Contactless Package Display Power via Shelf Electric Field
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic labels on shelves can only convey pricing information and do not effectively draw consumer attention to products, and providing active on-package promotions with built-in power and control electronics is impractical due to high costs and variability in package distribution and storage.
Innovation Solution
A merchandising system that includes a power and/or data distribution device associated with a package support system, allowing packages to couple electric fields or signals for sensory outputs like displays, audio, or light through contactless coupling, enabling remote power and control of on-package displays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If active on-package promotions with built-in power and control electronics are provided, then consumer attention and promotional effectiveness are improved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power source and control electronics from the package itself and relocates them to the shelf support system. This allows the package to display active promotional information without containing its own battery or control circuitry, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and device complexity while maintaining promotional effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf support system is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support for packages, delivers power to multiple packages simultaneously, and controls promotional displays. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate power sources in each package, reducing overall system complexity and manufacturing cost.
2Ease of manufacture
If on-package electronic displays are provided to draw consumer attention, then marketing effectiveness is improved, but cost becomes impractical due to package distribution and storage variations
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the power source from the package and placing it on the shelf, the system accommodates variations in package distribution and storage. Packages can be activated or deactivated based on their location on the shelf, allowing flexible adaptability without requiring each package to have its own power management system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically controls the activation of electronic displays on packages based on their position on the shelf. Power is supplied only to packages that are actively displayed, allowing the system to adapt to changing retail conditions, product availability, and promotional needs while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
3Loss of information
If electronic labels are used on shelves, then pricing information is conveyed, but consumer attention to actual products is not effectively drawn
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the traditional electronic label function (information display) with the package itself. The package becomes both the product container and the display medium, combining pricing information conveyance with attention-grabbing capabilities. This integration maintains information accuracy while significantly improving marketing effectiveness through direct product association.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables customizable and attention-grabbing on-package displays that can be controlled remotely, reducing costs by externalizing power and control electronics and allowing for dynamic advertising across multiple packages, enhancing retail marketing without the need for extensive frontage display.
Implementation Method 1
The necessary power and/or data to produce the sensory output can be obtained from a power distribution device that is external to the package and then conveyed to the sensory output means through a contactless coupling such as a capacitive coupling
Implementation Method 2
the package or at least portions thereof actually couples an electric field received from the power and/or data distribution device associated with the package support system to direct the electric field across an electric field sensitive display on the package
Data Source
AI summary
A merchandising system having a power distribution device associated with a package support system, and a package having a sensory output such as an image display capable of using power, data and/or signals provided from the power distribution device to produce a desired output when the package is associated with the package support system. Packaging materials of the package form the coupling medium for contactless coupling such as capacitive coupling of a controlled signal provided to the package support system to a display on the package.