Electronic product information display system

• US 7,287,001 B1
• Filed: 07/31/1996
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Information Planning and Management Service Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IPMS Incorporated
• Inventors: Dale, Ernest J., Falls, S. Douglas, Matheson, Rod
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUCHANAN, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US08/983,394
• Time in Patent Office: 4,101 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22, 705/23, 705/28, 705/20, 705/21, 235/383, 235/385, 340/5.91, 340/825.49, 345/1.1
• US Class Current: 705/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0295 Labels or tickets for tubes, pipes and the like
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels

Abstract

The invention discloses a printed label and a display shelf for a business establishment, including a display shelf having a length and at least one area on which at least one product is to be placed. The area has a length and a depth. The label includes product information printed thereon for identifying the at least one product for display on the shelf, and first and second space indicators for indicating a position, corresponding to a portion of the length of the shelf, at which the at least one product is to be placed. The label is constructed and arranged to have a predetermined length that is coextensive with the portion of the length of the area of the shelf on which the at least one product is to be placed. The first and second space indicators define the predetermined length. The first space indicator indicates where the portion of the length of the area of the shelf begins and the second space indicator indicates where the portion of the length of the area of the shelf ends.

Claims

1. A printed label and a display shelf of a business establishment, the combination comprising:

a display shelf having a first length and at least one area on which at least one product is to be placed, the area having a second length and a depth; and

a label, comprising;

i) product information printed thereon for identifying the at least one product for display on the shelf, and

ii) first and second space indicators for indicating a position, corresponding to a portion of the first length of the shelf, at which the at least one product is to be placed, the label being constructed and arranged to have a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with the second length of the shelf on which the at least one product is to be placed, the first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the predetermined length, and the first space indicator indicating where the second length of the shelf begins and the second space indicator indicating where the second length of the shelf ends.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the product information includes at least one of a machine readable code of the at least one product, a color, a name of the at least one product, a price of the at least one product, a machine readable code corresponding with the price of the at least one product, graphics related to the at least one product, a logo, an advertisement, a machine readable code for identifying the location of the shelf in the business establishment, a coupon, or a promotion.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein the location of the shelf in the business establishment comprises at least one of a store, aisle, aisle-side, bay, section, shelf, or spacemap coordinate.

4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the defined predetermined length substantially corresponds to the entire length of the shelf.

5. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the product information separately identifies a plurality of products for display on separate areas of the shelf, and wherein at least first and second space indicators are provided for each of the plurality of products.

6. A printed label and a display shelf of a business establishment, the combination comprising:

a display shelf having a first length and at least one area on which at least one product is to be placed, the area having a second length and a depth; and

a label having a length substantially corresponding to the entire first length of the display shelf;

the label further comprising;

i) first product information printed on the label for identifying a first product;

ii) second product information printed on the label for identifying a second product; and

iii) first space indicators for indicating a beginning position and an end position, corresponding to a portion of the second length of the shelf, at which the first product is to be placed, and second space indicators for indicating a beginning position and an end position, corresponding to another portion of the second length of the shelf, at which the second product is to be placed, wherein the first and second space indicators are printed on the label.

7. The combination label according to claim 6, wherein the first product information and second product information each include at least a name of a respective product, and at least one of a price, a color, a machine readable code, graphics associated with the respective product, an advertisement, a coupon, or a promotion.

8. A method for creating labels for display shelves of a business establishment, comprising:

providing planogram information of products for display in one or more areas of a business establishment, wherein the planogram information includes information identifying products for display and identifying a corresponding horizontal dimension of shelf space required for displaying each product on a shelf;

providing information related to a predetermined number of shelves and the corresponding horizontal dimension of shelf space for the one or more areas for displaying the products identified by the planogram information;

apportioning the products identified by the planogram information to one or more of the predetermined number of shelves based on the corresponding horizontal dimension of shelf space required for displaying each product;

