ELECTRONIC SHELF LABEL WITH INTERACTION INTERFACE ACTIVATION

Abstract

An electronic shelf label that comprises a display unit that is adapted to display an image, wherein the electronic shelf label is adapted to operate in a customer-oriented information presentation mode in which the image represents customer-oriented information, and to operate in a staff-oriented information presentation mode in which the image represents staff oriented information, and to detect the approach of an external freely movable radio communication device relative to the electronic shelf label based on a received radio signal transmitted by the radio communication device, and to automatically activate the staff-oriented information presentation mode upon the detection of the approach of the radio communication device.

Claims

1. An electronic shelf label (1) that comprises: a display unit (4) that is adapted to display an image, wherein the electronic shelf label (1) is adapted: to operate in a customer-oriented information presentation mode in which the image represents customer-oriented information, and to operate in a staff-oriented information presentation mode in which the image represents staff oriented information, and to detect the approach of an external freely movable radio communication device (300) relative to the electronic shelf label (1) based on a received radio signal transmitted by the radio communication device (300), and to automatically activate the staff-oriented information presentation mode upon the detection of the approach of the radio communication device (300).

2. The electronic shelf label (1) according to claim 1, which is adapted to distinguish between a remote approach area and a near approach area and is adapted to prepare the staff-oriented information presentation mode if the approach within the remote approach area is detected, and to activate the staff-oriented information presentation mode if the approach within the near approach area is detected.

3. The electronic shelf label (1) according to claim 1, which comprises: a radio signal sensing and pre-processing stage (100), which is adapted to sense the radio signal of the radio communication device (300) and to deliver respective sensing data (D1, D2), and a controller stage (20) which is connected to the radio signal sensing and pre-processing stage (100) and which is adapted to detect the approach of the radio communication device (300) based on the received sensing data.

4. The electronic shelf label (1) according to claim 3, wherein the radio signal sensing and pre-processing stage (100) is adapted to determine the signal strength of the received radio signal and to generate the sensing data (D1, D2) such that they represent the signal strength of the received radio signal, and the controller stage (20) is adapted to evaluate the signal strength over time in order to detect the approach of the radio communication device (300).

5. The electronic shelf label (1) according to claim 3, wherein the radio signal detection and pre-processing stage (100) is arranged to determine the angle of arrival and/or the angle of departure of the received radio signal and to generate the sensing data (D1, D2) to represent the angle of arrival or the angle of departure of the received radio signal, respectively, and the controller stage (20) is adapted to evaluate the angle of arrival or the angle of departure over time in order to detect the approach of the radio communication device (300).

6. The electronic shelf label (1) according to claim 1, wherein the electronic shelf label (1) is adapted to process the received radio signal according to a Bluetooth specification, in particular according to the Bluetooth 5.1 specification or higher.

7. The electronic shelf label (1) according to claim 3, wherein the controller stage (20) is adapted to activate the staff-oriented information presentation mode if the sensing data (D1, D2) represent a criterion that passes a threshold.

8. The electronic shelf label (1) according to claim 7, wherein controller stage (20) is adapted to keep the staff-oriented information presentation mode active as long as the sensing data (D1, D2) represent a criterion within a threshold range.

9. The electronic shelf label (1) according to claim 3, wherein the controller stage (20) is adapted to activate the staff-oriented information presentation mode only if, in particular up-to-date, staff-oriented information is available in the electronic shelf label (1).

10. The electronic shelf label (1) according to claim 3, wherein the received radio signal conveys authentication data and controller stage (20) is adapted to authenticate a person based on the received authentication data and to authorise this person for a set of staff-oriented information to be presented in the staff-oriented information presentation mode.

11. An electronic shelf label system (32), that comprises a number of electronic shelf labels (1) according to claim 1 and a number of freely moveable radio communication devices (300).

12. An electronic shelf label system according to claim 11, wherein the electronic shelf labels (1) and the radio communication devices (300) are adapted to communicate according to a Bluetooth specification, in particular according to the Bluetooth specification 5.1 with each other.

