Patent Publication Number: US-2002005775-A1

Title: Method of supplying customers of a self-service market with product-specific information

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The invention relates to a method of supplying customers of a self-service market with product-specific information.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] Described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,271 is one such method as well as means for its implementation. This system provides transceiver units decentralized in each department or product group of a self-service store. Provided on the shopping cart of the self-service store are transceiver units each including an audible information means in the form of a loudspeaker and/or an visual information means, for example, in the form of a display. Communicating the information and data between the decentralized transceiver units and customer shopping cart transceiver units is wireless, for example, by radio, infrared communication and the like.  
       [0003] Accommodated in the self-service store or the departments thereof are groups of products and thus the transceiver units provided there need to be spaced away from each other, for infrared communication, for example, so that there is no crosstalk between the infrared communication beams. When information pertinent to a particular product is communicated to the customer via the information means on the shopping cart it is often a problem for the customer to quickly relate the information to the product at any one time.  
       [0004] For product identification in self-service stores or markets electronic shelf labels (ESL) are often provided which generally enable the price indication to be made and changed at a centralized location with no appreciable time and labor.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] It is the objective of the invention to supply customers, pushing a shopping cart in a self-service market, with information as to one or more products of a product group, so-called product-specific information and, where necessary, to simultaneously alert the customer to a product as advertised thereby. It is furthermore intended to permit registration of a correctly communicated item of product-specific information.  
       [0006] In accordance with the invention this objective is achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous aspects of the invention read from the claims relating back directly or indirectly to claim 1.  
       [0007] The self-service markets relevant to the invention are understood to be those provided with at least one emitting means supplied with data and information from a central data processing means located only in the entrance area, a large number of shopping carts including detector/emitter means each including an information means and ESLs each including an emitter/detector unit in the products on sale. Furthermore, the communication between the various means is preferably wireless, for example, via radio communication, infrared communication, and the like.  
       [0008] In accordance with the invention it is only in the entrance area of a self-service market that a plurality of items of product-specific information including identification codes of the ESLs provided at the corresponding products are communicated to the detector/emitter means of the shopping carts pushed by the customers and stored therein. When a customer with his shopping cart, in passing through the self-service market, enters the zone of an ESL whose identification code is related to an item of product-specific information stored there, this specific product-specific information is activated by means of this identification code from the emitter/detector unit of this ESL in the detector/emitter means of the shopping cart concerned. Information advertising a specific product is communicated to the customer by means of the information means of the shopping cart concerned, for example, in the form of a display. Where necessary, it may also be provided for to solely or additionally beep alert the customer to the activated product-specific information.  
       [0009] Unlike the prior art method requiring numerous emitter/detector means to be provided decentralized throughout the departments or product groups of a self-service market, it is now advantageously possible in accordance with the invention to provide at least one emitting means only in the entrance area of the self-service market.  
       [0010] Whilst displaying the product-specific information by means of the information means on the shopping cart it may be of advantage and expedient in one aspect of the invention to alert the customer visually, and where necessary audibly, to the advertised product by means of an alerting means located directly at the product or in any case very near thereto. For example, the activated alerting means may produce flashing of the ESL provided on the advertised product or in the immediate vicinity thereof, it being just as possible to also light up the corresponding ESL for a specific period.  
       [0011] Simultaneously with activation of the detector/emitter means on the shopping cart the alerting means may be activated by the emitter/detector unit of the corresponding ESL or also by the activated detector/emitter means of the shopping cart. The alerting means may also be integrated for example, in the ESL.  
       [0012] Thus, the customer now receives not only information specific to a certain product but also an alert to the particular product visually and/or where necessary also audibly, facilitating locating the product in a plurality of similar products in thus eliminating the nuisance of searching for the particular product.  
       [0013] Furthermore, it is now possible to advantage that a visual and/or audible indication by means of the information means on the customer shopping cart is registered in the detector/emitter means thereof. However, it is also possible that correct indication of the product-specific information is confirmed by the detector/emitter means of the shopping cart relative to the emitter/detector unit of the ESL assigned to the corresponding product before then being registered in this ESL. These registrations then serve simultaneously as an acknowledgement of successful communication of a product-specific information every time.  
       [0014] These acknowledgements as stored in the shopping cart detector/emitter means and/or in the emitter/detector unit of the corresponding ESLs enable both the operator of the self-service market and producers to establish not only how often the product has been advertised but also how often an alert was made thereto visually and/or audibly.  
       [0015] Self-service markets often offer customer service cards in attempting to bind customers to the self-service market to a certain extent by conceeding a price reduction on all or specific group of products or, for example, by subsequently crediting or refunding a certain amount once a certain sum is attained, perhaps, in a predefined period.  
       [0016] It is in such a customer service card that, for example, the cash desk is able to record the products purchased by the customer. By comparing the products purchased by the service card holder over a specific period it is then relatively easy to establish a so-called individual customer profile and assign it to the service card holder. By seeing what is usually purchased, a distinction can then be made, for example, between male and female singles and these in turn from customers having one or more children.  