printing a label for one or more shelves of the predetermined number of shelves, wherein label information printed on each label identifies one or more products to be displayed on a respective shelf, the label being a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with the entire horizontal dimension of the area of the space allocated on the shelf for arranging a product thereon, the label including first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the predetermined length, the first space indicator indicating where the length of the area of the space allocated on the shelf for arranging the product begins, and the second space indicator indicating where the length of the area of the space allocated on the shelf for arranging the products ends.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the labels are printed by a printing service.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the planogram information includes a machine readable code for each product to be displayed in the area of the business establishment.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the label information includes a machine readable code for each product or a machine readable code for the label.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the information printed on a respective label includes information for identifying each product for display on a respective shelf and one or more space indicators for each product for indicating a position for the product on the shelf.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising obtaining from a database additional product information which may be included on the label.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the information printed on each label includes control information for locating the respective shelf of the business establishment for attaching the respective label thereto.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the control information comprises a machine readable code and/or information related to at least one of an area of the establishment, an aisle of the establishment, a gondola of the establishment, a bay of the establishment, or a shelf of the establishment.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the additional product information includes at least one of a price of at least one product, a color, a name of the at least one product, graphics related to the at least one product, a logo, an advertisement, a coupon, or a promotion.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the labels are printed in planogram shelf-space order.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the order of the printed labels is selected from the group consisting of:

left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom to top, and measured increments.

19. The method according to claim 8, wherein the business establishment is selected from the group consisting of:

a single store, a single store of a chain of stores, and multiple stores of a chain of stores.

20. The method according to claim 8, wherein an area of a business establishment comprises either a portion of the business establishment or the entire business establishment.

21. A method of stocking shelves for a business establishment comprising:

providing at least one shelf with a printed label comprising information for identifying at least one product for display on the at least one shelf, wherein the label includes first and second space indicators for the at least one product identified by the information for indicating a first length of the at least one shelf for arranging the at least one product thereon, the label being formed to be a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with the first length, the first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the first length, and the first space indicator indicating where the first length begins and the second space indicator indicating where the first length ends; and

stocking the at least one shelf according to the information and the first and second space indicators.

22. A display shelf for a business establishment, comprising:

a substantially horizontal support for displaying one or more products for sale by a business establishment;

an affixing area for affixing a printed label thereto; and

a printed label comprising;

information printed on the label for identifying at least one product for display on the shelf, and

the label including first and second space indicators for the at least one product identified by the information for indicating a first length of the support for arranging the at least one product thereon, the first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the first length, and the first space indicator indicating where the first length begins and the second space indicator indicating where the first length ends.

23. The shelf according to claim 22, wherein the information includes at least one of a machine readable code of the at least one product, a color, a name of the at least one product, a price of the at least one product, graphics related to the at least one product, a logo, an advertisement, a coupon, or a promotion.

24. The shelf according to claim 22, wherein the label has a length that substantially corresponds to the entire length of the support.

25. The shelf according to claim 22, wherein the information identifies a plurality of products for display on the shelf, and wherein at least one space indicator is provided for each of the plurality of products.

26. The shelf according to claim 22, further comprising a protective cover placed over an edge of the shelf.

27. A shelf edge label system for creating a shelf label for a business establishment, comprising:

a database comprising planogram data for an area of a business establishment, wherein the database includes spacemap data for a product display area of the business establishment; and

a label editor for creating and editing one or more labels for affixing to one or more display shelves using at least one of the planogram data and spacemap data; and

a printer for printing the one or more labels, wherein the one or more labels include printed information for one or more products, and wherein each label is constructed and arranged to be a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with an entire horizontal dimension of an area of space allocated on a shelf for arranging a corresponding product thereon, the label including first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the predetermined length, and the first space indicator indicating where the predetermined length begins, and the second space indicator indicating where the predetermined length ends.

28. The according to claim 27, wherein the spacemap data is contained in a second database.

29. The system according to claim 27, further comprising a label library.

30. The system according to claim 27, wherein the planogram data comprises data for tracking one or both of a location and a shelf space allocation for one or more products displayed by the business establishment.

31. The system according to claim 27, wherein the spacemap data includes information related to a store product floor plan.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the store product floor plan comprises an arrangement of at least one of one or more gondolas and one or more display shelves.

33. The system according to claim 29, wherein the label library comprises at least one of:

one or more label templates, text for use on labels, graphics for use on labels, or machine readable code data associated with one or more products.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the machine readable code data comprises at least one of:

a code for each product, a code for control information for a respective label, units and/or units of measure for each product, descriptive text for each product, a price for each product, a logo, a dimension of each product, or graphics related to each product.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the dimension comprises a width of the corresponding product.

