|Publication number||US5978777 A|
|Application number||US 08/955,158|
|Publication date||Nov 2, 1999|
|Filing date||Oct 21, 1997|
|Priority date||Sep 9, 1997|
|Also published as||EP1012815A1, WO1999013449A1|
|Publication number||08955158, 955158, US 5978777 A, US 5978777A, US-A-5978777, US5978777 A, US5978777A|
|Original Assignee||Parfums Christian Dior|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (5), Referenced by (75), Classifications (13), Legal Events (5)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
Various electronic systems are presently known for enabling consumers to obtain information about goods or services on offer at a given place of sale.
Typically, such a system comprises a CPU having the usual memories, an input device such as a keyboard, a display screen, and loudspeakers.
When the consumer presses on a particular key of the keyboard, the CPU causes the screen to display a sequence of still or moving images, optionally accompanied by a sound track.
Nevertheless, that system is disadvantageous in that it requires the consumer to act on keyboard, which can be off-putting.
Another known system, that is in use in large stores, enables a consumer to verify that the price displayed on the shelves for an item does indeed correspond with the price which will be applied at the checkout. That system comprises a bar code reader to which the item to be verified is presented, and a display screen for telling the consumer the price presently associated with that item in the central computer of the store.
A drawback of that known system lies in that the information given is extremely restricted, and in that it can be used with all of the goods in the store. This makes it completely unsuitable for promotional applications, and in particular for selective applications concerning a given group of goods, such as goods sold under the same trademark.
The present invention seeks to propose a novel information presentation system capable of giving promotional or advertising type information while also offering the facility of making use of the bar codes carried by the various items.
Thus, the present invention provides an electronic system for presenting multimedia information about products on offer at a place of sale, the system comprising in combination:
a central unit;
a mass memory containing a series of still and/or moving image sequences respectively associated with products belonging to a given group of products selected from amongst all the products on offer at the place of sale;
a display device; and
a reader for reading machine-readable information carried by the products on offer, and in front of which a particular item can be presented;
wherein the central unit includes comparator means for comparing a product code delivered by said reader from machine-readable information read on an item presented by a consumer with a series of product codes corresponding respectively to the products of said group; and
wherein the central unit is suitable for causing the sequence of images associated with the presented item to be caused to run when the product code thereof is contained in said series of product codes, and otherwise to display a message of lack of such containment.
Preferred but non-limiting features of the system are the following:
the system contains a correspondence table between said series of product codes and the addresses of sequences of images in the mass memory;
the display device is a touch-sensitive screen and the image sequences are interactive sequences;
the system also includes means for playing back sound in association with each sequence;
the system is housed in a housing and only the display device and the location of said reader for reading machine-readable information are visible to the consumer;
the group of products includes only products under the same trademark;
the products are cosmetics, perfumes, or toiletries; and
said machine-readable information is constituted by a bar code.
Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention appear more clearly on reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an information presentation system of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the electronic architecture of the information presentation system; and
FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating certain functions of the system of FIGS. 1 and 2.
With reference initially to FIG. 1, there is shown an electronic information presentation system on a place of sale and comprising, in outline, a housing 10 that is generally in the form of a columnar booth, e.g. having a height of about 2 meters, with a front face 11 that possesses a window 12 for viewing a display screen 24. The window and the screen are placed at eye height. Beneath the screen there is provided, behind the front face, a fixed device 25 for reading bar code, of conventional type, and looking forwards from the housing via a small opening 13.
FIG. 2 shows the electronic architecture of the system, which essentially comprises a central processor unit (CPU) 20 connected to memories, and in particular a read/write memory (RAM) 21, a read-only memory (ROM) 22, and a mass memory such as a hard disk (HD) 23.
The CPU 20 is also connected via appropriate input/output or interface devices (not shown) to the display screen 24, e.g. of the color liquid crystal type, and to the bar code reader device 25.
The system also has an X,Y coordinate detection device 26 superposed on the screen 24, so as to provide a touch-sensitive screen in conventional manner.
Finally, the system includes sound playback means via one or more loudspeakers 27 for playing back sound data stored in the mass memory 23.
Advantageously, the above-described architecture is built around conventional personal computer components of the "PC" standard, with the bar code reader device being connected thereto via a serial interface.
The essential functions of the system whose structure is described above are described in detail below, more particularly with reference to FIG. 3.
Firstly, the mass memory 23 contains a plurality of sequences of still and/or moving images respectively associated with a series of products from a given manufacturer or a given group of manufacturers.
Each of the sequences is identified by an address which is correlated by means of an appropriate table with the product code of the product to which the sequence applies.
The sequences may be constituted, in particular, by promotional or explanatory sequences relating to each of the products.