13. A method of operating an electronic shelf label (1), wherein according to the method: a display unit (4) of the electronic shelf label (1) displays an image, wherein in a customer-oriented information presentation mode the image represents customer-oriented information, and wherein in a staff-oriented information presentation mode the image represents staff-oriented information, and the approach of an external freely movable radio communication device (300) is detected relative to the electronic shelf label (1) by the electronic shelf label (1) based on a received radio signal transmitted by the radio communication device (300), and the electronic shelf label (1) automatically activates the staff-oriented information presentation mode upon the detection of the approach of the radio communication device (300).

14. Use of an approach detection in an electronic shelf label (1), wherein the approach of an external freely movable radio communication device (300) is detected by the electronic shelf label (1) based on the radio signal transmitted from the wireless communication device (300) and wherein the approach detection is used to automatically activate an employee-oriented information display mode of the electronic shelf label (1), wherein in the employee-oriented information presentation mode the display unit (4) displays an image representing employee-oriented information as distinct from a customer-oriented information display mode of the electronic shelf label (1) in which the display unit (4) displays an image representing customer-oriented information.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0058] The invention is explained again hereafter with reference to the attached figures and on the basis of exemplary embodiments, which nevertheless do not limit the scope of the invention. In the different figures the same components are labelled with identical reference numbers. They show in schematic fashion in:

[0059] FIG. 1A-1C an electronic shelf label visualized in three different perspectives;

[0060] FIG. 2 a structure of a stripe-shaped touch sensitive unit;

[0061] FIG. 3 an electronic scheme of the stripe shaped touch sensitive unit;

[0062] FIG. 4 a block diagram of the electronics of an electronic shelf label;

[0063] FIG. 5-6 the electronic shelf label with its touch sensitive unit in operation;

[0064] FIG. 7 an electronic shelf label system;

[0065] FIG. 8-9 an automatic activation and deactivation of a staff-oriented information presentation mode.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0066] FIG. 1A-1C visualizes an electronic shelf label 1, in the following abbreviated as ESL 1, in three different views. Each of the FIGS. 1A-1C shows a different side of the ESL 1, in particular of its housing 36. Its housing walls are aligned with the planes of a cartesian coordinate system 2.

[0067] FIG. 1A shows a front wall 3 with a display unit 4 of which only a frameless image reproduction area 5, in the following abbreviated screen 5, is visible. The screen 5 shows a first width B1 and a height H. The y-axis of the coordinate system 2 points into the drawing surface.

[0068] The display unit 4 comprises beside the screen 5 the entire electronics required to display a still image or a video image.

[0069] FIG. 1B shows a left side wall 6 of the ESL 1 and a connection arrangement 7 of an interface 8, wherein the connection arrangement 7 is visible on the outside of the left side wall 6. The x-axis of the coordinate system 2 points into the drawing surface.

[0070] The connection arrangement 7 is arranged to be connected to a wire based combined power supply and signal/data bus 9 (see FIG. 7) in order to supply the ESL 1 with electrical power and to exchange data or signals with other devices. Dependent on the specific retailer's requirements the connection arrangement 7 may also be located on a rear wall 10 of the ESL 1. This eases direct connection with a corresponding connection arrangement of a shelf or shelf rail to which the ESL 1 is attached. The connection arrangement 7 may also be arranged in two parts, wherein on part of it is located on the left side wall 6 and the other part of it may be located on a right side wall 11 of the ESL 1. This allows to connect a number of ESLs 1 in a daisy chain configuration, while the rear wall 10 remains free accessible for a mechanical attachment to said shelf floor 34 or shelf rail. The interface 8 comprises beside the described connection arrangement 7 the entire electronics required to receive electrical power and to exchange data or signals. Here it is to mention that the interface 8 may also be arranged to supply power to the electronics of the ESL 1 by means of wires/cables and to exchange data/signals in a wireless manner.

