Electronic Shelf-Tag Systems and Methods Thereof

Abstract

Disclosed herein are electronic shelf-tag systems and methods thereof. For example, an electronic shelf-tag system includes, in some embodiments a fascia configured to mount to a shelf of a shelving unit and a light-emitting diode (“LED”) array coupled to the fascia. The LED array is configured to display product information in a shared electronic shelf tag for two or more products respectively stocked in two or more consecutive shelf slots when a horizontal resolution of a portion of the LED array corresponding to at least one shelf slot of the two or more consecutive shelf slots is insufficient for displaying the product information for the product stocked in the at least one shelf slot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic shelf tag system, comprising:
 a processor;   a memory coupled to the processor;   a shelving unit;   a plurality of shelves disposed within the shelving unit, wherein each of the plurality of shelves comprises two or more shelf slots, wherein each of the two or more shelf slots is configured to stock a product;   a proximity detection system configured to detect one or more persons proximate to the shelving unit, wherein the proximity detection system comprises a proximity camera;   at least one fascia configured to mount to at least one of the plurality of shelves of the shelving unit; and   a light-emitting diode (“LED”) array coupled to the fascia, wherein the LED array is directed to generate a shared electronic shelf tag configured to:
 display product information in response to the proximity detection system detecting one or more persons proximate to the shelving unit; and 
 sequentially indicate each shelf slot for each of the two or more shelf slots by displaying a corresponding indicator. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 1 , further comprising an electronic shelf tag generation logic configured to group into and share the shared electronic shelf tag amongst two or more products corresponding to two or more consecutive shelf slots. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 2 , wherein the LED array is directed to display product information for the two or more products respectively stocked in the two or more consecutive shelf slots. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 2 , wherein the LED array is directed to display a persistent sale price for each product of the two or more products respectively stocked in the two or more consecutive shelf slots. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 2 , wherein the electronic shelf tag system is configured to accept operator input for manually grouping the two or more products respectively stocked in the two or more consecutive shelf slots to share the shared electronic shelf tag. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store one or more electronic shelf tags for subsequent communication to another device or one or more displays by way of a communication interface. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 1 , wherein the LED array is directed to display animated content or graphical images on the fascia corresponding to the contents of one or more media files. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 1 , wherein the indicator sequentially indicates each product stocked in the two or more consecutive shelf slots. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 1 , further comprising a facial recognition camera coupled to a portion of the shelving unit. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 1 , wherein the LED array is directed to generate the shared electronic shelf tag to display product information for two or more consecutive shelf slots. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 1 , further comprising a cabinet display top, wherein the cabinet display top is configured to display visual content comprising an animated or graphical image file. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 1 , wherein, in response to the horizontal resolution of a portion of the LED array being insufficient for displaying product information for a product stocked in at least one shelf slot, the LED array is directed to generate the shared electronic shelf tag across two or more consecutive shelf slots. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 1 , wherein the shared electronic shelf tag is configured to display the individualized product information for each product of the two or more products in one or more screens. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more inventory cameras coupled to the shelving unit. 
     
     
         15 . An electronic smart shelf system, comprising:
 a processor;   a memory coupled to the processor;   a shelving unit;   a plurality of shelves disposed within the shelving unit, wherein each of the plurality of shelves comprises two or more shelf slots, wherein each of the two or more shelf slots is configured to stock a product;   a proximity detection system configured to detect one or more persons proximate to the shelving unit;   at least one fascia configured to mount to at least one of the plurality of shelves of the shelving unit; and   a light-emitting diode (“LED”) array coupled to the fascia, wherein the LED array is directed to generate a shared electronic shelf tag configured to:
 display product information in response to the proximity detection system detecting one or more persons proximate to the shelving unit; and 
 sequentially indicate each shelf slot for each of the two or more shelf slots by displaying a corresponding indicator. 
   
     
     
         16 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 15 , further comprising an electronic shelf tag generation logic configured to group into and share the shared electronic shelf tag amongst two or more products corresponding to two or more consecutive shelf slots. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 16 , wherein the LED array is directed to display a persistent sale price for each product of the two or more products respectively stocked in the two or more consecutive shelf slots. 
     
     
         18 . The electronic shelf tag system of  claim 16 , wherein the electronic shelf tag system is configured to accept operator input for manually grouping the two or more products respectively stocked in the two or more consecutive shelf slots to share the shared electronic shelf tag. 
     
     
         19 . A method of an electronic shelf tag system, comprising:
 detecting one or more persons proximate to a shelving unit, and upon detecting one or more persons proximate to the shelving unit,   displaying, by a light-emitting diode (“LED”) array coupled to a fascia mounted to a shelf of a shelving unit, a plurality of product information in a shared electronic shelf tag;   wherein the plurality of product information is:
 associated with two or more products respectively stocked in two or more consecutive shelf slots; and 
 indicated sequentially within each shelf slot of the two or more consecutive shelf slots by displaying a corresponding indicator. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 displaying with the shared electronic shelf tag individualized product information for each product of the two or more products in one or more screens;   grouping the two or more products respectively stocked in the two or more consecutive shelf slots to share the shared electronic shelf tag; and   displaying with the shared electronic shelf tag a persistent sale price for each product of the two or more products respectively stocked in the two or more consecutive shelf slots.