Patent ID: 6354495
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: G06Q,G07F,G07G

Abstract:
A method for a system including a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, and a store includinga plurality of areas each including a shelf, a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product, the system further includingplurality of interfaces, each including an interface junction from which signals exit the interface, the method comprising the steps, performed for each interface, of:detecting, in the interface, a card in the plurality of cards, at time when the interface is supported by a shelf in a respective one of the plurality of areas and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units; and sending a respective first signal through the interface junction to the card detected in the previous step, at a time when the interface is supported the shelf and the respective first signal corresponds to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface.