Patent Publication Number: US-9904832-B1

Title: Price tag assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to pricing devices and more particularly pertains to a new pricing device for electronically updating prices displayed on price tags. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a price tag that may be attached to a shelf in a retail environment thereby facilitating the price tag to display a price of a corresponding item. A receiving unit is coupled to the price tag and the receiving unit selectively receives pricing information. The receiving unit displays a price of the corresponding item corresponding to the pricing information. In this way the receiving unit selectively alters the price displayed in accordance with the pricing information. A transmitting unit is provided and the transmitter is in discrete wireless communication with the receiving unit. In this way the transmitting unit selectively communicates the pricing information to the receiving unit. The transmitting unit is selectively placed in electrical communication with an extrinsic database thereby facilitating the transmitting unit to download the pricing information. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a price tag assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of price tag of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a back view of price tag of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a top perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of transmitting unit of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, a new pricing device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the price tag assembly  10  generally comprises a price tag  12  that is selectively attached to a shelf in a retail environment. In this way the price tag  12  may display a price of a corresponding item. The price tag  12  has a first surface  14  and indicia  16  are printed on the first surface  14 . The indicia  16  comprise a bar code  18 . 
     A receiving unit  20  is coupled to the price tag  12  and the receiving unit  20  selectively receives pricing information. The receiving unit  20  displays a price of the corresponding item corresponding to the pricing information. Moreover, the receiving unit  20  selectively alters the price displayed in accordance with the pricing information. In this way the receiving unit  20  displays a real time price with respect to sales, discounts or other price alterations. 
     The receiving unit  20  comprises a first processor  22  that is positioned within the price tag  12 . The first processor  22  may be an electronic processor or the like. A first electronic memory  24  is positioned within the price tag  12  and the first electronic memory  24  is electrically coupled to the first processor  22 . The first electronic memory  24  stores pricing data and the first electronic memory  24  may comprise RAM memory or the like. 
     A first display  26  is coupled to the first surface  14  of the price tag  12  such that the first display  26  is visible. The first display  26  is electrically coupled to the first processor  22  and the first display  26  receives the pricing data from the first electronic memory  24 . The first display  26  displays indicia that comprise pricing information corresponding to the pricing data. The first display  26  may be an LED display or other flat screen display. 
     A receiver  28  is provided and the receiver  28  is coupled to the first surface  14  of the price tag  12 . The receiver  28  is electrically coupled to the first processor  22  and the receiver  28  may comprise an infra-red receiver  28  or the like. A plurality of light emitters  30  is each coupled to the first surface  14  of the price tag  12  to selectively emit light outwardly therefrom. Each of the light emitters  30  is electrically coupled to the first processor  22  and each of the light emitters  30  may comprise an LED or the like. 
     Additionally, each of the light emitters  30  may emit a unique color of light with respect to each other. The plurality of light emitters  30  may include a first light emitter, a second light emitter and a third light emitter. The first light emitter may be turned on when the first processor  22  receives pricing information pertaining to a new item in the retail environment. In this way shoppers may be notified that the item corresponding to the price tag  12  is a new item. The second light emitter may be turned on when the first processor  22  receives pricing information pertaining to a sale price. Thus, the shoppers may be notified that the item corresponding to the price tag  12  is on sale. The third light emitter may be turned on when the first processor  22  receives pricing information pertaining to a closeout price. In this way the shoppers may be notified that the item corresponding to the price tag  12  is on closeout. 
     A first power supply  32  is provided and the first power supply  32  positioned within the price tag  12 . The first power supply  32  is electrically coupled to the first processor  22  and the first power supply  32  comprises at least one battery. A battery cover  34  is removably coupled to the price tag  12  and the first power supply  32  is positioned beneath the battery cover  34 . The price tag  12  may be one of a plurality of price tags  12  and each of the price tags  12  may include the receiving unit  20 . The plurality of price tags  12  may be distributed around the retail environment to corresponding to placement of inventory throughout the retail environment. 
     A transmitting unit  36  is provided and the transmitting unit  36  is selectively manipulated by an employee of the retail environment. The transmitting unit  36  is in discrete wireless communication with the receiving unit  20  to communicate the pricing information to the receiving unit  20 . Moreover, the transmitting unit  36  is selectively placed in electrical communication with an extrinsic database  38 . In this way the transmitting unit  36  may download the pricing information from the extrinsic database  38 . The extrinsic database  38  may be a computer in the retail environment or other digital information storage device. 
