Product identification system for persons with limited vision

• US 20100200449A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: George Kasboske
• Original Assignee: George Kasboske
• Inventors: Kasboske, George
• Granted Patent: US 8,944,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/459.500
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/286 Show stands having sampling means, e.g. colour, taste, perfume
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/02 Labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/00 Advertising on or in specific articles, e.g. ashtrays, letter-boxes on or in vehicles G09F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/00 Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40; Seals; Postage or like stamps

Abstract

A method of facilitating the identification of portable consumer articles at a point of purchase display, the method including the steps of: providing a plurality of portable consumer articles each with tactilely sensible information thereon that identifies at least one of: a) a general nature of the article and/or its contents; and b) a provider of the article; and displaying the plurality of articles at the point of purchase display in a manner that allows potential consumers to lift and handle each of the plurality of articles so as to thereby readily determine through tactile sensing of the information at least one of: a) the general nature of the handled article and/or its contents; and b) the provider of the handled article.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating the identification of portable consumer articles at a point of purchase display, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of portable consumer articles each with tactilely sensible information thereon that identifies at least one of;

a) a general nature of the article and/or its contents; and

b) a provider of the article; and

displaying the plurality of articles at the point of purchase display in a manner that allows potential consumers to lift and handle each of the plurality of articles so as to thereby readily determine through tactile sensing of the information at least one of;

a) the general nature of the handled article and/or its contents; and

b) the provider of the handled article.

2. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 1 wherein the step of displaying the plurality of articles comprises displaying a plurality of like articles in groups upon shelves.

3. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing a plurality of portable consumer articles comprises providing a plurality of articles each having a container for edible product contents.

4. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 1 wherein the step of displaying the plurality of articles comprises displaying the articles upon shelves in aisles grouped upon the shelves by product category with different product categories in first and second different aisles and further comprising the step of providing tactilely sensible information that identifies product categories in the first and second aisles.

5. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 1 further comprising the step of developing a system for correlating a tactilely sensible shape with at least one of:

a) a product category; and

b) a general nature of an article.

6. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing a plurality of portable consumer articles comprises providing articles wherein the tactilely sensible information is in the form of braille.

7. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing a plurality of portable consumer articles comprises providing articles wherein the tactilely sensible information is not in the form of braille.

8. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 4 wherein the step of displaying the plurality of articles upon shelves comprises displaying the articles upon shelves bounded by end walls and the step of providing tactilely sensible information that identifies product categories comprises providing tactilely sensible information upon the end walls that identifies product categories.

9. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 1 wherein the step of displaying the plurality of articles comprises displaying the articles upon shelves in aisles grouped upon the shelves by product category with different product categories in first and second different aisles and further comprising the step of audibly alerting a potential consumer to a product category in at least one of the first and second aisles as an incident of the potential consumer approaching or entering the at least one of the first and second aisles.

10. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 1 wherein the step of displaying the plurality of articles comprises displaying the articles so that potential consumers can tactilely sense both:

a) the general nature of the handled article and/or its contents; and

b) the provider of the handled articles.

11. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 3 wherein the step of providing a plurality of portable consumer articles comprises providing articles each having a container bounding a volume and with accordion folds that can be reconfigured to change the volume of the container.

12. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 11 wherein the step of providing a plurality of portable consumer articles comprises providing articles configured so that the edible contents can be forcible discharged by reconfiguring the accordion folds.

13. The method of facilitating the identification of portable articles at a point of purchase display according to claim 11 wherein the step of providing a plurality of portable consumer articles comprises providing articles configured to be grasped in one hand of a user and squeezed by the one hand to reconfigure the accordion folds and forcibly discharge the edible contents from the container.

14. A portable consumer article comprising:

a container;

a product in the container; and

tactilely sensible information upon the container that identifies at least one of;

a) a general nature of the container and/or product; and

b) a provider of the product.

15. The portable consumer article according to claim 14 wherein the product in the container is an edible product.

16. The portable consumer article according to claim 14 wherein the container has a volume for the product and is reconfigurable to change the volume of the container.

17. The portable consumer article according to claim 16 wherein the container has accordion folds that are reconfigurable to change the volume of the container.

18. The portable consumer article according to claim 16 wherein the tactilely sensible information is in the form of braille.

19. The portable consumer article according to claim 16 wherein the tactilely sensible information is not in the form of braille.

20. The portable consumer article according to claim 16 wherein the container is configured to be held in a hand of a user and squeezed to change the volume of the container.

21. The portable consumer article according to claim 16 wherein the container has a discrete depression within which the tactilely sensible information resides.

22. The portable consumer article according to claim 16 wherein the container has a raised rim extending around a space within which the tactilely sensible information resides.