U.S. patent application number 13/898744 was filed with the patent office on 2013-11-21 for lighted display system and apparatus.
The applicant listed for this patent is Elmer A. Wessel. Invention is credited to Elmer A. Wessel.
Application Number | 20130307409 13/898744 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49580759 |
Filed Date | 2013-11-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130307409 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wessel; Elmer A. |
November 21, 2013 |
Lighted Display System and Apparatus
Abstract
The present invention is a lighted display system which
interacts with its environment. Sensors and product and consumer
databases feed information to a central processing unit which then
selects a given lighting pattern to control illumination of a
product display. Relevant information could include consumer
profiles, product sale data, discount data, product location and
consumer presence. Lighting is then used to draw a consumer's
attention to product in which the consumer may have more
interest.
Inventors: |
Wessel; Elmer A.; (Lincoln,
NE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Wessel; Elmer A. |
Lincoln |
NE |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
49580759 |
Appl. No.: |
13/898744 |
Filed: |
May 21, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61649906 |
May 21, 2012 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
315/76 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0281 20130101;
A47F 11/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
315/76 |
International
Class: |
A47F 11/10 20060101
A47F011/10 |
Claims
1. A lighted display system comprising: a computer processor; at
least one database; a lighting processor operatively connected to
the computer processor; at least one lighting module operatively
connected to the lighting processor, said lighting module being
mounted upon a merchandise display; wherein the computer processor
instructs the lighting processor to activate the at least one
lighting module in according to a pattern determined to attract
consumer attention to individual products displayed on the
merchandise display based upon information contained in the at
least one database.
2. The display system of claim 1, the at least one database
including product information.
3. The display system of claim 1, the at least one database
including customer data.
4. The display system of claim 1, further comprising at least one
auxiliary input.
5. The display system of claim 4, the at least one auxiliary input
being chosen from the set of auxiliary inputs consisting of:
environmental sensors, card readers, RFID chip sensors and readers,
and customer input devices.
6. The display system of claim 1, the pattern being selected from a
set of patterns consisting of: highlighting customer favorite
products, highlighting featured products, and highlighting
discounted products.
7. The display system of claim 1, the computer processor and the
lighting control processor being the same processor.
8. A method of attracting customer attention to a specified product
on a merchandizer, the method comprising: operatively coupling at
least one lighting module, mounted upon the merchandizer in a
manner to shine light on displayed product, to a lighting control
processor and the lighting control processor in turn to a computer
processor; providing at least one database of information
accessible to the computer processor; the computer processor
accessing the at least one database in order to determine a
selected lighting pattern; the computer processor communicating the
selected lighting pattern to the lighting control processor; and
the lighting control processor executing the selected pattern by
activating the at least one lighting module according to the
selected pattern.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of providing
at least one auxiliary input operatively connected to the computer
processor and data from the at least one auxiliary input is used to
determine the selected pattern.
10. The method of claim 9, the at least one auxiliary input being
chosen from the set of auxiliary inputs consisting of:
environmental sensors, card readers, RFID chip sensors and readers,
and customer input devices.
11. The method of claim 8, the at least one database including
product information.
12. The method of claim 8, the at least one database including
customer data.
13. The method of claim 8, the selected pattern being selected from
a set of patterns consisting of: highlighting customer favorite
products, highlighting featured products, and highlighting
discounted products.
14. The method of claim 8, the computer processor and the lighting
control processor being the same processor.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Application claims priority as a non-provisional
perfection of U.S. Provisional Application 61/649,906, filed May
21, 2012, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety
herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of retail
displays and more particularly relates to a retail display system
with automatic and computer controlled shelf lighting to draw
shoppers' attentions to items thereon displayed and a lighting
structure for use with the system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Retail displays are a cornerstone of the free-market
economic system. As the system is driven by selling goods and
services, displays and advertisements are necessary to inform the
consumer as to the availability goods and services for sale. To
this end, companies spend large amounts of money developing
displays that attractively showcase products for sale. One of the
simplest concepts is the merchandizer or "merchandizer," a
specially built construction for holding quantities of product for
sale to the consumer. Many different types of merchandizers have
been developed for the display of different types of goods, from
clothing to food stuffs to toys to almost any item that can be
sold. Merchandizers are designed to not only hold product for sale
and allow consumers to see and inspect the product, but also to
attract a customer's attention, showcase the product in a positive
light and create the desire to buy the product. Many studies have
been made into consumer psychology and one common understanding is
that a well-lit display can be useful in drawing the consumer's
attention and stimulating the purchase impulse.
[0004] The key components of any merchandizer are: 1. to draw the
consumers' attentions to the items for sale; 2. to display and hold
goods in an attractive manner that allows for consumer inspection;
and 3. to hold sufficient quantities of goods so that goods are
still available even after some items have been purchased. Lighting
has previously been used to enhance a merchandizer, and some
lighting has even been motion sensitive in order to reduce power
consumption and attract a consumer's eye. The present invention is
a lighted display system that effectively draws a consumer's
attention to the display and enhances the aesthetics of the display
and the products.
[0005] The present invention represents a departure from the prior
art in that the lighted display system of the present invention
allows for intelligent and responsive lighting of the display. The
lighting system also comprises sensors, other input devices, and
programmable computer controls so that the display will react to
environmental conditions and also interact with a consumer.
