Retail signage management system

• US 20050030158A1
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Kelch, Peter J., Honan, James S., Smith, Philip J., Schulmerich, Dennis B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,897,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.910
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1462 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the remote displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels

Abstract

A mobile retail signage management system includes a communication device capable of transmitting a specific location for which a corresponding sign needs to be positioned at the specific location; a portable workstation including a product database that associates product information with the specific location, wherein the product information includes display information for a corresponding sign positioned at the location. Moreover, the portable workstation communicates to the communication device as the portable workstation comes within the communication range of the communication device, wherein the communication range corresponds to the near vicinity of the portable workstation with respect to the communication device. A sign writer for imaging the corresponding sign in real-time, in the near vicinity of the specific location; and a computer network for updating the database are provided. Additionally a clerk is alerted that the corresponding sign needs to be imaged and positioned at the specific location.

Claims

1. A mobile retail signage management system, comprising:

a) a communication device capable of transmitting a specific location for which a corresponding sign needs to be positioned at the specific location;

b) a portable workstation including a product database that associates product information with the specific location transmitted from the communication device, wherein the product information includes display information for a corresponding sign positioned at the specific location;

c) a means for communicating from the portable workstation to the communication device as the portable workstation comes within communication range of the communication device, wherein the communication range corresponds to the near vicinity of the portable workstation with respect to the communication device;

d) a sign writer for imaging the corresponding sign in real-time, in the near vicinity of the specific location;

e) a means for alerting a clerk that the corresponding sign needs to be imaged and positioned at the specific location; and

f) a computer network communicatively connectable to the portable workstation for updating the product database.

2. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication device is associated with an electronically updatable shelf label displaying the product information.

3. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication device is associated with a holder that holds the corresponding sign.

4. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication device is associated with a shelf label displaying the product information.

5. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable workstation and the means for alerting a clerk are integrated in one unit.

6. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 5, wherein the integrated unit of the portable workstation and the means for alerting a clerk include the sign writer for imaging the corresponding sign in real-time, while in the vicinity of the specific location.

7. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable workstation and the means for communicating from the portable workstation are integrated in one unit while communicating within the communication range corresponding to the near vicinity of the integrated unit with respect to the communication device.

8. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication device operates as a wireless device selected from the group consisting of a radio tracking location system (RTLS), a radio frequency identifier (RFID), visible wavelength transmissions, and invisible wavelength transmissions.

9. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the sign writer is a light writer capable of imaging the product information for the corresponding sign on light writable media.

10. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the corresponding sign is reusable media and selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display, zenithal bistable display, electrochromic display, electrophoretic display, and bichromal bead display.

11. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 9, wherein the light writable media is a bistable cholesteric liquid crystal display.

12. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for alerting a clerk includes an onscreen image on the portable workstation and/or an image on the corresponding sign.

13. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for alerting a clerk includes an audible warning.

14. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer network resides in a central computer for retail operation.

15. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

g) an annunciator for guiding the clerk to the specific location where the corresponding sign is to be positioned using visual or audible means.

16. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 15, wherein the annunciator is associated with a shelf label that is also associated with the communication device.

17. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 15, wherein the annunciator is selected from the group consisting of an icon, an LED, an audible generation device, an image displayed at the shelf label, and an updatable electronic display associated with the shelf label.

18. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 15, wherein the portable workstation itself functions as the annunciator by using wireless means to determine the direction and/or distance where the communication device is located.

19. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 18, wherein upon receipt of determination of the direction and/or distance a second annunciator associated with a shelf label provides visual or audible means for guiding the clerk to the specific location.

20. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the sign writer for imaging the corresponding sign in real-time images the corresponding sign in less than 10 seconds.

21. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for alerting a clerk enables the corresponding sign to be positioned at the specific location within less than 30 seconds.

22. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 1, wherein the near vicinity of the portable workstation with respect to the communication device is less than 10 meters.

47. The mobile retail signage management system claimed in claim 10, wherein the reusable media is a bistable cholesteric liquid crystal display.

23. A method for dynamically altering, in real-time, a retail sign at a specific location using a portable workstation that communicates with a communication device at the specific location, comprising the steps of:

a) updating a product database within the portable workstation via a computer network communicatively connectable to the portable workstation;

b) communicating from the portable workstation to the communication device as the portable workstation comes within communication range of the communication device, wherein the communication range corresponds to the near vicinity of the portable workstation with respect to the communication device;

c) transmitting the specific location from the communication device for which a corresponding sign needs to be positioned at the specific location to the portable workstation;

d) associating product information with the specific location transmitted from the communication device, wherein the product information includes display information for the corresponding sign positioned at the specific location;

e) alerting a clerk that the corresponding sign needs to be imaged and positioned at the specific location; and

f) imaging the corresponding sign in real-time, in the near vicinity of the specific location.

24. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein imaging the corresponding sign in real-time, in the near vicinity of the specific location is accomplished with a sign writer.

25. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein transmitting the specific location is in response to a call from the portable workstation.

26. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein transmitting the specific location is constant.

27. The method claimed in claim 24, wherein the sign writer for imaging the corresponding sign in real-time images the corresponding sign in less than 10 seconds.

28. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the step of alerting a clerk enables the corresponding sign to be positioned at the specific location within less than 30 seconds.

29. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the near vicinity of the portable workstation with respect to the communication device is less than 10 meters.

30. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the communication device is associated with an electronically updatable shelf label displaying the product information.

31. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the communication device is associated with a holder that holds the corresponding sign.

32. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the communication device is associated with a shelf label displaying the product information.

33. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the step of alerting a clerk is integrated with the step of communicating from the portable workstation to the communication device as the portable workstation comes within the communication range of the communication device.

34. The method claimed in claim 33, wherein the step of alerting a clerk further includes the step of imaging the corresponding sign in real-time, while in the near vicinity of the specific location while employing a sign writer.

35. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the communication device operates as a wireless device selected from the group consisting of a radio tracking location system (RTLS), a radio frequency identifier (RFID), visible wavelength transmissions, and invisible wavelength transmissions.

36. The method claimed in claim 24, wherein the sign writer is a light writer capable of imaging the product information for the corresponding sign on light writable media.

37. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the corresponding sign is reusable media and selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display, zenithal bistable liquid crystal display, electrochromic display, electrophoretic display, and bichromal bead display.

38. The method claimed in claim 36, wherein the light writable media is a bistable cholesteric liquid crystal display.

39. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the step of alerting a clerk includes displaying an onscreen image on the portable workstation and/or displaying an image on the corresponding sign.

40. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the step of alerting a clerk includes emanating an audible warning.

41. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the computer network resides in a central computer for retail operation.

42. The method claimed in claim 23, further comprising the step of:

g) guiding the clerk to the specific location where the corresponding sign is to be positioned using visual or audible means as an annunciator.

43. The method claimed in claim 42, wherein the annunciator is associated with a shelf label that is also associated with the communication device.

44. The method claimed in claim 42, wherein the annunciator is selected from the group consisting of an icon, an LED, an audible generation device, an image displayed at the shelf label, and an updatable electronic display associated with the shelf label.

45. The method claimed in claim 42, wherein the portable workstation, as the annunciator, performs the steps of guiding the clerk to the specific location where the corresponding sign is to be positioned using visual or audible means and determining the direction and/or distance where the communication device is located using wireless means.

46. The method claimed in claim 45, wherein subsequent to the step of determining the direction and/or distance where the communication device is located using wireless means a second annunciator associated with a second shelf label provides visual or audible means for guiding the clerk to the specific location.

48. The method claimed in claim 37, wherein the reusable media is a bistable cholesteric liquid crystal display.