Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for locating electronic price tags in an electronic pricing system for use in retail environments. A host communicates with tags via a serial data bus, with identifier or switch chips geographically located within the system, each identifier or switch chip mediating communications between the host and a subset of the tags. By particular messages exchanged between tags and identifiers or switches, and by particular messages exchanged between identifiers or switches and the host, the host is able to confirm the geographic location of a particular tag.

Abstract: An improved system for space management in retail stores is described. The space management system includes price display labels mounted on rails along the edges of shelves in a store. A communications link between the computer and the labels permits the computer to address each label by a logical address and to determine the physical location of each label to within a resolution of typically four feet. The system prepares price audit lists and adjacency audit lists that permit economical use of the time of store personnel during the audit. The lists are generated in such a way that the items on a particular list are physically contiguous; thus once the correct general area has been located by the auditor little additional time need be spent locating the individual items. In performing an audit of product facings, the user is able to use the display hardware, including the pushbutton on each label, as a data collection system for product facing information.