INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR DISPLAYING ITEMS AND FOR MEASURABLE PROMOTIONAL COMMUNICATION

• US 20130317903A1
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pop Channel SRL
• Original Assignee: Pop Channel SRL
• Inventors: Majrani, Riccardo
• Application Number:
  US13/982,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20130317903A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic

Abstract

An integrated system for displaying items and for promotional communication is described comprising at least one stand module (10) for items, having in turn one or more support means (18) designed to contain and/or to support the products (36) to be displayed, and at least one screen (12) and/or one panel able to visualize a series of static or dynamic advertising messages. The system has at least one electronic device for acquiring dynamic images (14), able to detect a series of information relating to the people that are within a predefined distance from the stand module (10) for items, at least one device for automatically identifying items (38; 40), able to detect and identify how many and which products (36) are present on the stand module (10), as well as a central processing unit (16) operatively connected.

Claims

1. Integrated system for displaying items and for promotional communication, comprising:

at least one stand module (10) for items, comprising in turn one or more support means (18) designed to contain and/or to support the products (36) to be displayed; and

at least one screen (12) and/or one panel able to visualize a series of static or dynamic advertising messages,

the system being characterised in that it comprises;

at least one electronic device (14) for acquiring dynamic images (14), able to detect a series of information relating to people present within a predefined distance from the stand module (10) for items;

at least one device for automatically identifying items (38;

40), able to detect and identify how many and which products (36) are present on the stand module (10); and

a central processing unit (16) operatively connected, by means of a suitable communication system (28), to said at least one electronic device (14) for acquiring dynamic images and to said at least one device for automatically identifying items (38;

40), said central processing unit (16) being capable;

a) of receiving and elaborating, by means of a movement tracking and face or shape detection technology, the information coming from the electronic device (14) for acquiring dynamic images, so as to detect both number and kind of people who are stationary or in transit in front of said at least one screen (12);

b) of receiving and elaborating the information coming from the device for automatically identifying items (38;

40), so as to precisely measure, instantaneously or in a defined time period, how many and which products (36) are taken from the stand module (10); and

c) of combining the information coming from the electronic device (14) for acquiring dynamic images and the information coming from the device for automatically identifying items (38;

40), so as to detect both number and kind of people who have taken one or more products (36) from the stand module (10).

2. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the central processing unit (16) is configured so as to identify the time of engagement/attention and the facial expression of the people consequent to the reaction to any advertising message transmitted by said at least one screen (12), and/or the reaction consequent to the interaction with the products (36) displayed on the support means (18).

3. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the central processing unit (16) is operatively connected, by means of the communication system (28), to said at least one screen (12) for activating, or for changing in real time, the advertising message transmitted by said screen (12) according to the information received by said at least one electronic device (14) for acquiring dynamic images.

4. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the central processing unit (16) is provided with data storage devices able to register the information received by the electronic device for acquiring dynamic images (14), the information so registered being available for subsequent marketing researches.

5. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the central processing unit (16) and the electronic device (14) for acquiring dynamic images are provided with a system for analysing and recording eye movements, or “

eye-tracking”

system, which makes it possible to detect and track the movement of the eyes of a certain individual so as to evaluate whether and how much the products (36) present on the support means (18) have been noticed and observed.

6. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the support means (18) are formed by a plurality of shelves with a substantially horizontal development, sustained by one or more vertical uprights (20), each shelf (18) being provided with lighting means (22) to ensure a better visibility of the items present on the stand module (10) for items.

7. System according to claim 6, characterised in that each stand module (10) for items is provided with a box-shaped base (24), which can be opened to contain all the related constitutive elements, that is, said at least one screen (12), the electronic device (14) for acquiring dynamic images, the vertical uprights (20) and the shelves (18) with the relative accessories, when said stand module (10) for items is in a disassembled configuration, so as to facilitate transport and storing when not in use.

8. System according to claim 6, characterised in that each stand module (10) for items is provided inferiorly with a plurality of wheels (26) to allow easy handling.

9. System according to claim 1, characterised in that each stand module (10) for items is provided with its own power generator (30), so as to electrically and independently feed, that is, without the need of a wire connection to the electric network, said at least one screen (12) and said at least one electronic device (14) for acquiring dynamic images.

10. System according to claim 9, characterised in that the power generator (30) is formed by one or more fuel cells.

11. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the device for the automatic identification of items is made up of a network of electronic sensors (40) able to count the products (36) positioned on the support means (18), the counting data being able to be transmitted, by means of the communication system (28), to the central processing unit (16) or to any portable electronic device (34) for the elaboration of data to be analysed in real time.

12. System according to claim 11, characterised in that the electronic sensors (40) are made up of weight sensors having the function of weighing the products (36) positioned on the support means (18), said weight sensors being connected to a control unit (42) operatively connected to the central processing unit (16).

13. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the device for automatically identifying items is made up of at least one optical reading apparatus (38) that is able to detect and identify, on each product (36), a certain graphical symbol suitable for identifying the type of product (36) taken from the stand module (10).

14. System according to claim 13, characterised in that the optical reading apparatus (38) is made up of a magnetic reader operating by means of radio-frequency technology (RFID).

15. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the advertising messages can be loaded onto said at least one screen (12) by means of a portable mass storage device (32) operatively connectable to said at least one screen (12).

16. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the advertising messages transmitted by said at least one screen (12) can be generated by means of a video playback device operatively connected to said at least one screen (12).

17. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the advertising messages transmitted by said at least one screen (12) can be directly loaded on the central processing unit (16), or on any portable electronic device for processing data (34) operatively connected to said at least one screen (12) through the communication system (28).

18. System according to claim 1, characterised in that said at least one screen (12) is provided with its own internal mass storage device able to contain the advertising messages to be transmitted.

19. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the electronic device for acquiring dynamic images (14) is a digital video-camera with a CCD or CMOS technology.

20. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the communication system (28) is of the wireless type.

21. System according to claim 1, characterised in that each stand module (10) for items is provided with two distinct screens (12), facing the front wall of said stand module (10) for items, but disposed at an angle of approximately 90°

to each other, each of said screens (12) being also disposed at an angle of approximately 45°

with respect to a plane passing through the front wall of the stand module, so as to allow a better visibility of the advertising messages.

22. System according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a plurality of stand modules (10) for items arranged side by side, which can be controlled by a single central processing unit (16) to transmit, on their respective screens (12), mutually identical or different advertising messages, according to the information coming from the respective electronic devices (14) for acquiring dynamic images of which each stand module (10) for items is provided with.