Method for operating electronic display system for displaying product and / or price information

Abstract

A method of operating an electronic display system wherein the display system comprises:-a plurality of electronic display devices for displaying product and / or price information wherein each product and / or price information is represented by a content data set; -a data provisioning system designed to provide the display device with a set of content data wherein the method comprises the step of triggering an action if identical and / or similar sets of content data or the number of representations thereof meet a criterion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a display system for displaying product and / or price information. Background Art

[0002] Electronic display devices, particularly electronic shelf labels or video shelf rails, are used in display systems for a variety of tasks at the point of sale and have greatly improved the shopping experience. For example, these devices can be used to advertise a product, draw a customer's attention to a product, or display product and pricing information in real time. However, concerns about the potential display of undesirable content have prevented many commercial operators from using electronic display devices in the past. For example, such undesirable content may appear if a user or operator improperly operates the display system, or if the display device or a component of the display system that controls the display device is hacked.

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a display system that overcomes the problems discussed above. Summary of the invention

[0004] This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1. The subject of the invention is therefore a method of operating an electronic display system, wherein the display system comprises: a plurality of electronic display devices for displaying product and / or price information, wherein each product and / or price information is represented by a content data set, and a data provision system designed to provide the content data sets to said display devices, and wherein the method comprises the step of triggering an action if the number of identical and / or similar content data sets or representations thereof meets a criterion.

[0005] The measures according to the invention offer the advantage that it can thus be checked automatically by the display system (more precisely by one or more corresponding entities of the display system) whether identical or similar contents are prepared for display or displayed with an atypically large number of electronic display devices. Such situations give rise to the suspicion that an erroneous operation or manipulation of the system has occurred. The method therefore allows to automatically detect such situations and to automatically avoid the unobserved display of display contents (such as images and / or texts and / or videos and / or multimedia contents) that may have been created accidentally by a regular experiencer or deliberately by a hacker. All these contingencies could result in content being displayed that should not have been displayed at all, since otherwise this would lead to serious problems in the store and the store could be closed or become inoperable for a long time.

[0006] Further particularly advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention result from the dependent claims and the following description.

[0007] Typically, the display system may include a fewer or greater number of electronic display devices. The number of installed display devices may depend on the size of the store (eg, supermarket, warehouse, etc.) and / or the number of products or product groups sold in the store (etc.).

[0008] Such electronic display devices can be implemented as so-called electronic shelf labels (ESLs), which are mounted on shelf rails along the shelf rails close to the product groups or products with which they are logically linked. They usually include a low-power or near-zero-power display (e.g., implemented by electronic paper or electrophoretic technology) to show product and / or price information for the product group or product. The content shown by the display is provided by a content data set, which is sent to the ESL via a radio signal or based on a wire, and usually conveys (one or more) texts and / or (one or more) images that are sequentially displayed by the display.

[0009] Such an electronic display device may also be implemented as a so-called video fence, which includes one or more video screens mounted on (or along) a shelf fence or forming a shelf fence on its own. In contrast to an ESL, a video fence includes a video display and can therefore display a video with or without a virtual electronic shelf label embedded as content. A virtual electronic shelf label or any other text and / or image can be freely positioned along the display of the video fence and may also overlap with the video. Again, the content data set is provided to the video fence to convey the video(s) and / or virtual electronic label(s) or other content that are sequentially displayed by the display.

[0010] Such electronic display devices may also be implemented as smart posters, which allow for situation-specific display of content.

[0011] Preferably, the data provision system comprises a content data source that generates and / or provides respective content data sets for respective electronic display devices. The content data source may be implemented by a cloud-based (software and / or hardware) service or a local server in a supermarket location, wherein in both cases the software is executed on a respective computer architecture that processes (one or more) human-readable text or (one or more) pictures as content to be displayed by the respective electronic display device. The processing produces respective content data sets that are encoded in an appropriate data format and are typically supplied to the respective electronic display device in an addressed manner.

[0012] The content data set may also be received by the content data source from an external device or source, and the content data source may simply address or otherwise distribute the received content data set to the electronic display device.