Also, the CPU 20 is designed to compare the product code given by the reader device 25 whenever an item is presented to the front of the reader with the list of product codes in the above-mentioned series of products.
The flow chart of FIG. 3 has a "start" box 31 followed by a "test" box 32 in which the system waits for a product code to be delivered by the reader device 25. The code is transmitted to the CPU 20 by the reader 25 as soon as a user places an item, and more specifically the face of that item's packaging which carries its standard bar code (UPC or EAN code) to the opening 13 in the front face and the reader 25 has managed to read the code.
The product code is then stored in the RAM 21 and the CPU compares it with the codes contained in the sequence access table (box 34).
When the product code is not in the table, then the CPU 20 causes (box 35) a still or moving message to be displayed on the screen 24, which message is taken from the mass memory 23 and informs the consumer that the product is not one of the products associated with the system. In other words, the consumer is informed that the product is not a product under the trademark(s) with which the display system is associated.
The system then goes back to waiting for a new bar code to be read.
Otherwise, if the item presented by the consumer does indeed correspond to one of the trademarks of the display system, i.e. if its product code is contained in the table giving access to the presentation sequences, then the CPU 20 selects the appropriate sequence (box 36) and causes it to run on the screen 24 (box 37), with the corresponding sound track being played through the loudspeaker 27.
When the sequence has finished running, the system returns to its starting state.
It should be observed at this point that the sequences displayed on the screen can be interactive sequences, thus enabling the user to make use of a finger to interact with the X,Y detection device, thereby making choices that enable the user to navigate through the sequence, choose a language, etc. . . . .
Also, the system may advantageously include welcome sequences or images that run while the system is waiting for a product code, serving to tell consumers which products or families of products are associated with the display system, and to explain how to operate the system.
The present invention is particularly applicable to advertising and promotion on a place of sale, making it possible, in association with the universal product code present on each of the items displayed for sale, to associate the display system with a given family of products only, for example products sold under the same trademark.
The invention is thus particularly advantageous for use in the field of cosmetics, perfumes, and toiletries.
Naturally, the invention is not limited in any way to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, and the person skilled in the art will be able to make any variant or modification within the spirit of the invention.
In particular, when the products on sale are identified as described above by means of a bar code, it is possible in a variant to use any machine-readable code, based, in particular, on reading by optical, magnetic, radio, etc. means.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US4780599 *||Jun 28, 1985||Oct 25, 1988||Baus Heinz Georg||Apparatus for retrieving stored information about various items in response to coding on the items|
|US5652421 *||Jun 7, 1995||Jul 29, 1997||The Gift Certificate Center, Inc.||Method and apparatus for generating gift certificates|
|EP0167072A2 *||Jun 21, 1985||Jan 8, 1986||Altura Leiden Holding B.V.||Device for storing and presenting numerous data|
|FR2739241A1 *||Title not available|
|WO1992002920A1 *||Jul 28, 1990||Feb 20, 1992||Dieter Knoch||Customer information terminal for sales areas|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US6732915 *||Sep 10, 1999||May 11, 2004||Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.||Systems and methods for controlling a presentation using physical objects|
|US6857432||Jul 11, 2001||Feb 22, 2005||L'oreal S.A.||Cosmetics product and marketing system|
|US6901374||Nov 29, 2000||May 31, 2005||Reynolds & Reynolds Holdings, Inc.||Loyalty link method and apparatus for integrating customer information with dealer management information|
|US7016854||Oct 23, 2001||Mar 21, 2006||Reynolds & Reynolds Holdings, Inc.||Loyalty link method and apparatus with audio performance for integrating customer information with dealer management information|
|US7222101||Feb 26, 2002||May 22, 2007||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for securing data through a PDA portal|
|US7249052||Mar 31, 2003||Jul 24, 2007||Reynolds And Reynolds Holdings, Inc.||Loyalty link method and apparatus for integrating customer information with dealer management information|
