Abstract:
An integrated circuit tag includes an item information storage unit that stores item information related to the item, an item information controller that provides control to change the item information, and an item information display unit that displays the item information stored, wherein if the item information controller provides control to change the item information stored based on an instruction wirelessly transmitted from a control device, then the item information display unit displays the item information changed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1) Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to displaying of information by an integrated circuit (IC) tag that is attached to merchandise.  
         [0003]     2) Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Items of merchandise (hereinafter, “items”) sold in supermarkets and department stores are put on display with price tags and bar codes attached, to indicate price of the item. For a special discount sale conducted over a limited period, some items are sold at a reduced price. Such items include items for which “Best Before” dates, which indicate that the quality of the item is best until the date mentioned, are near. Therefore, sales persons attach discount price tags to such items, to indicate the discount price.  
         [0005]     However, attaching discount price tags to items increases the workload of sales persons. Sales persons need to put in additional time and effort to find out items that are to be sold at discounted price or items of which Best Before dates are near, and attach the discount price tags to such items. Moreover, the sales persons may forget to attach the discount price tags to some items.  
         [0006]     Furthermore, for each of those items, the sales person has to read item information from a bar code using a scanner at a point of sales (POS) register and enter a discount price in the POS register based on the discount price tag.  
         [0007]     Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2002-133519 discloses a price tag that includes an item data memory, which data is read from and written in using a weak current. Price data or the like is written in the item data memory with an indicator current from an antenna installed in a store, which eliminates the need for changing prices of items.  
         [0008]     However, in the conventional price tags, if an item price is changed, a customer cannot view the updated item price. Therefore, if the information about an item is changed using an indicator current, the updated item information must be displayed on the price tag attached to the item.  
         [0009]     Furthermore, the item information stored in the price tag may easily be read by a third person. Therefore, the privacy of customers who purchase items needs to be protected.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     It is an object of the invention to at least solve the problems in the conventional technology.  
         [0011]     An integrated circuit tag, which is attached to an item of merchandise, according to one aspect of the present invention includes an item information storage unit that stores item information related to the item; an item information controller that provides control to change the item information; and an item information display unit that displays the item information stored, wherein if the item information controller provides control to change the item information stored based on an instruction wirelessly transmitted from a control device, then the item information display unit displays the item information changed.  
         [0012]     An integrated circuit tag, which is attached to an item of merchandise, according to another aspect of the present invention includes an item information storage unit that stores item information including a Best Before date of the item, the item information being wirelessly transmitted from a control device; an expiration detector that detects, whether the Best Before date of the item has expired, using a timer; and an item information display processor that displays the item information stored, wherein if the expiration detector detects that the Best Before date has expired, the item information display processor displays a message to that effect.  
         [0013]     An integrated circuit tag, which is attached to an item of merchandise, according to one aspect of the present invention includes an item information storage unit that stores item information including a Best Before date of the item, the item information being wirelessly transmitted from a control device; an expiration determining unit that determines whether the Best Before date of the item has expired, based on a present time acquired periodically from the control device and; and an item information display unit that displays a message if the expiration determining unit determines that the Best Before date has expired.  
         [0014]     The other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are specifically set forth in or will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of an IC tag system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of another IC tag system according to the first embodiment;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of the IC tag;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4 .is a flowchart of a process of writing discount information and discount method in the IC tag, and of displaying the discount information and the discount method on a liquid crystal display (LCD);  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a process in which the POS register acquires item information from the IC tag and displays a price of an item;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a functional block diagram of an IC tag according to a second embodiment; and  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart of a process executed by an item price calculation processor. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0022]     Exemplary embodiments of an IC tag according to the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  are diagrams of an IC tag system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. An antenna  3  is connected to a readerwriter  2 , and the readerwriter  2  is connected to a host computer  1 .  
         [0024]     The host computer  1  transmits information about an item  7  to the readerwriter  2 . The readerwriter  2  transmits the information using radio waves through the antenna  3  and writes the information in an IC tag  8  attached to the item  7 .  
         [0025]     An LCD (not shown) attached to the IC tag  8  displays the item information written by the readerwriter  2 . For example, when a sales person enters a discount price of the item  7  in the IC tag  8  using the host computer  1 , the LCD displays the discount price. Thus, a customer can obtain updated information about the item  7 . Moreover, the sales person need not attach discount price tags to items. Consequently, burden on the sales person reduces.  