[0013] Typically, the data supply system includes a communication network within the supermarket premises, which is connected to the content data source on the one hand and to a plurality of electronic display devices on the other hand. The communication network is designed to deliver the content data set to the corresponding electronic display device by radio signals and / or by wires. Such a communication network may include radio access points, each of which is designed to perform radio communications with a group of electronic display devices. Such a communication network may also include a router or a controller, etc., to which the electronic display devices are preferably connected in groups. Such a controller (sometimes referred to as a fence controller) can be installed at a shelf fence and controls the display devices installed at the shelf fence and implements a gateway to a communication network outside the shelf fence.

[0014] The data provision system typically includes store management software that maintains a database that stores the floor plan of the entire store, the shelves, the products on the shelves, and the electronic shelf labels or video fences linked to the corresponding products. Such a data structure is generally referred to as a planogram. The data provision system thus allows each individual electronic display device to be addressed to display individual content generated or defined by an authorized user of the display system or in an automatic manner. The store management software may be executed by the content data source or by another computer or cloud-based service.

[0015] The data provision system may further include one or more computer-based input devices that allow an authorized user of the display system to select or define (one or more) human-readable text or (one or more) pictures intended to be displayed by one or a group of electronic display devices. Such input devices may be, for example, computer terminals, personal digital assistants, mobile phones, tablet computers, etc. These input devices execute user interface software on their computer hardware, which is programmed to allow the user to perform appropriate user interactions with (one or more) human-readable text or (one or more) pictures and interact with the store management software. The input device further includes the hardware and software required to supply representations of (one or more) human-readable text or (one or more) pictures to the data provision system in digital form (e.g., in an intermediate data format) or as a content data set.

[0016] Typically, the data provision system as a subsystem of the display system may include the entire processing and communication equipment of the display system in addition to the electronic display device. Typically, the distribution of individual content data sets to the respective display devices is achieved by addressing the target display device by the data provision system to deliver the content data set in an addressed manner via a communication network. The data provision system is designed to generate content data sets that are specifically addressed by a content data source, or to receive all or part of the content data set and direct it in an addressed manner to the addressed electronic display device by means of a communication network.

[0017] Addressing can be achieved by pre-registering electronic shelf labels so that the data provision system knows the identity of the corresponding electronic display (e.g. via a unique identification code) and its reachability in the communication network and can therefore address it (e.g. using addressing data sent together with the content data set).

[0018] Depending on the addressing, the content data set concerned is then transported or communicated, respectively, in particular from the content data source via the communication network of the data provision system to the electronic display device indicated by the corresponding address.

[0019] The communication network comprises a plurality of network nodes at which addressing also takes place, so that the communicated content data set is propagated within the display system to the next communication network entity or final destination being the addressed electronic display device. The mentioned communication network node may be, for example, the mentioned router or access point, or even a fence controller at a shelf fence.

[0020] In the context of this patent application, the term "addressing" may have two different meanings.

[0021] Firstly, it may have a static meaning, which means making provision for addressed communications at any entity within the data provisioning system, which may be a source of content data or any node in the communication network.

[0022] Secondly, it can have a dynamic meaning, which means transmission in an addressed manner via a data provision system, in particular via a communication network.

[0023] The question of whether content data sets are identical or similar can be answered by directly analyzing the originals of the respective content data sets. Analysis of two or more originals of the respective content data sets can be performed at the file level, such as bit by bit / byte by byte / word by word / etc. Moreover, structural elements identified by, for example, pattern recognition in images can be used to identify identity or similarity between different images. However, directly analyzing the originals may place a significant payload on the computing power of components of the display system involved in the analysis process.

[0024] Therefore, it may be more efficient to perform analysis using only a simplified dataset (so-called representation) of the content dataset. The representation can be just a portion of the original content dataset. For example, in the case of images, the simplified dataset can cluster pixels by color or grayscale value, etc., which can then be compared between different simplified datasets to clarify whether the underlying images can be judged to be the same or similar.

