Abstract:
A system and method of applying price changes which minimizes price look-up file access attempts by using a separate file for daily price change information, including a new price, a date, a start time, and an end time. The system includes an electronic price label associated with the item and a computer for reading a record for the item in a price file, for obtaining daily price change information for the item from the record, for adding the daily price change information to another file different from the price file, and for processing the daily price change information in the other file by reading the daily price change information from the other file, sending a first message to the electronic price label at the start time including a command to display the new price, and sending a second message to the electronic price label at the end time including a command to display a regular price for the item from the price file.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems, and more specifically to a system and method of applying price changes in an electronic price label system. 
     Point-of-sale (POS) transaction processing systems typically include a price look-up (PLU) file which contains item identification information and item price information. 
     EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for merchandise items in a store. 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 store may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are 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 the PLU data file and stored within an EPL price change record. 
     Current POS systems are not equipped to perform daily changes in PLU files. Instead, they use additional fields such as “SALE date”, “SALE time begin”, “SALE time end”, and “SALE information”. Since EPL price change records typically come from PLU files, EPL systems are not equipped to perform daily price changes either. 
     Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method of handling daily price changes in EPL systems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a system and method of applying daily price changes in electronic price label (EPL) systems is provided. 
     The system includes an electronic price label associated with the item and a computer. The computer reads a record for the item in a price file, obtains daily price change information for the item from the record, adds the daily price change information to another file different from the price file, and processes the daily price change information in the other file. Processing involves reading the daily price change information from the other file, sending a first message to the electronic price label at the start time including a command to display the new price, and sending a second message to the electronic price label a the end time including a command to display a regular price for the item from the price file. 
     It is a feature of the present invention that the computer maintains a separate file for daily price change information in order to minimize price look-up file access attempts. 
     The method of the present invention includes the steps of reading a record for the item in a price file, obtaining daily price change information for the item from the record including a new price and a date and a start time and an end time, adding the daily price change information to another file different from the price file, reading the daily price change information from the other file, and sending a message to an electronic price label associated with the item at the start time including a command to display the new price. 
     It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a system and method of applying daily price changes in electronic price label (EPL) systems. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an EPL system which is capable of handling daily price changes. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an EPL system which uses a separate file for storing daily price changes in order to minimize price look-up file access attempts. 
    
    
     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; 
     FIG. 2 is a diagram showing data files used within a transaction establishment; and 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B form a flow diagram illustrating the method of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, transaction system  10  primarily includes host computer system  12 , point-of-sale (POS) system  14 , and EPL system  16 . Here, components  12  and  14  are shown as separate components that are networked together, but they may also form a single component. Thus, host computer system  12  may be a POS terminal which doubles as a host computer for network of other POS terminals. 
     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 a data register  54  and a display  56 . Data registers  54  contain data, usually price data, sent from EPL software  30 . The data is typically displayed by displays  56 . 
     Host EPL terminal  24  executes EPL software  30  and daily price change management software  28 . To assist with execution of certain tasks performed by EPL software  30  and daily price change management software  28 , 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 price data from EPL data file  32  to EPLs  22 . EPL software  30  obtains prices in PLU data file  44  as they are entered in input device  42  (immediate processing) or after they have been stored within PLU data file  44 . EPL software  30  also schedules and transmits daily price data under the control of daily price change data management software  28 . 
     Daily price change management software  28  automatically reads PLU data file  44  on at least a daily basis and stores daily price change data within daily price change data file  34 . Daily price change information may also be recorded from an operator by input device  38 , which is preferably a keyboard. Daily price change management software  28  also works in connection with EPL software  30  to automatically schedule and transmit daily price change data from daily price change data file  34  to appropriate EPLs  22 . 
     However, the present invention also envisions one large file which combines daily price change data file  34  and PLU data file  44 , although this would be less efficient. PLU data file  44  has thousands of items (most stores have greater than thirty thousand items on file). Daily price change data file  34  is much smaller (most likely less than a thousand items). Additionally, PLU data file  44  is set for speed reads based on a PLU number (UPC or EAN type), while daily price change data file  34  is set for speed reads based on Start and End date and times. This is accomplished via different indexing. Therefore, it is much more efficient to regularly pass through daily price change data file  34  instead of PLU data file  44 . PLU data file  44  is accessed only once in a while. 
     EPL storage medium  26  stores EPL data file  32  and daily price change data file  34  and is preferably a fixed disk drive. EPL data file  32  contains EPL identification and price checksum information. Price checksum information is calculated from price information in PLU data file  44 . 
     EPL data file  32  contains current information displayed by EPLs  22 . Daily price change data file  34  contains daily price information to be displayed by EPLs  22 . Although disclosed as separate files, both files could be combined into a single file. 
     Host computer system  12  includes PLU storage medium  36 , host PLU terminal  40 , and input device  42 . 
     PLU storage medium  36  stores PLU data file  44 . PLU data file  44  also contains information contained within daily price change data file  34 . PLU data file  44  is available for distribution to POS terminal  20 . Alternatively, provision may be made for direct access to PLU data file  44  by bar code reader  18 . 
