Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Paul W. Martin
  • Patent number: 6584449
    Abstract: A system for ascertaining prices of merchandise. Items of merchandise are labeled by Electronic Price Labels, EPLs. The prices stated by the EPLs can change, as when a sales promotion takes effect. If a customer selects an item prior to the change, but checks out after the change, the customer will ordinarily be charged the changed price, despite the fact that the customer saw another price on the EPL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Jerome A. Otto
  • Patent number: 6581828
    Abstract: An electronic price label (EPLs) and assembly method which allow multiple such EPLs to be produced together. The EPL includes a container, electronic circuitry, including a display, in the container, and a transparent lid over the container to expose the display. The assembly method involves aligning a plurality of containers, inserting electronic circuitry, including a display, in each container, and applying a lid having a transparent area for exposing the display to the containers. Following assembly, the EPLs are separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Donald L. Forsythe, Horng-Jaan Lin
  • Patent number: 6581316
    Abstract: An apparatus for grouping electronic price labels (EPLs) which facilitates installation of electronic price labels in signs and promotional displays rather than standard shelf edges. The apparatus primarily includes a frame member for mounting the EPLs including a plurality of bays arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. The apparatus additionally includes a product description sheet mounted to the frame member including apertures for exposing displays within the EPLs. Optionally included are a product description sheet holder which mounts to the frame member for retaining the product description sheet against the front surface and a base for supporting the frame member on a flat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Donald L. Forsythe, John C. Goodwin, III
  • Patent number: 6577983
    Abstract: A produce recognition method which determines an optimal number of candidate identifications in a candidate identification list. The method includes the steps of obtaining produce data associated with a produce item, determining distances between the produce data and reference produce data, determining confidence values from the distances, determining first confidence values which are greater than a threshold confidence value, displaying candidate identifications associated with the first confidence values, and recording an operator choice of one of the candidate identifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Jie Zhu
  • Patent number: 6568111
    Abstract: An apparatus for grouping electronic price labels (EPLs) to form an electronic sign. The apparatus primarily includes a frame member which defines a plurality of bays arranged in a single line for containing the EPLs. The apparatus additionally includes a product description sheet mounted to the frame member including apertures for exposing displays within the EPLs. Optionally included are a product description sheet holder which mounts to the frame member for retaining the product description sheet against the frame member and a base for supporting the frame member on a flat surface. A method of grouping EPLs includes the steps of providing a frame member defining a plurality of bays arranged in a line for containing the EPLs, retaining the EPLs within the bays, placing a product description sheet adjacent to the frame member, and orienting apertures in the product description sheet to expose displays within the EPLs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Donald L. Forsythe, John C. Goodwin, III, Robert M. Berman
  • Patent number: 6567619
    Abstract: A system and method provide reliable and effective notification to customers that film rolls they have deposited with a vendor for processing have been returned and are available for retrieval. The method includes storing customer identification data in a data repository that accompanies a film roll container, reading customer identification data from the data repository after development of the film roll in the film container, and generating a notification message for delivery to the customer corresponding to the customer identification data. The notification message informs the customer that the developed film is available for retrieval from the deposit site. Entry of the data for storage in the data repository may be performed by a customer or deposit site employee through a keypad or through a scanning device that reads a customer token.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Terence M. Glogovsky
  • Patent number: 6561426
    Abstract: A system for detecting and decoding a supplemental barcode accompanying a primary barcode. A supplemental barcode is affixed to a product in the vicinity of a primary barcode. A scanner in a barcode reading system, such as a point of sale system, scans for a primary barcode. Upon detection of a primary barcode, the system inserts a delay while attempting to detect a supplemental barcode. Upon detection of a secondary barcode, the primary and supplemental barcode information is processed, for example by sending the information to a terminal connected to the scanner. Upon expiration of the delay without detection of a supplemental barcode, the primary barcode information is processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Denis Michael Blanford, Daniel Byron Seevers, Robert Joseph Tom
  • Patent number: 6557760
    Abstract: A system and method of managing expired products which uses an electronic price label system to convey expiration information. The system includes a product label affixed to the time-sensitive product, an electronic price label system including an electronic price label and a product label interrogator controlled by the electronic price label which obtains the expiration information from the product label, and a computer which identifies the electronic price label as being associated with the product, causes the electronic price label to activate the product label interrogator to interrogate the product label, and receives the expiration information from the electronic price label. The computer may additionally compare the expiration information to current date information and cause the electronic price label to display a message indicating that the product has expired if the current date information is after expiration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: John C. Goodwin, III
  • Patent number: 6554187
    Abstract: A method of detecting an item in a store which determines whether the item is from a different store. The method includes the steps of interrogating an RFID label on an item in the store, and comparing RFID label information in the RFID label with store RFID label information to determine whether the RFID label is from another store different than the one store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Jerome A. Otto
  • Patent number: 6553349
    Abstract: A system and method of applying price changes which minimizes price look-up file access attempts by using a separate file for daily price change information, including a new price, a date, a start time, and an end time. The system includes an electronic price label associated with the item and a computer for reading a record for the item in a price file, for obtaining daily price change information for the item from the record, for adding the daily price change information to another file different from the price file, and for processing the daily price change information in the other file by reading the daily price change information from the other file, sending a first message to the electronic price label at the start time including a command to display the new price, and sending a second message to the electronic price label at the end time including a command to display a regular price for the item from the price file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: John C. Goodwin, III
