LOCALIZATION OF A DEVICE ON A SHELF RAIL

Description

Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to locating a device on a shelf rail. background

[0002] WO2017153481 A1 discloses a shelf rail system with a shelf rail that allows an electronic display device to be attached in the grid.

[0003] With this well-known shelf rail system, it has proven disadvantageous that the exact position of the display device must be recorded manually in order to make the position accessible for further electronic processing, e.g. in a planogram, etc.

[0004] The invention therefore aims to provide an improved shelf rail system that avoids the aforementioned disadvantages. Summary of the invention

[0005] This problem is solved by a shelf rail system according to claim 1. The subject matter of the invention is therefore a shelf rail system comprising a shelf rail and at least one shelf rail device attached to the shelf rail, wherein the shelf rail system has at least one sensor which is provided or configured for automatically determining the position of at least one shelf rail device attached to the shelf rail along the longitudinal extent of the shelf rail and / or for automatically determining the sequence of at least two shelf rail devices attached to the shelf rail along the longitudinal extent of the shelf rail.

[0006] The measures according to the invention have the advantage that the absolute position of a shelf rail device mounted in the shelf rail or the relative position of such a device is recorded fully automatically and made accessible to further computerized, i.e. electronic, processing.

[0007] Further, particularly advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention will result from the dependent claims and the following description.

[0008] The present invention is preferably used in a system of electronic shelf labels. The shelf rail is typically installed on the front edge of a shelf of a rack or other product placement item and serves to attach the electronic shelf labels, which constitute the shelf rail devices. These labels display product and / or price information and are generally referred to in technical jargon as "Electronic Shelf Labels," or ESLs for short. In such a system, the information to be displayed is transmitted to each ESL by a central control unit, such as a server or a cloud-based application, via an electronic communication network between the ESLs and the central control unit.The communication network can be implemented wirelessly, wired, or in a mixed configuration. For example, ESL access points can be connected to the central control unit via a LAN (Local Area Network), with each group of ESLs wirelessly assigned to one of the access points. In this configuration, the ESLs can be addressed directly via radio.

[0009] However, devices with other functionalities can also be used as shelf rail devices, for example, devices designed to detect temperature, capture an image and / or video, or record user interaction, etc.

[0010] However, it can also be provided that each shelf rail has an additional shelf rail device, namely a control device or a central interface for each shelf rail, also referred to as a shelf rail controller. This shelf rail controller can communicate with the central control device either wired or wirelessly, in particular via the aforementioned communication network. Within the shelf rail, it controls the other shelf rail devices attached to the shelf rail, and this control can be implemented wirelessly, but preferably via a wired connection. Such a shelf rail controller is positioned at the end of the shelf rail, i.e., at the left or right edge of the shelf rail.

[0011] The rack rail devices can be powered by batteries individually installed in the devices or by rechargeable batteries. Alternatively, power can be supplied wirelessly, for example via Power over WiFi. The rack rail controller can also serve as a central power supply unit for the rack rail devices mounted on the front of the rack rail, with the controller itself being powered by a central battery, Power over WiFi, or a wired connection.

[0012] According to an initial embodiment, it has proven particularly advantageous for the sensor to be integrated into the shelf rail device and to be designed to detect a coding element, preferably several coding elements, of the shelf rail. The coding elements thus extend along the longitudinal extent of the shelf rail and can be detected at their respective positions by a shelf rail device that can be positioned essentially at will along the shelf rail using the sensor.

[0013] The coding element can be implemented through different configurations, such as the following (but not limited to): as a location-specific, optically detectable coding element, such as a QR code, where the QR code is implemented position-specifically along the shelf rail and thus uniquely indicates a specific position, or a location-specific bar or color code, etc.; as a coding element that changes the shape or structure of the shelf rail in a position-specific manner, such as a feature that changes the surface of the shelf rail, such as a location-specific engraving, etc., or location-specifically arranged or shaped recesses, gaps or holes, etc.as a coding element whose electrical properties change gradually or (quasi-)continuously along the shelf rail, such as a resistance strip running along the longitudinal extension, which makes a different, location-specific resistance value detectable depending on the position of its contact, or a location-specific design which leads to a location-specific capacitive or inductive property of the shelf rail, such as location-specific coating or material thickness, etc.