[0025] In particular, a representation of a content data set is a hash value. A hash value is calculated from a data set (which represents, for example, text and / or an image) with the help of a hash function or a hash algorithm. Examples of hash functions used in security applications are provided, for example, in ISO / IEC 10118-3:2018 and can be applied in the present context. In the case of images, so-called image hashing is provided, which is a process of assigning a unique hash value to an image using an algorithm. Duplicate copies of an image (the same image) all have exactly the same hash value. For this reason, in digital image processing, the process of calculating a hash value is sometimes called a "digital fingerprint". Such a hash function can be applied in particular to check whether images or strings (usually multimedia data) are identical.

[0026] In order to check for similar content data sets, it is advantageous to create hash values ​​by perceptual hashing. As an example of implementing such an algorithm, one can mention "pHash", which is an open source perceptual hashing library (see http: / / www.phash.org, which teaches that "a perceptual hash is a fingerprint of a multimedia file derived from various features of its content". Unlike cryptographic hash functions that rely on an avalanche effect where small changes in the input lead to drastic changes in the output, perceptual hashes are "close" to each other if the features are similar). This means that in perceptual hashing, a mathematical algorithm analyzes the content of an image and uses a fingerprint (a numerical value) to represent this content. If the content features of two images are similar, the hash values ​​of these two images are "close" to each other. By comparing two image fingerprints (hash values ​​of similar images), similar images can be identified, for example, by the "deviation" of the hash values, which is particularly called the "Hamming distance". In general, the Hamming distance is the number of symbols that are different in two data blocks of the same length.

[0027] Given the already explained structure of the display system with its content data source and the communication network with network nodes, the evaluation of whether content data sets are identical or similar can take place directly at the content data source or at any communication network node within the communication network. Thus, if a software-based solution is implemented, each of these elements can be designed (in particular programmed) to perform the evaluation, in particular before the content data set involved in the evaluation is routed further downstream in the display system to the next entity of the display system. As an advantage, the identification of identical or similar content data sets can already be performed before the content data set is available at the addressed display device, in fact before the display device displays the represented product and / or price information conveyed by the separate content data set.

[0028] According to another embodiment, the judgment on whether the content data sets are the same or similar can also be made after the camera captures the scene in which there are multiple display devices. Such an addition can be installed, for example, on the ceiling of the store or directly at the shelf. The capture range of the camera is set so that the camera can see the display content shown by the display screen of the display device. The camera generates scene data representing the captured scene. If the processing power of the camera computer allows this, the scene data can be analyzed directly in the camera. If the processing power of the camera computer is too limited to perform this task in an effective manner or other situations dominate, after receiving the scene data from the camera, the scene data can also be analyzed at any other entity in the display system. Analyzing the scene data leads to an indirect judgment (about whether the content data sets are the same or similar) on each content data set, which is used to convey product and / or price information to each display device appearing in the captured scene. The analysis focuses on the content shown by each display screen and is performed by, for example, pattern recognition.

[0029] The criterion may consist of the fact of reaching, exceeding or falling below a certain threshold, for example. Such a threshold may be a static threshold (user / operator defined or automatically calculated), a functional threshold (eg time-dependent or special-dependent).

[0030] For example, if a certain percentage of display devices (e.g. more than 5%, 10%, 20%, 40% or 60% of the entire content data set, etc.) have displayed the same or similar content, it can be understood that the fixed threshold criterion is met. The same quantitative criterion can be evaluated by each entity of the data provision system when the content data set is propagated through the data provision system (this means when the content data set is transmitted in an addressed manner towards the electronic display device and the relevant display device still displays the product and / or price information or general information received earlier). Moreover, at the content data source, such an evaluation can be performed during the preparation of the content data set and / or during the designation of the designated address for transmission before the content data set is completely sent out.

[0031] However, weightings may also be considered in the definition of criteria. In addition to the frequency of occurrence of similar content, weightings of their similarity may also be used to define criteria.

