GB2189637A

GB2189637A - Information display system

Info

Publication number: GB2189637A
Application number: GB08609826A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Marjorie Joyce Hills; Christopher John Pendred
Original assignee: PENDRED NORMAN CO
Current assignee: PENDRED NORMAN CO
Priority date: 1986-04-22
Filing date: 1986-04-22
Publication date: 1987-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 2006-04-22
Also published as: GB8609826D0; GB2189637B

Abstract

A point-of-sale information display device and associated assembly, comprising means 7, 8, 9 arranged to display information relating to a product with which the device 1 is associated, and being operable other than manually to change the information. In the preferred embodiment, the display means is electrically or electromagnetically operable using conductors, radio signals or an auxiliary module (102) for also transferring information to the devices 1 from a central computer (101). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Information display system This invention relates to an information display system, and various aspects thereof, for use in retail outlets, whereby information, such as, the price, description, quality, country of origin, sell-by date and/or price per unit weight of products for sale, can be displayed for the benefit of potential purchasers thereof.

A known type of retail information display comprises a support which is generally planar in shape, which can be secured to, say, the front edge of a shelf or the like supporting products for sale and which is arranged to receive detachable "inserts" displaying information relating to those particular products. In order to alter such information, for instance, as a consequence of a price change of the products for sale, it is necessary to change manually the inserts received by the supports, such that the new and correct information relating to the corresponding products is displayed. This procedure is laborious and highly labour intensive, particularly in, say, a supermarket where hundreds, or possibly, thousands, of different products have to be provided with the proper information relevant thereto.As a consequence, large numbers of information inserts have to be used and, when necessary, changed, thereby making it possible for an operative to use the wrong inserts on certain occasions and in certain circumstances.

Another known type of retail information display comprises a so-calied "rollerbarker" consisting of a support upon which is mounted a self-coiling plastics tape with information provided thereon. A particular quantum of information on the tape is displayed through a window of the support with the plastics tape having its two self-coiled ends located outof-sight behind the support. As in the case of the first type of known retail information display described above, adjustment of this other type namely the rollerbarker is also highly labour intensive particularly in a supermarket environment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an information display system, and various aspects thereof, for use in retail outlets which overcomes, or at least substantially reduces, the disadvantages associated with the known mechanically and manually adjustable display arrangements discussed above.

Accordingly, one aspect of the presently inventive information display resides in an electrically-operable information display unit for use in a retail outlet, which unit comprises means arranged to display information relating to a product for sale and being operable electrically to change such information.

A second aspect of the invention provides an electrically-operable information display assembly for use in a retail outlet, which assembly comprises, in combination, an electrically-operable information display unit, as defined above in accordance with said one aspect of the invention, and means for storing information relating to a product for sale, said information storage means being separate from the display unit but being arranged to operate the unit electrically to transfer at least some of said stored information thereto.

A third aspect of the present invention resides in a modification of the assembly defined above in accordance with the second aspect of the invention and relates to an electrically-operable information display apparatus for use in a retail outlet, which apparatus comprises, in combination, an electrically-operable information display unit, as defined above in accordance with said one aspect of the invention, and means for transferring to the display unit information relating to a product for sale with which the unit is associated, said information transfer means being separate from the unit but connectable thereto, either directly or indirectly, to operate the unit electrically to transfer information thereto.

Preferably, the information display unit is a unitary structure which can be moved from location to location, as and when necessary, in which case, it may be detachably secured to, say, the front edge of a shelf or the like supporting the particular product for sale. The display unit can be powered by its own electrical power source, for example, a battery, or by a remote, centralised electrical power supply connected to it by suitable means, such as conductors.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means arranged to display information relating to a particular product for sale comprises at least one liquid crystal display (LCD) of numeric, alphabetic or alpha-numeric nature.

This type of electrically-alterable display is preferred to, say, a neon or light emitting di-.

ode (LED) display, it that its power consumption is substantially less than that of either of the latter two types of display. For a similar reason, an LCD is preferred to the mechanical but electrically-operable "flip-over" type of display.

