the host including the stored information, said method comprising;sending a first bus message to a particular tag on the bus; sending a corresponding predetermined extension message on the second portion of the bus extension connected to the particular tag; sending a second bus message to the identifier corresponding to the bus extension connected to the particular tag requesting a response from the identifier including the stored information; sending a third bus message from the identifier corresponding to the bus extension connected to the particular tag including the stored information; whereby the stored information is confirmatory of the location of the tag. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
- a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus;
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49. An electronic price tag system comprising:
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a bus; a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus and capable of holding a line of the bus at a fixed voltage level; a plurality of bus extensions each having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each of the bus extensions operatively connected with the first portion of the bus; a plurality of isolators operatively connected with the bus, each corresponding with a particular one of the bus extensions, each isolator operatively connected with the second portion of the corresponding bus extension, each isolator capable of inducing a voltage drop between a line of the bus and a line of its corresponding bus extension; and a multiplicity of tags, a plurality of which are operatively connected with each of the bus extensions, each tag having a display for displaying price information, each tag having a unique address in the address space of the bus, each tag capable of sending bus messages to the host and receiving bus messages from the host, each particular tag capable, when the host is holding a line cf the bus at a fixed voltage level, of sending extension messages to others of the tags connected with the bus extension to which the each particular tag is connected. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A method for confirming the location of a particular tag in an electronic price tag system comprising a bus;
- a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus and capable of holding a line of the bus at a fixed voltage level;
a plurality of bus extensions each having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each of the bus extensions operatively connected with the first portion of the bus;
a plurality of isolators operatively connected with the bus, each corresponding with a particular one of the bus extensions, each isolator operatively connected with the second portion of the corresponding bus extension, each isolator capable of inducing a voltage drop between a line of the bus and a line of its corresponding bus extension;
a multiplicity of tags, a plurality of which are operatively connected with each of the bus extensions, each tag having a display for displaying price information, each tag having a unique address in the address space of the bus, each tag capable of sending bus messages to the host and receiving bus messages from the host, each particular tag capable, when the host is holding a line of the bus at a fixed voltage level, cf sending extension messages to others of the tags connected with the bus extension to which the each particular tag is connected, said method comprising;sending a first bus message to a particular tag on the bus; holding a line of the bus at a fixed voltage level; sending a corresponding predetermined extension message on the second portion of the bus extension connected to the particular tag; discontinuing holding the line of the bus at a fixed voltage level; sending a second bus message to a second tag connected to the bus extension connected to the particular tag requesting a response from the second tag; sending a third bus message from the second tag to the host; whereby the stored information is confirmatory of the location of the second tag. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
- a host operatively connected with the bus for sending and receiving bus messages on the bus and capable of holding a line of the bus at a fixed voltage level;
Specification