Patent Publication Number: US-2010121663-A1

Title: System and Method for Maintaining Displayed Pricing at Retail Stores

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for retail inventory control. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for maintaining the displayed pricing of retail inventory. 
     Inaccuracies between the advertised price and the price charged at scanners/registers are a serious problem in the retail industry. The best known manifestation of this problem occurs when retail customers are overcharged. Customer satisfaction, lost sales, fines, and time spent by employees dealing with these problems are some of the cost of overcharging. Surveys indicate that consumers lose more than $1 billion to overcharging each year. 
     Undercharging of customers may be more common than overcharging, but is not as well known because customers don&#39;t complain when this happens. It is estimated that retail stores lose more money from undercharging than what they make from overcharging. 
     Pricing discrepancies are generally attributable to human error and/or the lag time between the decision to change the price of a product and posting the new price on the product. Changing the price of a product in the store&#39;s inventory control system is substantially instantaneous, whereas changing the price displayed on the products in the store may take a significant amount of time. The scanning problems occur when the store fails to update the price displayed in the shelves and other areas as well as price stickers in the products themselves at the same time as prices change in the computer systems. 
     The typical process for updating retail product prices generally requires an employee to periodically walk through the store with a handheld bar code scanner/printer, scanning the bar codes printed in the labels used for displaying prices in the shelves. In some cases, the employee may be helped by computer reports indicating the prices that had changed. If an update is needed, a portable printer is used to print a new label that the employee would place in the shelf and/or products. This process usually does not cover updating the promotional material that displays pricing information for sales. This method is extremely labor intensive. 
     A few solutions have been proposed to improve the process of maintaining retail product pricing. One such proposal is to utilize electronic shelves that display the price in an LCD type of device. The LCD display would show the price stored in the same database that is used at the registers/scanners. However, this system addresses only the prices displayed on the shelves, and it is expensive to implement throughout a store. Electronic paper banners for displaying of promotional information has also been proposed. However, this system would be expensive to implement. In addition, the communication mechanism between the e-paper banner and the central computer limits the placement of the e-paper banners in the store. Further, the color range that may be produced by both of these technologies is limited compared to conventional ink and paper displays. Many retailers utilize the color of the promotional material to target specific customers. Accordingly, the limited color range of the LCD display and e-paper banner may limit acceptance of these technologies 
     SUMMARY 
     There is provided a system for maintaining displayed pricing at retail stores. The system comprises a computer, a printer, an EDSD reader or an EDSD reader/encoder, and at least one portable EDSD reader. The computer includes a database having a record of each product for which displayed pricing will be maintained. Each such record includes a unique identifier for the product and the current price for the product. The printer is in communication with the computer, and is adapted to generate printed pricing material on EDSD enabled media. The EDSD reader or EDSD reader/encoder is associated with the printer. The system may further comprise at least one portable printer. 
     The EDSD reader or EDSD reader/encoder associated with the printer, the portable EDSD reader and the portable printer may be in communication with the computer. 
     The system may also comprise one or more satellite computers having a copy of the database stored therein. A satellite printer in communication with the satellite computer is adapted to generate printed pricing material on EDSD enabled media. An EDSD reader or an EDSD reader/encoder is associated with the satellite printer. 
     The portable EDSD reader may have a copy of the database stored therein. The portable printer may have a copy of the database stored therein. 
     The system may further comprise a locating system adapted to determine the location of a specific EDSD. 
     There is also provided a method of maintaining displayed pricing at retail stores. The method comprises maintaining a product pricing database. The database includes a record of each product for which displayed pricing will be maintained. Each such record includes a unique identifier for the product and a current price for the product. Printed pricing material is generated, including obtaining the current price from the product record in the product pricing database, printing the current price on EDSD enabled media, and associating an identifier stored in the EDSD with the product. The printed pricing material is then installed in the store. 
     Associating the identifier may comprise reading the identifier stored in the EDSD with an EDSD reader device associated with the printer and storing the identifier in a field of the product record. 
