Electronic article information system for shops

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Office for Industrial Property The Netherlands © 1009268 @ C OCTROOI²⁰ (© Patent application: 1009268 © Int.CI.⁷

G09F9Z35, H04B3 / 54, H04B10 / 04 (22) Submitted: 27.05.1998

<td>©) Registered:</td><td>© Patent holder (s):</td>

<td> 30.11.1999</td><td>Leidsche trust and management company in Leiden.</td>

<td>© Date:</td><td rowspan="2">© Inventor (s): Ronald Ferdinand Vedder in Zoetermeer</td>

<td> 30.11.1999</td>

<td>© Published:</td><td rowspan="2">© Authorized representative: Ir. PN Hoorweg cs at 2517 GK The Hague.</td>

<td>01.02.2000 IE 2000/02</td>

(54) Electronic article information system for shops.

©) An electronic article information system for shops, comprising a number of article information modules placed in operation near articles placed on shelves in the store, and communication means for at least transmitting information to be displayed by the article information modules to the article information modules, the article information modules comprising an elongated display, which is converted from substantially freely programmable pixels and has a length which substantially corresponds to the length of the shelf boards, so that information is clearly provided and greater programming freedom is offered.

NL C 1009268

The content of this patent differs from the original filed description with claim (s) and possible drawing (s). The documents originally submitted can be viewed at the Industrial Property Office.

Electronic article information system for shops

The invention relates to an electronic article information system for shops, in particular suitable for self-service shops, comprising a number of article information modules arranged close to shelves in the store on shelves, and communication means for at least transmitting information through the article information modules information to be given to the article information modules. The invention further relates to an article information module for use in an article information system.

An article information system of the type described above is known from practice. The known article information system comprises electronic shelf labels, which are arranged at the front edges of the shelves at the location of the shelf space intended for the various articles. In addition to a conventional part, which comprises a paper carrier on which the name of the article in question is printed, the known shelf labels also have an electronic display part, for example an LCD screen, with the aid of which the price of the article in question and possibly the price can be displayed per (weight) unit. The price information can, for example, be communicated to the shelf labels by the store computer, preferably via wireless communication. For this purpose, the shelf labels are provided with a receiving device for, for example, radio signals or infrared (IR) signals or inductive signals.

A drawback of this known article information system is that the shelf labels offer only very little programming freedom. In fact, only pricing information can be displayed on a very small sized display screen with pre-programmed fields. The large number of shelf labels placed next to each other at an intermediate distance also creates a messy and confusing appearance for shoppers. There is a need for an article information system that provides information in a clear manner and which offers greater programming freedom, so that other information, such as, for example, the name of the articles, the contents of a package, special promotions, etc. can also be displayed.

The object of the invention is to meet the outlined need. To this end, according to the invention, an electronic article information system of the type described above is characterized in that the article information modules comprise an elongated screen, which is composed of substantially freely programmable pixels and which has a length which substantially corresponds to the length of the shelves.

For example, item information refers to price (per unit weight), weight, description, logo, composition, recipe, advertising, stock and order information, etc.

In the following, the invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 schematically shows, in perspective, an example of a shop rack provided with an article information system according to the invention;

Fig. 2 schematically shows partly an example of an article information module for an article information system according to the invention; and Fig. 3 schematically shows a section along the line III-III in Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 schematically shows, in perspective, an example of a shop rack 1 with a number of shelf shelves 2, 3, 4 and 5. The shelf shelves are each provided with an edge at the front edge, i.e. the edge facing the walkway between the shelves and the shoppers. , mounted elongated article information module 6, 7, 8 and 9. The elongated article information modules have an elongated electronically controllable screen which is visible to the front and therefore visible to shoppers. The display is mounted in and / or on a suitable support, preferably in such a way that the side of the article information module facing the public is mainly formed by the display.

Fig. 2, by way of example, schematically shows a part of an article information module in front view, and FIG. 3 shows the module of FIG. 2 in cross section along the line III-III in FIG. 2. The article information modules preferably have substantially the same length as the shelf boards. so that an article information module extends along the entire front edge of a shelf shelf. An article information module can therefore, for example, have a length of ± 1 m in accordance with the often used dimensions of store racks.

The height can, for example, be 3 to 6 cm. In the example shown, an article information module 10 comprises a frame formed by a mounting profile 11, in which an elongated screen 13 covered by a transparent material 12, for instance a strip of glass or plastic, is mounted. Furthermore, electrical control lines are schematically indicated at 14, which is preferably in the form of printed wiring and which can be arranged behind the screen. The mounting profile can furthermore be provided with mounting members (not shown in more detail) for mounting the article information module on a shelf shelf. Electrical connections not shown may also be present.