         [0026]     In the IC tag system shown in  FIG. 2 , an antenna  6  is connected to a readerwriter  5 , and the readerwriter  5  is connected to a POS register  4 . The POS register  4  acquires item information about the item  7  from the IC tag  8  and displays an item price of the item  7  based on the item information acquired. The POS register  4  transmits encrypted data to the IC tag  8 , if required, to rewrite the item information with the encrypted data.  
         [0027]     The readerwriter  5  is used when the POS register  4  acquires item information about the item  7  from the IC tag  8  and when the POS register writes encrypted data in the IC tag  8  using radio waves transmitted through the antenna  6 . The readerwriter  5  transmits radio waves to the IC tag  8  through the antenna  6  to read the item information stored in the IC tag  8 , and then transmits the item information read to the POS register  4 .  
         [0028]     Similarly, when encrypted data is to be written in the IC tag  8 , the readerwriter  5  transmits radio waves including the encrypted data received from the POS register  4  to the IC tag  8  through the antenna  6  to rewrite the item information written in the IC tag  8  with the encrypted data.  
         [0029]     Therefore, the sales person need not enter the discount information in the POS register  4  based on the discount price tag attached to the item, unlike the conventional manner. In other words, it is possible to omit entering the discount information in the POS register  4  and to read simultaneously, a plurality of pieces of data transmitted from the IC tag. Therefore, the sales person does not need to register items that are sold, one after another.  
         [0030]     Furthermore, because the item information written in the IC tag  8  is rewritten with the encrypted data as required, the privacy of the customer that purchases the item can be protected by preventing a third person from reading from the IC tag  8 , the item information of an item purchased.  
         [0031]      FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of the IC tag  8 . The IC tag  8  includes an antenna  9 , an information controller  10 , an item data storage unit  11 , a display data processor  12 , and an LCD  13 .  
         [0032]     The antenna  9  receives radio waves from the readerwriter  2  or  5  for writing or reading item information, and transmits the radio waves to the information controller  10 . The information controller  10  stores the item information in the item data storage unit  11  based on the radio waves. On receiving radio waves from the antenna  9  for reading item information, the information controller  10  acquires the item information from the item data storage unit  11 , and sends the item information acquired to the readerwriter  2  or  5  via the antenna  9 .  
         [0033]     The item data storage unit  11  includes scan code  11   a,  item name  11   b,  item price  11   c,  manufacture time  11   d,  Best Before date  11   e,  encryption information  11   f,  discount information  11   g,  and discount method  11   h.  The readerwriter  2  transmits these pieces of information.  
         [0034]     The scan code  11   a  identifies an item  7 , the item name  11   b  is the name of the item  7 , the item price  11   c  is the price of the item  7 , and the manufacture time  11   d  is the time when the item  7  was manufactured.  
         [0035]     The Best Before date  11   e  is the Best Before date of the item  7 , the encryption information  11   f  indicates whether data stored in the item data storage unit  11  is to be encrypted, the discount information  11   g  is a numerical value to be discounted from the item price, and the discount method  11   h  indicates how to discount the item price.  
         [0036]     The discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h  are explained below in detail. For example, if the discount information  11   g  is “300”, the discount method  11   h  is “yen”, and the item price is “1000 yen”, then the discounted item price is “700 yen”, which indicates “a discount of 300 yen” for the item price  11   c.    
         [0037]     On the other hand, if the discount information  11   g  is “20”, the discount method  11   h  is “percent”, and the item price  11   c  is “1000 yen”, then the discounted item price is “800 yen”, which indicates “a discount of 20 percent” for the item price  11   c.    
         [0038]     The display data processor  12  sends data stored in the item data storage unit  11  to be displayed on the LCD  13 . The display data processor  12  includes a display data output unit  12   a,  a display change processor  12   b,  and a timer  12   c.    
         [0039]     The display data output unit  12   a  acquires the item price  11   c,  the manufacture time  11   d,  the Best Before date  11   e,  the discount information  11   g,  and the discount method  11   h  from the item data storage unit  11 , and sends the data to the LCD  13  for display.  
         [0040]     When it is determined, using the timer  12   c,  that the Best Before date  11   e  of an item has expired, the display change processor  12   b  issues an instruction to change a color of the item information currently displayed on the LCD  13 . For example, if the Best Before date  11   e  expires, the color of the item information displayed on the LCD  13  is changed from black to red.  
