Systems and methods for merchandizing electronic displays

• US 10,357,118 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Swafford, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black-Childress, Rajsheed O
• Application Number:
  US14/713,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20160134930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0068 Shelf extensions, e.g. fixed on price rail
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods for a merchandizing display related to a continuous display formed by electronic displays embedded along product shelves and on the packages stored on the product shelves. An electronic label device may detect the presence of a consumer and send a trigger to the packages on its product shelf. The electronic label device may also send a trigger to surrounding electronic label devices. A streaming video may then be apportioned among displays on electronic label devices and the packages. Each of the displays may simultaneously output a different portion of the streaming video.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a product shelf having an electronic label device positioned along a bottom of the product shelf, the electronic label device comprising one or more electronic displays; and

a plurality of packages connected to the electronic label device, wherein each of the plurality of packages is configured to be stored on the product shelf and wherein each of the plurality of packages comprises a corresponding display,

wherein the one or more electronic displays and each display of the plurality of packages forms a continuous display,

wherein the electronic label device receives a streaming video and apportions the streaming video between each of the one or more electronic displays and the corresponding display of each of the plurality of packages,

wherein the electronic label device is configured to transmit a user input received at a first electronic display of the electronic label device to a first electronic display of a first package, of the plurality of packages,

wherein the electronic label device is configured to receive data from the first electronic display in response to transmitting the user input to the first electronic display, and

wherein the electronic label device is configured to output the data to the one or more electronic displays.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic label device sends an activation trigger to one or more of the plurality of displays.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the electronic label device sends the activation trigger upon detecting a presence of a user through a proximity sensor.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of packages encapsulates a product, the product comprising a display screen.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the electronic label device sends an activation trigger to the display screen of the product of one or more of the plurality of packages.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the electronic label device sends the activation trigger upon a user interacting with one of the electronic displays.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a user may interact with the display screen through the one of the electronic displays.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second product shelf vertically adjacent to the product shelf and a second electronic label device positioned along a bottom of the second product shelf, the second electronic label device comprising one or more electronic displays.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the one or more electronic displays of the product shelf and the one or more electronic displays of the second product shelf form a continuous display.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a second plurality of packages connected to the second electronic label device, wherein each of the second plurality of packages is stored on the second product shelf and comprises an embedded display.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more electronic displays of the product shelf, the one or more electronic displays of the second product shelf, the plurality of displays, and the embedded displays in each of the second plurality of packages form a continuous display.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic label device outputs a streaming video to the continuous display upon detecting a presence of a user through a proximity sensor.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein front-most packages of the packages and forward facing surfaces of the front-most packages are determined such that only the forward facing surfaces of the front-most packages form the continuous display.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more electronic displays and each display of the plurality of packages is configured to be altered to direct a user to one or more items stored on a computing device of the user.

15. A system comprising:

a first product shelf comprising a first electronic label device positioned along a bottom of the first product shelf;

a second product shelf vertically adjacent to the first product shelf, the second product shelf comprising a second electronic label device positioned along a bottom of the second product shelf;

a first group of packages stored on the first product shelf and connected to the first electronic label device, the first group of packages comprising a first group of electronic displays; and

a second group of packages stored on the second product shelf and connected to the second electronic label device, the second group of packages comprising a second group of electronic displays;

wherein the first electronic label device, the second electronic label device, the first group of electronic displays, and the second group of electronic displays form a continuous display,

wherein the first electronic label device is configured to transmit user inputs received at the first electronic label device to a first electronic display of a first package, of the first group of packages,

wherein the first electronic label device is configured to receive data from the first electronic display in response to transmitting the user input to the first electronic display, and

wherein the first electronic label device is configured to out gut the data to the one or more electronic displays.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first electronic label device apportions a streaming video among each of the first electronic label device, the second electronic label device, the first group of electronic displays, and the second group of electronic displays.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the first electronic label device, the second electronic label device, the first group of electronic displays, and the second group of electronic displays simultaneously outputs a different portion of the streaming video.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein front-most packages of the first group of packages and the second group of packages and forward facing surfaces of the front-most packages are determined such that only the forward facing surfaces of the front-most packages form the continuous display.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein one or more of the first electronic label device, the second electronic label device, the first group of electronic displays, and the second group of electronic displays are configured to be altered to direct a user to one or more items stored on a computing device of the user.

20. A method comprising:

displaying a first video on a first electronic label device embedded along a bottom of a first product shelf;

displaying a second video on a second electronic label device embedded along a bottom of a second product shelf;

sending, by the first electronic label device, a first activation trigger to a first set of packages stored on and positioned at a front of the first product shelf;

sending, by the second electronic label device, a second activation trigger to a second set of packages stored on and positioned at a front of the second product shelf;

apportioning, by the first electronic label device, a streaming video between each of the first electronic label device, the second electronic label devices, the first set of packages, and the second set of packages;

simultaneously displaying, by each of the first electronic label device, the second electronic label devices, the first set of packages, and the second set of packages, a different portion of the streaming video such that each of the first electronic label device, the second electronic label devices, the first set of packages, and the second set of packages form a continuous display;

receiving, by the first electronic label device, a first user input;

transmitting, by the first electronic label device and to a first package of the first set of packages, the first user input;

receiving, by the first electronic label device, and from the first package in response to transmitting the first user input to the first package, data to the first electronic label device; and

outputting, by the first electronic label device, the data to the first electronic label device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first electronic label device sends the first activation trigger in response to detecting a presence of a user through a proximity sensor.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first electronic label device detects a presence of a user through a proximity sensor and sends a trigger to the second electronic label device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second electronic label device sends the second activation trigger in response to receiving the trigger from the first electronic label device.

24. A merchandise display system comprising:

a plurality of shelves, each shelf comprising a shelf digital display positioned along an edge of a shelf of a retailer to form a plurality of shelf digital displays;

a plurality of packages placed on the plurality of shelves, each package having a package digital display to form a plurality of package digital displays;

wherein the plurality of shelf digital displays and the plurality of package digital displays are configured to form a continuous display, wherein the continuous display is configured to form a uniform display to display one of price, advertisements, or messaging,

wherein a first shelf digital display, of the plurality of shelf digital displays, is configured to transmit a user input received at the first shelf digital display to a first package digital display of the plurality of package digital displays,

wherein the shelf digital display is configured to receive data from the first package digital display in response to transmitting the user input to the shelf digital display, and

wherein the shelf digital display is configured 10 output the data on the shelf digital display.

25. The merchandise display system of claim 24 wherein the package digital displays comprise e-ink.

26. The merchandise display system of claim 24 wherein power is sent over the air through the plurality of shelves to the plurality of shelf digital displays.

27. The merchandise display system of claim 24 wherein the plurality of shelves are configured to interact with the plurality of packages.

28. The merchandise display system of claim 24 wherein the plurality of shelves define a front and a rear and wherein a group of front most packages are determined from the plurality of packages and wherein the front most packages are configured to form the continuous display.

29. The merchandise display system of claim 28 wherein a front surface of each of the group of front most packages is determined for forming the continuous display.

30. The merchandise display system of claim 24 wherein the plurality of packages have multiple surfaces and each of the surfaces have a package digital display such that the package can be placed on the shelf in any orientation to form part of the continuous display.

31. The merchandise display system of claim 24 wherein one or more of the plurality of shelf digital displays are configured to be altered to direct a user to one or more items stored on a computing device of the user.