Point-of-sale display system

• US 8,078,495 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: YCD Multimedia Incorporated
• Original Assignee: YCD Multimedia Incorporated
• Inventors: Zeevi, Daniel, Levavi, Noam
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre, James W
• Application Number:
  US12/082,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20090259516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.65
• US Class Current: 705/14.65
• 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 at a point-of-sale terminal a request for a product from a customer in a first line at a retail location having multiple adjacent customer lines, each line having a respective customer-facing electronic display;

automatically selecting, by a computer, an advertisement responsively to the requested product; and

displaying the advertisement on the respective 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 at a point-of-sale terminal a request for a product from a customer at a head of a line in a retail location; and

responsively to receiving the request, automatically presenting, by a computer, an advertisement promoting the requested product to customers waiting in the line on a customer-facing electronic display in the retail location,

wherein the line is a first line, and wherein presenting 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.

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

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

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

11. Apparatus comprising:

first and second point-of-sale (POS) terminals positioned respectively at a first and second lines in mutual proximity at a retail location having multiple adjacent customer lines;

first and second customer-facing electronic displays positioned respectively at the first and second lines; and

a promotion processor, configured, upon receipt of a request for a product from a customer at the first POS terminal, to select an advertisement responsively to the requested product and to display the selected advertisement on the second customer-facing electronic display.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the POS terminals comprises the promotion processor.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the advertisement is displayed within one minute after receipt of the request.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the advertisement promotes the requested product.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, 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.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the promotion processor is configured to display the advertisement on both the first and second customer-facing electronic displays.

17. 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, each line having a respective customer-facing electronic display, select an advertisement responsively to the requested product, and display the advertisement on the respective customer-facing electronic display positioned at a second line, which is in proximity to the first line.

18. The product according to claim 17, wherein the instructions, when read by the computer, cause the computer to display the advertisement within one minute after receiving the request.