[0071] FIG. 1C shows a bottom wall 12 of the ESL 1 on which a stripe-shaped touch sensitive unit 13, in the following abbreviated as unit 13, is attached by glue. To be precise, it shows the outer shape of the unit 13, its touch-sensitive area 14 which has a length L and a second width B2. The length L is equal to the first width B1. Further to this the bottom wall 12 also shows a gap-shaped (slit-shaped/slot-shaped) opening 15 trough which a connection part 16 of the unit 13 is fed into the inside of the casing of the ESL 1 where it is connected with the electronics of the ESL 1. However, the gap-shaped opening may also be located on one of the side walls or the rear wall 10 of the ESL 1.

[0072] The total length L may be in the range of 1 meter. This implies that the first width B1 of the screen 5 is of similar or identical width. The second width B2 may be in the order of 7 millimetres. The total width of the unit 13 may be around 20 millimetres. This implies that the bottom wall 12 may have a slightly larger width of approximately 30 millimetres. The unit 13 may be very slim, for example only 0.5 millimetres.

[0073] The z-axis of the coordinate system 2 points into the drawing surface.

[0074] FIG. 2 in conjunction with FIG. 3 show some more details of the structure and the electronics of the unit 13. In particular, the connection part 16 comprises a first connection pin 17, a second connection pin 18, and a third connection pin 19. The unit 13 is a resistor based linear sensor that delivers a touch-triggered signal TTS at its pin 18 if it is touched with a minimum force of 1 Newton within its touch sensitive area 14 at a certain touch-position P (see FIG. 3). The touch-triggered signal TTS or more precisely its value shows a linear dependency on the touch-position P and represents the touch-position P along the length L of the touch sensitive area 14 at which the touch happens or occurs.

[0075] This is achieved by the electronics according to the electronical scheme shown in the FIG. 3. The unit 13 comprises along its touch sensitive area 14 a resistor R which is connected between the pins 17 and 19. The pin 17 is connected with an operation voltage VCC and pin 19 is connected with a reference potential GND of this operation voltage VCC. The inside of the touch sensitive area 14 is a conductor that is arranged to rest in a distance away from the resistor R if no force is applied to the touch sensitive area 14. It is connected with the pin 18. If a part of the touch sensitive area 14 is now pressed against the resistor R at a certain touch position P the voltage measured at that touch position P against the reference potential GND is picked up from there and available at the pin 18. For the avoidance of doubt, it is clarified herewith that the reference potential GND is also the reference potential of the electronics of the ESL 1. For example, the value of the operation voltage VCC may be 3 Volts and the value of the resistor R may be 20 k Ohm. This defines a current through the resistor which leads to a certain value of the voltage measured along the length of the resistor R against the reference potential GND. In other words, the voltage drop against the reference potential GND is (linearly) proportional to the touch position P along the resistor R.

[0076] When the touch position P is changed while maintaining the minimum force, the voltage value that can be measured at the stylus 18 changes according to the change in the touch position P.

[0077] FIG. 4 now shows the integration of the unit 13 into the ESL 1 in form of a block diagram of the electronics of the ESL 1.

[0078] The ESL 1 comprises beside the already mentioned components also a controller stage 20, which is connected via a bus-system 21 to the display unit 4 and the interface 8. The electrical circuit board (not show in the FIG. 4) of the ESL 1 also comprises a connector 22 to connect with the pins 17-19. An operation voltage supply unit 23 supplies the operation voltage VCC and is connected with the pins 17 and 19. The operation voltage unit 23 may also be used to power the entire electronics of the ESL 1. It may receive electrical power from an external power supply (see FIG. 7, reference sign 38).

[0079] The pin 18 (shown in FIG. 2) is connected with an analogue to digital converter input 39 of the controller stage 20, which comprises an analogue to digital converter. The controller stage 20 is arranged to sample the touch triggered signal TTS and to compute the value of the sensed voltage and to provide certain functionalities which depend on the absolute value or the temporal change of the touch-triggered signal TTS or on the temporal sequences detectable in the touch-triggered signal TTS. Examples of this are shown in the following FIGS. 5 und 6.

