Background of the invention

The object of the invention is a method as defined in the preamble of claim 1.

The object of the invention is also a system as defined in the preamble of claim 12.

The invention relates generally to monitoring the presence of objects in a storage unit.

It has been noticed that it is important in a retail store from, among other things, the viewpoint of sales of products that the products are placed in the front part of the storage unit, display rack, shelf, shelf location or corresponding storage location. It is then easy for customers to notice products and they are easy to take from the storage unit and transfer to e.g. a shopping trolley. When the sales volume of products is high, the products in a storage unit, shelf location or corresponding storage location diminish quickly. In this case more products must be brought to a storage unit, such as to a shelf, and/or products in the rear part of a storage unit , such as of a shelf, must be moved nearer to the front edge of the storage unit, such as of a shelf. Known in the art, particularly in the retail sector, are systems for monitoring the fill rate of shelving, the purpose of which is to avoid situations in which a good or product has become depleted from the shelf or from a corresponding storage location.

US 2008/077510 presents a camera, which is arranged to monitor the status of shelves.

US 5703785 presents the use of LED light sources and light detectors for monitoring the status of shelves.

US 5671362 presents the use of sensors that react to weight for monitoring the status of shelves.

The solutions used nowadays for monitoring fill rate require either a line of sight to the shelving and to its products or they require a lot of different installation jobs or special shelf solutions, in which case they are expensive to install e.g. into existing shelving solutions. In addition, the solutions typically used are typically based on continuous monitoring, in which case their energy requirement is quite large. That being the case, the shelving must be provided with an electricity supply.

On the other hand, arrangements for presenting and updating information in connection with the retail trade are known in the art. In these arrangements electronic display means of product information, such as of price information, arranged in connection with storage units are used e.g. in shelves, the information presented by which means can be changed e.g. from a control unit, which can be centralized or local. One such system is the ELLA Store Labels system, in which also a wireline or wireless arrangement can be used for transmitting information to/from the display means. The display means of product information can be based e.g. on electronic paper, which does not consume energy between changes of the information. An accumulator or battery that has a lifetime of years is used in these. In the system the display means comprise a receiver/transmitter, which receives from the system the information to be displayed and sends an acknowledgement to the system. One such type of system is disclosed in publication WO2006087424.

The aim of the invention is to achieve a new type of solution, by means of which the problems of prior art can be avoided.

Brief description of the invention

The invention is based on a concept in which a storage unit is provided with a sensor, the information given by which is requested every now and again, in which case the sensor activates and gives an on/off type of indication, the result of which is transmitted to the system. The sensor consumes energy only during the observation procedure. The information can be transmitted to the sensor by wireline or wirelessly. Preferably the data transmission means of the product information display system can be used also for transmitting sensor information.

The method of the invention is mainly characterized by what is disclosed in claim 1. The method of the invention is also characterized by what is disclosed in claims 2 - 11.

The system according to the invention is mainly characterized by what is disclosed in claim 12.

The system according to the invention is also characterized by what is disclosed in claims 13 - 22.

The solution according to the invention has a number of important advantages. With the system for a sensor being a sensor that transmits on/off data, the sensor arrangement can be considerably simplified. In addition, current consumption can be reduced, because the sensor is activated to perform an observation and to transmit observation data only when requested or at set intervals. This enables the use of a wireless sensor solution. This is a significant advantage e.g. in equipping the shelvings of stores with a system according to the invention. The alarm limit of a storage location can be simply set by using a sensor with an operating area that is only in a part of the volume or area of the storage location. A storage unit can be simply provided with sensors of different sizes, in which case the alarm limit is determined according to the size of the sensor. The sensor can be fitted directly to the surface of a storage unit. Alternatively the sensor can be arranged e.g. under the shelf surface or embedded into the shelf. The data transfer of the sensor is preferably bidirectional, in which case the sensor can be activated by means of the data transmission means. An observation request is transmitted to the sensor by aid of the data transfer means and observation data returns to the system. Data transfer is preferably wireless, at least partly. According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the data transfer and activation of a sensor is performed by means of a second data transmission system, at least partly, e.g. via the electronic price label system of the shop. The sensor is in this case preferably connected to a transmission unit of the electronic price display.

Brief description of the figures

In the following, the invention will be described in detail by the aid of some embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 presents a detail of a system that utilizes the invention, in connection with a shelf,

Fig. 2 presents a detail of one system according to the invention, and

Fig. 3 presents a simplified view of a second sensor utilized in the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

Fig. 1 presents a simplified view of a shelf 1 provided with a part of the system according to the invention. A plane surface is between the front edge 3 and the rear edge of the shelf 1 , on which surface the products placed on display can be arranged. The shelf can be divided into a number of units, which hereinafter are called storage units 100A, 100B 100C, 100D. For the sake of clarity, dashed lines have been marked between the adjacent storage units 100A, 100B; 100B ₁ 100C; 100C, 100D. Typically, but not necessarily, different products or product grades can be placed in different storage units.

