Point-of-sale product information dissemination arrangement and method

• US 5,463,209 A
• Filed: 02/03/1995
• Issued: 10/31/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hmg Worldwide In-Store Marketing, Inc.
• Inventors: Figh, Jack, Cuddihy, Robert V. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITTS, HAROLD I
• Application Number:
  US08/384,607
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 235/381, 235/383, 235/487, 235/472, 364/401
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

An arrangement for providing any customer present at a vending location at which a group of products is offered for sale with information about any member of such group includes an audiovisual device and a customer-initiated request entry device both situated at the vending location. Data representative of audiovisual information segments pertaining to the individual products of the group are stored in separate portions of a data storage medium and are retrieved from there and used to drive the audiovisual device to present the segment that corresponds to the request. When the products have optically distinguishable markings that uniquely identify them by product type associated therewith, the entering means may include an optical scanner arranged in such a manner as to enable any customer to bring a chosen marking and the optical scanner in relative positions in which the optical scanner scans the chosen marking and generates the addressing signal.

Claims

1. A product information system for providing any customer present at a point-of-display location, at which a group of products is displayed for sale, with information about a selected product of the group in response to a customer-initiated request, each product in the group having associated therewith an optically distinguishable, product identifying indicia, the system comprising:

data storage means including a storage medium having a plurality of individual portions each dedicated to storing product-related data representative of an audiovisual information segment relating to a particular product of the group;

means for entering the customer-initiated request, including an optical scanner positionable at the point-of-display location in such a manner as to enable any customer intending to initiate a request by positioning the selected product with the indicia in scanning registration therewith, said optical scanner including means for scanning the product identifying indicia, and for producing an addressing signal corresponding to a request for information about the selected product;

means responsive to said addressing signal for retrieving data corresponding to the selected product from said storage medium and for issuing driving signals as representations of such retrieved data; and

means for presenting at the point of display location audiovisual information as dictated by driving signals, whereby a customer contemplating the purchase of a selected product may view an audiovisual presentation providing information about that selected product.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the product-identifying indicia is a UPC code and wherein said optical scanner includes means for decoding a bar code associated with the selected product and for converting the same into said addressing signal.

3. A method for providing any customer present at a point-of-display location, at which a group of products is displayed for sale, with information about a selected product of the group in response to a customer-initiated request, each product in the group having associated therewith an optically distinguishable, product identifying indicia, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an optical scanner at the point-of-display location in such a manner as to enable any customer intending to initiate a request by placing the selected product with the indicia in scanning registration therewith, said optical scanner including means for scanning the product identifying indicia, and for producing an addressing signal corresponding to a request for information about the selected product;

producing, with the optical scanner, said addressing signal;

retrieving, in response to the addressing signal generated during said producing step, data corresponding to the selected product from said storage medium and issuing driving signals as representations of such retrieved data, and

displaying, at the point-of-display location, audiovisual information as dictated by the driving signals, whereby a customer contemplating the purchase of a selected product may obtain information concerning that selected product.

4. A product information system for providing any customer present at a point-of-display location, at which a group of products is displayed for sale, with information about a selected product of the group in response to a customer-initiated request, each product in the group having associated therewith an optically distinguishable, product identifying indicia, the system comprising:

means for entering the customer-initiated request, including an optical scanner positionable at the point-of-display location in such a manner as to enable any customer intending to initiate a request by positioning the selected product with the indicia in scanning registration therewith, said optical scanner including means for scanning the product identifying indicia;

data storage means, including a storage medium, for storing product-related data representative of audiovisual information segments corresponding to respective products of the group; and

means operatively associated with said data storage means for presenting, at the point-of-display location, at least one audiovisual segment corresponding to the selected product, whereby a customer contemplating the purchase of a selected product may view an audiovisual presentation providing information about that selected product.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the product-identifying indicia is a UPC code and wherein said optical scanner includes means for decoding a bar code associated with the selected product and for converting the same into said addressing signal.