|US7283972||Jun 13, 2003||Oct 16, 2007||Reynolds And Reynolds Holdings, Inc.||Loyalty link method and apparatus with audio performance for integrating customer information with dealer management information|
|US7398225||Apr 17, 2001||Jul 8, 2008||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for networked loyalty program|
|US7398226||Nov 6, 2001||Jul 8, 2008||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for networked loyalty program|
|US7428498||Jan 3, 2007||Sep 23, 2008||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for networked loyalty program|
|US7441656||Jul 11, 2002||Oct 28, 2008||L'oreal S.A.||Article comprising composite material and method of making the article|
|US7496524||Jan 3, 2007||Feb 24, 2009||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for networked loyalty program|
|US7529687||Dec 13, 2000||May 5, 2009||Microsoft Corporation||In-store customer display device and method|
|US7672870||Jul 17, 2006||Mar 2, 2010||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for monitoring consumer purchasing activity|
|US7813955||Sep 28, 2007||Oct 12, 2010||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for networked loyalty program|
|US7890367||Feb 15, 2011||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for tiered filtering of purchase transactions|
|US7945516||May 17, 2011||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for securing data through a PDA portal|
|US7996320||Aug 9, 2011||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for securing data through a PDA portal|
|US8024220||Sep 28, 2007||Sep 20, 2011||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for networked loyalty program|
|US8046256||Apr 13, 2001||Oct 25, 2011||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for using loyalty rewards as currency|
|US8050968||Nov 1, 2011||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for the real-time transfer of loyalty points between accounts|
|US8065182||Nov 22, 2011||American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.||System and method for networked loyalty program|
|US8155999||May 10, 2006||Apr 10, 2012||Propulsion Remote Holdings, Llc||System and method for a merchant loyalty system|
|US8297502||Oct 30, 2012||Mcghie Sean I||User interface for the exchange of non-negotiable credits for entity independent funds|
|US8313023||Jun 25, 2012||Nov 20, 2012||Mcghie Sean I||Exchange of non-negotiable credits of an entity's rewards program for entity independent funds|
|US8342399||Jan 1, 2013||Mcghie Sean I||Conversion of credits to funds|
|US8376224||Jun 24, 2011||Feb 19, 2013||Sean I. Mcghie||Self-service stations for utilizing non-negotiable credits earned from a game of chance|
|US8407137||Mar 1, 2010||Mar 26, 2013||Propulsion Remote Holdings, Llc||Pay yourself first with user guidance|
|US8458026||Oct 13, 2011||Jun 4, 2013||Propulsion Remote Holdings, Llc||System and method for networked loyalty program|
|US8473380||Aug 2, 2004||Jun 25, 2013||Propulsion Remote Holdings, Llc||Pay yourself first budgeting|
|US8511550||Apr 16, 2013||Aug 20, 2013||Sean I. Mcghie||Graphical user interface for the conversion of loyalty points via a loyalty point website|
|US8523063||Apr 16, 2013||Sep 3, 2013||Sean I. Mcghie||Conversion operations of non-negotiable credits to funds between an entity and a commerce partner|
|US8523064||May 21, 2013||Sep 3, 2013||Brian K. Buchheit||Graphical user interface for the conversion of loyalty points for services|
|US8538874||May 24, 2004||Sep 17, 2013||Propulsion Remote Holdings, Llc||Pay yourself first with auto bill pay system and method|
|US8540152||May 23, 2013||Sep 24, 2013||Brian K. Buchheit||Conversion operations for loyalty points of different programs redeemable for services|
|US8626582||Aug 12, 2011||Jan 7, 2014||Propulsion Remote Holdings, Llc||System and method for networked loyalty program|
|US8639568||Apr 9, 2012||Jan 28, 2014||Propulsion Remote Holdings, Llc||System and method for a merchant loyalty system|
|US8668146||Nov 20, 2012||Mar 11, 2014||Sean I. Mcghie||Rewards program with payment artifact permitting conversion/transfer of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds|
|US8684265||Nov 20, 2012||Apr 1, 2014||Sean I. Mcghie||Rewards program website permitting conversion/transfer of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds|
|US8732013||Nov 29, 2010||May 20, 2014||Propulsion Remote Holdings, Llc||System and method for tiered filtering of purchase transactions|
|US8738532||Jul 13, 2011||May 27, 2014||Propulsion Remote Holdings, Llc||System and method for securing data through a PDA portal|
|US8763901||Aug 19, 2013||Jul 1, 2014||Sean I. Mcghie||Cross marketing between an entity's loyalty point program and a different loyalty program of a commerce partner|
|US8783563||Aug 19, 2013||Jul 22, 2014||Sean I. Mcghie||Conversion of loyalty points for gaming to a different loyalty point program for services|