[0014] The coding element must be attached or positioned on the shelf rail in such a way that it can be easily detected by the sensor integrated into the shelf rail device. Any area on the shelf rail directly adjacent to a shelf rail device installed in the rail is suitable for positioning. This could be, for example, a top rail, a bottom rail, or the central wall of the shelf rail, which typically corresponds to the back wall of the shelf rail device installed in the rail.

[0015] If the shelf rail has an area adjacent to the shelf rail device inserted into the rail, which is typically not visible or only with difficulty visible to a customer during normal use of the shelf rail – such as a downward-facing shaft into which the shelf rail device is inserted to attach it to the rail – then it can be advantageous to place the coding element there, thus concealing it from the view of customers or staff. The coding element positioned in this way is also safely protected from environmental influences and potential damage.

[0016] Depending on the coding element used, it has proven advantageous for the sensor to be adapted to the coding element to be detected, i.e., specifically, for the sensor to be designed for mechanical, electrical, in particular resistive or inductive or capacitive, or optical detection of the coding element or elements.

[0017] Sensors designed for optical detection can be implemented, for example, using a CCD sensor (CCD stands for "Charged Coupled Device") or a combination of a light-emitting diode and a phototransistor. Since the shelf rail device, positioned along the shelf rail, covers the optically detectable coding element, thus preventing or obstructing light from reaching it, it can be advantageous for the sensor or the shelf rail device to have a lighting element (e.g., one or more LEDs) that is designed and positioned to illuminate the optically detectable coding element. If the optically detectable coding element is detected on the back of the shelf rail device using the sensor located there, the lighting element will also illuminate the optically detectable coding element from the back of the shelf rail device.Preferably, the rear side is designed such that, where the illumination and the detection of the coding element are to take place, it does not directly contact the shelf rail. This illumination element can be mounted on the rear of the shelf rail device. However, the illumination element can also be mounted on the side of the shelf rail device and illuminate the shelf rail extending behind it. Alternatively, the sensor can be aligned or positioned to detect the section of the shelf rail extending laterally alongside the shelf rail device. In this case, the illumination element is optional. If it is included, however, it can be oriented so that it illuminates the section of the shelf rail extending alongside the shelf rail device that is detected by the sensor.

[0018] Sensors designed for mechanical detection can, for example, have a mechanical element that can be moved depending on the specific configuration of the coding element. This displacement is then electronically detected and processed within the sensor. Torsion bars, strain gauges, and similar devices can also be used for this purpose.

[0019] Sensors designed for electrical detection can, for example, be based on measuring the value of an electrical resistance or its change, on measuring the induction of a coil or conductor loop or its change, or on measuring the capacitance of a capacitor or its change. Ultimately, a voltage drop or current flow altered by inductive or capacitive influence is detected.

[0020] However, according to a specific design, it has proven particularly advantageous for the coding elements to be formed by recesses in the shelf rail, especially in at least one wall of the shelf rail, along its longitudinal extent. This constitutes a location-specific structural feature of the shelf rail along its longitudinal extent. The design on a central wall of the shelf rail has proven particularly advantageous, as it is always positioned directly adjacent to a shelf rail device inserted into the rail, and may even be designed to abut or be in contact with the device. This ensures reliable and secure detection of the coding elements by the sensor of the shelf rail device.

[0021] In this context, the fact that the recesses are formed in a grid has proven to be advantageous. This ensures that the coding elements are positioned at consistent intervals along the length of the shelf rail.

[0022] It is particularly noteworthy that the recesses serving as coding elements are also designed and configured for the force-transmitting fastening of the shelf rail device to the shelf rail. The recesses thus advantageously serve a dual purpose. The force-transmitting fastening function is achieved through the positioning and dimensioning of the recesses, which are adapted to the corresponding fastening elements of the shelf rail devices, allowing these fastening elements to interact with the recesses to transmit force and thus hold the shelf rail device in its intended position within the shelf rail.

[0023] The function as a coding element is achieved in the recesses by the fact that the recesses differ in terms of their shape and / or their dimensions.

[0024] To ensure that the coding elements are clearly distinguishable, it is preferably provided that all recesses are different from each other.

