Patent ID: 6105004
Filing Date: 2000-08-15
Classification: G06K,G06Q

Abstract:
A product monitoring system for monitoring a variety of products grouped according to their identities on shelves, comprising:a central computer having storage means for storing the identification of each group of products on the shelves;a plurality of electronic shelf labels, each located adjacent to a shelf for a group of products, each of said electronic shelf labels including communication means for communicating with said central computer via a first communication link between the central computer and the electronic shelf labels, storage means for storing the identification of the respective group of products, an electrically changeable display for displaying information relating to the respective group of products as communicated to it from said central computer via said first communication link, and an activatable read-out device for reading out, when activated, the product identification and price information of the respective group of products;a plurality of portable units each to be carried by a user of the system;and a record memory for each of said portable units;each of said portable units including a read-in device capable of communicating via a second, separate short-range communication link with the readout device of each of said electronic shelf labels for reading in the product identification and for recording same in the record memory for the respective portable unit.