Electronic Price Label Inventory Indication via Segmented Visual Cues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional price tag updates are laborious and prone to errors, and existing inventory management systems in retail environments cannot easily indicate which products have been inventoried and which have not, limiting the ability to conduct continuous inventory checks without closing the store.
Innovation Solution
An electronic price label system that includes indication means, such as LED lights or color-changing displays, to signal which products need to be inventoried, allowing for continuous inventory checks and enabling partial daily inventory without store closure, while maintaining customer convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual price tag updates are used, then price information can be changed, but the process is laborious and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical price tag updates with an electronic price label system that uses electronic displays and wireless communication. The system automatically receives price information from a central system via wireless communication (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other protocols) and updates the display accordingly, eliminating manual intervention and reducing errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic price label system performs self-updating of price information without requiring manual intervention. The label automatically receives updates from the central system and changes its display content autonomously, making the system serve itself rather than requiring human operators for each price change.
2Measurement precision
If continuous inventory checking is implemented, then product tracking accuracy improves, but store operations are disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the inventory checking process by using individual electronic price labels for different products or product groups. Each label can independently indicate its inventory status through visual cues (such as color changes or icons on the display), allowing selective inventory management without requiring a complete store shutdown for comprehensive counting.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic price label acts as an intermediary between the inventory management system and the physical products. It receives inventory status information from the central system and presents it to staff through visual indicators, enabling continuous monitoring without direct physical intervention in store operations.
3Loss of information
If electronic price labels with indication means are deployed, then inventory status visibility improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic price label integrates multiple functions into a single device: it displays price information, shows product details, and indicates inventory status. The indication means (such as color-changing displays or icon indicators) are incorporated into the existing display structure, allowing the same device to serve multiple purposes without requiring separate dedicated indicators for each function.
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 efficient and error-free price updates and continuous inventory management, allowing partial daily inventory checks without disrupting store operations, ensuring accurate product tracking and reducing labor-intensive manual updates.
Implementation Method 1
the indication means comprises a light source such as a LED-light source and indication can be implemented e.g. by turning on or off and/or flashing the light source
Implementation Method 2
the indication means is implemented by altering the colors of the display of the electronic price label in such a way, that the indication can be seen, e.g. by inverting the colors
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic price label system and an electronic price label, the electronic price label includes: a communication module for receiving product related information, a display for displaying product related information. The electronic price label further includes indication members which are configured to indicate that the products related to electronic price label have to be inventoried.