[0080] Further to this the ESL 1 comprises a Bluetooth communication stage, which is realized to communicate in accordance with the Bluetooth 5.1 specification. The Bluetooth communication stage is structured into an antenna array 101, which is connected to an analogue electronic block 102, which is connected a communication controller 103.

[0081] The analogue electronics block 102 realises the analogue part for a transmitter functionality including power stage, receiver and transmitter electronics including modulation/demodulation and antenna adaptation and so on. It also allows the individual utilization of the antennas of the antenna array 101 to detect the angle of arrival of the received radio signal.

[0082] The communication controller 103 provides the digital processing necessary to communicate according to the Bluetooth 5.1 specification with an external freely moveable Bluetooth (BT) communication device 300 (see FIGS. 8 and 9). It is further programmed to process the individual signals received from the antennas in order to determine an angle of arrival of the received radio signal send out by the movable BT communication device 300. The determined angle of arrival is provided by first data D1 via the bus-system 21 to the controller stage 20. Further to this, the signal strength of the receives radio signal is determined and also provided by second data D2 over the bus-system 21 to the controller stage 20.

[0083] Hence, the communication stage realises a radio signal sensing and pre-processing stage 100, which is adapted to sense the radio signal received by the antenna array 101 and to pre-process the received radio signal and to deliver sensing data, which in the present case comprises the first data D1 and the second data D2, to the controller stage 20.

[0084] The controller stage 20 is programmed to analyse the received sensing data D1 and D2 and to detect the approach of the external radio communication device 300 based thereon. For example, the controller stage 20 is programmed to detect an approach of the external freely movable BT radio communication device 300 if the signal processing of the received BT radio signal indicates that the received radio signal originates from a direction defined by an angle of arrival range between 30° and 150° (measured from left to right end of the screen of the display unit 4) in front of the display screen of the display unit 4 and the distance from where the radio signal is sent out is less than 1 meter measured from the centre of the screen of the display unit 4.

[0085] If the approach is detection by the controller stage 20 the controller stage 20 is programmed to automatically activate a staff-oriented information presentation mode. In this staff-oriented information presentation mode information of relevance to staff of the shop is displayed. Such information of relevance for the staff may be instructions regarding shelf maintenance. If in the staff-oriented information presentation mode also user-input is needed, also the processing of the touch triggered signal TTS by the controller stage 20 will be involved. This means that the staff-oriented information presentation mode may present a fully functional user interface with visual output and tactile input directly on the ESL 1. This will be explained by the aid of a virtual label positioning mode which will be executed during the staff-oriented information presentation mode.

[0086] For example, the staff who carries the freely movable BT communication device 300 and approaches the respective ESL 1 and comes closer so that is approach is automatically detected as explained above is instructed to check the position of a virtual label on the screen. Therefore, the ESL 1 starts highlighting the respective virtual label and provides close to the virtual label the written staff-oriented instruction: “Please check my position. I indicate the price of tomatoes!”. The employee may than perform a visual inspection of position of the virtual label. If the position of the virtual label doesn't match the corresponding product's position the employee can change the position of the virtual label by the aid of the touch sensitive unit 13 as will be explained in the following.

[0087] The FIG. 5 shows the interaction of a user (here staff or employee) (not shown) with the ESL 1 which is operated during the staff-oriented information presentation mode in the virtual label positioning mode. In particular it shows the interaction of a user's hand 25 with the unit 13. For the sake of simplicity, the above-mentioned instruction is not shown in the FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0088] Here the thumb 24 of the hand 25 touches the touch sensitive area 14 of the unit 13 with the required minimum force corresponding to the position of a virtual label 26 displayed on the screen 5. Then the user's hand 25 moves along the ESL 1 (visualized by first arrows 27) while the thumb 24 is continuously pressed against the touch sensitive area 14 with a force beyond the minimum force. During this interaction a temporal change in the value of the touch-triggered signal TTS occurs and this change is detected and processed by the controller stage 20 such that the position of the virtual label 26 moves on the screen 5 (see second arrows 28) in correspondence to the movement of the thumb 24 along the length L of the touch sensitive area 14. Advantageously the utilization of the thumb 24 during the interaction allows the user's others fingers 29 to support the hand 25 on an upper housing wall 30 of the ESL 1.