     Associating the identifier may comprise retrieving a unique identifier of the product from the database and encoding the product identifier in the EDSD. Associating the identifier may further comprise retrieving the current price of the product from the database and encoding the current price in the EDSD. 
     The method may further comprise passing a portable EDSD reader through the store. As the portable EDSD reader passes through the store, each EDSD that comes within range of the portable EDSD reader is queried. The product pricing database is queried for the current price of the products associated with the EDSD identifiers, and the current price of the products is compared to the price on the installed printed pricing materials. If the price printed on the installed printed pricing materials is not the same as the current price for the product, new printed pricing materials are generated. 
     The method may further comprise passing a portable EDSD reader through the store. As the portable EDSD reader passes through the store, the identifier stored in each EDSD that comes within range of the portable EDSD reader is read. The product pricing database is queried for the current price of the products associated with the EDSD identifiers, and the current price is displayed on the portable EDSD reader. The operator visually compares the current price of the products to the price on the installed printed pricing materials. If the price printed on the installed printed pricing materials is not the same as the current price for the product, new printed pricing materials are generated. 
     The method may further comprise passing a portable EDSD reader through the store. As the portable EDSD reader passes through the store, the identifier and the price stored in each EDSD that comes within range of the portable EDSD reader are read. The product pricing database is queried for the current price of the products associated with the EDSD identifiers. The current price of the products is compared to the price stored in the EDSDs of the installed printed pricing materials. If the price printed on the installed printed pricing materials is not the same as the current price for the product, new printed pricing materials are generated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure may be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a system for maintaining displayed pricing at retail stores; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a system for maintaining displayed pricing at retail stores; 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a method for maintaining displayed pricing at retail stores; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of the printed pricing material generation routine of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of the printed pricing material maintenance routine of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In a system  10 ,  10 ′ for maintaining displayed pricing at retail stores in accordance with the present disclosure, an electronic data storage device (EDSD)  12  is embedded in, or attached to each piece of printed pricing material  14 . The EDSD  12  in each piece of printed pricing material  14  contains data that read by an EDSD reader  16  and compared to a database  18  of current pricing information to verify that the price displayed to the customer is the current price for the product associated with the printed pricing material  14 . 
     Printed pricing material  14  is hereby defined to be printed material that may be placed throughout a retail store that shows, either explicitly or implicitly, pricing information to the customers of the store. Printed pricing material may include price tags that are attached to shelves carrying the related product, price tags attached to the products, promotional material describing a promotional event, etc. 
     An “electronic data storage device”  12  is a machine-readable device capable of storing electronic data. An EDSD  12  may also be machine-writeable. Electronic data storage device  12  refers to a single electronic data storage device as well as to a collection of two or more electronic data storage devices connected, for example, in series, in parallel, or nested one within another. Examples of electronic data storage devices include, but are not limited to, radio frequency identification tags (RFID tags), proximity (Prox) tags, iButtons, smartcards, and similar devices. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a method of remotely storing and retrieving data using devices called RFID tags/transponders. An RFID tag is a small object, such as an adhesive sticker, that can be attached to or incorporated into a product. RFID tags contain antennas to enable them to receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from an RFID transceiver. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of the system  10  includes a computer  20  and a printer  22 , generally located in a central location, and at least one portable EDSD reader  24 . A database  18  is created  26  and maintained  28  ( FIG. 3 ) on the computer  20 . The database  18  has a record for each product sold in the store. Each such record generally includes a unique identifier for the product and the current price for the product, and may include a description of the product. In this centralized system  10 , the printer  22  and portable EDSD readers  24  are in communication with the central computer  20 , with the central computer  20  controlling the printing of the printed pricing materials  14  and storing data read by the EDSD readers  16 . The system  10  may also include one or more portable printers  30  that are in communication with the central computer  20 , either directly or via one of the portable EDSD readers  24 . 
