Abstract:
A method of restoring display information to an electronic price label which stores temporarily removed display information and sends it to the electronic price label following a temporary period. The method includes the steps of determining whether a memory of the electronic price label contains primary display information during the temporary display period, and if the memory of the electronic price label does not contain the primary display information during the temporary display period, sending a message to the electronic price label containing the primary display information for display following the temporary display period.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems, and more specifically to a method of restoring information for display by an EPL. 
     EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for merchandise items in a transaction establishment. EPLs typically display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A transaction establishment may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs ate coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. Price information displayed by the EPLs is obtained from a price look-up (PLU) data file and stored within an EPL price change record. 
     EPLs are also being used to display more than just price information. For example, retailers are using EPLs to display promotional information in order to more effectively market associated merchandise items. Retailers must also display status and other information for the benefit of employees. 
     However, EPLs have limited memory capacity for storing the many types of information which must be displayed. For example, a typical EPL has four data registers which can simultaneously store, at most, two types of information. Therefore, it would be desirable for providing a method of temporarily displaying new information and returning to previously displayed information despite the memory capacity limitation of an EPL. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a method of restoring information for display by an electronic price label (EPL) system is provided. 
     The method includes the steps of determining whether a memory of the electronic price label contains primary display information during the temporary display period, and if the memory of the electronic price label does not contain the primary display information during the temporary display period, sending a message to the electronic price label containing the primary display information for display following the temporary display period. 
     An electronic price label system includes an EPL including a memory containing a plurality of different locations for storing different pieces of information, and a computer which sends a first message to the EPL containing temporary display information to be displayed by the EPL during a temporary display period, determines whether primary display information was removed by the EPL from the memory to store the temporary display information, and, if the primary display information was removed, stores the primary display information in a data file, reads the primary display information in the data file at a predetermined time, and sends a second message to the EPL containing the primary display information for display following the temporary display period. 
     The primary display information may include primary display characters, display instructions, or both. 
     It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a method of restoring information for display by an EPL. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of interrupting display of information by an EPL in order to display a different type of information. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of tracking information removed from a memory in the EPL during a temporary display period for later replacement. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of displaying a different type of information and returning to the previously displayed information which compensates for insufficient memory capacity in EPLs. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a transaction processing system; and 
     FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of transaction system  10  primarily includes host computer system  12 , point-of-sale (POS) system  14 , and EPL system  16 . Here, components  12 ,  14 , and  16  are shown as separate components that are networked together, but they may also be combined in different ways to form less components. Thus, host computer system  12  may be a POS terminal which doubles as a host computer for network of other POS terminals. Also, host computer system  12  and EPL system  16  may be combined into a single system. 
     POS system  14  includes bar code reader  18  and terminal  20 . 
     EPL system  16  primarily includes EPLs  22 , host EPL terminal  24 , and EPL storage medium  26 . 
     EPLs  22  include control circuitry  52 , data memory  54  and displays  56 . 
     Control circuitry  52  receives and transmits messages from EPL terminal  24  and controls display of information by display  56 . Control circuitry  52  stores data within the messages, such as price and promotional information, in data memory  54 . 
     Host EPL terminal  24  executes EPL software  30 . To assist with execution of certain tasks performed by EPL software  30 , EPL terminal  24  includes a built-in time keeping device, commonly referred to as a system clock, which is synchronized with current time, in order to automatically execute the tasks at their scheduled times. 
     EPL software  30  is responsible for scheduling and transmitting data to EPLs  22 . EPL software  30  obtains prices in price look-up (PLU) data file. 
     Host EPL terminal  24  also executes restoration management software  34  which manages restoration of information in EPLs  22 . Under the present invention, restoration management software  34  tracks automatic or operator-initiated messages which cause EPLs  22  to remove one or more types of currently displayed information and temporarily store and display one or more types of new information. Following the temporary display period, restoration management software  34  sends previously displayed data and display instructions to EPLs  22  in order to restore the previously displayed data into the memories of EPLs  22 . 
     Restoration management software  34  tracks whether data has been removed from memories  54  of EPLs  22  in restoration data file  36 . 
