Labeling system and method for an electronic price label

Abstract

A system and method are provided for automatically labeling an electronic price label (EPL) tag. A customer data file (CDF) includes a batch of records including a product description and corresponding record number. Labels are printed sequentially for the records contained in the CDF and are automatically applied to the EPL tags in a continuous process. The record number is printed on the tag in the form of a corresponding bar code, and the record number bar code and a serial number bar code also contained on the tag are automatically read. The CDF is updated for correlating the serial number with a respective record number. Optical scanners are provided for uncovering defects in visual displays of the tags, misapplied labels, and unreadable bar codes which are then rejected. A makeup batch of records is identified from the CDF to identify record numbers without corresponding serial numbers, with the makeup batch then being used to repeat the printing and applying steps for fully processing the first batch.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.