HRP20150850A2 - Electronic shelf with screens for displaying information about merchandise, computer controlled via usb cable - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic shelf with screens for displaying commodity data, computer controlled via a USB cable, is a shelf for goods (18) mounted on a mounting plate (26), with a controller (20) connected by cables (14) and connectors (16), through hollow legs ( 10) with a full-height slot (12) and a cable socket (22), which receives information and power from a PoS terminal or general-purpose computer (28) via a USB cable (30), operated by software executing at the PoS terminal.

Description

The field to which the invention relates

A shelf for goods with mounted screens that display the desired contents, primarily the names and prices of the goods.

Technical problem

Innovation in the area of displaying and changing the name and price of goods displayed on the shelf in retail, i.e. the solution for cabling the shelf, powering the screen, and communicating with a PoS terminal or a general purpose computer.

State of the art

Several relevant inventions covering the area of display and changing the name and price of goods in retail use battery power and wireless communication. They are all individual shelf-mountable devices, and the inventions cover various modes of communication and mounting.

(TW201322116, CN102855506, CN102750124, CN102622945, CN102542420, GB2487104, GB2480462, GB2464353, GB2462334, US2014210692)

The inventions of 'smart shelves' and centrally controlled screens are focused on advertisements, product information, and video content, and are not integrated into the retail information system.

(CO6760205, JP2011186659, CA2739278, US2010012600, GB2347296)

None of the mentioned inventions is a USB device, that is, it receives neither information nor electricity via the USB cable.

Presentation of the essence of the invention

An electronic shelf with screens for displaying information about goods, controlled by a computer via a USB cable, is an electronic device connected to a computer with a USB cable, from which it receives information that is displayed on the screens on the shelf.

The primary purpose of the invention is to automate the display and change of the name and price of goods in retail.

The secondary purpose of the invention is the display of promotional and other informational content about the goods on the shelf.

The electronic shelf consists of a shelf adapted to cabling and screen mounting, a controller that receives information from the computer and manages the screens, the screens themselves, and the cables that connect them to the controller.

A short list of drawings

Sl. 1 – Section of the leg

Sl. 2 – Cable with connectors

Sl. 3 – Outlet for cables

Sl. 4 – Shelf with screens

Sl. 5 – Block diagram of connecting electronic components

Sl. 6 – Installation adapted to cabling

A detailed description of at least one way of realizing the invention

An electronic shelf with screens for displaying information about goods, controlled by a computer via a USB cable, is a shelf for goods, the shelf is an electronic device that is connected to the PoS terminal with a USB cable, from which it receives both power and information.

The electronic shelf consists of

- shelves

- controller

- screen

- USB cable that connects the controller to the PoS terminal

- cables that connect the controller to the screens

- driver program on the PoS terminal

The shelf has hollow supporting legs 10 with a full-height slot 12, through which cables 14 pass with connectors 16 that connect the screens 18 to the controller 20. At the top of each leg there is a cable outlet 22, wider than the connector 16, through which the cables are drawn from below of each supporting surface of the shelf 24.

On the front side of each support surface of the shelf, there is a mounting surface 26 on which the screens are mounted, behind which the cables from the screen to the leg pass.

The controller is an electronic device that processes the information received from the PoS terminal or general-purpose computer 28, and controls individual screens.

The controller supplies power to all screens, and it is powered from the PoS terminal via USB cable 30, and if necessary, an additional rectifier or battery.

The controller is located on the shelf where it does not come into contact with the exposed goods, typically under the lower support surface, or on the back of the shelf.

Optimally, the electronic shelf is prefabricated - it is delivered to the point of sale in parts, which are then quickly assembled. In this case, the electronic elements should already be mounted in the designated places, and when the shelf is assembled, they are only connected with wires. The legs should be adapted to the assembly, so that the top of the leg 32 enters the bottom of the leg 34, through the hole 36 on the supporting surface 24 of the dimensions of the top of the leg.

Any type of screen can be suitable, for example, an LCD that consumes more but changes content faster and has a greater advertising effect, or an e-paper screen with low consumption but slow content changes.