[0089] The FIG. 6 shows a further way of interaction with the touch sensitive area 14. Here only a pull finger 31 of the user's hand 25 is used to touch the touch sensitive area 14 with the required minimum force to generate the touch-triggered signal TTS. Again, the position of the virtual label 26 is changed in accordance with the movement of the pull finger 31 along the length L of the touch sensitive are 14.

[0090] As soon as the position of the virtual label fits with the corresponding product position, the employee may perform a double tap with the finder, which is interpreted as a confirmation of the last position set. Then the controller stage 20 terminates the processing of the touch triggered signal TTS so that no further input is possible.

[0091] The controller stage 20 checks its internal memory if further staff-actions are necessary and processes these staff-actions similar to the above explained procedure.

[0092] When all staff-actions are accomplished the controller stage 20 communicates this by means of a staff-oriented massage saying for example “Thank you for your support. Please proceed to shelf xyz”. Thereafter, as soon as the employee now leaves the area in which the detection of its approach took place, the controller stage 20 automatically terminates the staff-oriented information presentation mode and the ESL 1 continues displaying only customer-oriented information in the customer-oriented information presentation mode.

[0093] If for whatever reason not all staff-actions are accomplished or can be accomplished and it is detected that the employee leaves the area in which its approach or presence can be detected, the controller stage 20 will anyhow automatically terminate the staff-oriented information presentation mode so that customers in the shop are not confused by the staff-oriented information and any interaction of unauthorized person can be avoided.

[0094] In this context it is to mention that the detection of approach can be accompanied by the identification of the person carrying the freely movable BT radio communication device 300 by the aid of identification data stored there and provided in a secure communication with the ESL 1. The controller stage 20 can distinguish between several levels of authorization to perform various staff-actions and make only those staff-actions available in the staff-oriented information presentation mode for which the identified staff is authorized.

[0095] For example, pick and collect staff that is picking and collection products for customers may be invited to take an indicated number of products out of the shelf and only need to quit the action by touching the touch sensitive unit 13 in a double touch manner.

[0096] Management staff may be invited to change the position of products and assign virtual labels at the new shelf position by using the touch sensitive unit 13. But also, amendments of the prices (based on recommendations of the server) may be possible directly on the ESL 1.

[0097] Further to this, also a point-to-point navigation may be provided by the ESL 1 in the staff-oriented information presentation mode. As big-data-processing is typically performed by a software that is executed on the server 37 of the shop or that is provided as a cloud-based shop management application, the software knows about all the staff-tasks pending within the shop. Hence, the ESL 1 may receive staff-tasks assigned by the shop management application and upon confirmation of completion of one task it may further provide navigation information to the staff where to find the next pending staff-task in the shop. For example, before terminating the staff-oriented information presentation mode the display unit 4 may display the information “Go to the shelf where the fresh milk is stored. There you receive further instructions”. But beside such “absolute” information also “relative” information may be possible, like “walk in direction of the arrow indicated here until you see a flashing display on your right side. There you receive further instructions”.

[0098] FIG. 7 shows an ESL system 32 which comprises a number of ESLs 1 installed on a shelf 33. Here the ESLs 1 realize a video rail which extends along the entire width of each shelf floor 34. The ESLs 1 are used to display a background colour or a background still image for each different shelf floor 34 or to display a background video either individually for each shelf floor 34 or a single background video split in stripes of which each stripe is displayed on a different ESL 1. Details of the background image display are not shown in FIG. 7. In addition, each ESL 1 displays virtual labels 26 that are positioned along the length of each ESL 1 in correspondence the position of products 35 placed on the respective shelf floor 34.