[0032] For example, the time dependency of the standard may be given by the time of day. Such a dependency may cope with the situation where, during the closing hours of the store, the electronic display device may display the same or similar service information, whereas during normal business hours, the service information would normally not be displayed. Furthermore, during the inventory counting process, the number of identical or similar content data sets may depend on the level of completion of the inventory counting process and therefore vary over time. Thus, over time, the standard may be adjusted to a higher number of identical or similar content data sets before the action is triggered. This means that, depending on the time, different standards may be applied, which results in several standards being used within the store, each of which is used at a specific time or period.

[0033] There may also be a location-dependent aspect (or geographic aspect) in the definition of the criteria, which may result in spatial dependency of the criteria. For example, if the same or similar content is displayed close to each other, the action may be triggered earlier than when it is displayed far away from each other. However, if the same or similar content is displayed far away from each other, it may also be beneficial to trigger the action earlier than when it is displayed close to each other. The location-dependent aspect may also be defined by an absolute location or zone within the store. This allows, for example, the use of the expression "ice cold" for all content data sets intended for deep frozen products, or the use of the expression "bio" for all content data sets intended for bio groceries. This means that depending on the location, different criteria may be applied, which results in the use of several criteria within the store, each of which is used at a specific location or zone. For this purpose, location data may be provided. The location data may, for example, contain an identification of an access point (or another network node) to which an electronic display device or a camera that captures the electronic display device is connected. Such location data may also be extracted from a store's planogram available at a central data processing device (e.g., a content data source or a cloud-based service) or from a store's floor plan.

[0034] The standard can also be defined by artificial intelligence. Such artificial intelligence is trained on a computer with usual content (i.e. usual product and / or price information to be displayed by a display device). From this, the artificial intelligence can derive what type and amount of similar or even identical content can be judged as normal in a commercial location corresponding to the application area. For example, an artificial intelligence for a grocery store can be trained with different data than when it is used for a shoe store, and therefore accepts different levels of similarity as normal content. In this case, the artificial intelligence defines the standard in such a way that the type and amount of similar or identical content significantly exceeds the type and amount of similar or identical content in comparable situations.

[0035] In summary, it is emphasized that various aspects of the standard may be used exclusively or in any combination.

[0036] In all cases, the criteria include, in addition to potential other aspects as detailed above, an assessment of the frequency or number of occurrences of similar and / or identical content, respectively.

[0037] As an example, the check for satisfaction of the criteria includes a comparison of each content data set or representation of a content data set (e.g., each hash) with all other content data sets or representations (hashes) of other content data sets, and a determination of the number of identical or similar representations. Double counting may be avoided.

[0038] Once the criteria have been found to be met, it has proven advantageous that the action includes at least one of the following:

[0039] - Sending information about the fulfillment of the criteria to entities within the display system: This gives feedback to entities within the display system (particularly the content data source) and / or authorized users of the data provision system (e.g., operators) about the fact that the fulfillment of the criteria has been detected, and allows the content data source to automatically adjust erroneous or critical content, or allows the operator to manually adjust such content.

[0040] - Sending information about the fulfillment of the criteria to a communication device: Such a communication device could be, for example, a computer located in the supermarket back office or a mobile phone of an employee responsible for the operation of the display system. Thus, information about the fulfillment of the criteria can be automatically transmitted to a communication device capable of processing this information, which enables the person in charge to take appropriate action. The communication device can be a device independent of the data provision system or it can be a component of the data provision system. In particular, the communication device can also be an input device of the data provision system.

[0041] - Triggering of an optical or acoustic alarm: On the one hand, this helps to deter manipulators (hackers) in the event of a manipulation attempt performed on site. On the other hand, it gives an indication to the salesperson or even the on-site operator that the fulfillment of a criterion has occurred. The alarm can be visualized on the communication device or input device, respectively. The alarm can be emitted from a central point in the supermarket. The alarm can also be emitted from the relevant electronic display device (e.g. by means of a sound actuator), which allows a quick location of the relevant electronic display device.

