Patent ID: 6961709

Claim:
A method of managing inventory comprising the steps of: wirelessly receiving first identification information from first product labels affixed to first instances of a product by a product label interrogator in an electronic price label adjacent the first instances, wherein the first instances of the product include second instances of the product to be removed for purchase by customers and third instances to be left adjacent the electronic price label, and wherein the first product labels include second product labels affixed to the second instances of the product and the third product labels affixed to the third instances of the product; sending a message containing the first identification information to an electronic price label system computer by the electronic price label; sending the first identification information to an inventory management computer by the electronic price label system computer; determining a first amount of the product from the first identification information by the inventory management computer; wirelessly receiving second identification information from the second product labels affixed to the second instances of the product during sale of the second instances of the product by a point-of-sale computer; sending the second identification information to the inventory management computer by the point-of-sale computer; determining a second amount of the product from the second identification information by the inventory management computer; wirelessly receiving third identification information from the third product labels affixed to the third instances of the product by the electronic price label; sending another message containing the third identification information to the electronic price label system computer by the electronic price label; sending the third identification information to the inventory management computer by the electronic price label system computer; and determining a third amount of the product adjacent the electronic price label from the third identification information representing a current inventory amount of the product by the inventory management computer.