       [0017] To save communicating information to service card holders relative to products for which the particular customer probably has no use, due to his customer profile existing in the self-service market, these customers are communicated only product-specific information matching their individual customer profile and stored in the detector/emitter means of the shopping cart as soon as they are in the entrance area of the self-service market and have been identified by their customer service card.  
       [0018] For example, a single is not communicated any information relative to, for example, baby food, children&#39;s clothing, playthings and the like. Customer service card holders are thus spared receiving information in which they are not interested, or indeed would even prove to be a nuisance, as can now be assessed by the market operator with high probability.  
       [0019] To advantage, it is now possible in accordance with the invention, before the customer leaves the self-service market, for the cash desk to record the products purchased and communicate them to central data processing where they are analyzed as to the individual customer profile. As soon as deviations from the customer profile as hitherto recorded are found, the customer profile can be correspondingly changed, supplemented and thus updated with no appreciable hassle. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0020] The invention will now be detained by way of the drawings in which:  
     [0021]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of an entrance area of a self-service market and a shopping cart, likewise indicated diagrammatically, and  
     [0022]FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the same shopping cart located before a product group, likewise indicated diagrammatically. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0023] Referring now to FIG. 1 there is illustrated diagrammatically at least one emitter means  1  provided only in the entrance area  10  of a self-service market (not shown), mounted, for example, on a ceiling or in a false ceiling  9  thereof which is supplied with data and information from a central data processing means  11 .  
     [0024] Located under the emitter means  1  is a shopping cart  3 , on the pushbar of which a detector/emitter means  2  including an information means (not shown) is provided as indicated encircled which may be, for example, a display or some other suitable means of visual indication. As an alternative or in addition thereto a loudspeaker (not shown) of the detector/emitter means may be assigned.  
     [0025] The bold arrow  8  represents a communication beam from the emitter means  1  arranged in the entrance area to the detector/emitter means  2  of a shopping cart  3  located in this area, this communication being wireless, for example, via a suitable modulated infrared beam, although, of course, it is just as possible to provide this communication by electromagnetic waves.  
     [0026] Referring now to FIG. 2 there is illustrated diagrammatically the shopping cart  3  pushed by a customer (not shown) into the zone of a product group indicated by several products  5   1  to  5   3 . The products  5   1  to  5   3  are accommodated on three shelves  6   1  to  6   3  indicated diagrammatically of a shelving unit  6 . Indicated diagrammatically, for example, at the front edge of the shelves  6   1  to  6   3  in front of each product  5   1  to  5   3  are labelling means in the form of electronic shelf labels (ESLs)  4   1  to  4   3 . The ESLs  4   1  to  4   3  are assigned emitter/detector units (not shown in FIG. 2) emitting at regular intervals the identification code of each ESL.  
     [0027] Alerting means  12 ′ 1  to  12 ′ 3  may be arranged at the front edge of the shelves  6   1  to  6   3  directly in front of or near to the various products  5   1  to  5   3 . As an alternative, alerting means  12 ′ 1  to  12 ′ 3  may also be provided directly on or near to the ESLs  4   1  to  4   3  or also integrated in the ESLs  4   1  to  4   3 .  
     [0028] As cited at the outset it is only in the entrance area  10  that so-called product-specific information is communicated via the communication beam  8 , for example, in the form of a modulated infrared beam in advertising the products concerned. Each item of this product-specific information is assigned an identification code of the ESLs  4  provided at the products being advertised, preferably as the leading code.  
     [0029] As soon as the shopping cart  3 , in the detector/emitter means  2  of which all product-specific information of the products advertised is stored, is pushed by a customer into the zone or vicinity of an ESL  4 , for example, ESL  4   2 , arranged directly in front of or near to the product  5   2  being advertised, the detector/emitter means  2  applied to the shopping cart  3  is triggered by the emitter/detector unit of the ESL  4   2 , resulting in its identification code being communicated via the communication beam  7 .  
     [0030] Due to the communicated identification code of the ESL  4   2  the product-specific information relative to the product  5   2  is selected in the detector/emitter means  2  of the shopping cart  3  and signalled to the customer by means of the information means assigned to the detector/emitter means  2 , for example, by appearing on a display. Substantially simultaneously with the display of the product-specific information, which in this case advertises the product  5   2 , an alerting means  12   2  or  12 ′ 2 , arranged at or in the ESL  4   2  or at or before the product  5   2  being advertised, for outputting a visual and/or audible alert is activated to alert the customer explicitly to the product  5   2  advertised.  
     [0031] The alerting means  12   2  or  12 ′ 2  is activated, for example, directly by the emitter/detector unit of the ESL  4   2 . As an alternative, the separately mounted alerting means  12 ′ 2  may also be activated by the detector/emitter means  2  applied to the shopping cart  3  as indicated in FIG. 2 by the broken line arrow  7 ′.