[0042] - Documenting the fulfillment of standards: Thus, the fulfillment of standards can be set in a temporal or spatial context, which in turn enables further improvement of the reliability of the operation of the system and the system safety.

[0043] - Influencing the content displayed by at least one of the display devices: Thus, for example, instead of displaying potentially unwanted content on the display screen, a harmless content such as a blank screen or a predefined message or company logo may be displayed on the display screen. This may be performed on the relevant display device and / or any other display device, which in turn will give a visual indication of a significant problem to everyone involved in the operation of the display system anywhere within the store.

[0044] - Stopping the provision of content data sets to display devices, in particular to the addressed display devices: This means that after the criterion has been met, further preparation and / or distribution of content that led to the satisfaction of the criterion is prevented. This means that new content data sets representing potentially undesirable content are no longer used in the display system. When content is checked for the satisfaction of the criterion before it is transmitted to the electronic display device, potential damage or confusion can be prevented before it occurs. Otherwise, the damage or confusion caused might be limited to display devices that have shown the content represented by the content data set that led to the satisfaction of the criterion.

[0045] - Controlling the display devices for which the criteria are determined to be satisfied. Here, "for which the criteria are determined to be satisfied" should mean that the content data sets involved in satisfying the criteria are intended for specific electronic display devices, for example because they are addressed to these electronic display devices. This provides a clear identification (unambiguous identification) of the electronic display devices for which control is to be performed. Thus, the electronic display devices are linked to the content data sets involved in satisfying the criteria.

[0046] For example, in order to implement control of an electronic display device, a data provision system (particularly an access point and / or a content data source) is designed to transmit control data or control instructions to the display device, for which the satisfaction of the criteria is determined. For example, the control data may instruct the electronic display device to clear the screen.

[0047] It is particularly advantageous here if the control of a display device for which a criterion has been determined to be fulfilled comprises a rollback to a content data set or a representation thereof which is older than the content data set or the representation thereof which was included in the determination of the fulfillment of the criterion.

[0048] Thus, such an older content data set is a trusted content data set, in other words, a content data set that did not contribute to the satisfaction of the criterion in the past. In order to perform a rollback, the trusted older content data set may be sent to the display device again, instead of sending the new content data set that contributes to the satisfaction of the criterion to the display device. However, it has proven to be advantageous that the trusted content data set is already stored in the electronic display device, and that the rollback is performed by instructing the electronic display device to display the already stored trusted content data set on its display screen, instead of displaying the new content data set involved in the satisfaction of the criterion.

[0049] According to another aspect, the method includes tracking each content data set or representation thereof sent or intended to be sent to an electronic display device and indexing it to determine the number of times the same or similar content data sets or representations thereof are used.

[0050] An index is created based on the tracking.An index list is created for all content data sets (or representations thereof, such as hashes thereof), and the display device(s) to which the corresponding content data sets are sent or intended to be sent.

[0051] In fact, the index can be viewed as a table in which a particular index row is associated with a particular content data set (or its hash value). If the same or similar content data set is not assigned to any other electronic display device, then the particular index row lists only a single electronic display device. In contrast, if a particular display content or similar display content is used for at least two different electronic display devices, then the index row for such display content lists at least two display devices.

[0052] For example, the display devices are listed by their unique identification number or any other identifier used to identify or address each electronic display device in a display system.

[0053] Thus, using the index it is easy to verify (by counting) how many electronic display devices have been provided with the same content data set or with similar content data sets for each index row. Thus, according to a preferred embodiment, tracking and indexing forms the basis for determining the number of identical or similar content data sets used or to be used in a display system.

[0054] Satisfaction of the criteria can be easily checked by browsing the index and counting the electronic display devices listed in each index row. The index itself can be represented by a data structure stored at a desired entity within the display system where creation or evaluation of the index occurs, or where the index is evaluated to check whether the criteria are satisfied.

