DE4403696A1 - Device and method for central computer control of freely placeable product labels and information signs - Google Patents

Abstract

The description relates to a process for electronically marking articles and a device for implementing it. A goods label (20) with a store (34) and a display (22) is allocated to the articles in the display stands of a supermarket. The article number is read by a manually operated device (60) from a bar-code label (76) attached to the article and stored in the store (34) as a goods label address. The article attributes to be shown on the display (22) together with the article number are either delivered by the manually operated device (60) or transmitted by radio from a central station (100). The label (20) compares the article number in the radio transmission with the stored label address and stores the article attributes to be shown on the display (22) only if there is a correlation in the store (34) between the two.

Description

In retail outlets that have goods in stock, all the products offered for the customer must be provided with a price label.

These prices are mostly printed or handwritten labels that a short description of the respective article and its price as fixed Wear the inscription. Parallel to this plain text price labeling, the goods are - especially in the consumer goods sector - thanks to scanner-readable bar codes with one Item number coded. If the bar code is sent to the customer before paying for the goods When the cash register is read by the scanner, the computer system uses it to determine the current one Price and returns it to the cash register.

Here is the invoice with the goods price from the EDP article database created and issued to the customer.

However, this procedure does not in any way ensure that the goods Obvious price labeling identical to the one actually calculated Commodity price for a specific item is as it is from the computer database is read. So there is not necessarily a synchronism between them both details.

This prior art has other serious shortcomings:

• 1. Every price change of an article must be in the article database as well also - by hand - "on site", d. H. on the shelf of the corresponding goods be changed on their price tag. Short-term minor price changes are therefore rarely implemented on the goods.
• 2. If an article or an article group is repositioned, the requires necessary redrawing of all goods price tags much conscientiousness and Time spent by the staff to avoid later customer complaints.  
• 3. Special offers require visibility for the customer again considerable manual work at the goods location (shelf or similar)
• 4. The visual uniformity and presentation of the product range suffers greatly under the inconsistency of the labeling of goods on the shelves.
• 5. If the locations of many goods change at the same time (entire shelf groups or similar) the effort for the redrawing of all article names and Item prices huge. This can easily be several trade a thousand individual works.
• 6. If a shelf is empty for a specific item, the customer does not find out whether this is just not currently filled or z. B. is temporarily out of stock.

As can be seen, there is therefore a need for an apparatus and a method which Avoids all of these disadvantages while taking advantage of an extremely lightweight Handling and complete EDP control of all goods offers. The invention presented below is intended to close a considerable gap here.

The invention is divided into two main components: a device and one procedure derived from this and based on it.

The device consists of a power-saving electronically controlled One-size-fits-all display can. The display corresponds to the usual article label and can Display the number of alphanumeric characters with very good legibility. Conceivable is - as usual so far - the specification of goods description, filling quantity or Weight and current price. The display also has a field or a  Framing of sufficient size that can be switched on and off electronically or into another Color can be switched. The field or frame can be any Wear picture or character representation, e.g. B. the name of the sales company and / or a text such as "SPECIAL OFFER" or similar

To the liability of the display on the usual metal or Plastic rails on the sales device (shelves etc.) must be guaranteed the back of this - hereinafter referred to as "electronic goods label" Preferably provide the device with a self-adhesive layer.

The external appearance of the "electronic goods label" is therefore for the Viewer similar to the usual paper or plastic label.

In addition, each "electronic goods label" contains active electronics that its power supply, the display, its code number etc. and the wireless connection to the computer.

An essential focus is the free placement of the "electronic Goods label "in the vicinity of the goods in question: since it is difficult to practice, the electronics from batteries or even with a fixed line to one To operate supply voltage, the "electronic goods label" receives its Operating voltage from the already abundant light at the point of sale with the help of small solar cells. According to the invention, they are on the surface of each "electronic goods label" available.

A receiving part for a wireless connection to the EDP in one of the known Techniques - preferably with high frequency transmission - are also built in.

The functioning of the overall system for the operation of the "electronic "When placing the goods label, the" Use of a "code gun" according to the invention.

This additional device can be a preferably wireless, coded signal Send out to the "electronic goods label" at a short distance and thus u. a.  passed a serial number to the "electronic goods label", the whole Operation may only occur once, comparable to a telephone number.

