Interactive point of purchase display for toys

Abstract

Techniques are provided for an interactive point of purchase product display. The interactive point of purchase product display includes a product placement region, one or more products located in the product placement region, an input device configured to receive an input signal, a controller device, and a selection indicator device. The input device may receive data about a potential consumer or customer. The controller device is coupled to the input device and the one or more products and is configured to receive data from the input device responsive to the input signal, select a product in response to the receive input and generate a selection signal identifying the product resulting in the attention of a customer to be drawn to the product.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 at a controller device:
 receiving customer data indicating that a potential customer has entered an interactive range of a product display that includes a plurality of individual products; 
 selecting, based on the customer data, one or more of the plurality of products positioned within the product display as one or more selected products; and 
 activating one or more operations of the one or more selected products. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more selected products comprise a plurality of selected products, and wherein the method comprises:
 activating one or more operations of each of the plurality of selected products.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein activating one or more operations of each of the plurality of selected products comprises:
 activating operations of each of the plurality of selected products so as to cause the plurality of selected products to simulate interaction with one another.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting one or more of the plurality of products positioned within the product display, comprises:
 selecting only a subset of the plurality of individual products as selected products.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting the one or more operations of the one or more selected products based on the customer data.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein activating one or more operations of the one or more selected products comprises:
 generating a selection signal identifying the one or more selected products positioned within the product display;   sending the selection signal to one or more selection indicator devices coupled to the one or more selected products; and   controlling the one or more operations of the one or more selected products using the one or more selection indicator devices.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the customer data comprises identity information associated with the potential customer, and wherein the selecting further comprises:
 selecting the one or more selected products based on the identity information associated with the potential customer.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 obtaining, based on the identity information associated with the potential customer, product criteria information associated with the potential customer from a database that stores product preferences associated with the potential customer; and   selecting the one or more selected products further based on the product criteria associated with the potential customer.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein activating one or more operations of the one or more selected products comprises:
 causing the selected product to at least one of move, generate an audible signal, or generate a visible signal.   
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 at a controller device, receiving data from an input device, wherein the data comprises identity and preference information associated with a potential customer that has entered an interactive range of a product display that includes a plurality of individual products;   selecting, by the controller device, one or more of the plurality of products positioned within the product display as one or more selected products based on the identity and preference information; and   activating, by the controller device, one or more operations of the one or more selected products.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more selected products comprise a plurality of selected products, and wherein the method comprises:
 activating one or more operations of each of the plurality of selected products.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein activating one or more operations of each of the plurality of selected products comprises:
 activating operations of each of the plurality of selected products so as to cause the plurality of selected products to simulate interaction with one another.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein selecting one or more of the plurality of products positioned within the product display, comprises:
 selecting only a subset of the plurality of individual products as selected products.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 selecting the one or more operations of the one or more selected products based on the identity and preference information associated with the potential customer.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein activating one or more operations of the one or more selected products comprises:
 generating a selection signal identifying the one or more selected products positioned within the product display;   sending the selection signal to one or more selection indicator devices coupled to the one or more selected products; and   controlling the one or more operations of the one or more selected products using the one or more selection indicator devices.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein activating one or more operations of the one or more selected products comprises:
 causing the selected product to at least one of move, generate an audible signal, or generate a visible signal.   
     
     
         17 . A system, comprising:
 a product placement region;   a plurality of individual products located within the product placement region;   an input device configured to receive an input signal indicating that a potential customer has entered an interactive range of the product placement region;   a controller device operably coupled to the input device and the product placement region and configured to:   receive customer data from the input device responsive to the input signal;   based on the customer data, select one or more of the plurality of products positioned within the product display as one or more selected products; and   in response to the selection, activate one or more operations of the one or more selected products.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of electrical interconnects disposed in the product placement region configured to couple to corresponding electrical connectors on the one or more selected products to enable an electrical connection between the controller device and the one or more selected products. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising an electrically conductive medium disposed in the product placement region configured to operate as an antenna enabling the controller device to wirelessly communicate with the one or more selected products. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the input device comprises one of a camera device, a motion sensor device, an activation button, a bar code scanner device, an optical scanner device, a wireless receiver device, a radio frequency receiver device, a cellular communications device, a touch screen device, a computer terminal and a microphone.