     The media  32  used for the printed pricing material  14  includes any paper, card stock, plastic sheet, etc., on which pricing information may be printed. As previously explained, the media  32  must be EDSD enabled. “EDSD enabled media” is hereby defined to be media having an EDSD  12  that is embedded in, formed on, or attached thereto. Accordingly, printers  22 ,  22 ′,  30  used to prepare printed pricing material  14  include either an EDSD reader  16 , positioned to read identification information stored on the media EDSD  12 , or an EDSD reader/encoder device  34  positioned to encode data on the media EDSD  12 . If the EDSD  12  of the media  32  used in the printer  22 ,  22 ′,  30  is read only, the printer  22 ,  22 ′,  30  may include an EDSD reader  16 . If the memory of the EDSD  12  of the media  32  used in the printer  22 ,  22 ′,  30  may be encoded, the printer  22 ,  22 ′,  30  will include an EDSD reader/encoder device  34 . 
     Many conventional inventory control systems use a bar code scanner to determine the identity of products in the inventory. However, bar code scanners require an unobstructed line-of-site to read a bar code. If the product is positioned such that the bar code attached thereto is obstructed by other products, shelving, walls, etc., the bar code reader cannot read the bar code. The portable EDSD reader  24  senses and reads an EDSD  12  when the portable EDSD reader  24  is in range of the EDSD  12 , no matter how the EDSD  12  is oriented with regard to the portable EDSD reader  24 . As a store employee simply carries the portable EDSD reader  24  throughout the store, the portable EDSD reader  24  communicates with each one of the EDSDs  12  in the range of the reader without any user intervention. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , a second embodiment of the system  10 ′ also includes a central computer  20  and a central printer  22 , having a database  18  of the type described previously. This decentralized system  10 ′ may include one or more satellite computers  36  having a “slave database”  38  (a copy of database  18 ) stored therein. The central computer  20  and satellite computer(s)  36  control the printers  22 ,  22 ′ that are connected to them. Slave database  38  may also be stored in one or more portable printers  30  and the portable EDSD reader  24 , with the slave databases  38  being accessed during operation of the respective device. The slave databases  38  are synchronized  40  with the master database  18  whenever the master database  18  is revised or updated. 
     It should be appreciated that the centralized system  10  and the decentralized system  10 ′ may be combined to produce a number of different hybrid systems. For example some of the satellite computers  36 , portable printers  30  or portable EDSD readers  24  may be in communication with the central computer  20  and therefore not require slave databases  38 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , the system  10 ,  10 ′ facilitates verifying that the product pricing displayed at a retail store is correct and up-to-date. As described previously, the system  10 ,  10 ′ includes a central computer  20  having a product pricing database  18  with a record for each product sold in the store. Many such stores have central computers with an inventory database that may be used for the product pricing database or may be adapted for use as the product pricing database. Other stores may have to create  26  a product pricing database  18 . Each record of the product pricing database  18  includes at least a unique identifier for the product and the current price for the product. Changes in the price of a product are implemented by changing  28  the price data in the record associated with the product. Users may find it advantageous to implement price changes on a periodic basis rather than on a continuous basis to more efficiently maintain the product pricing database. 
     Printed pricing material  14  generated in accordance with the following procedure may be used in any manner that is conventional for such material. For example, the printed pricing material may be installed  44  on the shelf containing the product or affixed to the product. When printed pricing material  14  for each product is generated  42 , the price printed on the printed pricing material is obtained  46  from the price data field of the record in the product pricing database  18  for that product, and this price is printed  48  on the media  32 . If the EDSD  12  of the media  32  used in the printer  22 ,  22 ′,  30  for generating the printed pricing material  14  is read only, the EDSD reader  16  of the printer  22 ,  22 ′,  30  reads  50  the identification data stored in the EDSD  12 , and the identification data is stored  52  in a field of the record for the product. In a centralized system  10 , the identification data is transmitted to the central computer  20  for storage in the product pricing database  18 . In a decentralized system, the identification data is stored in the slave database  38  of the printer  22 ′ or satellite computer  36  for transfer to the master database  18  upon synchronization  40 . 