         [0041]     Thus, customers can recognize, at a glance, items of which Best Before dates expire. Therefore, the customers avoid buying such items. Similarly, the sales persons can easily recognize the items of which the Best Before dates have passed, and the burden on the sales persons, of disposing of the items, reduces.  
         [0042]     The LCD  13  displays the item price  11   c,  the manufacture time  11   d,  the Best Before date  11   e,  the discount information  11   g,  and the discount method  11   h,  which are input from the display data output unit  12   a.  Further, the LCD  13  changes the color of the item information displayed based on an instruction from the display change processor  12   b.    
         [0043]     In the first embodiment, the scan code  11   a,  the item name  11   b,  the item price  11   c,  the manufacture time  11   d,  the Best Before date  11   e,  and the encryption information  11   f  are previously written in the item data storage unit  11 .  
         [0044]     When the readerwriter  2  writes the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h  in the item data storage unit  11 , the display data output unit  12   a  acquires the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h,  to display on the LCD  13 .  
         [0045]     Thus, in addition to the item name  11   b,  the item price  11   c,  the manufacture time  11   d,  and the Best Before date  11   e,  the LCD  13  displays the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h.    
         [0046]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a process of writing the discount information and the discount method in the IC tag, and of displaying the discount information and the discount method on the LCD.  
         [0047]     The antenna  9  receives radio waves from the readerwriter  2  for writing the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h  (step S 101 ), and the information controller writes the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h  in the item data storage unit  11  (step S 102 ).  
         [0048]     The display data output unit  12 a acquires the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h  written (step S 103 ), to output to the LCD  13  (step S 104 ). The LCD  13  displays the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h  input in addition to the information already displayed (step S 105 ).  
         [0049]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a process in which the POS register acquires item information from the IC tag and displays the price of an item.  
         [0050]     The POS register  4  transmits radio waves for reading the item information about the item  7  to the IC tag  8  through the readerwriter  5  and the antenna  6  (step S 201 ). The IC tag  8  receives the radio waves from the readerwriter  5  (step S 202 ), and causes the readerwriter  5  to read, as item information, the scan code  11   a,  the item name  11   b,  the item price  11   c,  the manufacture time  11   d,  the Best Before date  11   e,  the encryption information  11   f,  the discount information  11   g,  and the discount method  11   h,  which are stored in the item data storage unit  11  (step S 203 ).  
         [0051]     The POS register  4  receives the item information through the readerwriter  5  (step S 204 ), and determines whether the item information should be encrypted, based on the encryption information  11   f  included in the item information received (step S 205 ).  
         [0052]     If the encryption information  11   f  indicates that encryption is not needed (No at step S 205 ), the POS register  4  displays the item price based on the item information read (step S 209 ). On the other hand, if the encryption information  11   f  indicates that encryption is needed (Yes at step S 205 ), the POS register  4  transmits encrypted data to the IC tag  8  through the readerwriter  5  (step S 206 ), and the process in the POS register  4  proceeds to step S 209 .  
         [0053]     The IC tag  8  receives the radio waves for rewriting the item information with the encrypted data (step S 207 ), where the item information stored in the item data storage unit  11  is rewritten with the encrypted data received (step S 208 ).  
         [0054]     As explained above, in the IC tag  8  according to the first embodiment, the display data output unit  12   a  acquires the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h  written by the readerwriter  2 , and displays the information acquired on the LCD  13 . Therefore, the sales persons need not attach the discount price tags to the items.  
         [0055]     The POS register  4  acquires the item information including the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h  from the IC tag  8  through the readerwriter  5  for displaying on the LCD. Therefore, the sales persons do not need to enter the discount prices into the POS register  4  separately.  
         [0056]     The display change processor  12   b  changes the color of the item information displayed on the LCD  13  if the Best Before date  11   e  expires. Therefore, the customers and the sales persons can easily distinguish items of which Best Before dates have passed.  
         [0057]     The item information included in the IC tag  8  is rewritten with the encrypted data whenever necessary, which makes it possible to protect privacy of customers and prevent tampering of the item information.  
         [0058]     According to the first embodiment, the scan code  11   a,  the item name  11   b,  the item price  11   c,  the manufacture time  11   d,  the Best Before date  11   e,  and the encryption information  11   f  are written in the item data storage unit  11 , and the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h  are written by the readerwriter  2  later, when required. However, the process is not limited thereto. For example, the item price  11   c  may be rewritten in the item data storage unit  11 , and then displayed on the LCD  13 .  
