Abstract:
A system and method of consolidating information for display which relies on codes. The system includes a database including a plurality of types of information besides price to be displayed by an electronic price label and a computer. The computer schedules messages for transmission to the electronic price label, including a message containing the information. The computer identifies a number of the types of information to be displayed by the electronic price label, obtains the number of the types of information from the database, determines parameters for storing and displaying the number of types of information, and creates a code incorporating the number of types of information and the parameters for storing and displaying the number of types of information.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems, and more specifically to a system and method of consolidating information for display by EPLs. 
     EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for merchandise items in a transaction establishment. EPLs typically display the prices 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 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 a price look-up (PLU) data file and stored within an EPL price change record. 
     EPLs are typically used to display more than price information. The additional information may include promotional information and information to assist in managing the transaction establishment, such as inventory information, shelf talker type, average item movement, number of facings for an item, plan-o-gram compliance information, and re-order information. However, EPLs have limited storage and display capabilities. 
     Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method of consolidating information for display by EPLs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a system and method of consolidating information for display by electronic price labels (EPLS) is provided. 
     A system and method of consolidating information for display which relies on codes. The system includes a database including a plurality of types of information besides price to be displayed by an electronic price label and a computer. The computer schedules messages for transmission to the electronic price label, including a message containing the information. The computer identifies a number of the types of information to be displayed by the electronic price label, obtains the number of the types of information from the database, determines parameters for storing and displaying the number of types of information, and creates a code incorporating the number of types of information and the parameters for storing and displaying the number of types of information. 
     A method of consolidating information for display by an electronic price label includes identifying a number of types of information to be displayed, obtaining the number of types of information from a data file, determining parameters for storing and displaying the number of types of information, and creating a code incorporating the number of types of information and the parameters for storing and displaying the number of types of information. 
     It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a system and method of consolidating information for display by EPLs. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of displaying employee-directed business information without disrupting the display of price and/or promotional information by an EPL. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of displaying as much employee-directed business information as possible using a condensed format. 
    
    
     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 the transaction processing system; 
     FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, transaction processing system  10  primarily includes host computer system  12 , point-of-sale (POS) system  14 , EPL system  16 , and business information systems  18 . Here, components  12 ,  14 ,  16 , and  18  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 business information systems  18  may be combined into a single system. 
     POS system  14  includes bar code reader  19  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 registers  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, promotional, and business information, in data registers  54 . 
     Business information is employee-directed information which is of primary interest to employees, rather than customers. Business information may be displayed alone, or in combination with price information. In the latter case, business information is displayed in portion  58  while price information is displayed in second portion  59 . Both types of information may be in separate registers and/or may be combined into a single data message prior to transmission to EPL  22 . 
     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  46  as they are entered in input device  40  or after they have been stored within PLU data file  46 . 
     EPL storage medium  26  stores EPL data file  32  and consolidation data file  38 . EPL storage medium  26  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  contains current information displayed by EPLs  22 . 
     Input device  40  is preferably a keyboard. 
     Host computer system  12  includes PLU storage medium  44 , and transaction server  42 . 
     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  19 . 
     Business information systems  18  include information sources and associated business information data files  48 . Business information systems  18  maintain information for managing the transaction establishment, such as inventory information, shelf talker type, average item movement, number of facings for an item, plan-o-gram compliance information, and re-order information. Business information data file  48  may be a database, data warehouse, plan-o-gram database, in-store data file, or other source of business information. Business information in business information data files  48  is available for distribution to EPL system  16 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 2, EPL data file  32 , PLU data file  46 , and consolidation data file  38  are shown in more detail. 
     EPL data file  32  includes a line entry for each EPL  22  in EPL system  16 . Each line entry should have an item identification entry (ITEM ID), an EPL identification entry (EPL ID), an EPL checksum value entry (EPL CHECK), and a business information entry (BUS CODE). 
     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 . Entry BUS CODE is a code containing business information to be displayed by EPL  22  and storage information for storing the business information. 
     PLU data file  46  includes a line entry for each item sold in the transaction establishment. Each line entry has at least an item identification entry (ITEM ID) and a PLU price entry (PLU PRICE). 
     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  19 . 
     Consolidation data file  38  preferably includes a record for each EPL (EPL ID) in the transaction establishment, although some stores may desire fewer records. Each line entry in the record includes a business information type entry (BUS TYPE), a data register number entry (REG NO), a display position entry (DISPLAY POS), and a display length (DISPLAY LENGTH). 
     Entry BUS TYPE identifies the source or sources of business information to be coded and displayed. For example, business information types (BUS TYPE) may include inventory information, shelf talker placement information, average item movement information, number of facings for an item, plan-o-gram compliance information, and re-order information. 
     Entry REG NO identifies the number of the data register in which the business information will be stored. Entry DISPLAY POS identifies the position of the business information in the display. Entry DISPLAY LENGTH identifies the length of the business information, including a preceding space as necessary to separate it from another type of business information in a previous position. 
     Business information data files  48  are sources of different types of business information. Each business information data file  48  typically includes line entries for ms sold in the transaction establishment (ITEM ID) and business information (BUS INFO). 
     For example, one type of business information data file could be an inventory data file containing latest inventory information about merchandise items sold in a transaction establishment. 
     During normal operation, data consolidation software  34  creates entry BUS CODE from configuration information in consolidation data file  38  and business information in business information data files  48 . Data consolidation software  34  obtains business information types for an EPL  22  from consolidation data file  38 . Data consolidation software  34  then obtains business information from business information data files  48  identified in the BUS TYPE entries for the EPL  22 . After retrieving the business information, data consolidation software  34  consolidates the business and configuration information into a business information code (BUS CODE). 
     For example, an operator may add the following line entries to an EPL record in consolidation data file  38 : 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 BUS 
                 REG 
                 DISPLAY 
                 DISPLAY 
               
