ELECTRONIC SHELF LABEL POSITIONING METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20170024756A1
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pricer AB
• Original Assignee: Pricer AB
• Inventors: HULTH, Nils
• Granted Patent: US 10,402,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method is applied in a positioning Electronic Shelf Label, ESL, system, wherein each ESL of a set of ESLs is being associated with a target position datum, and wherein each item positioned in a sales area is associated with an ESL. The method includes receiving checklist data indicating at least one sales area item; updating a current set of target position data; receiving a user terminal position datum; monitoring the user terminal position datum; and if a set of triggering criteria is met triggering an alert. Checklist data may be derived from a user terminal GUI, and be received in the user terminal, or be received in the ESL control unit from the user terminal or from another available system interface. Further, a system, a user terminal, an ESL, a computer program and a computer program product is provided. Embodiments enable improved increased efficiency for customers or in-store staff.

Claims

1. A method in an Electronic Shelf Label, ESL, system, said ESL system comprising a set of Electronic Shelf Labels, ESLs, an ESL control unit configured to manage position data, and a user terminal,

wherein each ESL of the set of ESLs is being associated with a target position datum, and wherein each item positioned in a sales area is associated with an ESL, said method comprising the steps:

receiving checklist data indicating at least one sales area item;

updating a current set of target position data based on received checklist data;

receiving a user terminal position datum;

monitoring the user terminal position datum; and

if a set of triggering criteria is met triggering an alert.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, the step of monitoring the user terminal position datum comprising the further step:

deriving, from the user terminal position datum and a target position datum of the set of target position data, a distance between the user terminal position and the target position.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, comprising the further steps:

receiving data indicating an item having been checked; and

updating a current set of checked items based on the received data indicating an item having been checked.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the set of triggering criteria comprises a criterion that the user terminal position is within a predefined range from the said target position.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the set of triggering criteria comprises a criterion that the user terminal position is within a target area, said target area defined in relation to the said target position.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of triggering an alert comprises triggering a signaling device associated with the said target position datum.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, further comprising:

un-triggering the said triggered signaling device, upon receiving data indicating an associated item having been checked.

8. The method as defined in claim 6, further comprising:

receiving promotional list data; and

updating the current set of target position data based on the promotional list data.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the updating the current set of target position data is conditional on a received user terminal position datum.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising calculating a recommended route direction based on the current set of target position data.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising providing the user terminal with the recommended route direction.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, comprising the further step:

providing the user terminal with the current set of target position data, thereby enabling calculating a recommended route data in the user terminal.

13. A control unit in an Electronic Shelf Label system, ESL system, said system comprising a set of Electronic Shelf Labels, ESLs, each ESL of the set of ESLs being associated with a target position datum, said control unit configured to:

manage position data;

receive checklist data indicating at least one sales area item;

update a current set of target position data;

receive a user terminal position datum;

monitor the user terminal position datum; and

if a set of triggering criteria is met trigger an alert.

14. A signaling device in an Electronic Shelf Label, ESL, system said system comprising a set of Electronic Shelf Labels, ESLs, each ESL of the set of ESLs being associated with a target position datum, said signaling device configured to issue an alert triggered if a user terminal position is within a predefined range from a certain target position associated with the signaling device.

15. The signaling device as defined by claim 14, configured to operate as an ESL associated with the said certain target position.

16. A user terminal in an Electronic Shelf Label system, ESL system, said system comprising a set of Electronic Shelf Labels, ESLs, each ESL of the set of ESLs being associated with a target position datum, said user terminal configured to:

manage position data;

receive checklist data indicating at least one sales area item;

update a current set of target position data;

receive a user terminal position datum; and

monitor the user terminal position datum.