SE500236C2 - Information systems for stores - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an information system preferably intended to collect, present and report back information in stores, shops, stocks etc., incorporating preferably one or a plurality of information sensors in the form of sensors for different purposes and information displays in the form of display units and/or computer monitors with information possible to change or search and where this system is permanently connected to the in-store computer. The Sensors (S1 - Sk) can consist of sensors for temperature, gas, customer flow, or give geometrical or other information concerning shelves, set of shelf systems or other equipment installed in the shop. The displays, which can consist of Display Units [(PL1 - PLm), (TL1 - TLr)] or of computer terminals with Monitors (MT1 - MTs), are in the same way as the various sensors via one or a plurality of Receivers (RX1 - RXp), parts of the half-duplex communication system, in contact with one or a plurality of Transmitters (TX1 - TXq) which in turn are connected to a Central Unit (CU). The central unit in its turn is connected to or forms an integrated part of the in-store computer system. The displays, Display Units as well as the Monitors, are in this way continuously possible to change from the Central Unit on demand of the in-store computer system and the system supervises and compares by these means continuously the information presented at the displays with the one stored in the in-store computer and, at a discrepancy between these, emits a list of "measures to take".

Description

500 256 1 A change of preferably the displayed price information takes place by a transmitter connected to the store computer sending the current information, via for example a wireless transmission, to the receiver in connection with the displays. Examples of such electronic price information systems are presented in SE-441 4770Ch US 4,52l, 677.

The communication in such systems is normally one-way, ie it goes from the store computer to the receiver / display. However, it is also previously known to provide bidirectional information between the computer and the display units, see for example SE 89.040072-9. In this embodiment, the price information system comprises a higher-level computer unit which is connected to a communication unit which wirelessly transmits the information input to the computer unit to the various displays. When a display has received its specific message, it sends a reply signal to the communication device. In this way, a confirmation is received that change information has been received by the display.

However, these prior art price information systems with bidirectional communication do not provide information on whether the information on the individual displays corresponds to the information in the store computer. However, a U.S. Patent 4,82,291 has also been published later which overcomes this weakness by retransmitting the transmitted change information for a short fixed period of time T, upon receipt. However, the information stored in the label is checked only at this time and any continuous monitoring of all displays is not possible due to time constraints due to the very limited transmission bandwidth.

A system that overcomes these limitations has later been applied for patent, Sv patent application nos. 9103603-8 and 9201632-8, where the application is limited to its use in connection with displays for price indication and temperature measurement / temperature registration in stores.

This invention relates to and includes these above-mentioned applications at the same time as it expands the field of application by including devices for being able to locate 3,500,236 where products in the relevant premises are located, how much space an item occupies at the relevant location and provides ability to measure and register the extent to which customers pass the selected location. The invention further makes it possible, by using a display terminal connected to the information system, to present on a display the location of a searched item on a map sketch of the store, indicating the shelf section and shelf. The invention also includes other alarm functions which, like temperature measurement / alarm, can be used to alarm both internal and external personnel and which include sensors for freon and fire smoke or the like.

The display units placed in shelf application no. 9103603-8 have been supplemented with collective displays for product groups, large-scale displays for eg pallet display and that the displays can also be used for eg access information or other information about an item, eg "END".

The object of this invention is therefore to provide a communication system with a high transmission capacity for bidirectional communication in shops, department stores, etc., directly connected to the store computer and its product databases in order to facilitate and ensure that the correct information about goods, products and equipment is available everywhere. the store.

The invention is characterized in that all sensors and information carriers have one or more functions for receiving or transmitting over the information system, that transmitters and receivers transmit the current information via wire, IR, wireless radio frequency transmission or via the electrical wiring network, that the system continuously monitors and compares it. on the information carriers presented the information with the information stored in the store computer and, that in the event of a discrepancy between these, alarms or an action list for action execution is provided.

In the following, the invention will be described in more detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a complete information system comprising a number of identical units, Figure 2 an example of a price tag and Figure 3 an example of a temperature indicator with its tactile body.

Figure 4 shows a principle sketch of a connected interrogation terminal with a monitor where the location of a requested item is shown.

Figure 5 presents the principle connection for racks and shelving systems, which is the prerequisite for, among other things, calculations of customer flows and determination of the location of goods in the sales premises.