36. The system according to claim 27, further comprising a spaceplan editor having a graphical user interface to locate and/or view a layout of one or more sections of the business establishment.

37. The system according to claim 27, wherein the planogram information includes coordinate information relating to coordinates for identifying the location of one or more products displayed on a shelf in the business establishment.

38. The according to claim 37, wherein the coordinate system includes address data for each product comprising information corresponding to at least one of a zone, a bay, a shelf, or a sequence.

39. The system according to claim 38, wherein zone data comprises data directed to at least one contiguous bay, freezer, aisle, or island area.

40. The system according to claim 38, wherein bay data comprises data directed to a horizontal dimension related to a shelf section.

41. The system according to claim 38, wherein the sequence data relates to data directed to a horizontal dimension specifying the location of a product in a bay or on a shelf.

42. The system according to claim 27, further comprising a spacemap editor for interfacing the system with a space planning system to obtain spacemap data.

43. The system according to claim 27, further comprising a print sequencer for controlling a process for printing labels.

44. The system according to claim 43, wherein the print sequencer issues print requests to the system by specifying products associated with respective labels for printing.

45. A computer readable medium encoded with a data structure and a computer program, wherein the computer program uses the data structure for identifying and organizing products displayed by a business establishment, the data structure comprising:

a first field representing data related to an arrangement of one or more display shelves of a business establishment;

a second field having information representing a horizontal dimension of a display shelf length of a corresponding display shelf;

at least one third field having information related to at least one product for display on the corresponding display shelf permitting a printed label to be constructed and arranged to have a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with a length of an area of space allocated on the shelf for arranging the at least one product thereon, the label including first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the predetermined length, and the first space indicator indicating where the predetermined length begins, and the second space indicator indicating where the predetermined length ends; and

a fourth field representing a sequence number specifying the location of the at least one product along the display shelf.

46. A method for printing labels for product display shelves comprising:

issuing a print request to a print formatter for printing one or more labels for one or more display shelves of a business establishment, wherein each print request comprises at least one of a machine readable code, a label template name, a label length and an end flag;

retrieving information to include on the label using the machine readable code;

establishing a layout of the information for including on the label using the named template;

establishing a length of the label substantially corresponding to a horizontal dimension of a display shelf allocated to a product for which the label is affixed; and

printing the one or more labels to a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with the entire horizontal dimension of the area of the space allocated on the shelf for arranging the product thereon, the label including first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the predetermined length,

and the first space indicator indicating where the predetermined length begins, and the second space indicator indicating where the predetermined length ends.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein the print requests are issued from a workstation or a hand-held portable terminal.

48. A method for reducing labor for a business establishment, comprising:

providing each shelf of a plurality of display shelves in a business establishment with a corresponding printed label having a length substantially corresponding to the length of a respective shelf, wherein the label comprises printed information for identifying at least one product for display on the shelf and first and second space indicators for the at least one product identified by the information for indicating at least one of a corresponding area of space allocated on the shelf for arranging the at least one product thereon and a position for the at least one product on the shelf, the printed label being formed to a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with the entire horizontal dimension of the area of the space allocated on the shelf for arranging the at least one product thereon, the first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the predetermined length, and the first space indicator indicating where the predetermined length begins, and the second space indicator indicating where the predetermined length ends; and

stocking the plurality of display shelves according to the corresponding shelf labels.

49. A method for allocating products to display shelves of a business establishment comprising:

providing planogram information of products for display in an area of a business establishment, wherein the planogram information includes product information identifying products for display in the business establishment; and

identifying a corresponding horizontal dimension and location of shelf space available for displaying each of the products;

providing information related to a plurality of shelves of the business establishment, the information including the corresponding lengths of the plurality of shelves for displaying products;

allocating the products to the plurality of shelves; and

forming labels with printed product information thereon, each label being formed to a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with the entire horizontal dimension of an area of space allocated on a shelf for arranging a corresponding product thereon, the label including first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the predetermined length, and the first space indicator indicating where the predetermined length begins, and the second space indicator indicating where the predetermined length ends.

50. The method according to claim 49, further comprising printing a label for at least one of the plurality of shelves using the corresponding product information of products allocated to the respective shelves.

