ADJUSTABLE LIGHTING FOR DISPLAYING PRODUCTS

• US 20080012722A1
• Filed: 07/12/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Moseley, Don A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,248,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.69
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a variable light source where a variation in the light source can be triggered by utilizing a product identifier, such as for example RFIDs associated with the product being displayed to tell the controller to control the variable display case lighting to vary its color/intensity to change the lighting to best showcase the product; or utilizing UPC codes, scanned using a handheld device to accomplish the same objective; or utilizing motion/infrared/ultrasonic sensors particularly when lighting is to be turned off to conserve on power consumption. For example, red meat and poultry each may require their respective different lighting to be best displayed; thus red meat products may have a different RFID than poultry items; and gold jewelry items may have a different RFID than sterling silver jewelry items.

Claims

1. A system for controlling variations in display lighting based on a product being displayed comprising:

a product display area having a controllable color variable light source;

a product identification tag sensor disposed proximate the product display area operable to read product identifying information from a product identification tag located proximate the product display area and within a sensing range of the product identification tag sensor, where the product identification tag is associated with a specific product type, and said product identification sensor has a sensor output signal representative of the product identifying information; and

a controller communicably linked to the color variable light source and having a sensor input communicably linked to receive and interpret the sensor output signal and said controller operable to control the color variable light source to output a color of light responsive to the interpretation of the sensor output signal.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, where the product display area is a display case.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, where the controllable color variable light source is a white LED light source having a control circuit controllable to vary the intensity and color hue.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, where the controllable color variable light source is a multi-color LED array light source having a control circuit controllable to illuminate combinations of individual LEDs in the LED array to obtain a desired ambient color.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, where the product identification tag sensor is an RFID sensor and the product identification tag is an RFID tag.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, where the product identification tag sensor is a UPC Code sensor and the product identification tag is an UPC Coded tag.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, where the product identification tag sensor is an infrared sensor and the product identification tag is an infrared tag.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, where the product identification tag sensor is an ultrasonic sensor and the product identification tag is an ultrasonic tag.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, where the product identification tag is attached to a product.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising;

a timer having a timer input communicably linked to receive and detect the sensor output signal and said timer operable to output a time-out signal to the controller when the sensor output signal is not detected at the timer input for a preset time duration, and where said controller will control the color variable light source to power-off upon receipt of the time-out signal.

11. A method for controlling variations in display lighting based on a product being displayed comprising the steps of:

providing a controllable color variable light source in a product display area;

disposing a product identification tag sensor proximate the product display area, where said product identification tag sensor is operable to read product identifying information from a product identification tag located proximate the product display area and within a sensing range of the product identification tag sensor, where the product identification tag is associated with a specific product type;

outputting a sensor output signal representative of the product identifying information read from the product identification tag;

receiving and interpreting the sensor output signal with a sensor input of a controller communicably linked to the color variable light source; and

controlling the color variable light source to output a color of light responsive to the interpretation of the sensor output signal.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, where the product display area is a display case.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, where the controllable color variable light source is a white LED light source having a control circuit controllable to vary the intensity and color hue.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, where the controllable color variable light source is a multi-color LED array light source having a control circuit controllable to illuminate combinations of individual LEDs in the LED array to obtain a desired ambient color.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, where the product identification tag sensor is an RFID sensor and the product identification tag is an RFID tag.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, where the product identification tag sensor is a UPC Code sensor and the product identification tag is an UPC Coded tag.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, where the product identification tag sensor is an infrared sensor and the product identification tag is an infrared tag.

18. The method as recited in claim 11, where the product identification tag sensor is an ultrasonic sensor and the product identification tag is an ultrasonic tag.

19. The method as recited in claim 11, where the product identification tag is attached to a product.

20. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising the steps of;

providing a timer having a timer input communicably linked to receive and detect the sensor output signal and said timer operable to output a time-out signal to the controller when the sensor output signal is not detected at the timer input for a preset time duration; and

controlling the color variable light source to power-off with said controller when said controller receives the time-out signal.

21. A system for controlling variations in display lighting based on a product being displayed comprising:

a product display area having a controllable color variable light source;

a product identification tag sensor disposed proximate the product display area operable to read product identifying information from a product identification tag located within a sensing range of the product identification tag sensor, where the product identification tag is associated with a specific product type, and said product identification tag sensor has a sensor output signal representative of the product identifying information; and

a controller communicably linked to the color variable light source and having a sensor input communicably linked to receive and interpret the sensor output signal and said controller operable to control the color variable light source to output a color of light responsive to the interpretation of the sensor output signal.

22. A method for controlling variations in display lighting based on a product being displayed comprising the steps of:

providing a controllable color variable light source in a product display area;

disposing a product identification tag sensor proximate the product display area, where said product identification tag sensor is operable to read product identifying information from a product identification tag located within a sensing range of the product identification tag sensor, where the product identification tag is associated with a specific product type;

outputting a sensor output signal representative of the product identifying information read from the product identification tag;

receiving and interpreting the sensor output signal with a sensor input of a controller communicably linked to the color variable light source; and

controlling the color variable light source to output a color of light responsive to the interpretation of the sensor output signal.

23. A system for controlling variations in display lighting based on a product being displayed comprising:

a controllable color variable light source;

a product identification tag sensor disposed proximate the product display area operable to read product identifying information from a product identification tag located within the sensing range of the product identification tag sensor, where the product identification tag is associated with a specific product type, and said product identification sensor has a sensor output signal representative of the product identifying information; and

a controller communicably linked to the color variable light source and having a sensor input communicably linked to receive and interpret the sensor output signal and said controller operable to control the color variable light source to output a color of light responsive to the interpretation of the sensor output signal.

24. A system for controlling variations in display lighting based on a product being displayed comprising:

a controllable intensity variable light source;

a product identification tag sensor disposed proximate a product display area operable to read product identifying information from a product identification tag located within a sensing range of the product identification tag sensor, where the product identification tag is associated with a specific product type, and said product identification sensor has a sensor output signal representative of the product identifying information; and

a controller communicably linked to the intensity variable light source and having a sensor input communicably linked to receive and interpret the sensor output signal and said controller operable to control the intensity variable light source to output an intensity of light responsive to the interpretation of the sensor output signal.