Sensor-equipped display management systems and methods that may be used to calculate a number of products removed from a display management system based upon motion of one or more mechanisms within the display management system. Additionally, the systems and methods may be used to detect patterns from the sensor data, which may be indicative of attempted theft of products stored within the display management system.

A retail facility and a merchandise processing method thereof are provided. The retail facility includes: a building including a merchandise display area configured to place a merchandise, a packaging area configured to package the merchandise, and a shipment area configured to output a packaged merchandise; a sorting device configured to sort the merchandises from the merchandise display area to the packaging area; a packaging device configured to package the merchandise entering the packaging area; and a conveying device configured to convey the packaged merchandise from the packaging area to the shipment area.

Disclosed is a system for real-time measurement of inventory on shelves. The system uses light sensors placed in association with the inventory and the shelves to measure in real-time the removal/replacement of inventory from the shelves. When inventory is on the shelves, less light reaches the light sensors. As inventory is removed from shelves, the light sensors receive more light. The difference in light received generates as signal that can be measured, thereby allowing for determining inventory levels on each shelf. The system may be retro-fitted to existing shelving systems, thereby avoiding the cost of purchasing new shelving systems. The system can work on any shelving system, including gravity-feed roller shelf (GRS), flat shelves, and spring loaded pusher shelves, and is unaffected by usual temperatures found in retail establishments and can thus work in both refrigerated and unrefrigerated systems. Also disclosed are related methods.

Systems and methods for a merchandizing display related to a continuous display formed by electronic displays embedded along product shelves and on the packages stored on the product shelves. An electronic label device may detect the presence of a consumer and send a trigger to the packages on its product shelf. The electronic label device may also send a trigger to surrounding electronic label devices. A streaming video may then be apportioned among displays on electronic label devices and the packages. Each of the displays may simultaneously output a different portion of the streaming video.

Printable circuits may be used in combination with a point of purchase (POP) display (e.g., a consumer product display). The POP display may be configured to be deployed at a retail location. A printable circuit may be attached to the POP display with the printable circuit having printed data for a selected retail campaign associated with the POP display. The printed data may include one or more parameters for the selected retail campaign. A wireless beacon may be attached to the printable circuit on the POP display. The printable circuit may provide the parameters for the selected retail campaign to the wireless beacon when the wireless beacon is attached to the printable circuit. The wireless beacon may be assigned a unique identifier in at least one parameter provided to the wireless beacon by the printable circuit.

A shelf system (1) comprises: a frame (5) for forming at least one shelf (70), and a plurality of primary and secondary rails (40, 50). The frame comprises a plurality of mounting portions (20, 30), to each of which at least one of a primary rail (40) and a secondary rail (50) is removably mountable to form lanes of different widths. Each lane includes a primary rail on one side and a secondary rail on the other side for supporting and guiding at least one item (60) in the lane, and the primary rails each comprise at least one sensor (700) for sensing the item (60) in the lane.

A merchandise dispensing apparatus for deterring theft has at least one merchandise support module which includes a covering defining an interior space within the module. A support member and a dispensing member are mounted to the module, the dispensing member being mounted adjacent to the support member. A lockout device is also mounted to each module and connected to the dispensing member. The lockout device includes a housing with a user input member accessible from outside the housing. The user input member communicates with the dispensing member. A controller, which includes a memory and a processor, electrically communicates with the user input member. A sensor electrically communicates with the controller and senses the dispensing of an associated packaged item mounted on the support member. A signaling device electrically communicates with the controller to provide a notification upon the dispensing of the associated packaged item.

A merchandise dispensing system includes one or more dispensers. Each dispenser includes a support member extending in a first direction from a first end to a second end and configured to support a merchandise item. A dispensing member is attached to the support member and operable to selectively bias the merchandise item in the first direction along the support member. A housing is attached to the dispensing member and has a backside facing the second end of the support member. The housing includes (i) a sensor operable to monitor a space between the backside of the housing and the second end of the support member to detect when a merchandise item is dispensed, and (ii) an electronic controller operable to generate a first dispensing signal when the sensor detects a merchandise item is dispensed.

A merchandiser device includes a storage area including multiple rows, in which each row includes multiple lanes, and in which each lane is configured to store multiple products. The merchandiser device includes a time of flight sensor positioned for use with a lane and configured to produce sensor output indicative of an event associated with a product stored in the lane. An event associated with the product is detected based on the sensor output. Identifying information for the product is determined based on the sensor output and a planogram of the merchandiser device. A quantity of the product associated with the event is determined based on the sensor output and dimensional information associated with the product. Data configured to cause an update to an inventory record associated with the product is then output based on the identifying information and the quantity.

Systems and techniques are provided for determining an improved camera coverage plan including a number, a placement, and a pose of cameras that are arranged to track puts and takes of items by subjects in a three-dimensional real space. The method includes receiving an initial camera coverage plan including a three-dimensional map of a real space, an initial number and initial pose of a plurality of cameras and a camera model including characteristics of the cameras. The method can iteratively apply a machine learning process to an objective function of number and poses of cameras, and subject to a set of constraints, obtain an improved camera coverage plan. The improved camera coverage plan is provided to an installer to arrange cameras to track puts and takes of items by subjects in the three-dimensional real space.