[0099] The positioning of the individual ESLs 1 was performed according to the details explained in the general description and in particular during the virtual label positioning mode as explained in connection with the FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0100] The virtual labels 26 are generated by a server 37 that also stores the planogram of the retail shop where the ESL system 32 is operated. The ESLs 1 are connected with the combined power supply and signal/data bus 9 to the server 37 and a power supply station 38 that supplies the electric power for the operation of the ESLs 1.

[0101] Finally, it is mentioned that also a number of ESLs 1 can be installed in a daisy chain configuration along a shelf floor 34 or a number of horizontally neighbouring shelf floors 34 (not shown).

[0102] In the following FIGS. 8 and 9 the change over from the deactivated into the activated and then back into the deactivated staff-oriented information presentation mode is visualized.

[0103] FIG. 8 shows the lower most shelf flor 34 of the shelf 33. Here the controller stage 20 operates in the customer-oriented information presentation mode and therefore shows two virtual labels 26.

[0104] Also visualized is the zone in which an approach of the freely movable BT communication device 300 can be detected because particular threshold parameters are programmed into the controller stage 20. This zone is visualized in a surface that extends in a plane oriented normal with regard to the screen 5 and is delimited by the lines 401-405. The course of the lines 401 and 402 is defined by the criterion that the opening angle (Alpha), measured at the centre of the screen 5, is 150°. This implies that the angle of arrival, measured with respect to the plane of the screen 5, must be between 15° and 165° for an approach to be detected. Further to this the detection of approach requires that the distance from the centre of the screen 5 in dependency on the angle of arrival between the mentioned extremes of 15° and 165° is a function of the actual angle of arrival in order to model the course of the lines 403 to 405, wherein line 404 runs in parallel to the screen 5 in a distance of 1 meter, which allows to compute the left and right border line 403 and 405, if like in the present case half of the width of the screen 5 is approximately 0.5 meters.

[0105] FIG. 8 shows how the BT communication device 300 is moved from a position 200 towards a position 202. As soon as it passes the line 404 at position 201 the controller stage 20 activates the staff-oriented information presentation mode. In this mode the content of the screen 5 changes as can be seen in FIG. 9.

[0106] Instead of the virtual label 26 on the right side now staff-oriented information 500 in form of legible instruction is presented which describes a task to be done and is bounded on the left and right by arrows 501 and 502. During the activated staff-oriented information presentation mode the customer-oriented information presentation mode remains active as can be seen because the virtual label on the left side is still visible. The employee performs the task while she/he rests at position 200. Thereafter, the employee moves in direction of position 203.

[0107] As soon as position 203 is reached, the controller stage 20 automatically terminates the staff-oriented information presentation mode and again the screen displays both virtual labels as shown in FIG. 8 while the user moves to position 204.

[0108] If at the end of the task an interaction with the touch sensitive stripe 13 is required also such an interaction can automatically terminate the staff-oriented information presentation mode.

[0109] Regarding the zone in which the detection of approach shall be performed it is to note that this zone can have any desired shape of curve or surface as the case may be. Also neighbouring ESLs 1 may have zones defined that overlap in order to have the staff-oriented information presentation mode active for a particular staff member on a plurality of ESLs 1 at the same time, e.g. along a shelf aisle. But even the zones of ESLs 1 that lie opposite one another in an aisle can overlap one another. This allows the simultaneous operation of ESLs 1 to both sides of the aisle in the staff-oriented information presentation mode. The current form and extent of the zone in which the approach can be identified can also depend on the respective staff-task.

[0110] Finally, let it be noted once again that the figures described in detail above only involve exemplary embodiments, which the expert can modify in a wide variety of ways without departing from the area of the invention. For the sake of completeness, let it also be stated that use of the indeterminate article “a” or “an” does not mean that the respective features cannot be present multiple times.