[0025] To ensure the simplest possible capture of the code transmitted by the coding element, it has proven particularly efficient for the coding elements to differ in one, and preferably only one, aspect, and for each aspect to occur only once. With regard to the previously discussed recesses, this can preferably be the height of the respective recess. It is assumed here that the height is measured perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the shelf rail in the plane of the aforementioned central wall of the shelf rail. This has the advantage that the arrangement of the recesses in the grid remains unaffected.In this design, for example, it can be provided that a large part of the shape of the recesses remains unaffected by the coding and is therefore available for force-transmitting fastening without any influence, and only a relatively small area of ​​the recess has the coding through a height that varies from recess to recess. This design can be implemented, for example, by a slot of varying length from recess to recess, which extends beyond the basic height dimension into the central wall of the shelf rail and into which a measuring rod or probe can be inserted according to the respective length of the slot.

[0026] Furthermore, it has proven particularly advantageous if a dimension characterizing the attribute differs from one coding element to the next by only one unit. This dimension can be, for example, a fraction of a millimeter or more, such as on the order of one millimeter. This measure essentially corresponds to the implementation of the Gray code known from digital technology on the shelf rail system, especially its structural or mechanical form. This measure offers the particular advantage that a position along the shelf rail can be easily and robustly coded, and, above all, erroneous readings of the respective coding element can be easily detected.

[0027] In contrast to the previous discussion, where the shelf rail itself was used to encode the position, another design, which does not utilize the shelf rail as a coding element, allows for the sensor to be integrated into the shelf rail device and used to determine the distance along the shelf rail to an adjacent object relative to the device. Such a design can be implemented, for example, by having each shelf rail device contain a time-of-flight sensor, oriented essentially parallel to the longitudinal extent of the shelf rail with respect to its transmit and receive characteristics, and serving to determine the distance to the adjacent shelf rail device or another object bounding the shelf rail.For example, if a shelf rail controller is present and a first shelf rail device is inserted into the shelf rail, the absolute position of this first device can be measured using the shelf rail controller. From this point on, the shelf rail controller, as well as the inserted shelf rail device, can be used to check whether another shelf rail device is inserted, either between the already inserted device and the shelf rail controller, or between the already inserted device and the end of the shelf rail. This process, which repeatedly checks whether another shelf rail device is inserted between two devices already in known positions, can be repeated for any number of shelf rail devices up to the maximum capacity of the shelf rail.However, this measure can also be used to determine that a shelf rail device has been removed from the shelf rail because this changes the distance between two shelf rail devices located in known positions, or the distance between the shelf rail controller and the nearest shelf rail device remaining in the shelf rail, or the distance from the shelf rail device remaining in the shelf rail to the end of the shelf rail.

[0028] According to another design, each rack rail device can also be configured to have at least one transmitter for inter-rack rail communication as its sensor, and to provide the result of communication and / or signal transmission between two adjacent rack rail devices for determining position and / or sequence. In this configuration, for example, each rack rail device can be configured to send and receive infrared signals essentially in the plane of the rack rail or parallel to it. This allows for signal or information transmission from one adjacent rack rail device to the next. This information transmission can, for example, include the exchange of the identity of the immediately adjacent rack rail devices.Each rack rail device receiving the identity of its neighboring unit can also record whether the reception is from the left or right side. In the case of the rack rail device implementing the rack rail controller, this reception can, of course, only occur from one side. The resulting proximity relationship between the rack rail devices can be made available by each device for further processing, for example, by the rack rail controller or the central control unit, and is transmitted to these entities for further processing.

[0029] According to another design, it can also be provided that the sensor is designed to detect a signal propagating along the shelf rail, in particular to measure the time of flight of a mechanically excited, preferably acoustic, signal.

[0030] Therefore, the electrical signal propagation as such along the shelf rail, for example along a bus system or a line, etc., can also be detected with the help of a suitably adapted sensor and, based on the propagation parameters, such as the signal strength at the respective location of the shelf rail or the signal attenuation present there, or the timing of the signal propagation, such as the time offset between the transmission and the return transmission or the reception of the return transmission or the reception of a reflected signal, can be used to determine the absolute position or the relative position of shelf rail devices along the shelf rail.

[0031] Preferably, the propagating signal is a signal generated by mechanical excitation that propagates along the shelf rail within the shelf rail. This signal can be generated, for example, by a vibration generation device integrated into the shelf rail unit. This vibration generation is started or triggered, for example, by a second shelf rail unit positioned at a distance from the first, perhaps through electronic communication between the two units. The vibration generation device of the first shelf rail unit introduces the vibrations into the shelf rail, where they propagate along the shelf rail within the shelf rail material, and the elapsed time from the start of the vibration generation (or from the start of the vibration generation) is measured.from their communication-technical initiation) up to the arrival of the vibrations at the second shelf rail device, which is measured by the second shelf rail device.