A memory in the "code gun" remembers all those that have already been allocated Sequence numbers so that double allocation is impossible. At the same time electronics in the "code gun" a number counter by one or more Steps further so that the resulting number is assigned next. The user therefore need not pay much attention to use them.

The mode of operation and the advantage of the entire system according to the invention of The easiest way to represent devices is to look at the Installation in a supermarket not yet stocked with goods.

Each goods shelf corresponds to a certain number of locations delimited "goods locations". In the example, 10 shelves, each with 10 Goods locations have a number range from 1-100 (so for simplicity Share steps from one location number to the next).

• 1. First, the self-adhesive, still completely identical "electronic Goods labels "on all goods locations on the labeling rails staples. The electronics of each label start operating immediately. H. she waits for the reception of a program directed to your local reception field.
• 2. With a "code gun", starting at goods location number 1, each "electronic goods label" with one intended for its location Number electronically marked. It is enough to use the "code gun" in short Distance to be directed to the "electronic goods label" and this number wirelessly or handed over to it by touch and galvanic contact. The goods- The location number will remain in the "electronic goods label" until revoked  saved. From now on the receiving part of the "electronic goods label" for incoming shipments from the central IT system under this number " Reception ", but can later be renumbered by the EDP.
• 3. The department store's IT system has already been planned internally Goods allocation is a link between the goods location number and the respective items available there for sale.

Via a wireless transmitter (light, sound, infrared, UV light or - preferably - Radio frequency), which is in single or multiple execution near the Goods locations, the computer system sends a modulated signal to everyone "electronic goods labels". The modulated signal contains the target Number of the goods location currently selected by the EDP. Only this "electronic goods label" now begins to decode the incoming shipment, to edit and their content visible in the intended place on its display to be let.

This is preferably a short article description in plain text, Size or weight information and a price for this product as well optional dates.

In addition, e.g. B. an identifier to activate the "attention field" on "Electronic goods label" are transmitted, the effects such as one or multi-colored flashing, ticker or similar triggers.

After the wireless transmitter sends all the computer database entries for the goods to the Goods location numbers 1-100 transmitted to the "electronic goods labels" , they all carry the above alphanumeric characters and stand for everyone Access under full control of the central IT.  

More options:

• 1. An article should receive a new price, a new description, a changed weight or the like.
  As soon as the price is changed in the central EDP database (or at a later, freely selectable point in time), the salesroom transmitter sends the new data record for display to the goods location - and thus to the "electronic goods label" concerned.
• 2. An article or an entire article group should be marked as a "special offer".
  The central transmitter of the EDP transmits the code for activating the "attention field" on the display of the respective "electronic goods label" to the corresponding goods locations. The special marking can be canceled in the same way.
• 3. A certain article or a whole assortment should get a new location.
  The EDP exchanges the numbers of the old goods locations with those of the new locations in the goods database and sends the changed entries to all "electronic goods labels" affected. Then the already labeled goods locations can be equipped with the corresponding goods.
• 4. Some articles are temporarily out of stock.
  The EDP transmits through the salesroom transmitter (s) z. B. the message "CURRENTLY SOLD OUT" or "RE-AVAILABLE FROM..." to the displays of the affected goods locations.
• 5. Additional goods should be included in the sales offer
  The additional goods location numbers are inserted in the appropriate place in the EDP. (As a basis, steps of ten from number to number were expediently provided.)
  Additional "electronic goods labels" are attached to the new goods locations and then addressed to the next free numbers with the "coding gun". The central EDP - which also knows the current status of numbering - sends the entire text and number entries to each "electronic goods label" via the sales room transmitter.
• 6. Only the internal numbering of the goods location areas should be changed in whole or in part (because, for example, there is no more space for the introduction of additional location numbers between existing numbers).
  The central EDP re-occupies the memory cells of all goods location memories of the "electronic goods labels" via the sales room transmitter, without the text display of the goods labels changing.

Structure and function units of the device according to the invention, Figs. 1 and FIG. 2.

In Fig. 1 is a possibility for the realization of the "electronic product label" according to the invention. On a carrier plate ( 0 ), the back of which is expediently provided with a self-adhesive layer, there are various display fields ( 5 , 6 and 7 ) and photoelectric cells ( 2 ) which, when illuminated, provide the operating voltage for all electronic components of the "electronic" Deliver ". A receiving antenna ( 10 ), which is preferably metallized, is also located on or in the carrier plate ( 0 ).

