Electronic display system tag, related interface protocal and display methods

• US 20020109593A1
• Filed: 02/12/2002
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northern Illinois University
• Original Assignee: Northern Illinois University
• Inventors: Kiplinger, Kenneth M., Swartzel, Stanley J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,844,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An advanced electronic product information display tag provides advanced functionalities and capabilities in electronic product information display systems.

Claims

1. A product information display system comprising:

an electronic display tag mounted on a product shelf, the display tag including a display screen having a display width of at least two feet, the display tag operable to simultaneously display via the display screen at least both a first product and price message for a first product and a second product and price message for a second product which is different than the first product, the first and second product and price messages being displayed in a spaced apart manner.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the tag is further operable to display advertising information simultaneously with the product and pricing messages.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the display tag displays at least some message information in a graphical format.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein a tag width is substantially the same as a width of the product shelf.

5. A product information display system comprising:

an electronic display tag mounted on a product shelf, the display tag including a display screen having a display width of at least two feet, the display tag operable to display information in a graphical, scrolling format.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein a first section of the display screen displays a scrolling message and a second section of the display screen displays a constant product and price message.

7. A product information display system comprising:

an electronic display tag mounted on a product shelf, the display tag including a display screen having a display width of at least two feet, the tag including associated lateral position input means responsive to user contact;

a controller operable for communication with the tag;

wherein the tag and controller are operable in a facing input mode in which a user enters a product facing width and position of a given product by contacting the lateral position input means, the tag communicates the entered product facing width and position to the controller, and the controller stores the entered product facing width and position in a database and in association with the given product and the tag.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the tag and controller are operable in a facing set up mode in which the controller retrieves from the database product facing width and position information associated with the tag, communicates the retrieved information to the tag, and the tag displays facing set up margins on the display screen and product information between the set up margins for communicating shelf facing set up information to a user configuring the product shelf.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the set up margins comprise vertically displayed bars on the display screen.

10. A product information display system comprising:

an electronic display tag mounted on a product shelf, the display tag including a display screen having a display width of at least two feet;

a controller operable for communication with the tag;

a database of stored plan-o-gram information including product facing set up information;

wherein the tag and controller are operable in a facing set up mode in which the controller retrieves from the plan-o-gram database product facing set up information, communicates the retrieved information to the tag, and the tag displays facing set up margins on the display screen and product information between the set up margins for communicating shelf facing set up information to a user configuring or checking the product shelf.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the plan-o-gram database is generated according to an automated sales or profit optimization scheme.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the restock check signal is sent to an electronic device associated with a specific user.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the electronic device is one of a pager and cell phone.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the restock check signal includes data regarding a location of the given product.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller is operable at least one additional time after initiating the restock check signal to operate with the tag to transmit a localized RF signal for detecting RF ID tags associated with the given product, the tag communicates to the controller whether or not at least one RF ID tag associated with the given product was identified, and the controller is operable to initiate another restock check signal in the event that no RF ID tag associated with the given product is identified by the tag.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the restock check signal is directed to a first user and the another restock check signal is directed to a second user.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the controller is operable to maintain a log of restock check signals.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the restock check signal is sent to an electronic device associated with a specific user.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the electronic device is one of a pager and cell phone.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the restock check signal includes data regarding a location of the given product.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the controller is operable at least one additional time after initiating the restock check signal to operate with the tag to transmit a localized RF signal for detecting RF ID tags associated with the given product, the tag communicates to the controller whether or not at least one RF ID tag associated with the given product was identified, and the controller is operable to initiate another restock check signal in the event that no RF ID tag associated with the given product is identified by the tag.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the check signal is directed to the user via one of an email or a page.

27. The method of claim 25 further involving the steps of:

after a certain time period, electronically determining whether the product stock condition still exists;

initiating another check signal if the product stock condition still exists.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the another check signal is sent to a second user.

29. The method of claim 28 including maintaining an electronic record of generated check signals.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the check signal includes information identifying the given product.

12. A product information display system comprising:

an electronic display tag mounted on a product shelf, the display tag including RF transceiver means;

a controller operable for communication with the tag;

the controller and tag operable in a product stock check mode in which the tag transmits a localized RF signal for detecting RF ID tags associated with a given product, and the tag is further operable to communicate to the controller whether or not at least one RF ID tag associated with the given product was identified, the controller operable to initiate a restock check signal in the event that no RF ID tag associated with the given product is identified by the tag.

19. A product information display system comprising:

an electronic display tag mounted on a product shelf, the display tag including RF transceiver means;

a controller operable for communication with the tag;

the controller and tag operable in a product stock check mode in which the tag transmits a localized RF signal for detecting RF ID tags associated with a given product, and the tag is further operable to communicate to the controller the number of detected RF ID tags associated with the given product, the controller operable to initiate a restock check signal in the event that the number of detected RF ID tags associated with the given product falls below a set threshold.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the restock check signal is directed to a first user and the another restock check signal is directed to a second user.

24-1. A product information display system comprising:

an electronic display tag mounted on a product shelf, the display tag including RF transceiver means;

a controller operable for communication with the tag;

the tag and controller operable in a targeted merchandising mode in which the tag transmits a localized RF signal for detecting a consumer RF ID tag in the area, the tag operable to communicate detected consumer RF ID tag information to the controller, the controller operable to retrieve a targeted consumer message from a database based upon the received consumer RF ID tag information and to communicate the targeted consumer message to the tag, the tag operable to display the targeted consumer message received from the controller.

25. In a product information display system utilized in connection with a store including product shelves and associated electronic display tags mounted on the product shelves for displaying product information, a method of generating one or more check signals comprising the steps of:

electronically determining a product stock condition of a given product on a given shelf;

identifying a user to notify regarding the product stock condition;

initiating a check signal to the user including data regarding location of the given product.