[0032] The vibration is preferably an acoustic signal, meaning a signal that can also be heard. The audibility of the signal can be differentiated as follows: it can be audible to animals but not to humans, or it can be audible to both animals and humans. If the signal is audible only to animals, it can be used not only for location tracking but also to keep animals out of the premises. However, if the signal is also audible to humans, it can be used for signaling purposes, such as a fire alarm.The acoustic signal can be generated, for example, by means of a piezoelectric loudspeaker or, more generally, a sound transducer, which is installed in the respective shelf rail device, in such a way that it is in contact with the shelf rail as much as possible in order to ensure optimal signal transmission into the shelf rail.

[0033] The shelf rail controller mentioned earlier is particularly preferred as the device that starts or initiates the signal transmission. This controller also addresses, and thus selectively controls, the individual shelf rail devices installed on the same rail. However, if no shelf rail controller is used, the individual shelf rail devices can also mutually initiate the transmission of the signal propagating along the shelf rail in order to determine their relative position.

[0034] Each shelf rail device designed to receive the signal propagating along the shelf rail has a signal receiver, which is preferably positioned or designed to rest against the shelf rail to ensure trouble-free, and in particular optimal, signal acquisition. Preferably, such a signal receiver can be implemented using a piezoelectric MEMS microphone. MEMS stands for Micro-Electronic-Mechanical Systems. However, other signal receivers, e.g., coil-based ones, can also be used.

[0035] According to a specific design, it proved particularly advantageous that the racking system, as one of its racking components, includes the racking control unit, which is designed to control, and in particular supply electrical power to, at least one other racking component attached to the racking rail, especially an electronic racking display, a racking camera, a racking temperature and / or humidity sensor, or a racking input unit. As mentioned, the racking control unit can also advantageously be involved in determining the absolute position(s) as well as the relative positions of the other racking components attached to the racking rail and serve as a central racking gateway to make the racking component configuration present on the racking rail accessible to the central control unit.

[0036] A particularly efficient and advantageous design with the rack rail control device exists when the rack rail has a wiring system, in particular a wiring system with exactly three conductors, wherein the rack rail control device is connected to the wiring system and at least one other rack rail device contacts the wiring system. Wired operation in the rack rail enables reliable determination of the position or sequence of the rack rail devices, which can be carried out, in particular, without being affected by any external radio signals that may be present in the rack rail.

[0037] Finally, it should be mentioned generally that the electronic devices discussed naturally contain electronics. These electronics can be discrete, integrated, or a combination of both. Microcomputers, microcontrollers, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may also be used, possibly in combination with analog or digital electronic peripherals. Many of the devices' functionalities are implemented—possibly in conjunction with hardware components—using software running on a processor within the electronics. Devices designed for radio communication typically include an antenna configuration for transmitting and receiving radio signals as part of a transceiver module. The electronic devices may also have an internal power supply, which could be, for example, a replaceable or rechargeable battery.The devices can also be powered via a wired connection, either through an external power supply or via "Power-over-LAN".

[0038] These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the figures discussed below. Character description

[0039] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures and exemplary embodiments, to which, however, the invention is not limited. In the various figures, identical components are provided with identical reference numerals. They show schematically: Fig. 1 a shelf rail system according to the invention with three shelf rail devices attached to a shelf rail in a view from a slanted front; Fig. 2 the shelf rail system in a view from a rear oblique angle with visible recesses as mechanical coding elements; Fig. 3A shelf rail device fully inserted into the shelf rail, viewed from the side along the shelf rail; Fig. 4 the mechanical interaction between the recesses and the shelf rail device; Fig. 5 the shelf rail system with a device for determining the sequence of the two shelf rail devices attached along the front of the shelf rail. Description of the exemplary implementations

[0040] The Figure 1Figure 1 shows a shelf rail system 100, which has a shelf rail 1 with three shelf rail devices, namely a shelf rail controller mounted at the edge, hereinafter referred to as controller 40, and two shelf labels mounted at the front, hereinafter referred to as electronic display units 20, which are positioned along the longitudinal extent of the shelf rail 1 and which serve to display product and / or price information and for this purpose have a screen 24 on their front, wherein the respective product and / or price information was transmitted to them by a server 60, which is connected by cable to an access point 70, by means of a radio communication 71 of the access point 70 with the controller 40.