The information storage means of the second aspect of the invention defined above can be in the form of a central computer in which information relating to a plurality of products for sale is stored for subsequent transfer to the respective display units. Such stored information can be updated as and when necessary and then transferred to the respective units at any suitable time. Transfer of the information to the units from the central computer can be effected in any appropriate manner, depending upon the particular arrangement employed. For instance, the computer may be connectable electrically to the plurality of units by conductor means, preferably in the form of low voltage wiring installed in, say, the front edges of shelving supporting the products for sale.In this arrangement, the information display units can be "plugged into" the wiring at desired locations in the vicinity of the products on the shelves. Alternatively, and in accordance with another preferred embodiment, information may be transferred from the computer to the respective display units by means of an intermediate, auxiliary module which is movably from the computer to the units. Such a module may take the form of a progammable auxiliary computer or other suitable storage means which is portable or easily transportable on, say, a trolley, and which can be used to extract information from the central computer for subsequent transfer to the respective display units. This module can be provided with suitable means for connecting it to both the central computer and then to the units.An identifying code may be given to each display unit and stored, with the associated information, in the central computer, for subsequent storage in the auxiliary module. In this manner, an operative need only connect the module to a display unit and then feed the respective identifying code for that unit, for the module to transfer the relevant information to the unit.

Otherwise, information could be transferred from the central computer to the plurality of display units by radio transmissions, thereby eliminating any need for wiring or the auxiliary module described above, in which case identification codes for the display units will almost certainly be necessary.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, various embodiments in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accorhoanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an information display unit using LCDs; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the display unit shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a retail information display system embodying a plurality of units shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a retail outlet information display unit designated generally at 1, comprises a rectangular generally planar housing 2 moulded from a plastics material in any desired colour.

The front 3 of the housing 2 is provided with three windows 4, 5 and 6 with which are associated respective liquid crystal displays (LCDs) 7, 8 and 9 mounted within the housing. Information, such as price, price per kilogram and sell-by date, relating to a product for sale is displayed by the respective LCD, so that a potential purchaser of the product can view such information through the windows 4 to 6.

A 7-pin electrical socket 17 is also provided at the front 3 of the housing 2, which is arranged to receive a corresponding plug of an auxiliary programmable computer module, as will be described in more detail hereinbelow. Although a 7-pin socket and plug is used in this particular embodiment, any other suitable electrical connection means may be used.

Also, the socket need not necessarily be located at the front 3 of the unit housing 2. For instance, it could be provided at the rear of the housing 2, although this arrangement might hinder access to the socket or other connecting means by an operative. Alternatively, the socket could be provided adjacent the unit, but electrically connected thereto, on, say, the front edge or under-surface of a shelf (not shown) to which the unit 1 is detachably securable and upon which the respective products are exhibited for sale.

The rear 10 of the display unit 1, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with suitable clips 11 of any desired and suitable configuration, for securing the unit to the front edge of a shelf on which the products for sale are supported or otherwise displayed. A removable screw cover 12 is also provided for access to a battery (also not shown) which is located within the housing 2 and which acts as an electrical power supply for the LCDs and any associated circuitry.

Removable screws 13 at each corner of the housing 2 permit, upon removal, detachment of the rear 10 of the housing 2, thereby providing access to the interior thereof.

Turning now to Fig. 3 of the drawings, a retail outlet information display system comprises a central computer 101 in which is stored information relating to products for sale in the outlet on shelves 106. At each product location is provided at least one information display unit 1, as described above with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, each unit being secured, preferably detachably, to the front edge of its associated shelf 106. Information relating to the products is displayed on respective units.

If any information being displayed needs to be changed, this will firstly be programmed into the central computer 101, with an appropriate identification code for each product already having been entered in the computer. A reprogrammable, auxiliary module 102, such as a microprocessor or suitable electronic storage means, is housed on a trolley 103 and can be used to transfer information changes, or even original information, from the central computer 101 to the respective display units.

For ease of transportation, the module 102 is mounted upon the trolley 102, so that it can be wheeled around the retail outlet.