     The transmitting unit  36  comprises a gun  40  that has a front side  42 , a top side  44  and a bottom side  46 . A handle  48  is coupled to and extends downwardly from the bottom side  46  and the handle  48  is selectively gripped. A second processor  50  is positioned within the gun  40  and the second processor  50  may be an electronic processor or the like. 
     A second electronic memory  52  is positioned within the gun  40  and the second electronic memory  52  is electrically coupled to the second processor  50 . The second electronic memory  52  is selectively placed in electrical communication with the extrinsic database  38  to receive pricing data from the extrinsic database  38 . Moreover, the second electronic memory  52  stores the pricing data corresponding to the bar code on the price tag  12 . The second electronic memory  52  may comprise RAM memory or the like. 
     A port may be coupled to the gun  40  and the port may be electrically coupled to the second processor  50 . The port may have a data cord selectively electrically coupled thereto to and the data cord may be electrically coupled to the extrinsic database  38 . In this way the second electronic memory  52  may receive the pricing data. Additionally, the port may be a usb port or the like. 
     A second display  54  is coupled to the top side  44  of the gun  40  such that the second display  54  is visible. The second display  54  is electrically coupled to the second processor  50 . Moreover, the second display  54  displays indicia corresponding to operational parameters of the second processor  50 . The second display  54  may be an LCD display or the like. 
     A bar code reader  56  is coupled to the front side  42  of the gun  40  and the bar code reader  56  selectively emits radiation outwardly therefrom. The radiation emitted by the bar code reader  56  may be infra-red light, laser light or any other frequency of radiation commonly used to read bar codes. The bar code reader  56  is electrically coupled to the second processor  50  such that the second processor  50  receives data encoded into the barcode when the bar code reader  56  reads the bar code. The data encoded into the barcode may include product information pertaining to the item and a predetermined store code. 
     A transmitter  58  is coupled to the front side  42  of the gun  40  and the transmitter  58  selectively emits radiation outwardly therefrom. The transmitter  58  is electrically coupled to the second processor  50  and the radiation emitted by the transmitter  58  may be infra-red light. In this way the transmitter  58  is in discrete wireless communication with the receiver  28  to communicate the pricing information to the receiver  28 . Moreover, the infra-red light inhibits hacking commonly associated with a wireless local network and other internet based communication. In this way the transmitter  58  enhances security with respect to the pricing information. 
     A plurality of buttons  60  is provided and each of the buttons  60  is coupled to the top side  44  of the gun  40 . Each of the buttons  60  is electrically coupled to the second processor  50  to control operational parameters of the second processor  50 . A trigger  62  is coupled to the handle  48  and the trigger  62  is selectively manipulated. The trigger  62  is electrically coupled to the second processor  50  to turn each of the transmitter  58  and the bar code reader  56  on and off. A second power supply  64  is positioned within the gun  40  and the second power supply  64  is electrically coupled to the second processor  50 . The second power supply  64  comprises at least one battery. 
     In use, the pricing data in the extrinsic database  38  is predetermined to correspond with sales, inventory and other information relating to the daily operations of the retail environment. The gun  40  is manipulated and the gun  40  is pointed at the bar code  18  on a selected price tag  12 . The trigger  62  is manipulated to turn the bar code reader  56  on and the bar code reader  56  reads the bar code  18  on the selected price tag  12 . The data encoded into the bar code  18  is communicated to the second processor  50  and the second processor  50  retrieves the pricing data in the second electronic memory  52  pertaining to the bar code  18 . 
     The trigger  62  is manipulated to turn the transmitter  58  on and the transmitter  58  transmits the pricing data to the receiver  28 . The pricing data is communicated to the first processor  22  and the first display  26  displays the pricing data. Additionally, the first light emitter is turned on when the pricing data indicates a new item. The second light emitter is turned on when the pricing data indicates a sale price. Finally, the third light emitter is turned on when the pricing data indicates a closeout price. The gun  40  is directed at each price tag  12  in the store and the pricing data is updated for each of the price tags  12 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.