[0041] The display unit 20 has display unit electronics (not shown in detail). The controller 40 has controller electronics (not shown in detail). At least partially visible in the illustration is the Figure 1 also a conductor carrier 5, which carries three conductor tracks 6 (not visible here - see, however Figure 3 ) carries which forms the electrical connection between the controller electronics and the display unit electronics for communication between the controller 40 and the respective display units 20 and the electrical supply of the respective display units 20.

[0042] The Figure 2Figure 1 shows the rear of the shelf rail system 100. In this view, the display units 20 are not visible, and the server 60, access point 70, and radio communication 71 are not shown. However, a sequence of essentially rectangular recesses 13 arranged in a grid along the longitudinal extent of the shelf rail 1 is clearly visible. These recesses serve both for the mechanical fastening of the display units 20 and for determining the position of each display unit 20 along the longitudinal extent of the shelf rail 1.

[0043] In the Figures 1 and 2 The top O and the bottom U are also shown in relation to the shelf rail system 1 in order to be able to refer to them subsequently by means of "top" and "bottom".

[0044] The recesses 13 are, with respect to their height H (see Figure 4The recesses 13 are formed slightly differently, with the height H increasing by approximately 0.1 mm from one recess 13 to the next, starting from an initial height at the edge of the shelf rail 1. All upper edges of the recesses 13, oriented towards the top surface O, are aligned with a line or plane. The different heights of the recesses 13 thus extend towards the bottom surface U. These slight height differences are not visible in detail in the schematic representation of the figures, but can be detected by a sensor 99 of the display unit 20, which will be discussed further below.

[0045] In the Figure 3 The interaction of one of the display units 20 with the shelf rail 1 is shown in detail, wherein the shelf rail 1 has been cut laterally next to the display unit and the display unit 20 is fully inserted into the shelf rail 1.

[0046] The shelf rail 1 has a first boundary wall 2 (reference wall 2), which is shown vertically in the figure.

[0047] At its upper end, the first boundary wall 2, or reference wall 2, transitions into a second boundary wall 3. In this embodiment, the second boundary wall 3 and the reference wall 2 are manufactured as a single piece from, for example, steel or aluminum.

[0048] Between the reference wall 2 and the second boundary wall 3 there is a receiving area 4, bounded on two sides by these walls 2 and 3, for receiving the display unit 20.

[0049] On the side of the display unit 20, i.e. measured in the spatial area of ​​the recording area 4, an acute angle 8 of approximately 53° is formed between the reference wall 2 and the second boundary wall 3.

[0050] The second boundary wall 3 has a receiving shaft 7 in which the conductor carrier 5, designed as a conductor carrier plate, is inserted. The conductor carrier 5 is adapted to the shape of the receiving shaft 7 on the side that is inserted into it, i.e., it is essentially T-shaped. The conductor carrier 5 is perpendicular to the image plane of the receiving shaft 7. Figure 1 It can be moved out of or into this space in order to insert it there or to remove it from there.

[0051] The conductor tracks 6 supported by the conductor carrier 5 are each made of a single-core copper wire 6 and are designed without an insulating layer. More than 50% of the cross-section of the wires 6, approximately two-thirds of the radial dimension, is embedded in the conductor carrier 5. The wire 6 closest to the second boundary wall 3 is the power supply line, the middle conductor track 6 is the signal supply line, and the conductor track 6 furthest from the second boundary wall 3 is the reference potential line. The wires 6 are arranged on the side of the conductor carrier 5 facing the reference wall 2 and form the lines of a bus system for the shelf rail 1.

[0052] The conductor support 5 and the reference wall 2 each have a first dimension (longitudinal extent) that represents the length measured out of or into the plane of the image, respectively, where in this embodiment both are the same size and, for example, approximately 1.5 m long. However, other lengths can also be provided for the shelf rail 1.