     Host PLU terminal  40  (PLU) maintenance application  48 , which includes PLU maintenance routine  50 . PLU maintenance routine  50  updates PLU data file  44  upon operator input. 
     Input device  42  is preferably a keyboard. 
     Turning now to FIG. 2, EPL data file  32 , daily price change data file  34 , and PLU data file  44  are shown in more detail. 
     EPL data file  32  includes a line entry for each EPL  22  in EPL system  16 . Each line entry has an item identification entry (ITEM ID), an EPL identification entry (EPL ID), and an EPL price checksum value entry (EPL CHECK). 
     Entry ITEM ID identifies a store item. Entry EPL ID identifies which EPL is assigned to the item. Entry EPL CHECK is a checksum value of the digits of the price information that is displayed by display  56 . 
     PLU data file  44  includes a line entry for each item sold in the store. Each line entry has an item identification entry (ITEM ID), a PLU price entry (PLU PRICE). Items which are subject to daily price changes include line entries for a special price start time (START TIME), a special price end time (END TIME), a day of week indicator (DAY OF WEEK), and a day of month indicator (DAY OF MONTH). 
     Entry ITEM ID identifies a store item. Entry PLU PRICE identifies the price read by POS system  14  to determine the price of each item during scanning by bar code reader  18 . Entry START TIME identifies a time when the special price begins. Entry END TIME identifies a time when the special price ends. Entry DAY OF WEEK identifies what day of the week the special price begins. Entry DAY OF MONTH indicates which day of the month the special price begins. 
     Daily price change data file  34  duplicates the daily price change information in PLU data file  44 . Each line entry has an item identification entry (ITEM ID), a special price start time (START TIME), a special price end time (END TIME), a day of week indicator (DAY OF WEEK), and a day of month indicator (DAY OF MONTH). 
     Entry ITEM ID identifies a store item. Entry START TIME identifies a time when the special price begins. Entry, END TIME identifies a time when the special price ends. Entry DAY OF WEEK identifies what day of the week the special price begins. Entry DAY OF MONTH indicates which day of the month the special price begins. 
     During normal operation, EPL terminal  24  obtains price information from PLU data file  44  and sends it to data register  54 . Display  56  displays the price in data register  54 . 
     Daily price change management software  28  reads PLU data file  44  on a daily basis, identifies newly recorded specials, writes the specials into daily price change data file  34 , and deletes obsolete specials in daily price change data file  34 . Daily price change management software  28  applies daily specials automatically at the times and days listed in daily price change data file  34  and automatically removes specials at the end times listed in daily price change data file  34 . Daily price change management software  28  applies and removes special prices by causing EPL software  30  to identify EPLs  22  associated with the special items using EPL data file  32  and schedule and transmit price change messages to the associated EPLs  22  at the start and end times. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the operation of daily price change management software  28  is discussed in more detail beginning with START  60 . 
     In step  62 , daily price change management software  28  reads a record in PLU data file  44 . 
     In step  63 , daily price change management software  28  determines whether an EPL is associated with the item in the record. If not, operation proceeds to step  70 . If so, then operation proceeds to step  64 . 
     In step  64 , daily price change management software  28  determines whether the record contains daily price change information (START TIME) If not, operation returns to step  70 . If so, then operation proceeds to step  66 . 
     In step  66 , daily price change management software  28  determines whether the daily price change information is new information. If not, operation proceeds to step  70 . If so, operation proceeds to step  68 . 
     In step  68 , daily price change management software  28  adds the new PLU data file items and their daily price change information to daily price change data file  34 . 
     In step  70 , daily price change management software  28  determines whether the record is the last record in PLU data file  44 . If not, operation returns to step  62  to read the next record. If so, operation proceeds to step  72 . 
     In step  72 , daily price change management software  28  reads a record in daily price change data file  34 . 
     In step  74 , daily price change management software  28  determines whether the record is out of date. If so, daily price change management software  28  deletes the record in step  76  and operation proceeds to step  82 . If not, operation proceeds to step  78 . 
     In step  78 , daily price change management software  28  determines whether the execution time in the record has been reached. Here, execution time means either the START TIME or END TIME entries. If not, operation proceeds to step  82 . If so, operation proceeds to step  80 . 
     In step  80 , daily price change management software  28  causes EPL software  30  to display the new price information. EPL software  30  uses the ITEM ID information provided by daily price change management software  28  to obtain EPL address information from EPL data file  32 . 
     In step  82 , daily price change management software  28  determines whether record is the last record. If not, operation returns to step  72  to read another record. If so, operation proceeds to step  84 . 
     In step  84 , daily price change management software  28  determines whether the day is over. Daily price change management software  28  compares the current time to a threshold time after which all price changes should have been executed for the day. If not, operation returns to step  72  to go through daily price change data file  34  again. If so, operation ends in step  86 . 
     Advantageously, daily price change management software  28  allows a store to aggressively market its products by changing prices on a daily basis. Also, daily price change management software  28  can create daily price change data file  34  without requiring changes to existing price management systems, including the PLU data files  44 . 
     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.