Point-of-sale display system

• US 20090259516A1
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: YCD Multimedia Incorporated
• Original Assignee: YCD Multimedia Incorporated
• Inventors: Zeevi, Daniel, Levavi, Noam
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for data display is provided, which includes receiving a request for a product from a customer in a first line at a retail location having multiple adjacent customer lines. An advertisement is selected responsively to the requested product, and is displayed on a customer-facing electronic display positioned at a second line, which is in proximity to the first line. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for data display, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a product from a customer in a first line at a retail location having multiple adjacent customer lines;

selecting an advertisement responsively to the requested product; and

displaying the advertisement on a customer-facing electronic display positioned at a second line, which is in proximity to the first line.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the advertisement comprises displaying the advertisement within one minute after receiving the request.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein selecting the advertisement comprises selecting an advertisement that promotes the requested product.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the requested product includes a first product, and wherein selecting the advertisement comprises selecting an advertisement that promotes a second product which is different from the first product and has a purchasing correlation with the first product.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the customer-facing electronic display positioned at the second line is a first customer-facing electronic display, and wherein displaying the advertisement comprises displaying the advertisement on the first customer-facing electronic display and on a second customer-facing electronic display positioned at the first line.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein selecting the advertisement comprises using a genetic algorithm to improve a set of rules for selecting the advertisement.

7. A computer-implemented method for data display, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a product from a customer at a head of a line in a retail location; and

responsively to receiving the request, displaying an advertisement promoting the requested product on a customer-facing electronic display in the retail location.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein displaying the advertisement comprises displaying the advertisement within one minute after receiving the request.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein displaying the advertisement comprises displaying the advertisement on the customer-facing electronic display positioned at the line.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the line is a first line, and wherein displaying the advertisement comprises displaying the advertisement on the customer-facing electronic display positioned at a second line, which is in a proximity to the first line.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein displaying the advertisement comprises selecting the advertisement using a genetic algorithm to improve a set of rules for selecting the advertisement.

12. A computer-implemented method comprising:

defining a rule that specifies a ratio of first advertising time allocated to a first set of one or more first products to second advertising time allocated to a second set of one or more second products;

assigning at least first and second initial values to the ratio;

during a first initial advertising session, displaying respective first advertisements and second advertisements for the first and second sets of the products in accordance with the rule using the first initial value of the ratio on one or more customer-facing electronic displays in one or more retail locations;

during a second initial advertising session, displaying the respective first advertisements and second advertisements in accordance with the rule using the second initial value of the ratio on the one or more customer-facing electronic displays in the one or more retail locations;

recording respective measures of sales performance at the retail locations during at least the first and second initial advertising sessions;

assigning an optimized value to the ratio responsively to the measures of the sale performance; and

during at least one optimized advertising session after the first and second initial advertising sessions, displaying, on the displays, the respective first advertisements and second advertisements in accordance with the rule using the optimized value of the ratio.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first set includes a plurality of the first products, and wherein the second set includes a plurality of the second products.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein displaying the respective first advertisements and second advertisements during the first initial, second initial, and optimized advertising sessions comprises:

assigning the first advertisements to a primary advertising loop;

assigning the second advertisements to a secondary advertising loop; and

displaying the first advertisements of the primary advertising loop interspersed with the second advertisements of the secondary advertising loop.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein sales of the products of the first set are greater than sales of the products of the second set.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein assigning the optimized value to the ratio comprises using a genetic algorithm having as inputs the first and second initial values of the ratio and the measures of the sale performance.

17. Apparatus comprising:

a point-of-sale (POS) terminal positioned at a first line at a retail location having multiple adjacent customer lines, which is configured to receive a request for a product from a customer;

a promotion processor, configured to select an advertisement responsively to the requested product; and

a customer-facing electronic display positioned at a second line, which is in proximity to the first line, which is configured to display the selected advertisement.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the POS terminal comprises the promotion processor.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the display is configured to display the advertisement within one minute after receipt of the request.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the advertisement promotes the requested product.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the requested product includes a first product, and wherein the advertisement promotes a second product which is different from the first product and has a purchasing correlation with the first product.

22. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the customer-facing electronic display is a first customer-facing electronic display, and comprising a second customer-facing electronic display positioned at the first line, which is configured to display the advertisement.

23. Apparatus comprising:

a point-of-sale (POS) terminal positioned in a retail location, configured to receive a request for a product from a customer; and

a customer-facing electronic display positioned in the retail location, which is configured to display an advertisement promoting the requested product, responsively to receipt of the request.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the display is configured to display the advertisement within one minutes after receiving the request.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the display and the POS terminal are positioned at the same customer line in the retail location.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the POS terminal is a first POS terminal, and comprising a second POS terminal, wherein the display and the second POS terminal are positioned at the same customer line in the retail location.

27. Apparatus comprising:

one or more customer-facing electronic displays positioned in one or more retail locations; and

an advertising processor, configured to define a rule that specifies a ratio of first advertising time allocated to a first set of one or more first products to second advertising time allocated to a second set of one or more second products;

assign at least first and second initial values to the ratio;

during a first initial advertising session, drive the electronic displays to display respective first advertisements and second advertisements for the first and second sets of the products in accordance with the rule using the first initial value of the ratio;

during a second initial advertising session, drive the electronic displays to display the respective first advertisements and second advertisements in accordance with the rule using the second initial value of the ratio;

record respective measures of sales performance at the retail locations during at least the first and second initial advertising sessions;

assign an optimized value to the ratio responsively to the measures of the sale performance; and

during at least one optimized advertising session after the first and second initial advertising sessions, drive the electronic displays to display the respective first advertisements and second advertisements in accordance with the rule using the optimized value of the ratio.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the first set includes a plurality of the first products, and wherein the second set includes a plurality of the second products.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the advertising processor is configured to display the respective first advertisements and second advertisements during the first initial, second initial, and optimized advertising sessions by assigning the first advertisements to a primary advertising loop, assigning the second advertisements to a secondary advertising loop, and driving the electronic display to display the first advertisements of the primary advertising loop interspersed with the second advertisements of the secondary advertising loop.

30. A computer software product comprising a tangible computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive a request for a product from a customer in a first line at a retail location having multiple adjacent customer lines, select an advertisement responsively to the requested product, and display the advertisement on a customer-facing electronic display positioned at a second line, which is in proximity to the first line.

31. The product according to claim 30, wherein the instructions, when read by the computer, cause the computer to display the advertisement within one minute after receiving the request.

32. A computer software product comprising a tangible computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive a request for a product from a customer at a head of a line in a retail location, and, responsively to receiving the request, display an advertisement promoting the requested product on a customer-facing electronic display in the retail location.

33. The product according to claim 32, wherein the instructions, when read by the computer, cause the computer to display the advertisement within one minutes after receiving the request.

34. A computer software product comprising a tangible computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to define a rule that specifies a ratio of first advertising time allocated to a first set of one or more first products to second advertising time allocated to a second set of one or more second products;

assign at least first and second initial values to the ratio;

during a first initial advertising session, display respective first advertisements and second advertisements for the first and second sets of the products in accordance with the rule using the first initial value of the ratio on one or more customer-facing electronic displays in one or more retail locations;

during a second initial advertising session, display the respective first advertisements and second advertisements in accordance with the rule using the second initial value of the ratio on the one or more customer-facing electronic displays in the one or more retail locations;

record respective measures of sales performance at the retail locations during at least the first and second initial advertising sessions;

assign an optimized value to the ratio responsively to the measures of the sale performance; and

, during at least one optimized advertising session after the first and second initial advertising sessions, display, on the displays, the respective first advertisements and second advertisements in accordance with the rule using the optimized value of the ratio.