A reception field ( 3 ), preferably implemented by a (reception) infrared or photodiode, and a similar transmission field ( 4 ), preferably represented by a (transmission) infrared or photodiode, allow the establishment of a serial data connection from the electronic goods label " e.g. to a coding or reading pistol to be held in the hand or also to the transmitter of the central EDP, if this works with the corresponding transmission media (( 3 ) and ( 4 ) are used for the first assignment of the "electronic goods label" with a goods location number and e.g. during the inventory.)

The alphanumeric display fields ( 5 , 6 ) serve for the clear text representation of the goods text, the goods price and the goods location number ( 7 ). This can also be omitted, since it can also be determined using a reading pistol (see above), but its presence simplifies the visual inspection of the "electronic goods label" for the employees. The display field ( 6 ) can be provided with a special function (flashing, ticker) or only with an additional display.

In FIG. 2, a preferred embodiment of the electronic structure of an "electronic product label" according to the invention is shown in functional blocks:
a receiving part ( 1 ) receives an encoded signal from an antenna device ( 10 ), which is decoded in (1) and then passed on to the processing block ( 2 ). This forwards the resulting display signals to the display output stage ( 3 ), which in turn transfers them to the various display fields ( 4 ).

In addition, ( 2 ) also controls the possible data flow via the inputs and outputs ( 7 ) and ( 8 ). The processing unit ( 2 ) has access to a set of memory cells ( 9 ) for information that must be stored permanently (e.g. the own, unique serial number of the respective "electronic goods label", the goods location number, security codes etc.), that keep their contents even if the supply voltage of the entire electronics fails.

The power supply of the entire electronics as well as the display fields ( 4 ) takes place by generating voltage from the ambient light with the photoelectric cell or cells ( 5 ), to which a device ( 6 ) for buffering the operating voltage is connected if the light is used for a shorter time (in Minutes range) temporarily fails due to shadowing or similar.

The technical implementation of ( 6 ) can be done in a known manner by a miniature battery or a high-capacity capacitor.

Claims (10)

1. Device and method of FIGS. 1 and Fig. 2, for coupling a data processing system or other data source with any number of display elements, characterized in that an encoded with a sequence number and an arbitrary set of user data signal is supplied to a transmitting device , which emits modulated radiation, preferably high frequency, and can use the sequence number and the user data to set a specific display element in the state specified by the data source without any of the plurality of display elements, due to the independent voltage generation with the aid of photoelectric elements, from the ambient light Operating voltage supply from outside the display element or a galvanic connection to the data source is required and can therefore be placed anywhere in the room. 2. Device and method according to claim 1, characterized in that each display element all necessary to achieve this goal mechanical, electrical and electronic components and a set of basic work instructions for its processing unit contains. 3. Device and method according to claim 1, characterized in that each display element has at least one display field with a freely configurable "Attention function" contains effects such as flashing, ticking generation or color change allowed.   4. The device and method according to claim 1, characterized in that the display fields in power-saving technology, so according to the current state of the art mainly in LCD technology, are executed and also the electrical and electronic modules within the overall function of FIG. 2 in a power-saving design getting produced. 5. The device and method according to claim 1, characterized in that each display element has a set of freely assignable memory cells, which even if the operating voltage fails due to failure of the photocurrent Keep information and immediately after reinstalling the photo stream enable the continuation of all planned activities. 6. The device and method according to claim 1, characterized in that each display element has at least one additional reception and transmission field for establishing a local serial connection to an external one The writing and reading device carries whatever information is available in this way can pass the display element or take it over from it. 7. The device and method according to claim 1 to 6, characterized in that that an external read and write device for a serial connection can simultaneously irradiate the photoelectric cells of the display element, an increased power requirement of the transmission elements - these are preferred emitting semiconductors - to cover securely during transmission. 8. The device and method according to claim 1, characterized in that each display element an integrated, preferably metallized Receiving antenna and has a self-adhesive or adhesive back.   9. The device and method according to claim 1 to 8, characterized in that that each display element is unique through an individual serial number is marked and only on data transmissions with this serial number or one derived from it, for a number of display elements simultaneously applicable group sequence number responds. 10. The device and method according to claim 1 to 9, characterized in that each display element to secure operation during short-term Drops in the photoelectrically obtained operating voltage (e.g. through Shading) a buffer device for the voltage in one of the known Techniques, preferably with an accumulator or a high-capacity one Owns the capacitor.