         [0059]     According to the first embodiment, the readerwriter writes and reads the item information transmitted from the host computer  1  in one IC tag  8 . However, the readerwriter may write and read item information in a plurality of IC tags using radio waves.  
         [0060]     Whether encryption is required and an encryption method may be included in the encryption information  11   f,  and the POS register  4  may encrypt the item information included in the IC tag  8  based on the encryption method specified.  
         [0061]     According to the first embodiment, the timer  12   c  is used to determine whether the Best Before date  11   e  has expired. However, a current time may be acquired periodically from the host computer  1  to determine whether the Best Before date  11   e  has expired.  
         [0062]     In other words, the display change processor  12   b  may compare the current time acquired with the Best Before date  11   e.  If the current time has passed the Best Before date  11   e,  the display change processor  12   b  may issue an instruction to change a color of item information displayed on the LCD  13 .  
         [0063]     According to the first embodiment, the IC tag displays the item information on the LCD, thereby reducing the burden on the sales persons. However, the IC tag may calculate an item price from item information, and then display the item price calculated on the LCD. Thus, convenience further increases.  
         [0064]     In a second embodiment of the present invention, a case where an IC tag calculates an item price from item information written therein and displays the item price calculated is explained.  
         [0065]      FIG. 6  is a functional block diagram of an IC tag  20  according to the second embodiment. The IC tag  20  includes an item data storage unit  21  and an item price calculation processor  22 . The other components and the operation are the same as those in the IC tag  8  with reference to the first embodiment.  
         [0066]     The item data storage unit  21  includes the scan code  11   a,  the item name  11   b,  the item price  11   c,  the manufacture time  11   d,  the Best Before date  11   e,  the encryption information  11   f,  the discount information  11   g,  the discount method  11   h,  and discount start time  21   a.  The discount start time  21   a  indicates a time to start discounting. In the second embodiment, these pieces of information are previously written in the item data storage unit  21  by the readerwriter  2 .  
         [0067]     If the discount start time  21   a  has passed, the item price calculation processor  22  corrects the item price  11   c  based on the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h.    
         [0068]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart of a process executed by the item price calculation processor.  
         [0069]     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the item price calculation processor  22  determines whether the discount start time  21   a  has passed (step S 301 ). If the discount start time  21   a  has not passed (No at step S 301 ), the step S 301  is repeated after a predetermined time passes (step S 302 ).  
         [0070]     However, if the discount start time  21   a  has passed (Yes at step S 301 ), the item price calculation processor  22  corrects the item price  11   c  based on the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h  (step S 303 ).  
         [0071]     The display data output unit  12   a  acquires the item price  11   c  corrected (step S 304 ), and outputs the item price  11   c  acquired to the LCD  13  (step S 305 ).  
         [0072]     As explained above, in the IC tag  20  according to the second embodiment, the item price calculation processor  22  monitors the discount start time  21   a,  and corrects the item price  11   c  based on the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h  if the discount start time  21   a  has passed. The display data output unit  12   a  causes the LCD  13  to display the item price  11   c  corrected.  
         [0073]     Therefore, the IC tag  20  allows a price of an item to be displayed clearly. Furthermore, since the item price calculation processor  22  corrects the item price  11   c,  the POS register  4  need not calculate the item price  11   c  based on the discount information  11   g  and the discount method  11   h,  thereby reducing the number of tasks to be performed.  
         [0074]     In the first and the second embodiments, the item information is written in and read from the item data storage unit  11  ( 21 ) through the information controller  10 . However, the item information may be directly written in and read from the item data storage unit  11  ( 21 ) using the readerwriter  2  ( 5 ).  
         [0075]     According to one aspect of the present invention, sales persons and customers can easily recognize the information about items stored in the IC tags.  
         [0076]     According to another aspect of the present invention, sales persons and customers can easily distinguish items whose Best Before dates have passed.  
         [0077]     According to still another aspect of the present invention, sales persons need not attach discount price tags to the items, or enter the discount prices in the POS register.  
         [0078]     Furthermore, customers can distinguish the items whose Best Before date has passed, and hence, avoid purchasing such items. Therefore, sales persons are saved the additional work of disposing of the items of which Best Before dates have passed.  
         [0079]     Although the invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art which fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.