The screen, which can for instance be an LCD screen, is composed of pixels, which are in principle freely programmable. However, advantageous use can be made here of pre-programmed predetermined templates, which normally do not need to be changed. For example, the templates can contain a fixed area for the article designation and a

1Ό09 268 other fixed area for price indication. Preferably, each module includes a character generator.

In connection with existing manufacturing methods for (elongated) screens, a module of, for example, 1 m in length can be constructed from a number of contiguous shorter sections. For example, the sections can have a length of 10 cm. In any case, the sections are joined together to form a module with a length substantially corresponding to the length of a shelf board. In Fig. 2, two such sections, indicated by 15 and 16, are shown. The sections are separated by end regions 17, 18 not available for image display, which can form, for example, upright dark bars, each with a width of, for example, 1 to 2 mm. Similar end regions are indicated at 19 and 20 at the left and right ends of the module shown.

It should be noted that the use of relatively short sections makes it possible to manufacture a module that can follow a curved shelf shelf edge, as is often used, for example, at the head ends of a store rack or a series of store racks.

The energy supply to the article information modules can take place in any suitable manner. Preferably, each rack is provided with a power supply box common to all or a number of shelf shelves of that rack, as shown schematically in Fig. 1 at 21. In the example shown, a vertical supply line 23 extends from the power supply box 21 along the rear wall 22 of the rack, which connects to separate branches 24, 25, 26 and 27 for each shelf shelf. The branches preferably consist of flat cables located on the underside of the shelf boards.

The supply line 23 can advantageously be designed as a kind of voltage rail, in which a connector for a branch attached to a shelf board can cooperate at any desired height. The adjustability of the shelf boards is not adversely affected in this way.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the supply line comprises a vertical coil arranged along a vertical slot, which is inductively cooled with suitable connectors connected to the branches.

The power boxes 21 of neighboring scaffolds can be connected to each other by lines 28, 29, which can again be connected via a line 30 to a central power supply 31 in or above the ceiling 32.

Advantageously, the control signals required for programming and any other control functions can also be fed from the shop computer via the power supply boxes 21, 31 to the article information modules. The central power box or boxes 31 may then contain a processor (controller) controllable by the shop computer 33, which in turn can control the individual modules via a sub-controller located in the power boxes 21.

The control signals can advantageously be transmitted by means of modulation, for example frequency modulation, of the supply signal.

However, the control signals can also be applied to the modules in other ways, for example by means of radio signals or infrared signals.

Because the elongated screens are made up of freely programmable pixels, there is great freedom to design, emphasize, change product or price indications, etc. Depending on the type of screen, different colors can also be used, for example red for a special offer. Other types of information can also be displayed.

For example, changing the price of items can be done from the store computer. If the price of many or even all articles has to be changed, as will be the case with the transition from the national currency to the euro, this will require a

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supermarket usual number of items a lot of time. Faster switching is possible by including a number of pre-programmable memories in the sub-controllers, which correspond to predefined fields of the screens and which can be switched from the central shop computer. In this way, actually changing the displayed information in a store can be carried out in a parallel process.

The article information modules are preferably designed such that they can operate in different modes. The system may, for example, be so designed that shop personnel can temporarily switch one or more item information modules into another operating mode with the aid of a suitable control device, in which, for example, stock or ordering information is displayed with regard to the items placed with the modules.

For this purpose, the shop staff may be provided with a credit card-shaped operating element which contains a transmitter, a battery and one or more switching elements.

Changing the information to be displayed, for example the price or the name of the item, can be done from the shop computer as already mentioned, but it is also possible to use a portable programming transmitter for this purpose, while one is at the store shelf. Preferably, such a portable programming transmitter is also connected to the store computer, for example via radio waves or via

IR signals, so that changes made are also made in the store computer. However, the latter could also take place via the sub-controller and the controller, or by means of a memory present in the portable transmitter, in which the changes made are stored and which are later coupled to the store computer in order to transfer the relevant information.

1Ό09268

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In order to be able to switch or change the operating mode or the information to be displayed in the manner described, the modules and / or the sub-controllers must comprise a receiving section, which can receive and process the signals from the portable switching device and / or the portable programmer. Such a receiving section is of course also necessary if the control from the store computer takes place via radio signals or infrared signals.

It is noted that after the foregoing various modifications are obvious to the skilled person.

For example, it is possible to provide or couple an article information module provided with a refrigerated display case or the like to a temperature sensor and to convert the signals from the temperature sensor to a temperature value to be displayed by the module.

Such modifications are considered to fall within the scope of the invention.