[0055] According to a preferred embodiment, the content data set represents an image as product and / or price information. Therefore, the method according to the present invention is applied to images used in a display system. Since images are typically data-intensive data structures, it is advantageous to use a hash of the image to perform the method of the present invention. This reduces the overall data processing workload and storage memory requirements in the display, because the use of hashes reduces the data volume of the image to a relatively compact string of symbols, which can be easily used to check the identity or similarity between individual images. Therefore, even with very limited computing power, it is easy to perform a check at each entity of the display system whether the same or similar images are used in the display system.

[0056] With regard to the use of images or any other form of visually perceptible information conveying elements (text, video) in the display system, it is mentioned that the content data set may also represent only a portion of the entire display capability (display surface area) of the display of the electronic display device. This portion may be used to update only the display segments / areas to which it is relevant. Thus, the method according to the invention may also check whether too many identical or similar image portions are used in the system, which may cause any concern due to their size and / or content.

[0057] Finally, it is mentioned that electronic devices (such as content data sources), entities of the communication network, and electronic display devices and other devices mentioned in the description of this patent application can be implemented with the help of well-known discrete and / or integrated electronic devices. If an interface is required, a person skilled in the art will be able to select and design appropriate interface circuits (radio transceivers or digital input and / or output circuits) to achieve data and / or signal communication. A programmable device may include a microprocessor and some peripheral electronic devices. Such a programmable device may also be implemented with the help of a microcontroller or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. Executing software routines on such a device provides the computer-implemented functions discussed herein.

[0058] These and other aspects of the invention are obtained from the figures discussed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] The present invention will be explained again below with reference to the accompanying drawings and based on exemplary embodiments, which however do not limit the scope of the present invention. In different figures, the same components are marked with the same reference numerals. The accompanying drawings are shown in an exemplary manner below:

[0060] Figure 1 is a first embodiment of a display system for executing the method according to the present invention;

[0061] Figure 2 is another embodiment of a display system;

[0062] Figure 3 is a flow chart visualizing the method according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] Figure 1A display system 1 installed in a supermarket is visualized. There is a first shelf 3A and a second shelf 3B representing a plurality of shelves in the supermarket. Each of the shelves 3A and 3B carries six electronic display devices 2, which in the present embodiment are implemented as electronic shelf labels and are hereinafter indicated as ESLs 2. Each ESL 2 comprises a data storage device (not shown) to store at least a displayed content data set representing product and / or price information displayed by a screen (shown in front of the ESL 2) of the corresponding ESL 2. The ESL 2 is fixed to the shelf fence at a location where the product is located on the shelf floor (not shown) to display the corresponding product and / or price information there.

[0064] The display system 1 further comprises a data supply system 5, which forms a subsystem of the display system 1. The data supply system 5 comprises a content data source 6 implemented by a computer, which also allows data to be input by an operator. The content data source 6 generates a content data set based on the input of the operator or based on a query from an external database, in which product and / or price information of several supermarkets (e.g., a supermarket chain) is stored. The data supply system 5 further comprises a communication network connecting the content data source 6 with a first access point 7A and a second access point 7B. The first access point 7A is radio-connected to the ESL 2 of the first shelf 3A to transmit the display data set to the ESL 2 of the first shelf 3A. The second access point 7B is radio-connected to the ESL 2 of the second shelf 3B to transmit the display data set to the ESL 2 of the second shelf 3B. In summary, in the content providing system 5, the content data source 6 provides a separate content data set for the ESL 2, which may be transmitted to the ESL 2 in question via the corresponding access point 3A or 3B via the communication network. As mentioned in the general description, content data sets conveying undesirable information or content may be provided separately. The following example demonstrates how to handle the occurrence of this type of content dataset.