  • Patent number: 6551738
    Abstract: An electronic price label battery storage apparatus and replacement method which maintains power to a memory within the electronic price label during removal and replacement of a battery. The battery storage apparatus includes a battery compartment in the housing, a generally circular lid which is rotatable between a closed position and an open position, and wherein the lid includes a tab, and power terminals accessible from a rear surface of the housing which provide power to a memory within the electronic price label when a power source is coupled to the power terminals, wherein the power terminals are covered by the tab when the lid is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Sik Piu Kwan, Yoshitaka Utsumi
  • Patent number: 6547040
    Abstract: A self-service checkout system which weighs products with RFID labels for security. The system includes an RFID label affixed to a product, a scale for determining actual weight information for the product, and a computer which records a customer indication that the product is on the scale, transmits a signal to the RFID label while the product is on the scale, records a response from the RFID label, obtains identification information for the product using the response from the RFID label, obtains price and reference weight information for the product using the identification information, compares the actual weight information with the reference weight information, and initiates acceptance of payment if a difference amount between the actual weight information and the reference weight information is with a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: John C. Goodwin, III
  • Patent number: 6539363
    Abstract: A method and system for generating a completed payment document ready for signature in image form and enabling signature in image form, storing the image and providing a printed copy of the document including the signature. A write input device for showing the image and enabling the signature includes a transparent interactive digitizing element with writing stylus, a display module positioned beneath the digitizing element and visible therethrough, and optionally a magnetic stripe reader for providing document-related information for the display. The device is embodied in a system which also includes a point of sale terminal, a printer for printing records of transactions processed by the system and a controller operatively coupled to other elements of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: David M. Allgeier, Floyd Jones, Jr., Robert L. Protheroe, John F. Crooks
  • Patent number: 6536668
    Abstract: A dual aperture optical scanner which employs a single laser beam to produce horizontal and vertical scan patterns. The optical scanner includes a housing having first and second apertures, a laser beam source, a mirrored spinner having a plurality of facets with different elevation angles for reflecting the laser beam in a plurality of directions, and a plurality of pattern mirrors within the housing for reflecting the laser beam from the spinner through the first and second apertures to an article having a bar code label to be scanned. The optical scanner also includes an optical transceiver for passing the laser beam and for collecting reflected light from the scanned article and a photodetector for generating signals representing the intensity of the light reflected from the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Paul O. Detwiler, Barry M. Mergenthaler
  • Patent number: 6535119
    Abstract: A system and method of managing failure of an electronic shelf label to respond to a message which conserves system bandwidth. The system includes an electronic shelf label which fails to respond to a first message, and a computer for resending the first message to the electronic shelf label at a first rate during a first time period, for identifying the electronic shelf label as unresponsive if the computer fails to receive an acknowledgment from the electronic shelf label during the first time period, and for sending a second message for determining whether the electronic shelf label exists at a second rate during a second time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin W. Haulk, Cheryl K. Harkins
  • Patent number: 6530521
    Abstract: A produce recognition apparatus which provides a convenient way for a customer to obtain information about a produce item without first having to know what the produce item is. The produce recognition apparatus includes a station, a produce data collector with the station, a display on the station, an input device with the station, and a computer with the station which obtains produce data from the produce data collector, determines identification information associated with the produce item from the produce data, displays the identification information and navigation information for obtaining additional information about the produce item on the display, records a customer selection for the additional information through the input device, retrieves the additional information, and displays the additional information on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Scott Ballard Henry
  • Patent number: 6529855
    Abstract: A produce recognition system and method which use a distance measure of likeness calculation to identify a produce item. The system includes a produce data collector, a library, and a computer. The produce data collector collects first data from the produce item. The library contains second data associated with classes of produce items. The computer reads the second data from a library, determines a distance measure of likeness value between the first data and each of the second data, determines third data and a corresponding class of produce items from the second data which produces a smallest distance measure of likeness value, and identifies the produce item to be within the corresponding class of produce items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Yeming Gu
  • Patent number: 6520411
    Abstract: A method of displaying relative information which uses special segments in a liquid crystal display within the electronic price label. The system includes the electronic price label and a number of computers. In addition to the liquid crystal display, the electronic price label includes a memory. The liquid crystal display includes first and second display portions. The first display portion displays first information in a number of first display segments within the first portion. The first display segments are linearly arranged as a relative scale. The second display portion displays second information, including price or promotional information, in second display segments in the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: John C. Goodwin, III
  • Patent number: 6510994
    Abstract: A triggering method for a produce recognition system which uses historical ambient light level readings. The method includes the steps of obtaining first ambient light levels from an ambient light sensor of the produce data collector with a data collection aperture covered, obtaining second ambient light levels from the ambient light sensor with the data collection aperture uncovered, determining a threshold ambient light level from the first ambient light levels and a difference between the first and second ambient light levels, obtaining a third ambient light level from the ambient light sensor with a produce item adjacent the data collection aperture, comparing the third ambient light level to the threshold ambient light level, and capturing data associated with the produce item if the third ambient light level is less than the threshold ambient light level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Jie Zhu, Daniel B. Seevers
  • Patent number: D471192
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Horng-Jaan Lin, Richard M. McEntyre, Douglas J. Kinton, James D. Domoleczny