Electronic pricing display system

A computer driven system for displaying product pricing information, said system comprising:

• a main computer having product pricing information stored therein;
• interface means operatively connected to said main computer and having means to receive product pricing information transmitted from said main computer and for preparing a desired signal for transmission by a plurality of optical transmitters, said signal comprising a programmed address code and product pricing information;
• a plurality of optical transmitters located in a store and connected to said interface means, said optical transmitters comprising means for receiving said signal from said interface means and means for wireless transmission of said signal throughout an area of a store in the form of infra-red energy;
• a plurality of remote wireless display tags positioned adjacent selected product locations in said area of said store, each of said display tags comprising,
• a source of operating power,
• means for receiving said transmitted infra-red signal from said transmitters, said signal containing said programmed address code and said pricing information,
• processor means comprising means for storing internally a local address code for said display tag and for comparing said received programmed address code with said local address code, and
• display means responsive to said processor means for displaying said received product pricing information when said local address code matches said programmed address code;
• and
• a hand-held controller for providing information directly to a selected display tag from the immediate vicinity of said selected tag, said controller comprising a microcomputer, a short range transmitter and means for determining the internally stored local address code of said selected tag, whereby said hand-held controller when placed in the immediate vicinity of a selected display tag can detemine the local address of the selected display tag and can transmit pricing information directly to the selected display tag for display thereon.