It has been noticed in retail trade that it is advantageous, particularly in respect of the sales of products, to dispose the products 2 in the storage units of a shelf in the proximity of the front edge 3 of the shelf 1 , from where customers notice products more easily and from where they are easier to take.

In Fig. 1 the products 2 in the first storage unit 100A are disposed near the area of the storage unit 100A, in which case the storage unit, more particularly the shelf unit, is almost full. In the second storage unit 100B the products 2 are only in the rear part of the storage unit. The third storage unit 100C and the fourth storage unit 100D are presented in Fig. 1 without any products.

In the embodiment of the figure, at least one or more sensors 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D are arranged on the surface or under the surface of the storage unit, more particularly of the shelf. The sensor is of the type that detects whether a detectable object, such as a product 2, is in the operating area of the sensor or not. The sensor is preferably e.g. a capacitive proximity sensor in terms of its operating principle. A capacitive proximity sensor is able to detect the presence of an object in the operating area of the sensor also without physical contact between the object and the sensor. A sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D can be arranged in a storage unit, more particularly on a shelf, e.g. as a film, which is fixed to the surface of the storage unit, such as to the shelf surface. On the other hand, a sensor can be arranged under a storage unit, such as a shelf level, or inside a shelf, because contact between the sensor and the object to be detected is not needed. In Fig. 1 the operating area A1 of the sensor 5C of a third storage unit 100C is marked in the figure. The operating area A1 of the sensor 5C covers a part of the storage location 100C in the embodiment of Fig. 1. The operating area A1 of the sensor 5C extends a distance X1 from the front edge 3 of the storage location, such as of the shelf. The operating area of the sensor extends in the embodiment of the figure for the width Y of the storage location l OOC.The sensor 5C in the embodiment of the figure is thus arranged to detect whether there is a product in the area A1 in the front part of the storage location 100C. In the embodiment of the figure A1=X1 ^* Y. In the embodiment of the figure there is no sensor in the area A2 in the rear part of the storage location. In the embodiment of the figure A2= X2 ^* Y. By using sensors of different sizes or sensors with an operating area of different sizes the detection area or detection volume, from which the sensor receives information of whether products are in the area/space or not, of the storage unit can be influenced in a simple way. In this case the alarm limit of the fill rate of the storage unit can also be simply influenced, for which alarm limit when realized the sensor gives alarm information, i.e. indicates that there are no longer any products in the area.

An indication of whether there are detectable objects in the operating area of a sensor or not is taken from only a part of the storage unit, such as of the shelf unit. A storage unit can be e.g. the size of the whole area/volume of a shelf or of only a part of the area/volume of a shelf. The alarm limit is determined according to the fill rate of the shelf .

If the operating area of one or more sensors 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D extends a distance of X1 from the front edge of a storage unit 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, the alarm limit is set to a fill rate of (1 - X1/(X1 +X2)) ^* 100% of the full capacity of the storage unit, where the area of the storage unit is A= (X1 +X2) ^* Y and the operating area of the sensor extends essentially for the whole width Y of the storage unit and the depth of the storage unit is X1 + X2. A sensor can be arranged on another surface than on the floor of a storage unit or on the shelf surface of a shelf.

The system according to the invention also comprises means 10, by the aid of which the indication given by a sensor about whether there is a detectable object in its operating area or not is transmitted to the information system 20 and/or to a display means and/or to an alarm means. On the basis of the indication an alarm can be given to the personnel or to the storage system to fill the storage unit, more particularly the shelf unit, with products, and/or to move products to the front part of the storage unit, more particularly of the shelf, from the rear part of the shelf.

Information about an indication is transmitted to a connection unit 10. The information can be transmitted preferably wirelessly from a transmission unit 41 (Fig. 2) arranged in connection with or in the proximity of one or more sensors 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D. The transmission unit 41 can be the same transmission unit as, or a different transmission unit from, the one used with the electronic price display means 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D presented in Fig. 1. The price display means of products are arranged to receive data from the information system via one or more transmission units, preferably wirelessly. Publication WO2006087424 presents an arrangement for presenting and updating information, in which price display means are used. A corresponding system is known by the name ELLA Store Label system.

The system operates typically as follows: The system requests, e.g. at set intervals, the indication data of the sensor/sensors of one or more storage units.