[0053] The conductor support 5 has a second dimension (height) that represents the vertical extent of the conductor support 5. Correspondingly, the reference wall 2 has a third dimension (height) that represents the vertical extent of the reference wall 2. Figure 1This embodiment specifies that the second dimension of the conductor carrier 5 is approximately 40% of the third dimension of the reference wall 2. In this embodiment, the second dimension is approximately 3 cm. The conductor carrier 5 is manufactured from insulating polypropylene using an injection molding process, with the wires 6 already embedded during the manufacturing process of the conductor carrier 5.

[0054] The second boundary wall 3 has a nose- or hook-shaped edge area 12 at its end, which overlaps the display unit 20 at the top.

[0055] The display unit 20 is in Figure 1 positioned so that it can be inserted into the shelf rail 1 from below in a straight line parallel to the reference wall 2 in the direction of the second boundary wall 3.

[0056] The display unit 20 comprises a housing 21 with a rear panel 22. The rear panel 22 represents the part of the housing 21 that, when inserted into the shelf rail 1, is closest to the reference wall 2. Opposite the rear panel 22 is a front panel 23, which houses the screen 24. The front panel 23 has a step at its upper end, designed to receive the edge section 12 of the shelf rail 1. Between the front panel 23 and the rear panel 22, the housing 21 is formed by a side panel 25. The side panel 25, which runs along the top of the display unit 20, has a cable carrier groove 26, the vertical walls of which run substantially parallel to the rear panel 22. The cable carrier groove 26 is designed to receive the cable carrier 5 and is dimensioned to accommodate it.

[0057] The housing 21 has openings on its rear side in the conductor carrier groove 26 through which contacts protrude from the housing 21 into the conductor carrier groove 26. The contacts are implemented by a group of metallic contact strips 27. Each contact strip 27 has a first end section that is soldered to the display unit electronics. Furthermore, the contact strip 27 has a second end section that is designed or shaped for contact with one of the wires 6. The second end section has a raised shape as a contact zone.

[0058] In the Figure 4A section of the shelf rail 1 and the display unit 20 are visible from the rear. Each display unit 20 has a mounting mechanism, of which only two mounting hooks 33 and a coupled button 34 are visible outside the housing of the display unit 20. The rear panel 22 has mounting openings through which the mounting hooks 33 protrude. When the button 34 is not pressed, a spring installed internally in the housing presses the mounting hooks 33 downwards against the lower end of the recesses 13, thereby pressing or moving the display unit 20 upwards into the shelf rail 1. The mounting hooks 33 can be moved downwards according to the respective height of the recess.

[0059] The extent of the movement of the fastening hooks 33 is detected by means of a sensor 99, which converts the mechanical movement of the fastening hooks 33 into an electrical signal, which is detected by the display unit electronics and transmitted via communication through the conductor tracks 6 to the shelf rail controller 40 using a digital representation thereof, where the controller electronics, knowing the individual height of each dimension at the respective position along the shelf rail and the expected signal value (or its expected value range) of the sensor there, determines or decodes the absolute position of the respective display unit.The shelf rail controller 40 can transmit the determined absolute position along the shelf rail 1 wirelessly to the server, where this position is recorded with knowledge of the affected shelf rail 1, which is uniquely identified by the identifier of the communicating shelf rail controller 40, because this connection between the shelf rail 1 and the shelf rail controller 40 is predefined.

[0060] The sensor 99 can detect the movement of both fastening hooks 33 or only one fastening hook 33.

[0061] Furthermore, the following points should be noted: Figure 5The document discusses a configuration of the shelf rail system 100 for determining the sequence of the display units 20 attached to the front of the shelf rail 1. In this configuration, each display unit 20 has a left-side transmitter LT and a right-side transmitter RT as sensor 99. This is intended to enable unidirectional communication between the display units 20 installed on the front of the shelf rail 1. If this is not necessary, for example, the left-side transmitter LT can be configured only as a receiver and the right-side transmitter RT only as a transmitter. The shelf rail controller 40 also has a transmitter T as sensor 99, for which the analogous considerations apply; that is, if it is only used for receiving, it can only be configured as a receiver.Each shelf rail device 20 and 40 is identified by a unique code ID1, ID2, and ID3, which is stored in the respective electronics of the shelf rail device 20 and 40. The transmitters LT, RT, and T are designed for infrared light-based communication.

