System and method for preventing damage to products

• US 10,595,648 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Inventors: Dunn, William, De Laet, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US16/213,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20190125102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/10 Arrangements of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0404 Cases or cabinets of the closed type A47F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/043 Doors, covers A47F3/0434 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/06 Adjustment of display parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/02 Networking aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A system and method for operating a transparent electronic display includes providing a display case having a door housing the transparent electronic display, and a controller programmed with transparency data which is in electronic communication with the electronic display. Said transparency data comprises a number of predetermined transparency levels for the electronic display during a number of corresponding time periods. The current time is determined and the electronic display is operated at the predetermined transparency level associated with a time period corresponding to the current time.

Claims

1. A method for operating a transparent electronic display comprising the steps of:

providing a display case for housing consumer products, said display case comprising a door housing the transparent electronic display, wherein said door is configured to permit access to said consumer products, and a controller programmed with transparency data, wherein said controller is in electronic communication with the electronic display, and wherein said transparency data comprises a number of predetermined transparency levels for the electronic display during a number of corresponding time periods;

determining a current time; and

operating the electronic display at the predetermined transparency level associated with a time period corresponding to the current time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the electronic display is a liquid crystal display (LCD).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said number of predetermined transparency levels comprises at least three transparency levels, wherein one of said three transparency levels defines zero percent transparency; and

said number of predetermined time periods comprises at least three time periods.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the number of predetermined time periods comprises a retail hours time period and an after hours time period.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the LCD is a normally black LCD.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

a voltage is applied to the LCD during the retail hours time period such that the LCD is rendered at least semi-transparent; and

no voltage is applied to the LCD during the after hours time period such that the LCD is rendered opaque.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

programming the controller with the transparency data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the step of programming the controller with the transparency data is performed by entering the transparency data at a user interface located remote from the display case.

9. A method for operating a transparent electronic display comprising the steps of:

providing a display case for consumer products comprising a door which houses the transparent electronic display and is configured to permit access to said consumer products, and a controller in electronic communication with the electronic display and programmed with transparency data, wherein the transparency data comprises a number of predetermined transparency levels for the electronic display associated with a number of elapsed time points;

determining that the door is closed;

calculating the time elapsed since the door was closed; and

operating the electronic display at the predetermined transparency level associated with the elapsed time point which is nearest to the elapsed time while also being equal to or greater than the elapsed time.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the electronic display is a liquid crystal display (LCD).

11. The method of claim 9 wherein:

each pixel is driven to the same transparency level.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

accepting transparency data at the controller by way of a wireless communication device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the transparency data is accepted from a remote device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the transparency data comprises a first predetermined transparency level, a second predetermined transparency level, a first elapsed time point, a second elapsed time point, and a third period elapsed time point.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of operating the electronic display at the predetermined transparency level associated with the elapsed time point which is nearest to the elapsed time while also being equal to or greater than the elapsed time comprises the sub-steps of;

operating the electronic display at a first one of the number of predetermined transparency levels until a first one of the number of elapsed time points is reached;

operating the electronic display at a second one of the number of predetermined transparency levels until a second one of the number of elapsed time points is reached; and

providing no power to the electronic display receives no power after the second one of the number of elapsed time points is reached.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the electronic display is driven at a predetermined transparency level different from the first or second ones of the number of predetermined transparency levels when the door is opened.

17. A system for operating a transparent electronic display comprising:

a display case for consumer products comprising a door housing the transparent electronic display, wherein said door is mounted to a frame of said display case in a hinged fashion to permit access to said consumer products when said door is placed in an opened position and enclose said display case when said door is paced in a closed position;

a controller in electronic communication with the electronic display, wherein the controller comprises transparency data and executable software instructions, which when executed, configure the controller to;

determine a current time;

determine if the current time falls within a time period specified in the transparency data; and

operate the electronic display at a predetermined transparency level by way of the controller and according to the transparency data.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein:

the electronic display is a normally black liquid crystal display (LCD).

19. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a wireless communication device in electronic communication with the controller and configured to receive the transparency data from a remote device.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein:

the transparency data comprises a first predetermined transparency setting, a second predetermined transparency setting, a first elapsed time point, a second elapsed time point, and a third elapsed time point;

the controller comprises additional executable software instructions, which when executed by the controller configure the controller to;

operate the electronic display at the first predetermined transparency level if the first elapsed time point is reached;

operate the electronic display at the second predetermined transparency level if the second elapsed time point is reached; and

provide no power to the electronic display if the third elapsed time point is reached;

the third elapsed time point is greater than the second elapsed time point;

the second elapsed time point is greater than the first elapsed time point; and

the first predetermined transparency level is greater than the second predetermined transparency level.