Given that USB is declared at 500mA/5V, the number of screens on the shelf that are powered by the USB cable is limited primarily by the consumption of the individual screen, and to a lesser extent by the consumption of the controller.

The displayed content can be textual or graphic, static or moving, and depends primarily on the type of screen (alphanumeric or graphic, LCD or e-paper, etc.), and the desired purpose of the shelf (price change or promotion, etc.).

Graphic screens can display the manufacturer's or seller's logo in addition to the name and price of the goods.

LCD screens can quickly change content, so they can attract customers with animations.

Touch screens can even encourage customers to interact, and a shelf equipped with them can become a real information desk about the displayed goods.

Only graphic screens can display a barcode, which is important in retail for the layout of goods and inventory.

The electronic shelf equipped with alphanumeric screens does not completely eliminate the need for printing labels, but it significantly reduces the need for automated display of price changes.

In practice, bar code reading with a laser reader is feasible only with an e-paper screen, so only an e-shelf equipped with e-paper screens completely replaces labels.

The LCD consumes electricity while displaying the content, so only a small shelf can be equipped with them, for example for six items, or an additional power supply must be introduced.

But e-paper screens consume electricity when changing content; a shelf of any size can be equipped with them, provided that the contents are not changed all at once, but in sequence, for example, every two seconds.

Some screen types, in addition to allowing content to be written, also allow status reading.

An electronic shelf equipped with such screens can recognize errors in communication with individual screens and other malfunctions, when, for example, there is no response from the screen, or the screen reports an error.

In this case, the controller can forward the error to the control program on the PoS terminal, and initiate servicing.

The content of the screen can be managed either by the PoS program that communicates with the controller, or by a special driver program that reads product data from, or receives from, the PoS program, or from the seller, for example, via a web application on the local network.

Combinations are also possible: for example, the driver takes the prices and product names from the PoS program, while the seller adds background images for each screen.

There is no obstacle for the invention to be applied in other areas besides retail and product promotion, given that arbitrary content can be sent through mounted screens.

One potential area of application is to assist in the use of medication: patients who take multiple types of medication at different intervals often miss appointments or mix medications, thereby reducing the effectiveness of therapy and producing unnecessary costs.

When the medicines are arranged on the electronic shelf, the shelf can display precise information on the screens in a timely manner, as to how much and which medicine to take.

If the built-in controller can measure time, integration with the central information system is not even necessary for this application, but only initial programming when prescribing therapy is sufficient.

Method of application of the invention

The obvious field of application of the invention is retail, especially sales points that benefit directly from frequent price changes, eg night, holiday etc. price increases or discounts.

The electronic shelf is placed next to the cash register, and is connected to the computer with a USB cable.

The program running on the computer communicates with the controller via a USB cable, and changes the names and prices of the goods.

In order to use the invention to its full potential, it should be connected to the PoS software, so that the price changes in the program are simultaneously displayed on the screens.

List of used call signs

10. hollow supporting legs

12. slot along the entire height

14. cable

16. connector

18. screens

20. controller

22. outlet for cables

24. bearing surface

26. mounting surface

28. PoS terminal or general purpose computer

30. USB cable

32. top of the leg

34. the bottom of the leg

36. hole on the bearing surface

Claims (3)

1. The electronic shelf with screens for displaying information about goods, controlled by a computer via a USB cable, is a shelf for goods, on which screens (18) are mounted on the front side on a mounting surface (26), which are connected by cables (14) and connectors (16). ) connected to a controller (20) that manages their content, characterized by the fact that the shelf is adapted to cabling, so that the cables pass through the hollow legs (10) cut through the entire height (12) with a cable outlet (22) at the top, and to the PoS the terminal or general-purpose computer (28) connects with a USB cable (30), from which it also receives information about the content of the screen. 2. Electronic shelf with screens for displaying information about the goods according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it is also powered by a USB cable from the PoS terminal. 3. Electronic shelf with screens for displaying information about goods according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it is prefabricated.