Method for communicating spatially localized information to a mobile terminal

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for communicating data representing spatially localized information to a mobile terminal ( 1 ) in relation to the location of said mobile terminal ( 1 ) within a sales area equipped with a distributed series of electronic labels, each electronic label ( 3 ) being identified by a unique label identifier, comprising the steps in which: the mobile terminal ( 1 ) sets up a communication via radio-frequency with a radio-frequency peripheral of an electronic label ( 3 ), the radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) communicates a label identifier of said electronic label ( 3 ) to said mobile terminal ( 1 ), the mobile terminal ( 1 ) communicates said label identifier to a central server ( 2 ), the central server ( 2 ) determines the location of said mobile terminal ( 1 ) from the label identifier, the central server ( 2 ) communicates data to the mobile terminal ( 1 ) which represent spatially localized information associated with the location of said mobile terminal ( 1 ).

1 . A method for communicating data representing spatially localized information to a mobile terminal ( 1 ) in relation to the location of said mobile terminal ( 1 ) in a sales area equipped with a distributed series of electronic labels ( 3 ), each electronic label ( 3 ) being identified by a unique label identifier particular thereto; said method comprising the steps in which:
 a mobile terminal ( 1 ) sets up a communication (S 1 ) via radio-frequency with a radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) of an electronic label ( 3 ),   the radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) of said electronic label ( 3 ) communicates (S 2 ) a label identifier of said electronic label ( 3 ) to said mobile terminal ( 1 ),   the mobile terminal ( 1 ) communicates (S 3 ) said label identifier to a central server ( 2 ),   the central server ( 2 ) determines (S 4 ) the location of said mobile terminal ( 1 ) from the label identifier of said electronic label ( 3 ),   the central server ( 2 ) communicates (S 5 ) data to the mobile terminal ( 1 ) representing spatially localized information associated with the location of said mobile terminal ( 1 ).   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) of the electronic label ( 36 ) has a communication range of less than 20 cm. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to one of  claims 1  to  2  wherein the setting-up of the communication between the mobile terminal ( 1 ) and the radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) comprises the steps in which:
 a user brings the mobile terminal ( 1 ) close to the radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) of the electronic label ( 3 ), so that the radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) is within the range of the electromagnetic waves emitted by the mobile terminal ( 1 ), 
 said radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) is activated by the energy of the electromagnetic waves emitted by the mobile terminal ( 1 ) to set up communication via radio-frequency between the radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) of the electronic label ( 3 ) and the mobile terminal ( 1 ). 
 
     
     
         4 . The method according to one of  claims 1  to  3  wherein the central server ( 2 ) determines the location of said mobile terminal ( 1 ) from the identifier of said electronic label ( 3 ) using data from a planogram associating a location with the label identifier. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to one of  claims 1  to  4  wherein the communication between the central server ( 2 ) and the mobile terminal mobile ( 1 ) is set up via the internet. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to one of  claims 1  to  5  wherein the data representing spatially localized information associated with the location of said mobile terminal ( 1 ) take into account data specific to the user of the mobile terminal ( 1 ), previously stored in a database ( 41 ,  44 ) accessible via a communication network. 
     
     
         7 . A system for communicating localized data within a sales area, comprising:
 a mobile terminal ( 1 ) capable of communicating with a central server ( 2 ),   a series of electronic labels ( 3 ) distributed throughout the sales area, each electronic label ( 3 ) being identified by a unique label identifier particular thereto,   
       characterized in that an electronic label ( 3 ) of said series of electronic labels ( 3 ) also comprises a radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) with which the mobile terminal ( 1 ) is able to set up a communication to acquire the label identifier of said electronic label ( 3 ), 
       and in that the system is configured to implement the method according to any of the preceding claims. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to the preceding claim wherein said electronic label ( 3 ) also comprises:
 a radio-frequency communication module ( 32 ) to receive data representing information relating to an item from a central station ( 2 );   a memory ( 33 ) to store said data;   a microcontroller ( 34 ) to control the display of information relating to an item;   a display screen ( 31 ) to display said item-related information.   
     
     
         9 . The system according to one of  claims 7  to  8  wherein the radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) of the electronic label ( 3 ) comprises an antenna ( 38 ) an electronic chip ( 37 ) of NFC or RFID type. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to the preceding claim wherein the chip ( 37 ) and the antenna ( 38 ) are arranged at different points of the electronic label ( 3 ), connections ( 39 ) ensuring the link between the antenna ( 38 ) and the chip ( 37 ). 
     
     
         11 . The system according to the preceding claim wherein the chip ( 37 ) is connected to a microcontroller ( 34 ) of the electronic label ( 3 ), and the antenna ( 38 ) is arranged on or in a case ( 30 ) inside which said microcontroller ( 34 ) is housed. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to one of  claims 7  to  11  wherein the mobile terminal ( 1 ) is adapted to transmit data to the electronic label ( 3 ) via the radio-frequency peripheral ( 36 ) of said electronic label ( 3 ).