Electronic shelf label positioning method and system

• US 10,402,843 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pricer AB
• Original Assignee: Pricer AB
• Inventors: Hulth, Nils
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Dionne
• Application Number:
  US15/302,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20170024756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method is applied in a positioning Electronic Shelf Label, ESL, system, wherein each ESL of a set of ESLs is being associated with a target position datum, and wherein each item positioned in a sales area is associated with an ESL. The method includes receiving checklist data indicating at least one sales area item; updating a current set of target position data; receiving a user terminal position datum; monitoring the user terminal position datum; and if a set of triggering criteria is met triggering an alert. Checklist data may be derived from a user terminal GUI, and be received in the user terminal, or be received in the ESL control unit from the user terminal or from another available system interface. Further, a system, a user terminal, an ESL, a computer program and a computer program product is provided. Embodiments enable improved increased efficiency for customers or in-store staff.

Claims

1. A method in an Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) system, said ESL system comprising a set of Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs), and an ESL control unit configured to manage position data, wherein each ESL of the set of ESLs is associated with a target position datum, and wherein each sales area item of a set of sales area items positioned in a sales area is associated with an ESL of the set of ESLs, said method comprising the steps:

receiving checklist data indicating at least one sales area item of the set of sales area items;

updating a current set of target position data to include at least one target position datum associated with at least one ESL associated with said at least one sales area item indicated by the received checklist data;

deriving a user terminal position datum for a user terminal;

on condition that the user terminal position datum indicates that the user terminal is within a predefined range from a target position indicated by one of said at least one target position datum of the current set of target position data, triggering an alert at an ESL associated with said one of said at least one target position datum of the current set of target position data and with one of said at least one sales area item indicated by the checklist data;

determining that a sales area item has been checked by receipt of data indicating active user interaction with the checklist or data indicating that the ESL has been scanned or the sales area item has been scanned; and

un-triggering the triggered alert, upon receiving data indicating an associated sales area item having been checked.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, comprising the further steps:

receiving data indicating an item having been checked; and

updating a current set of checked items based on the received data indicating an item having been checked.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of triggering an alert comprises triggering a signaling device associated with the said target position datum.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

un-triggering the said triggered signaling device, upon receiving data indicating an associated item having been checked.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving promotional list data; and

updating the current set of target position data based on the promotional list data.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the updating the current set of target position data is conditional on a received user terminal position datum.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising calculating a recommended route direction based on the current set of target position data.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, further comprising providing the user terminal with the recommended route direction.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, comprising the further step:

providing the user terminal with the current set of target position data, thereby enabling calculating a recommended route data in the user terminal.

10. An Electronic Shelf Label system (ESL) system comprising a set of Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs), and an ESL control unit configured to manage position data, wherein each ESL of the set of ESLs is associated with a target position datum, and wherein each sales area item of a set of sales area items positioned in a sales area is associated with an ESL of the set of ESLs, said ESL system being configured to:

receive checklist data indicating at least one sales area item;

update a current set of target position data to include at least one target position datum associated with at least one ESL associated with said at least one sales are item indicated by the received checklist data;

derive a user terminal position datum for a user terminal;

on a condition that the user terminal position datum indicates that the user terminal is within a predefined range from a target position indicated by one of said at least one target position datum of the current set of target position data, trigger an alert at an ESL associated with said one of said at least one target position datum of the current set of target position data and with one of said at least one sales are item indicated by the checklist data;

determining that a sales area item has been checked by receipt of data indicating active user interaction with the checklist or data indicating that the ESL has been scanned or the sales area item has been scanned; and

un-triggering the triggered alert, upon receiving data indicating an associated sales area item having been checked.

11. The ESL system as defined in claim 10, wherein the ESL system is further configured to:

receive data indicating an item having been checked; and

update a current set of checked items based on the received data indicating an item having been checked.

12. The ESL system as defined in claim 10, wherein the ESL system is further configured to trigger an alert comprises triggering a signaling device associated with the said target position datum.

13. The ESL system as defined in claim 10, wherein the ESL system is further configured to un-trigger the said triggered signaling device, upon receiving data indicating the sales area item has been checked.

14. The ESL system as defined in claim 10, wherein the ESL system is further configured to:

receive promotional list data; and

update the current set of target position data based on the promotional list data.