Electronically Detectable Display and Monitoring System

• US 20090108991A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bibliotheca Limited (Bibliotheca Group GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Bibliotheca Limited (Bibliotheca Group GmbH)
• Inventors: Sykes, Philip, Chadbourne, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/262,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20090108991A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.920
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An electronically detectable display and monitoring system are disclosed. The display (10) includes a body (30) and an electronically detectable node (20). The body (30) has a first state and a second state. The electronically detectable display includes a signal blocking member that prevents detection of the electronically detectable node (20) when the body (30) is in the first state. The monitoring system is arranged to monitor the display for the electronically detectable node.

Claims

1. An electronically detectable display comprising:

a body having a first state and a second state;

an electronically detectable node; and

a signal blocking means for preventing detection of the electronically detectable node when the body is in the first state.

2. An electronically detectable display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronically detectable node comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

3. An electronically detectable display according to claim 2, wherein the electronically detectable node is a passive RFID tag.

4. An electronically detectable display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first state of the body is a collapsed state in which the body is substantially collapsed and the second state of the body is a deployed state, the body being resiliently biased towards the deployed state.

5. An electronically detectable display according to claim 4, wherein the body comprises a folded wedge in the collapsed state and a wedge in the deployed state.

6. An electronically detectable display according to claim 1, wherein the body includes an information sign arranged to be visible when the body is the second state.

7. An electronically detectable display according to claim 1, wherein the signal blocking means comprises a signal blocking surface arranged to be positioned over and/or under the electronically detectable node when the body is in the first state and arranged to be remote of the electronically detectable node when the body is in the second state.

8. An electronically detectable display according to claim 7, wherein the surface is metallic.

9. An electronically detectable display according to claim 8, wherein the surface includes a metal paint or metal foil layer.

10. An electronically detectable display according to claim 7, wherein the surface includes a detuning material.

11. An electronically detectable display according to claim 1, wherein the body includes a resiliently sprung member arranged to bias the body towards the second state.

12. A monitoring system comprising a detector and one or more electronically detectable displays, each electronically detectable display including:

a body and an electronically detectable node, wherein the body has a first state and a second state, the electronically detectable display including a signal blocking means for preventing detection of the electronically detectable node when the body is in the first state;

wherein the detector is installable remotely of the one or more electronically detectable displays and is arranged to detect the electronically detectable node of one of the respective electronically detectable display when the body of the respective display is in its deployed state.

13. A monitoring system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a merchandising display including one or more surfaces for carrying merchandise, the merchandising display further comprising one or more of the electronically detectable displays.

14. A monitoring system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a remote data collection system, wherein the monitoring system is arranged to communicate data on detection of the electronically detectable nodes to the data collection system.

15. A monitoring system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the remote data collection system is arranged to collate data received from said monitoring system and includes an interface for providing access to at least a subset of said collated data.

16. An electronically detectable display comprising:

a body having a collapsed state and a deployed state and is resiliently biased towards the deployed state;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag supported on the body; and

a signal blocking means for preventing detection of the RFID tag when the body is in the collapsed state.

17. An electronically detectable display according to claim 16, wherein the body comprises a folded wedge in the collapsed state and a wedge in the deployed state.

18. An electronically detectable display according to claim 16, wherein the body includes an information sign arranged to be visible when the body is the deployed state.

19. An electronically detectable display according to claim 16, wherein the signal blocking means comprises a signal blocking surface arranged to be positioned over and/or under the electronically detectable node when the body is in the collapsed state and arranged to be remote of the electronically detectable node when the body is in the deployed state.

20. An electronically detectable display according to claim 19, wherein the blocking signal surface is part of the body.