               
                   
                 TYPE 
                 NO 
                 POS 
                 LENGTH 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 BIB 
                 4 
                 1 
                 1 
               
               
                   
                 INVL 
                 4 
                 2 
                 3 
               
               
                   
                 MVMT 
                 4 
                 5 
                 4 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Where the “BIB” value is “0” if a shelf talker is not installed and “1” if a shelf talker is installed, the “INVL” value is a current inventory level for the item associated with EPL  22 , and the “MVMT” value is the average movement value for the item. If data consolidation software  34  determines from consolidation data files  66  that BIB=0,INVL=50, and MVMT=945, then data consolidation software  34  consolidates the above information into a business code entry in EPL data file  32  of “1 50 945”. Data consolidation software  34  then causes EPL software  30  to schedule a message for transmission to EPL  22  which contains the business information code and a command to store and display the encoded business information. 
     Control circuitry  52  within EPL  22  receives the message, decodes the business information code, stores the business information in the data register  54  identified in the business information code, and causes display  56  to display the business information in portion  58  in accordance with display position and length information in the business information code. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, the operation of data consolidation software is illustrated in detail, beginning with START  70 . 
     In step  72 , data consolidation software  34  reads a record in EPL data file  32 . 
     In step  74 , data consolidation software  34  identifies an item identification number (ITEM ID) and an EPL identification number (EPL ID) in the record. 
     In step  76 , data consolidation software  34  reads an EPL record in consolidation data file  38  corresponding to the EPL identification number (EPL ID). 
     In step  78 , data consolidation software  34  identifies the types of business information (BUS TYPE) in the EPL record in consolidation data file  38 . 
     In step  80 , data consolidation software  34  reads the business information data files  48  to obtain the identified types of business information for the item (ITEM ID) associated with the EPL (EPL ID). 
     In step  82 , data consolidation software  34  reads operator-entered configuration information including a register number (REG NO), a display position (DISPLAY POS), and a display length (DISPLAY LENGTH). 
     In step  84 , data consolidation creates a business information code (BUS CODE) by combining the business information with the configuration information. 
     In step  86 , data consolidation stores the business information code (BUS CODE) in EPL data file  32 . 
     In step  88 , data consolidation software  34  causes EPL software  30  to schedule a message for transmission to the EPL  22  which contains the business information code and a command to store and display the encoded business information. 
     Control circuitry  52  within EPL  22  receives the message, decodes the business information code, stores the business information in the data register  54  identified in the business information code, and causes display  56  to display the business information in portion  58  in accordance with display position and length information in the business information code. To the extent that EPL  22  was storing and displaying other information in the data register  54  and display portion  58 , EPL  22  ceases storing and displaying the other information. Communication bandwidth may be conserved by updating only one register with multiple pieces of information. 
     In step  90 , data consolidation software  34  determines whether the record is the last record in EPL data file  32 . If not, operation returns to step  72 . If so, operation ends at step  92 . 
     Advantageously, the present invention efficiently displays helpful business information while minimizing storage and display area requirements in EPLs. The present invention allows several pieces of business information to be displayed without disrupting the display of price information by the EPLs. 
     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.