[0065] Example I

[0066] exist Figure 1In the first example shown in , it is assumed that a new content data set has been transmitted to ESL 2 to update the content displayed by ESL 2. In each ESL 2, the new content data set is stored in a data storage device (digital memory unit) together with a previously received content data set called a trusted content data set. The ESL 2 of the first shelf 3A displays the correct product and price information. However, the ESL 2 of the second shelf 3B displays a triangle instead of product and price information. Each ESL 2 uses a perceptual hashing algorithm to generate a hash value of the displayed content, sometimes just called a "hash". Because all ESLs 2 of the second shelf 3B display the same (unexpected) content, all hashes of the ESL 2 of the second shelf 3B are the same. The generated hash is transmitted to one of the access points 7A or 7B via a radio connection, and is further transmitted to the content data source 6 via a communication network. The content data source 6 counts the occurrence (number of times) of the same (and similar) hashes, and recognizes that differences have occurred in the distribution of the content data set because the criteria for triggering an action have been met. In this case, the criterion is that more than three identical hashes appear.

[0067] Because the criteria are met, an action is triggered. The action in this exemplary embodiment includes: sending information about the satisfaction of the criteria to an external communication device, in particular to a mobile phone of an operator (not shown), via an Internet connection; and sending control data to the affected ESL 2 of the second shelf 3B. The control data instructs the ESL 2 to perform a rollback to display the product and / or price information represented by the trusted content data set stored in the data storage device of the corresponding ESL 2 of the second shelf 3B. As a result, the ESL 2 of the second shelf 3B will show valid product and / or price information instead of a triangle.

[0068] Example II

[0069] Reference again Figure 1 , a second example of a method of operating a display system is explained. In this example, it is assumed that all ESLs 2 display content represented by a trusted content data set that has been received by the ESL 2. A new content data set has been created by a content data source 6 and has been published by the content data source 6 to access points 7A and 7B to update the ESL 2.

[0070] In this example, access points 7A and 7B examine content data sets received from content data source 6, each of which is intended to be further routed to a corresponding ESL 2. Here, access points 7A and 7B generate a hash for each content data set received using a perceptual hashing algorithm, and each of access points 7A and 7B counts the number of identical and / or similar hashes and triggers an action if a criterion is met. For simplicity, the criterion for each access point 7A and 7B is again the presence of more than three identical or similar hashes.

[0071] The actions in this exemplary embodiment include: sending information about the fulfillment of the criteria to an external communication device, in particular to a mobile phone of an operator (not shown), via an Internet connection; and stopping or prohibiting the transmission of content data sets involved in the fulfillment of the criteria at access point 7B. Figure 1 In contrast to the situation shown in , the display triangle on ESL 2 of the second shelf 7B can be prevented before it occurs.

[0072] Example III

[0073] According to a third example, the content data source 6 itself may check the content for the fulfillment of criteria even before the content is transmitted to the access points 7A and 7B, and if the criteria are met, trigger (one or more) desired actions. In this example, at least one of the actions may be to completely avoid any publication of new content data sets. As a result, the propagation of undesirable content within the communication network is completely avoided. Again, with Figure 1 In contrast to the situation shown in , the display triangle on ESL 2 of the second shelf 7B can be prevented before it occurs.

[0074] Example IV

[0075] like Figure 2As shown in, the display system 2 according to the second embodiment includes a camera 4. The camera 4 includes an internal computer for performing image processing on the captured images and / or videos. The camera 4 captures both the shelves 3A and 3B and generates scene data representing the captured scene, in which the content displayed by each ESL 2 is visible. Because the shape of the ESL 2 is known to the computer of the camera 4, the content displayed by the ESL 2 can be easily found and interpreted in the scene data by means of pattern recognition. Therefore, the computer of the camera 4 generates a content data set actually displayed for each content captured from the scene data displayed by the ESL 2. The computer of the camera 4 compares the newly generated content data set for similarity or even identity. If the standard (more than three identical or similar content data sets or hashes thereof) is met, the action is triggered as described. In particular, here the camera 4 triggers the content data source 6 to transmit a control signal to initiate a rollback at the ESL 2 of the second shelf 7B. For this purpose, the camera is connected to the content data source 6, and is connected to the access points 7A and 7B via the content data source 6 and is therefore connected to the ESL 2. In contrast to the other described embodiments, this embodiment allows direct inspection of the content actually displayed, rather than just inspection of the content data set used to transport the content to the corresponding ESL 2.

