Systems and methods for controlling shelf display units and for graphically presenting information on shelf display units

• US 10,339,579 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Bonner, Brett Bracewell, Jones, Titus Arthur, Grosse, III, Richard Alexander, Zettler, Michael John, Hjelm, Christopher Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Goyea, Olusegun
• Application Number:
  US15/144,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20160328767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1424, 705 145, 705 28, 3405721, 382103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06112 the marking being simulated using a light source, e.g. a barcode shown on a display or a laser beam with time-varying intensity profile
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling shelf display units and for graphically presenting information on shelf display units are disclosed. A system includes one or more display units configured to be coupled to shelves of a modular shelving system, one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more display units, one or more memory components communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, and machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory components. When executed by the one or more processors, the machine readable instructions cause the system to determine a product identifier corresponding to a product, identify one or more display units to update in response to determining the product identifier corresponding to the product, and update a graphical output of the one or more display units identified to be updated in response to identifying the one or more display units to update.

Claims

1. A system for graphically presenting a product location indication on one or more display units, the system comprising:

one or more display units configured to be coupled to shelves of a modular shelving system;

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more display units;

one or more memory components communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; and

machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory components that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

determine a product identifier corresponding to a product;

identify one or more display units to update in response to determining the product identifier corresponding to the product;

change a color of a background of the one or more display units identified to be updated in response to identifying the one or more display units to update;

receive input indicative of a request to set a planogram;

determine the planogram to be set;

compare the planogram to be set with a prior planogram;

identify the one or more display units to update based on the comparison of the planogram to be set and the prior planogram; and

in response to identifying the one or more display units to update, update a graphical output of the one or more display units identified to be updated to graphically present planogram set information associated with the planogram to be set.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is a product to be stocked on the shelves and the product identifier corresponds to the product to be stocked on the shelves.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

receive input indicative of a request that the one or more display units enter a product stocking mode; and

in response to receiving the input indicative of the request to enter the product stocking mode, change the graphical output of the one or more display units to indicate that the one or more display units are in the product stocking mode.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

scan a barcode on the product to be stocked on the shelves; and

determine the product identifier based on the barcode.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

present a product location indication of the one or more display units identified to be updated wherein the product location indication is indicative of a location on a shelf above or below the one or more display units where the product is to be stocked.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphically presented planogram set information provides a visual indication of changes to be made to a current placement of products on a plurality of shelves.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphically presented planogram set information includes an animation of a visual contraction or expansion of an area where a product is to be set according to the planogram.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

receive input indicative of a completion of the planogram set; and

in response to receiving the input indicative of the completion of the planogram set, change the one or more display units to a consumer mode.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is a product to be retrieved from the shelves and the product identifier corresponds to the product to be retrieved from the shelves.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

present a product location indication of the one or more display units identified to be updated, and wherein the product location indication is indicative of a location on a shelf above or below the one or more display units where the product is to be retrieved from.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

present a product location indication including an arrow pointing to the location on the shelf where the product is to be stocked.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

in response to identifying the one or more display units to update, change a color of a graphical output of the one or more display units identified to be updated based on actions to be taken for the one or more display units.