[0062] To determine the sequence of the display units 20 attached to the front of the shelf rail 1, the shelf rail controller 40 puts the display units 20 into a sequence-determination mode. In this mode, each display unit 20 sends its unique code ID1 and ID2 via its right-side transmitter RT to the adjacent shelf rail device, i.e., either to the right-side display unit 20 or to the shelf rail controller 40. If a code is also received via the left-side transmitter TL from a shelf rail device positioned on the left, as is the case with the right-side display unit 20, this received code ID1 is also transmitted via the right-side transmitter RT of the right-side display unit 20 and marked as the left-side received code ID1.

[0063] Generally speaking, in this type of communication the number of communicated codes increases from display unit 20 to display unit 20, whereby it is also specified that this involves one or more codes received on the left side, which are transmitted on the right side together with the user's own code.

[0064] Ultimately, in this example, the shelf rail controller 40 receives both codes ID1 and ID2, specifying their order, from which the sequence of the display units 20 on the front of the shelf rail 1 is directly derived. The shelf rail controller 40 communicates this result, along with its own code ID3, via radio communication 71 to the server 60, where this sequence is stored for the respective shelf rail 1.

[0065] Finally, it should be noted once again that the figures described in detail above are only exemplary embodiments, which can be modified in various ways by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For the sake of completeness, it should also be noted that the use of the indefinite articles "a" or "an" does not preclude the possibility that the features in question may be present multiple times.

Claims

1. Shelf rail system (100) comprising - a shelf rail (1) and - at least one shelf rail device (20, 40) attached to the shelf rail (1), - wherein the shelf rail system (100) comprises at least one sensor (99) which is provided and designed to automatically determine the position of at least one shelf rail device (20) attached to the shelf rail (1) along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail (1) and / or to automatically determine the sequential order of at least two shelf rail devices (20) attached to the shelf rail along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail (1), characterized in that the sensor (99) is installed in the shelf rail device (20) and is designed to detect a coding element, preferably a plurality of coding elements, of the shelf rail (1), wherein the coding elements are formed by recesses (13) in the shelf rail (1) along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail (1).

2. Shelf rail system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor (99) is designed for mechanical, electrical, in particular resistive or inductive or capacitive, or optical detection of the coding element or coding elements.

3. Shelf rail system (100) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the coding elements are formed by recesses (13) in the shelf rail (1) in at least one shelf rail wall (2) along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail (1).

4. Shelf rail system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the recesses (13) are formed in a grid.

5. Shelf rail system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the recesses are provided and designed for the force-transmitting attachment of the shelf rail device (20) to the shelf rail (1).

6. Shelf rail system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein the recesses (13) differ in terms of their shape and / or their dimensions.

7. Shelf rail system (100) according to claim 6, wherein all recesses (13) differ from one another.

8. Shelf rail system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 7, wherein the coding elements differ in terms of one, in particular only one, of their peculiarities and each peculiarity occurs only once.

9. Shelf rail system (100) according to claim 8, wherein a measure (H) characterizing the peculiarity differs by only one unit of measurement from one coding element to the next.

10. Shelf rail system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor (99) is installed in the shelf rail device and is used to determine the distance along the shelf rail (1) to an adjacent object in relation to the shelf rail device (20, 40).

11. Shelf rail system (100) according to claim 1 or claim 10, wherein each shelf rail device (20, 40) comprises at least one transmitter (TL, TR) for inter-shelf rail device communication as the sensor (99), and the respective shelf rail device (20, 40) is designed to provide the result of a communication and / or signal transmission between two adjacent shelf rail devices (20, 40) for the purpose of determining the position and / or the sequential order.

12. Shelf rail system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor (99) is designed to detect a signal propagating along the shelf rail (1), in particular to measure the transit time of a mechanically excited, particularly preferably acoustic, signal.

13. Shelf rail system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shelf rail system (100) comprises, as one of the shelf rail devices, a shelf rail control device (40) which is designed for the control, in particular also the electrical power supply, of at least one other shelf rail device (20) attached to the shelf rail (1), in particular an electronic shelf rail display or a shelf rail camera or a shelf rail temperature and / or humidity detection device or a shelf rail input unit.

14. Shelf rail system (100) according to claim 13, wherein the shelf rail (1) comprises a conductor system, in particular a conductor system comprising exactly three conductors (6), wherein the shelf rail control device (40) is connected to the conductor system and the at least one other shelf rail device (20) contacts the conductor system.