[0076] In the following Figure 3 For reference, Figure 3 The flowchart of an embodiment of the method according to the present invention is shown. The corresponding steps of the method are automatically executed by the display system 1.

[0077] The method begins at Block 1 where content data sets are provided that are used within a display system to display product and / or pricing information via respective electronic display devices (ESL 2).

[0078] In box II, a hash value is calculated for each data set used.

[0079] In block III, based on the hash value, it is determined whether there is any identical or similar content data set that is intended for use or has been used at the electronic display device (ESL 2).

[0080] In Block IV, the number of identical or similar content data sets is determined.

[0081] In block V it is checked whether the determined number meets a criterion.

[0082] If it is determined at Block V that the criteria are met, the method branches to Block VI where a rollback to a previously used (trusted) content data set is performed to avoid using the content data set for which the criteria were determined to be met.

[0083] Thereafter, the method continues at Block VII where the trusted content data set for which the rollback was performed is used.

[0084] Thereafter, the method ends in Block VIII, where an operator of the display system or a control instance is notified of the occurrence of the criteria being met.

[0085] If it is determined at box V that the criteria are not met, the method branches to box IX, where the content data set for which the criteria are not met is used. Thereafter, the method ends at box IX until it is restarted at box I or, alternatively, the method continues at box I, as indicated by the arrow shown with a dashed line and pointing to box I.

[0086] In other words, the present invention provides a display system designed to detect global store display anomalies and automatic recovery. When a customer (or a bad actor) with access to the display system solution (legal or illegal) sends the same image or a very similar image to all or part of the ESLs in the store:

[0087] - The image can be a "normal" image, a harmful image, a blank image (all white, all black, etc.).

[0088] - Image sending may be caused by a "hacker" or by a legitimate (normal) call through a standard API (Application Programming Interface).

[0089] - Images may have been sent by mistake or with harmful intent.

[0090] - The image is displayed in x% of the store or the entire store.

[0091] This can cause serious problems in the store, and the store may be closed or cease operations for a long time.

[0092] The solution to this problem is:

[0093] - Tracks every image sent to ESL and indexes it,

[0094] - For each image sent, verify the number of ESLs that received the same image (or a hash of an image) or similar images.

[0095] - If the image (or its hash) is already in use on a high percentage of ESLs: stop the process of sending images to the ESL, roll back the suspect ESL to an older "trusted" image that is already on the ESL, alert the cloud service to the issue.

[0096] Finally, it is noted again that the figures described in detail above relate only to exemplary embodiments which can be modified in many different ways by experts without departing from the field of the invention. For the sake of completeness, it is also noted that the use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not mean that the corresponding feature cannot occur more than once.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic display system (1), in, The display system (1) comprises: - a plurality of electronic display devices (2) for displaying product and / or price information, wherein each product and / or price information is represented by a content data set; a data provision system (5) designed to provide said content data set to said display device (2), Therein, the method comprises the step of triggering an action if the number of identical and / or similar content data sets or representations of identical and / or similar content data sets meets a criterion.

2. The method according to claim 1, in, The representation of the content data set is a hash value.

3. The method according to claim 2, in, The hash value is created by perceptual hashing.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in, The actions include at least one of the following: - sending information about the fulfillment of said criterion to an entity within said display system (1), - sending information about the fulfillment of said criterion to the communication device, - triggering of an optical or audible alarm, - document the fulfilment of the stated standards, - affecting the content displayed by at least one of said display devices (2), - stopping providing the content data set to the display device (2), - controlling the display device (2) for which the criterion is determined to be fulfilled.

5. The method according to claim 4, in, Controlling of a display device (2) for which it has been determined that the criteria are satisfied includes rolling back to a content data set that is older than the content data set or representation of the content data set included in the determination that the criteria are satisfied.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The method includes tracking each content data set or representation of each content data set sent or intended to be sent to an electronic display device (2), and indexing each content data set or representation of each content data set to determine the number of times the same or similar content data sets or representations of the same or similar content data sets are used.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The content dataset represents images of the product and / or pricing information.

Images