Motion sensor arrangement for point-of-purchase device

• US 7,979,723 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Product Spring, LLC
• Original Assignee: Clever Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Dooley, Christopher, Nielsen, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Michael J
• Application Number:
  US12/080,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A motion sensor arrangement is presented for dispenser capable point-of-purchase devices. The invention includes one or more motion sensors and a power management circuit facilitating activation of visual and motion display elements and/or a dispensing mechanism. Motion sensors are attached to a shelf-mountable display unit and capable of determining the presence of a person within the vicinity of the device. Power management circuit communicates with the motion sensors and display elements, examples including light emitting diodes and motorized drive devices. The power management circuit activates one or more display elements to communicate queues to a person within visual range of the point-of-purchase device. The dispensing mechanism ejects a coupon or product information sheet when a person is sensed within the vicinity of the point-of-purchase device. The power management circuit causes display elements and dispensing mechanism to operate in different power modes based at least in part on the determination of the presence of a person by one or more motion sensors.

Claims

1. A motion sensor arrangement for a point-of-purchase device comprising:

(a) at least one motion sensor attachable to a shelf-mountable display unit, said shelf-mountable display unit having a dispenser mechanism that automatically ejects a coupon or a product information sheet from said shelf mountable display unit without physical contact between a person and said shelf-mountable display unit; and

(b) a power management circuit, said power management circuit causes said dispenser mechanism to operate in different power modes based on said at least one motion sensor determining the presence of said person within the vicinity of said shelf mountable display unit and whether said coupon or said product information sheet has been removed from said shelf mountable display unit.

2. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein said at least one motion sensor comprises one or more optical light receiver sensors.

3. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 2, wherein said one or more optical light receiver sensors are angled so as detect motion anywhere within a selected range.

4. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 3, wherein said one or more optical light receiver sensors are angled so as to detect motion when said point-of-purchase device is located on a store shelf.

5. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein said at least one motion sensor comprises one or more optical light receiver sensors which are movable and adjustable to work optimally in a given location.

6. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein said at least one motion sensor comprises a motion only sensor that detects ambient light variations caused by the interaction between said person and a visible light originating from an overhead light source within a commercial setting, said ambient light variations representative of a shadow.

7. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 6, wherein said at least one motion sensor includes a lens that narrows and sharpens the light within the range of said sensors.

8. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 7, wherein said at least one motion sensor includes target-area definition blinders.

9. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 7, further comprising a photo-resistor, photodiode, phototransistor, or cadmium sulfide cell in combination with said lens.

17. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein said power management circuit controls the OFF, ON, and/or functional states of a transmitter-receiver system within said dispenser mechanism. said transmitter-receiver system detects the partial ejection of a coupon or a product information sheet from an opening along said dispenser mechanism.

18. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 1, further comprising:

(c) at least one light emitting device, said power management circuit causes said at least one light emitting device to operate in different power modes based at least in part on the determination of the presence of said person by said at least one motion sensor.

10. The motion sensor arrangement of claim I, wherein said power management circuit executes software to improve the accurate detection of said person detected by said at least one motion sensor.

11. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 10, wherein said power management circuit processes signals from said at least one sensor depending upon the intervals of detection by said at least one sensor.

12. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 11, wherein said person is within the range of said motion sensor arrangement when the detection interval is sufficiently large.

13. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 12, wherein said person is not within the range of said motion sensor arrangement when the interval between subsequent detections is small or repeated detections are sensed in a short period of time.

14. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 11, wherein said power management circuit takes said dispenser mechanism out of a low power mode depending on the intervals of detection by said at least one sensor.

15. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 11, wherein said interval criteria can be dynamically adjusted.

16. The motion sensor arrangement of claim 15, wherein said motion sensor arrangement is programmed through software to learn the optimum detection interval.