The information system shown according to Figure 1 is intended for use in, for example, shops, department stores or warehouses and there be connected to or partially integrated in an existing store computer 1 with its price memory 2 and a number of cash registers. The information system then comprises a number of co-operative units, namely a Central Unit CE, one or more Transmitters PS, - PS ,, one or more Receivers PH, - PM ,, one or more Stand Administrators SA, - SA ,, one or more Display Units E, - Eg and T, - T ,, one or more Passage counter PR, - PR ,, one or more Shelf edge strips H, - Hn, one or more Display unit programmers EP, - EP “, a number of Sensors S, - S, of various kinds and one or more Monitor terminals B, -B ,.

The central unit CE can be connected to or integrated in the store computer 1 and the display units can be placed in the shelf edge strips or form an integral part of large-screen displays or collection boards.

The central unit CE can, on command from the store computer, update, check or retrieve the information on one or more display units E, - E, or T, - T, in the store. The central unit then sends information to the transmitters PS, - PS, which communicate with the receivers placed in the store PM, - PM ,.

These forward the information to their display units via wiring, rack administrators and shelf edgings.

The display unit (s) programmed with the product or display identity included in the transmitted information updates its information and then sends the stored information back via wiring, rack administrators, receivers and transmitters to the central unit.

Upon receipt of the information, the central unit makes a comparison with the information just sent or registers the returned information depending on the type of display the response comes from. After the update cycle has been completed, the central unit announces the result to the store computer and any measures are noted for printing in an action list. The returned information is automatically supplemented with information on where in the room the current display or sensor is located in the form of information about the stand and shelf.

With the help of the display unit programmers EP, "EP", new or old display units can be given a new product or temperature sensor identity.

The central unit CE is the unit that communicates with the store computer. The communication takes place via a standard serial communication interface, a customized interface or internally via the store computer's bus when CE is integrated in the store computer. The central unit also provides information to the display unit programmer for programming display units and handles the communication with the system's transmitter. When updating the information on display units in the store, the central unit communicates with one or more transmitters, whereby the information is transmitted to the recipients for transmission to the display units. When a display unit has updated its information, this is reported back via management systems, tripod administrators, receivers and transmitters for comparison. If there is a discrepancy between sent and reported information, this is stored for possible listing on an action list.

The information returned from a display unit has been supplemented with information about the display unit's physical location in the store premises. When an update cycle has ended where there are differences for any reason between transmitted and reported information, a new attempt is made to update the faulty display units. This is done a selectable number of times »500 256 times after which the store computer is notified of the result for listing on the action list. in Transmitters PS1 - PS, receives information from the central unit and forwards it to the receivers. The connection between central unit and transmitter is wired and the connection between transmitter and receiver is wireless or wired, eg IR, RF or via the mains. The transmitters can receive different types of messages from the receivers and the display device programmers.

Signally, the transmitters in both directions are translucent.

Both the transmitter and the central unit are supplied with power from the mains via a so-called UPS to ensure uninterruptible power in the event of a power failure.

The PM, -Iwg receivers receive information from the transmitters and forward this to the display units via stand administrators and shelf edgings. The receivers also have the option to turn off the connection for the transmission of received information from the transmitters to rack administrators and display units.

The exchange of information between prize recipients and transmitters or display units or sensors takes the form of messages designed to contain redundant information, for example in the form of a checksum, which enables the receiving unit to determine with high probability that a message has been received correctly.

On a certain type of message, so-called position request, the rack administrators are activated to register which shelf edge strip responds to the position request. After receiving a response to the price receiver from the display unit or sensor, the current rack administrator sends information about the rack and shelf edge identity to the receiver, which forwards it to the central unit.

The display unit's response to the position request also contains information about the position of the unit in the current shelf ledge.

This is preferably determined by a resistive determination of the position of a customer and is used by the central unit for a calculation of available space (volume) for the product in question, which can hereby be matched against the current packaging volume.

The receivers send or receive information from the display units via the shelf edge strips H, - Hu.

The receivers power the display units via the stand administrators, the stand wiring and the shelf edge strips.

The power supply can be mains voltage with battery backup or battery supply with solar cell maintenance-1 charging.

The mechanical construction of the receiver is made in modular form to enable switches between different power supply options.

Receivers are preferably arranged so that they can order the display units to switch off their displays during, for example, night.

