System and method of managing time-sensitive items

A method of obtaining information about a product comprising the steps of:

• identifying an EPL associated with the product;
• causing the EPL to interrogate an RFID label on the product;
• receiving identification information from the RFID label;
• and
• obtaining the information about the product using the identification information from the RFID label.

A method of obtaining information about an instance of a product comprising the steps of:

• identifying an EPL associated with the product;
• causing the EPL to interrogate an RFID label on the instance of the product;
• receiving identification information from the RFID label;
• and
• obtaining the information about the instance of the product using the identification information from the RFID label.

A method of obtaining expiration information about an instance of a product comprising the steps of:

• identifying an EPL associated with the product;
• causing the EPL to interrogate an RFID label on the instance of the product;
• receiving identification information from the RFID label;
• and
• obtaining the expiration information about the instance of the product using the identification information from the RFID label.

A method of pricing a product comprising the steps of:

• identifying an EPL associated with the product;
• causing the EPL to interrogate an RFID label on the product;
• receiving identification information from the RFID label;
• obtaining expiration information about the instance of the product using the identification information from the RFID label;
• and
• comparing the expiration information with current date information to determine a new price for the product.

A method of pricing a product comprising the steps of:

• identifying an EPL associated with the product;
• causing the EPL to interrogate RFID labels on a number of instances of the product in proximity with the EPL;
• receiving identification information from the RFID labels;
• obtaining expiration information about the instances of the product using the identification information from the RFID labels;
• comparing the expiration information with current date information;
• and
• if the current date information is within a predetermined time period of the expiration information of any of the instances of the product, then causing the EPL to display a lower price for the product.

A method of identifying an expired instance of a product comprising the steps of:

• determining that the product is time-sensitive;
• identifying an EPL associated with the product;
• causing the EPL to interrogate RFID labels on a number of instances of the product in proximity with the EPL;
• receiving identification information from the RFID labels;
• obtaining expiration information about the instances of the product using the identification information from the RFID labels;
• comparing the expiration information about the instances with current date information;
• and
• if the current date information is after the expiration information of any of the instances of the product, then generating a report to assist with removal of expired instances of the product.

A system for obtaining information about a product comprising:

• an RFID label affixed to the product;
• a first computer associated with a supplier of the product which has a web site address and which stores the information about the product;
• and
• a second computer which identifies an EPL associated with the product, causes the EPL to interrogate the RFID label, receives identification information from the RFID label, sends the identification information from the RFID label to the first computer, and receives the information about the product from the first computer.

A system for obtaining expiration information about a product comprising:

• an RFID label affixed to the product;
• a first computer associated with a supplier of the product which has a web site address and which stores the expiration information about the product;
• and
• a second computer which identifies an EPL associated with the product, causes the EPL to interrogate the RFID label, receives identification information from the RFID label, sends the identification information from the RFID label to the first computer, and receives the expiration information about the product from the first computer.