US 5,461,561 A · System for recognizing display devices

Abstract

In a system for displaying prices in a retail store, improved system architecture and stored programs are disclosed to permit improved accuracy in confirming the physical location of display devices called labels. A response from a label to the host, or central computer, has appended to it an additional message by an appender, one of a plurality of appenders located throughout the architecture. The appender's message permits localization of the labels. A power-on status flag in a response from the labels permits the central computer to determine, through global inquiries to all the labels, whether any of the labels has had an interruption of power. A dongle or RF-linked bar-code scanner permits store personnel to send messages to the central computer to request that labels in a particular subarea of the store display alternative information such as the amount of inventory for items in that subarea.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An electronic display device for use in displaying information in a system having an address/data bus, the system defining bus addresses corresponding to particular electronic display devices, each display device comprising:

a display;
a connector connectible to the bus through which the device receives power from the bus and through which the device may send and receive data;
electronic means for receiving data indicative of information via the connector and for controlling the display to display the information;
said electronic means further comprising an address decoder for detecting a condition of a received item of data containing an address matching the address corresponding to the device;
said electronic means further comprising means for setting a flag, said means responsive to an application of power for setting the flag, said means further responsive to a first predetermined item of received data for clearing the flag;
said electronic means responsive to a condition of the flag being set, and to receipt of a second predetermined item of received data, irrespective of whether the address contained in the item of received data matches the address corresponding to the device, for sending a third predetermined item of data to the bus;
and
a case mechanically interconnecting the display, the connector, and the electronic means.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System for recognizing display devices

Life of this patent

System for recognizing display devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8