System for, and method of, displaying prices on tags in supermarkets

In combination for use in a stock keeping unit tag in a market for providing price information for an item on a shelf in the market in accordance with price information provided by a handheld control unit,

• first means in the stock keeping unit tag for identifying the item,
• second means in the stock keeping unit tag for receiving an interrogation from the handheld control unit to identify the item,
• third means in the stock keeping unit tag for transmitting to the handheld control unit the identification of the item upon receiving the interrogation from the handheld control unit,
• fourth means responsive in the stock keeping tag unit to the reception of the price information for the item from the handheld control unit for recording such price information in the stock keeping unit tag, and
• fifth means in the stock keeping unit tag for acknowledging to the handheld control unit that it has received the price information relating to the item from the handheld control unit.

In combination for use in a market for providing price information for an item on a shelf in the market, the price information being provided by a stock keeping unit tag disposed adjacent the item on the shelf,

• a handheld control unit including:
• first means in the handheld control unit for interrogating the stock keeping unit tag to determine the identity of the item on the shelf in the market,
• second means in the handheld control unit for receiving from the stock keeping unit tag information identifying the item on the shelf in the market and for processing such received information to identify the item,
• a non volatile memory in the handheld control unit for storing the identity of the item and price information relating to the item,
• third means in the handheld control unit for identifying the item and the price information relating to the item in the non volatile memory,
• fourth means in the handheld control unit for transmitting to the stock keeping the tag unit price information stored in the non volatile memory relating to the item.

In combination for use in a market for providing price information for a particular item on a shelf in the market,

• a stock keeping unit tag constructed to be disposed on the market shelf for identifying the item and for providing price information concerning the item,
• a handheld control unit,
• means in the handheld control unit for providing photovoltaic energy to the stock keeping unit tag for obtaining an operation of the stock keeping unit tag,
• means in the handheld control unit for providing a light interrogation to the stock keeping unit tag to obtain an identification of the particular item by the stock keeping unit tag,
• means in the handheld control unit for receiving a light transmission from the stock keeping unit tag of the identification of the particular item on the shelf in the market,
• memory means in the handheld control unit for storing price information for all of the items on the shelves in the market,
• means responsive in the handheld control unit to the identification from the stock keeping unit tag of the particular item on the shelf in the market for transmitting light relating to price information of the particular item, and
• means responsive in the stock keeping unit tag to the transmission of the price information relating to the particular item for visually displaying such price information in the stock keeping unit tag.

In a method of providing price information relating to a particular item on a shelf in a market, the steps of:

• providing a handheld control unit having a memory for storing price information relating to the particular item and other items on shelves on the market,
• providing a stock keeping unit tag for disposition adjacent the particular item to provide price information relating to the particular item,
• providing an interrogation from the handheld control unit to the stock keeping unit tag of the identity of the particular item,
• providing an identification by the stock keeping unit tag, in response to such interrogation by the stock keeping unit tag to the handheld control unit, of the identity of the particular item,
• providing a memory in the hand held control unit of price information relating to different items in the market including the particular item,
• providing a determination from the memory of the price information relating to the particular item,
• providing a transmission to the stock keeping unit tag of the price information determined from the memory relating to the particular item, and
• providing a display in the stock keeping unit tag of the price information transmitted to the stock keeping unit tag and relating to the particular item.

In a method for use in a market for providing price information in a handheld control unit to a stock keeping unit tag relating to price information for an item adjacent the stock keeping unit tag on a shelf in the market, the steps in the handheld control unit of:

• providing a memory in the handheld control unit for storing the price information relating to the item,
• interrogating the stock keeping unit tag to determine the identity of the item,
• receiving the identity of the item from the stock keeping unit,
• determining the price information relating to the item from the memory, and
• transmitting the price information relating to the item to the stock keeping unit tag.

In a method for use in a market for providing price information in a handheld control unit to a stock keeping unit tag relating to price information for an item adjacent the stock keeping unit tag on a shelf in the market, the steps in the stock keeping unit tag of:

• receiving an interrogation from the handheld control unit to determine the identity of the item,
• transmitting the identity of the item to the handheld control unit,
• receiving price information relating to the item from the handheld control unit, and
• displaying the price information relating to the item in the stock keeping unit tag.