The shelf edge strips H, -IL constitute holders for the display units and also at the same time constitute contact and conduit means between these and the rack cable and contain a resistance path for determining the position of the display placements. The shelf edge strips are adaptable to different types of store shelf systems. The fastening devices can also be angled for adaptation to different shelf heights. The shelf edge strip is furthermore made in a modular format for adaptation to different shelf lengths and shelf systems.

The shelf edge strip contains a multi-conductor system that allows reliable contact of display units and sensors at the same time as these can be placed anywhere along the strip.

Claims (17)

1. 500 236 PATENT REQUIREMENTS Information and follow-up systems preferably intended to present information in shops, warehouses, etc. comprising one or more sensors (S, - Sk) and one or more information carriers ((E, - Eg), (Ti - T,) and / or (B, - B,)) changeable via connection to one or more receivers (PM, - PM¿) which in turn are via wire or wireless transmission in connection with transmitters (PS, - PSQ) which, initiated from a central unit (CE), are arranged to receive and transmit current information to all sensors and information carriers which all have one or more functions for receiving and / or transmitting information and where receivers and transmitters transmit information characterized by the information system continuously monitoring and compares presented information with information stored in the store's price computer and that the system in the event of a discrepancy between the presented information and the information in the store computer provides an action list f for action execution. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the event of incorrectly indicating response information from the information carrier concerned, a new attempt is made to update the affected unit after the current update cycle and that this is repeated a selectable number of times, after which action instructions are provided for the information carrier. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the information of the information carriers ((E1 - Eg), (Ti - T,)) and the sensors (S, - Sk) is checked regularly at a selectable interval, the information being checked against information most recently transmitted from the store computer or in the store computer programmed alarm level for gas, temperature, fire smoke or the like and that in the event of missing or missing information or exceeded alarm level action instructions are provided or alarms are sounded. q 500 236- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the information carriers (E, - Eg) preferably consist of display units included in a price information system, the display units being programmed with an article code and the presented information being sent to the store computer for checking accuracy. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the information carriers (T, - T,), preferably consist of display units presenting temperatures in freezers, cold rooms or heat storage boxes, are included in the information system and have an identity in the form of an article number for which the measured values are Central Unit (CE). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the information carriers (B, - B.) preferably consist of monitor terminals connected to the information system and arranged to be able to present the location thereof on a simple map sketch of the premises with indication of stand and shelf. 7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensors (S, - Sk) preferably consist of sensors with electronics for gases or smoke ~ or of optonic sensors for passage control which are included in the information system in the form of an article number and for which registered measurement data is logged. for result processing or for control against programmed alarm limits. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a functional unit in the form of one or more receivers (PM, - PMP) administers and supplies power to a larger number of display units ((E, - E.), (T, -T,)) and sensor units (S, - Sk) collected in or at a joint shop installation. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that system administrators (SA, - SA.) Located in each individual shelf rack sense, and after response from a requested article number (item, temperature display or sensor), notify the central unit (CE) via the receivers (PWL - PM,) the physical location of the item \ 0 500 236 to the shelf rack, shelf and position in the shelf edge strip, whereby this information is stored in the central unit's item number bank. Device according to claims 4, 5 and 7, characterized in that the display units ((E, - E,), (T, - T,)) and the sensors (S1 - Sk) have a short strip-shaped design and a construction which allows optional placement in the shelf edge strips (H, - H,). Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the display units (E, - Eg) have a display means with several fields for presentation of information and that the front is provided with a label containing a bar code and information associated with the current bar code. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that the presented information can be presented against a colored background and that one or more information fields can be presented pulsating for increased attention. Device according to Claim 5, characterized in that the temperature measured values are registered and data logged at time intervals selectable via the software in the central unit (CE). Device according to claims 5 and 13, characterized in that the registered and data-logged temperature measured values are printed on a suitable printer to enable archiving for the required time. Device according to claims 5 and 13, characterized in that monitoring of each individual temperature measuring point against, by programming, selectable limits and that alarms are triggered when the alarm limit is exceeded or undershot at two or more consecutive registration occasions with, in the software in the central unit, selectable time interval. Device according to claim 15, characterized in that alarms can be given via modem connected to the central unit in the information system for alarming of a suitable alarm device. 500 236. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the shelf edge strips (H, - H ,,) allow optional placement of a display unit or sensor and at the same time constitute a conduction and contact device for said display units or sensor units at the same time as it contains a resistance path which allows the positions of said display units or sensors to be determined.