|US8789752||Sep 12, 2013||Jul 29, 2014||Sean I. Mcghie||Conversion/transfer of in-game credits to entity independent or negotiable funds|
|US8794518||Aug 19, 2013||Aug 5, 2014||Sean I. Mcghie||Conversion of loyalty points for a financial institution to a different loyalty point program for services|
|US8807427||Sep 12, 2013||Aug 19, 2014||Sean I. Mcghie||Conversion/transfer of non-negotiable credits to in-game funds for in-game purchases|
|US8833650||Sep 23, 2013||Sep 16, 2014||Sean I. Mcghie||Online shopping sites for redeeming loyalty points|
|US8944320||Jun 25, 2014||Feb 3, 2015||Sean I. Mcghie||Conversion/transfer of non-negotiable credits to in-game funds for in-game purchases|
|US8950669||Jun 25, 2014||Feb 10, 2015||Sean I. Mcghie||Conversion of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds|
|US8973821||Jun 25, 2014||Mar 10, 2015||Sean I. Mcghie||Conversion/transfer of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds|
|US20020015389 *||Jun 18, 2001||Feb 7, 2002||Robert Wastlhuber||Method and device for serial data transmission between a position measuring system and a processing unit|
|US20020046278 *||Feb 13, 2001||Apr 18, 2002||Roy Hays||Method and system for global log on in a distributed system|
|US20030033211 *||Nov 6, 2001||Feb 13, 2003||Mark Haines||System and method for networked loyalty program|
|US20030077102 *||Jul 11, 2002||Apr 24, 2003||Laure Bourjal||Article comprising composite material and method of making the article|
|US20030191660 *||Mar 31, 2003||Oct 9, 2003||Reynolds & Reynolds Holdings, Inc.||Loyalty link method and apparatus for integrating customer information with dealer management information|
|US20030223096 *||Nov 19, 2002||Dec 4, 2003||Robert P. Kogod c/o Charles E. Smith Management, Inc.||Symbol message coders|
|US20030224842 *||Nov 19, 2002||Dec 4, 2003||Robert P. Kogod||Symbol message games|
|US20030224845 *||Nov 19, 2002||Dec 4, 2003||c/o Charles E. Smith Management, Inc.||Symbol message cards|
|US20040002921 *||Jun 13, 2003||Jan 1, 2004||Himes Steven G.||Loyalty link method and apparatus with audio performance for integrating customer information with dealer management information|
|US20040138963 *||Oct 23, 2003||Jul 15, 2004||Frank Kirschner||Product presentation equipment|
|US20040182413 *||Mar 25, 2004||Sep 23, 2004||L'oreal S.A.||Cosmetics product|
|US20050149411 *||Nov 12, 2004||Jul 7, 2005||Colwell Felton T.||System and method for creating individualized product and color palettes|
|US20050156027 *||Nov 24, 2004||Jul 21, 2005||Geno Munari||Method and apparatus for vending magic, pranks, and gags|
|US20050192841 *||Apr 25, 2005||Sep 1, 2005||Roy Hays||Method and system for collecting information before user registration|
|US20060053056 *||Aug 22, 2005||Mar 9, 2006||American Express Marketing & Development Corporati||Card member discount system and method|
|US20060085268 *||Oct 15, 2004||Apr 20, 2006||Rki Corporation Dba Retail Media Solutions||Access to product supplemental information, in a store|
|US20070162401 *||Jun 13, 2003||Jul 12, 2007||Himes Steven G|
|US20090240528 *||Mar 19, 2009||Sep 24, 2009||Computerized Screening, Inc.||Community based managed health kiosk and prescription dispensement system|
|US20090313140 *||Dec 17, 2009||Colwell Industries, Inc.||System And Method For Creating Individualized Product and Color Palettes|
|CN101246616B||Jan 24, 2008||Apr 7, 2010||林喆||Advertisement broadcasting real-time monitoring method and monitoring system implementing the same|
|DE102009001645A1 *||Mar 18, 2009||Sep 23, 2010||Jnb Healthlab Gmbh||Customer specific advertisement representing system for e.g. non prescribed or pharmacy-only medicament in pharmacy, has processor representing text and/or image information on monitor as reaction of database request process|
|EP1189189A1 *||Nov 2, 2000||Mar 20, 2002||Firma VKF Renzel GmbH||Assembly for image display and shelving|
|EP2614756A1 *||May 10, 2012||Jul 17, 2013||Osama S.P.A.||Display stand with a built-in information system|
|WO2002082411A2 *||Feb 11, 2002||Oct 17, 2002||3M Innovative Properties Company||Temporary screens and methods for displaying information|
|WO2002082411A3 *||Feb 11, 2002||Nov 13, 2003||3M Innovative Properties Co||Temporary screens and methods for displaying information|
|U.S. Classification||705/27.2, 235/383, 235/381, 235/375|
|International Classification||G06Q30/06, G07G1/00, G09F27/00, G07G1/01, G06F17/30|
|Cooperative Classification||G06Q30/0643, G09F27/00|
|European Classification||G06Q30/0643, G09F27/00|
|Dec 5, 1997||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: PARFUMS CHRISTIAN DIOR, FRANCE
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GARNIER, DOMINIQUE;REEL/FRAME:008843/0950
Effective date: 19971023
|Jun 19, 2001||CC||Certificate of correction|
|May 21, 2003||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Nov 3, 2003||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|Dec 30, 2003||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20031102