     If the memory of the EDSD of the media used in the printer may be encoded, the EDSD reader/encoder device retrieves 54 the unique identifier of the product from the master database  18  or a slave database  38  and encodes  56  the identifier in the EDSD. The EDSD reader/encoder device may also retrieve  58  the price data of the product from the master database  18  or a slave database  38  and encode  60  the price data in the EDSD. 
     The printed pricing material is maintained  62  by having at least one employee walk through the store on a periodic basis with a portable EDSD reader  24 . As the employee passes through the store, the portable EDSD reader  24  queries  64  the memory of each EDSD  12  that comes within range of the portable EDSD reader  24 . If the EDSD  12  is a read only EDSD or contains only identification data, the portable EDSD reader  24  reads  66  the identification data stored therein and queries  68  the database record for the product associated with the identification data to obtain the price data associated with the product. This price data is displayed  70  on the portable EDSD reader  24 , allowing the employee to compare  72  the current price data (displayed on the portable EDSD reader) to the price information displayed on the posted printed pricing material  14 . If the price information displayed on the posted printed pricing material is the same as the current price data displayed on the portable EDSD reader  24 , no action is required and the employee continues  74  to pass through the store. If the price information displayed on the posted printed pricing material is not the same as the current price data displayed on the portable EDSD reader  24 , new printed pricing material is generated  42 , and the incorrect printed pricing material is removed and replaced  44  with the new printed pricing material  14 . 
     If the employee does not have a portable printer  30 , or if the printed pricing material  14  is of a type that cannot be produced by a portable printer  30 , the portable EDSD reader  24  accumulates  76  data regarding the printed pricing material  14  that must be replaced. When the portable EDSD reader  24  is synchronized  40  with the central computer  20  or a satellite computer  36  having an appropriate printer  22 ,  22 ′, the printed pricing material  14  is generated  42 , and the incorrect printed pricing material is removed and replaced  44  with the new printed pricing material  14 . 
     If the printed pricing material EDSD  12  also contains price data, the portable EDSD reader  24  reads  78  the identification data and also reads  80  the price data. The price data is associated  82  with the identification data and the database record is queried  84  to obtain the price data for the product. The price data read from the EDSD is then compared  86  to the price data retrieved from the database. If the price data stored in the posted printed pricing material EDSD  12  is the same as the current price data stored in the master database  18  or a slave database  38 , no action is required and the employee continues  74  to pass through the store. If the price information stored in the posted printed pricing material EDSD  12  is not the same as the current price data, new printed pricing material  14  is generated  42  with a portable printer  30  or a printer  22 ,  22 ′ attached to the central computer  20  or a satellite computer  36  as described above. 
     If the database  18  includes data regarding promotional sales pricing, the system may also query the expiration date for the promotional campaign to determine if the price information on the printed pricing material has expired. 
     In one variation, multiple portable EDSD readers  24  are located in shopping carts used in the store. As the shoppers walk through the store, the portable EDSD readers  24  in the shopping carts verify the accuracy of all the printed pricing material  14  that pass within the range of the portable EDSD reader  24 . When it is determined one of the printed pricing materials  14  is outdated, the identification information and location of the printed pricing material  14  is recorded. This data may be transmitted to the central computer  20  through a wireless system or the portable EDSD readers  24  in the shopping carts may be periodically synchronized  40  with the master database  18 . Replacement printed pricing material  14  could then be generated in a batch, along with the precise location for installation. 
     In another variation, EDSD readers  16  may be fixedly positioned such that the entire retail floor is within the range of at least one EDSD reader  16 . In this case the system  10 .  10 ′ would regularly check the entire store for outdated printed pricing material. 
     The system  10 ,  10 ′ may be extended with a locating system that determines the location of a specific tag more accurately within the scope of the reader. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/352,674, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Using this information, the system  10 ,  10 ′ could provide a more accurate location of the printed pricing material that needs to be replaced or removed. 
     It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.