51. The method according to claim 49, further comprising providing the corresponding product information for the products allocated to the plurality of shelves via a computer network.

52. The method according to claim 51, wherein the corresponding product information includes location identification information comprising the location of the respective shelf in the business establishment.

53. A method for locating a product for purchase in a business establishment using a computer system, comprising:

inputting a name of the product for purchase into the computer system;

identifying the location in the business establishment of the product;

generating a report listing the location of the product; and

locating the product by identifying printed labels attached to a shelf on which the product is located, the label being formed to a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with the entire horizontal dimension of an area of space allocated on the shelf for arranging the product thereon, the label including first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the predetermined length, and the first space indicator indicating where the predetermined length begins, and the second space indicator indicating where the predetermined length ends.

54. A method for auditing products of display shelves of a business establishment comprising:

providing a plurality of display shelves with a label, wherein the label includes a first machine readable code for identifying the label, the label being formed to a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with the entire horizontal dimension of space allocated on a shelf for arranging a respective product thereon, the label including first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the predetermined length, and the first space indicator indicating where the predetermined length begins, and the second space indicator indicating where the predetermined length ends;

providing a handheld scanner in communication with a database, wherein the database includes a first field containing the machine readable code for a label and a second field containing the location of that label within a business establishment;

scanning the first machine readable code of a first shelf label; and

displaying, on the scanner, the information contained in the second field.

55. A computer readable medium encoded with a data structure and a computer program, wherein the computer program uses the data structure for identifying and organizing products displayed by a business establishment, the data structure having a first field containing identification information for a label for corresponding product display shelf information of a business establishment and including information for determining the length of the label so that that label may be constructed and arranged to a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with the entire horizontal dimension of an area of space allocated on a shelf for arranging the product thereon, the label including first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the predetermined length, and the first space indicator indicating where the predetermined length begins, and the second space indicator indicating where the predetermined length ends;

and a second field associated with the first field containing an expiration date for the label.

56. The computer readable medium according to claim 55, further comprising a third field associated with the first field containing a posting date for the associated label.

57. The computer readable medium according to claim 55, further comprising a third field associated with the first field containing advertisement information for the label.

58. The computer readable medium according to claim 57, further comprising a fourth field associated with the third field containing an expiration date for the advertisement.

59. The computer readable medium according to claim 57, further comprising a fourth field associated with the third field containing a posting date for the advertisement.

60. A method for creating labels for display shelves of a business establishment, comprising:

providing planogram information of products for display in one or more areas of a business establishment, wherein the planogram information includes information identifying products for display and identifying a corresponding horizontal dimension and location of shelf space required for displaying the products;

providing information related to a predetermined number of shelves and the corresponding horizontal dimension of the shelf space for the one or more areas for displaying the products identified by the planogram information;

apportioning the products identified by the planogram information to one or more of the predetermined number of shelves based on the corresponding horizontal dimension of shelf space required for displaying each product;

printing a label for one or more shelves of the predetermined number of shelves, wherein label information printed on each label identifies one or more products to be displayed on a respective shelf, and the label being formed to be a defined predetermined length that is coextensive with the entire horizontal dimension of the area of the space allocated on the shelf for arranging a product thereon, the label including first and second space indicators being printed on the label and defining the predetermined length, and the first space indicator indicating where the predetermined length begins, and the second space indicator indicating where the predetermined length ends.

61. A printed label and a display shelf of a business establishment, the combination comprising:

a display shelf having at least;

i) a first area on which a first product is to be placed, the first area having a first length and a first depth; and

ii) a second area on which a second product is to be placed, the second area having a second length and a second depth;

the label comprising;

i) first product information printed thereon for identifying the first product, and second product information for identifying the second product;

ii) indicators for indicating;

a) a first portion of a length of the label corresponding to the first length; and

b) a second portion of the length of the label corresponding to the second length;

iii) the indicators including;

a) a first space indicator and a second space indicator being printed on the label for indicating the first portion, where the first space indicator indicates where the first portion of the first length begins and the second space indicator indicates where the first portion of the first length ends; and

b) a third indicator, for use with the second indicator for indicating the second portion, where the second indicator indicates where the second portion of the second length begins and the third indicator indicates where the second portion of the second length ends.