RETAIL DIGITAL SIGNAGE

• US 20140139548A1
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Byers, Charles Calvin
• Granted Patent: US 9,235,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/208 Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels

Abstract

In one embodiment, a plurality of digital displays is connected to a control computer having a processor and a memory. The memory is configured to communicate with the processor and has instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to prepare graphics information containing an identification of a retail product and a price for the retail product. The graphics information is sent to the plurality of digital displays and the digital displays display a product description and a product price based on the graphics information.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of digital displays; and

a control computer connected to the plurality of digital displays, the control computer comprising a processor and a memory, the memory configured to communicate with the processor and having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

preparing graphics information, the graphics information comprising an identification of a retail product and a price for the retail product; and

sending the graphics information to the plurality of digital displays;

wherein

the plurality of digital displays are configured to display a product description and a product price based on the graphics information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital displays comprise at least one of an aspect ratio of 16:

1, a pixel array of 1920×

120, and a display area having a height of approximately 3 inches and a width of approximately 48 inches.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the graphics information further comprises at least one of a special offer graphic, a promotional graphic, a product information graphic, a recipe suggestion, and a full motion video advertisement; and

the plurality of digital displays are configured to display predetermined multimedia based on the graphics information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the graphics information further comprises at least one of a keyboard icon, an interactive icon, and a help icon; and

the plurality of digital displays are configured to display a predetermined graphic based on the graphics information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the graphics information further comprises at least one of a suggestive selling graphic and a suggestive selling video; and

the plurality of digital displays are configured to display predetermined multimedia based on the graphics information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a customer input;

preparing additional graphics information based on the customer input, the additional graphics information comprising supplemental information for the retail product; and

sending the additional graphics information to the plurality of digital displays;

wherein

the plurality of digital displays are configured to display additional product information based on the additional graphics information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the additional graphics information comprises at least one of a price per unit, a barcode number, nutritional information, an expiration date, a product warning, and a recommendation.

8. A system, comprising:

a plurality of digital displays; and

a control computer connected to the plurality of digital displays, the control computer comprising a processor and a memory, the memory configured to communicate with the processor and having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request, the request comprising the identification of at least one item;

determining a location for the at least one item;

determining a route to the location for the at least one item;

preparing graphics information related to the route; and

sending the graphics information to the plurality of digital displays;

wherein

the plurality of digital displays are configured to receive the graphics information from the control computer and display an animated path bar to the item based on the graphics information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the digital displays comprise at least one of an aspect ratio of 16:

1, a pixel array of 1920×

120, and a display area having a height of approximately 3 inches and a width of approximately 48 inches.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the request comprises the identification of a plurality of items and the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving an input indicating that the at least one item was located;

determining a second location for a second item of the plurality of items;

determining a second route to the location for the second item;

preparing second graphics information related to the second route; and

sending the second graphics information to the plurality of digital displays;

wherein

the plurality of digital displays are configured to receive the second graphics information, remove the animated path bar, and display a second animated path bar to the second item based on the second graphics information.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

requesting a shelf image from at least one of the plurality of digital displays;

receiving the shelf image from the digital display;

determining a product inventory for a particular product based on the shelf image;

receiving inventory validation information for the product; and

determining if restocking of the product is required.

12. A method, comprising:

preparing graphics information for each of a plurality of digital displays using a processor, the graphics information comprising an identification and a price for a plurality of retail products located proximate each of the digital displays; and

displaying product descriptions and product prices on each of the digital displays based on the graphics information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the digital displays comprise at least one of an aspect ratio of 16:

1, a pixel array of 1920×

120, and a display area having a height of approximately 3 inches and a width of approximately 48 inches.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the graphics information further comprises at least one of a special offer graphic, a promotional graphic, a product information graphic, a recipe suggestion, and a full motion video advertisement and predetermined multimedia is displayed on at least one of the plurality of digital displays based on the graphics information.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the graphics information further comprises at least one of a keyboard icon, an interactive icon, and a help icon and a predetermined graphic is displayed on the plurality of digital displays based on the graphics information.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the graphics information further comprises at least one of a suggestive selling graphic and a suggestive selling icon and a predetermined graphic is displayed on the plurality of digital displays based on the graphics information.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a customer input;

preparing additional graphics information for one of the digital displays using the processor based on the customer input, the additional graphics information comprising supplemental information for at least one of the plurality of retail products; and

displaying additional product information on one of the plurality of digital displays based on the additional graphics information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the additional graphics information comprises at least one of a price per unit, a barcode number, nutritional information, an expiration date, a product warning, and a recommendation.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving a request, the request comprising the identification of at least one item;

determining using a processor a location for the at least one item;

determining using the processor a route to the location for the at least one item;

preparing using the processor graphics information related to the route; and

displaying an animated path bar to the item on a plurality of digital displays based on the graphics information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the digital displays comprise at least one of an aspect ratio of 16:

1, a pixel array of 1920×

120, and a display area having a height of approximately 3 inches and a width of approximately 48 inches.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the request comprises the identification of a plurality of items, and the method further comprises:

receiving an input indicating that the at least one item was located;

determining using the processor a second location for a second item of the plurality of items;

determining using the processor a second route to the location for the second item;

preparing using the processor second graphics information related to the second route;

removing the animated path bar; and

displaying a second animated path bar to the second item on a second plurality of digital displays based on the second graphics information.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

requesting a shelf image from one of the plurality of digital displays;

receiving the shelf image;

determining a product inventory for a particular product using the processor based on the shelf image;

receiving inventory validation information for the product; and

determining using the processor if restocking of the product is required.