Previous lighted displays merely illuminated a product or area in a
merchandizer or case, or utilized a patterned lighting display to
draw attention. Recently, some displays, in particular larger
merchandising cases, have incorporated lighting timers and motion
sensitive switching to activate lights if a consumer passed by and
keep them on while sufficient activity is detected around the
display. These prior art uses of lighting, however effective for
their intended purposes, are not truly interactive and only react
simplistically to environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known
types of retail displays, this invention provides an interactive
retail display. As such, the present invention's general purpose is
to provide a new and improved retail display that utilizes sensors
and other input to adjust lighting of the display to interact with
the display's environment and shoppers
[0007] To accomplish these objectives, the retail display comprises
a retail merchandizer with integrated lighting, a CPU and at least
one environmental input. The input may be sensory, such as a motion
or light sensor, or it may be cued to the shopper through the use
of RFID chips, loyalty cards or other identifying marker. Upon
receiving input, the CPU processes the data, compiles it with
information in a database and chooses a response illumination
pattern. Database information would include information on the
shopper, such as past purchases and favorite products, and product
data, including promotional, discount, and sale data.
[0008] The more important features of the invention have thus been
outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows
may be better understood and in order that the present contribution
to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the
invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject
matter of the claims that follow.
[0009] Many objects of this invention will appear from the
following description and appended claims, reference being made to
the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification
wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in
the several views.
[0010] Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited
in its application to the details of construction and the
arrangements of the components set forth in the following
description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is
capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out
in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology
and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description
and should not be regarded as limiting.
[0011] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be
utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods
and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present
invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded
as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not
depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic of the lighted display system of the
present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a candy merchandizer utilizing the present
invention.
[0014] FIG. 3 is the candy merchandizer of FIG. 2 connected to a
POS terminal.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0015] With reference now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment
of the lighted display system is herein described. It should be
noted that the articles "a", "an", and "the", as used in this
specification, include plural referents unless the content clearly
dictates otherwise.
[0016] With reference to FIG. 1, the display system has, at its
core, a CPU 40 which has access to at least one database. Two
possible databases are a product information database 10, which
contains details about products offered for sale, and a customer
database 20, which includes customer data. Data included in the
product database 10 could include any information relevant to
products offered for sale, including whether or not the product is
being offered for a discount and location on the display. Personal
database 20 may include a favorite product listing, for example a
favorite candy bar, which has been gleaned from any method of data
gathering currently known or later determined. Perhaps the best
form of customer data gathering known at this day is the "loyalty
card," where a customer obtains a card which gives access to
discounts in a store, but also attaches and compiles purchase data
into a profile, thus allowing a merchant to provide targeted offers
which the consumer may find more relevant than a blanket
advertisement.
[0017] Auxiliary inputs 30 are also utilized. Any sensor that
provides environmental data to the CPU 40 may be used as an
auxiliary input, the most relevant would be a motion sensor or some
form of identification sensor (like a card reader or RFID) which
would be used to identify a particular consumer. Other auxiliary
inputs, like a touch screen for consumer interaction, may also be
used. Data is then received and compiled by the CPU 40 and a
lighting program is chosen and transmitted to the lighting control
processor 50. The lighting program may be of any design, ranging
from the most basic to more complex. The simplest program would be
to light up the merchandizer in some form of interesting pattern
60, merely to highlight the product and to grab attention. A more
complex lighting pattern specifically designed to draw a consumer's
attention to a featured product, usually by agreement between the
manufacturer and the merchant, may also be used 70. Likewise,
product data may be utilized to highlight products offered for a
discount 80 and draw a consumer's attention to not only the product
but the fact it is being offered for a sale price. Consumer data
may be utilized to generate a display that highlights a user's
favorite products 90 and increase the likelihood of an impulse buy
on a non-discounted product. The combinations and patterns that may
be utilized are only limited by the imagination of the programmer.
It is, of course, readily appreciated that the CPU 40 and the
lighting control processor 50 may, in fact, be the same processor
as computing power has increased to the point that a simple
processor could handle the necessary computations. In such cases,
the single processor would be considered to be two that are
"operatively coupled." The databases 10, 20 are also understood to
be stored on some form of memory available to the CPU 40.
[0018] FIG. 2 depicts a candy display 100 which implements the
present invention. The display 100 is comprised of two walls and a
header 110. The walls hold intermediate shelving 120 and a bottom
shelf 130. Product, such as candy bars 140, is then positioned on
the shelves 120, 130. Intermediate shelves 120 and header 110 carry
lighting 150 that is controlled by the lighting control unit 50 of
FIG. 1. At a determined time and in a determined pattern, the
lighting 150 illuminates product 140. LED lighting is an ideal
lighting for the application of the invention as LED lighting is
very cost effective to manufacture and control, it can be selected
to emit light within a given wavelength and it generates little
heat, either of which could affect product.
[0019] The merchandizer 100 may be coupled to a point of sale (POS)
terminal 200 to form a complete unit, as shown in FIG. 3. The
illustrated POS terminal 200 is a stand-alone self-service
terminal, however any POS terminal or check out stand, self or full
service, may be utilized. The processor components may then be
easily stored in the terminal 200 and may then control the
merchandizer 100 through a connection (represented by wire 220) of
any type currently known or later discovered, including wireless
connections. The system may then not only utilize lighting 150 to
capture the consumer's attention, but may also utilize other
consumer interfaces, like the screen 210, to interact with the
consumer.
[0020] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and
variations can be made and still the result will come within the
scope of the invention. No limitation with respect to the specific
embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred.
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