When the product information changes have been fed from the computer 101 to the module 102, the latter is disconnected from the computer at, say, 104, and wheeled to the respective locations of the units 1 for which information changes need to be made, as indi cated by arrows Y.

A plug 107 of the module 102 is received in the socket 13 of each unit 1, to effect an electrical change of the information displayed, in accordance with that now stored in the central computer 101. The operative then carries out the same procedure around the retail outlet where information changes require recording on respective display units 1.

A plurality of cash-outs A to H are also located in the retail outlet and are connected electrically to the central computer 101 via suitable conductors 105. At each cash-out A to H the identification code of each product is recorded as it is sold and this information is fed automatically to the computer 101, for stock control purposes.

It will be appreciated that the method of transferring product information changes from the central computer 101 to the respective display units 1 distributed around the outlet can be carried out in ways other than that described above. For instance, conductors extending from the central computer to each of the display units can be employed, as well as transmitting the information by radio, although this latter alternative might suffer from spurious signals in, say, a large but enclosed supermarket environment.

Further, product information changed might be relayed directly to the display units from just a keyboard, thus dispensing with a large central computer, if necessary.

If conductors are to be used to transfer the information changes to the respective units, then they would have to be insulated, in which case, connection of the conductors to the circuitry of the display units may be made via insulation piercing contacts provided on the units, with the conductors being located at corresponding positions on the shelves or other supports to which the units are secured.

Such conductors might also be used to supply power to the display units, rather than their having to rely upon batteries for power.

Thus, it can be seen that the present invention provides various embodiments of electrically-changeable, information display systems for use in retail outlets, which eliminate the disadvantages associated with the known mechanical and manually-changeable systems.

Claims

1. A point-of-sale information display device for use in a retail outlet, comprising means arranged to display information relating to a product with which the device is associated, and being operable other than manually to change said information.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said information display means is operable electrically or electromagnetically to change said information.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2 including means for detachably securing it to a shelf or other support upon which an associated product is supported.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said securing menas is arranged to secure the device detachably to the front edge of a shelf upon which an associated product is supported.

5. A device according to any preceding claim including an electrical power supply.

6. A device according to any of claims 1 to 4 which is connectable to a remote electrical power supply.

7. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said information display means comprises a liquid crystal, a neon or a light emitting diode display or any combination thereof.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the display is alphabetic, numeric or alphanumeric or any combination thereof.

9. A point-of-sale information display assembly for useuse in a retail outlet, comprising, in combination, a point-of-sale information display device according to any preceding claim and means for storing information relating to an associated product, said information storage means being separate from the information display device and being arranged to operate the device, to transfer at least some of the stored information thereto.

10. An assembly according to claim 9, wherein said information storage means comprises a computer.

11. An assembly according to claim 9 or 10 including a plurality of the point-of-sale information display devices, wherein said information storage means is arranged to store information relating to a plurality of different products and to transfer such information to respective ones of the devices.

12. An assembly according to claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein said information storage means is connectable electrically to the or each information display device, as the case may be.

13. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein the stored information is transferable to the or each display device, as the case may be, by means of conductors connected to said information storage means and connectable to the or each display device.

14. An assembly according to claim 13, wherein the conductors are insulated and the or each display device, as the case may be, includes insulation-piercing electrical contacts.

15. An assembly according to any of claims 9 to 12, wherein said information storage means is arranged to transfer information to the or each display device, as the case may be, by means of an intermediate or auxiliary module.

16. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein the module is a microprocessor, an auxiliary computer or other progammable means.

17. An assembly according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the module is portable or movable upon wheels.

18. An assembly according to claim 15, 16 or 17, wherein said information storage means comprises a central computer arranged to store an identification code for the or each display device, as the case may be, for subsequent transfer and storage in the auxiliary or intermediate module and for identifying the or respective ones of the display devices.

19. An assembly according to claim 18, wherein the identification code of the or each display device, as the case may be, and hence of the associated product, can be monitored for subsequent transfer to the central computer, for stocktaking purposes.

20. An assembly according to claim 19, wherein the identification code of each display device can be monitored at one or more associated cash-outs.

21. A point-of-sale information display device or point-of-sale information display assembly, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.