     EPL storage medium  26  stores EPL data file  32  and restoration data file  36 . EPL storage medium  26  and is preferably a fixed disk drive. 
     EPL data file  32  contains EPL identification and checksum information. Checksum information is calculated from price information in PLU data file  46 . EPL data file  32  identifies information that is currently stored and displayed by EPLs  22 . 
     Host computer system  12  includes PLU storage medium  44 , transaction server  42 , and input device  40 . 
     Transaction server  42  handles price requests from POS terminal  20 . POS terminal  20  sends item identification information to transaction server  42  and transaction server  42  returns the corresponding price from PLU data file  46 . 
     PLU storage medium  44  stores PLU data file  46 . PLU data file  46  is available for distribution to POS terminal  20 . Provision may be made for direct access to PLU data file  46  by bar code reader  18 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 2, the operation of display restoration software  34  is illustrated beginning with START  60 . 
     In step  62 , display restoration software  34  waits for an indication that a change display message has been sent to EPLs  22  by EPL software  30 . The change display message would typically be a broadcast message addressed to all EPLs  22 . Using this example, the message may also include an instruction to alternatingly flash price information and employee-directed information. 
     Regardless of whether the message is a broadcast message or individually-addressed message, if the message requires data to be displayed that is not already stored within one or more of EPLs  22 , then EPL software  30  retrieves that data from its data source and places it in the message, along with a memory location for storing the data and an instruction to store the data in the memory location. If memory  54  is already full, new data overwrites existing data in the memory location. EPL software  30  waits to update EPL data file  32  until after display restoration software  34  has logged any overwritten data and instructions. 
     If a change display message has been sent, operation proceeds to step  64 . 
     In step  64 , during the temporary period, display restoration software  34  reads an EPL record in EPL data file  32  to determine previous memory contents of EPL  22 . 
     In step  66 , display restoration software  34  determines whether the memory contents have changed following the change display message. If so, operation proceeds to step  68 . If not, operation jumps to step  70 . 
     In step  68 , display restoration software  34  logs the types of removed data and instructions in restoration data file  36 . 
     In step  70 , display restoration software  34  determines whether the record is the last EPL record. If not, operation returns to step  64 . If so, operation continues. 
     During the temporary period, employees may be restocking shelves, taking inventory, and performing other store-related tasks using the information displayed by EPLs  22  as necessary. Operation proceeds until display restoration software  34  determines or receives an indication that the temporary display period has ended, manually or through automatic scheduling. 
     In step  74 , at the end of the temporary period, display restoration software  34  optionally sends a message to EPLs  22  to display only price information if extra time is necessary to return any previously displayed promotional material from restoration data file  36 . This message may be a quick broadcast or individually addressed message. 
     In steps  76 - 80 , display restoration software  34  causes EPL software  30  to send a message to each EPL  22  from which data was removed. 
     In step  76 , display restoration software  34  reads an EPL record in restoration data file  36 . 
     In step  78 , display restoration software  34  retrieves data and instructions identified in restoration data file  36 . Display restoration software  34  reads the data from other data files as necessary. 
     In step  80 , display restoration software  34  causes EPL software  30  to send a message to the EPL containing the data and instructions to be restored, the memory location for storing the data, and an instruction to store the data in the memory location. 
     For example, if an EPL  22  was displaying promotional information (e.g., “On Sale”) and price information, and the promotional information was removed during the temporary period, display restoration software  34  sends a message containing the promotional information and instructions for displaying the promotional information after the temporary period. Thus, if EPL  22  was alternatingly flashing price and promotional information, them the message would additionally contain the flashing instruction. Likewise, if the promotional data was not removed (because there was enough memory capacity to store it) then only the flashing instruction would be sent to EPL  22 . 
     In step  82 , display restoration software  34  determines whether the record is the last EPL record. If not, operation returns to step  76 . If so, operation returns to step  62 . 
     Advantageously, the method of the present minimizes temporary storage problems in EPLs  22  having limited memory capacity. Specifically, the present invention automatically tracks and restores data and/or instructions which are removed from EPLs  22  to make room for new data and/or instructions to be displayed by EPLs  22  during a temporary period. 
     Although the present invention has been described with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications of the present invention can be effected within the spirit and scope of the following claims.