The indication data is simply whether there are detectable objects in the detection area of the sensor or not. The sensor and the transmission unit produce reply data, which is preferably on/off-type data. If there are detectable objects, i.e. products, in the operating area of the sensor, e.g. the result 1 is given as the indication data. If there are not any products in the operating area, e.g. 0 is given as the result.

Based on the result the necessary information is transmitted to the information system, on the basis of which the personnel or the system can be controlled to supply if necessary more products to the storage units for which the alarm limit is exceeded, e.g. the sensor of which has give 0 as the observation information. Fig. 2 presents one embodiment of a sensor, in which the sensor 5C of the storage unit 100C of Fig. 1 is presented more closely. The sensor is connected to a terminal device, such as to a transmission unit 41 or corresponding, with conductors 51 , 52. The sensor comprises electrode areas 55, 56, which are connected to each other with conductors 53 and 54. The electrode areas 55, 56 are arranged to be interleaved with each other, in which case the detection of rather small objects can be improved. The electrodes are preferably formed by etching onto a laminated metal film or printed with conductive ink. The base can be e.g. a flexible polyester film. A transmission unit 41 , which can be used for transmitting the observation data of a sensor and/or for receiving an observation request coming to a sensor, can also be seen in Fig. 2. Preferably the transmission unit 41 can also be used for receiving data coming to the price display means 4C and/or for sending acknowledgement data to the information system.

The shape of the sensors and the placement of the electrodes can differ according to the application.

For example, publication WO2006/003245 presents sensor products and laminated sensors, which can be used as a sensor 5C. Publication WO 2008/068387 also presents a sensor web.

According to one embodiment the sensor 201 based on capacitive measurement presented in Fig. 3 is used as a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, which sensor covers a set area that is the object of monitoring and which can be fitted to a flat base, such as to a shelf 203 of a shop. An electronic control unit/observation unit 202 can be arranged in connection with a sensor and connected to its edge, which unit detects an object 200 that is on top of the sensor, such as an object of a conductive substance, the position or status of it, and gives information about this onwards to the monitoring system, e.g. to the monitoring system of products to be sold in the shop.

A conductive object on top of a sensor here influences the capacitance, and the system measures changes of capacitance, on the basis of which the presence, position, movement or status of an object can be determined with a sensor. The sensor 201 is e.g. a rectangularly-shaped planar sensor 201 , which comprises transverse intersecting conductive sensor strips 111a-111c, 112a-112c, of which the parallel first sensor strips are signal electrode strips, and the second sensor strips that intersect in an insulated manner with them at a right angle are earthing strips. There is insulation between intersecting strips and overlapping capactively conductive squares formed of strip parts that are insulated from each other are created at the intersection points 113a-113i in question, the surface area of which squares is the surface area of the overlapping areas, and in which squares the strips thus form a capacitor among themselves, with which capacitor the capacitance Cn _3a -Cn ₃ i can be measured. The earthing strips are connected to the monitoring unit with the connection conductors 115a-115c.

According to the embodiment of Fig. 3, a sensor is fitted on top of a shelf 203 or between a shelf and the coating 204 on top of it, and the strips in the sensor are insulated from each other with an intermediate insulation layer or insulation layers, and from the shelf (or from the coating on top of the shelf) with an insulation layer on top of the sensor and below the sensor.

According to the invention for detecting objects, a change of the capacitance ΔCn _3a -ΔCn ₃ i is monitored in each intersection point and on the basis of that it is deduced whether such a change of capacitance has occurred at the intersection point in question that a detectable object is at the intersection point in question.

Typically the presence of an object at a monitoring point is seen as a "dip" in capacitance. In this way the whole sensor area or the desired part of it can be monitored.

In connection with a sensor or in connection with the transmission unit is e.g. an accumulator or battery, from which the sensor and/or the transmission unit receives the energy needed in an indication and in transmitting it. It is also conceivable that solar panels are arranged in connection with the system, e.g. in connection with storage locations, which solar panels give the energy needed to the sensors of the system or which charge the accumulators of the sensors and/or of the transmission unit. Further, it is conceivable that the sensor receives the necessary current from an electricity network. The control impulse of a sensor can be transmitted by radio. The invention thus relates to a method for monitoring the amount of objects 2 in a storage unit 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D or for monitoring the fill rate of a storage unit. In the method, one or more capacitive proximity sensors 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D are used for monitoring a storage unit 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, or a part of it, from which proximity sensor on/off-type data is taken about whether or not there are detectable objects in the detection area of the sensor or not. Receiving on/off-type data is sufficient, in which case the sensor can be activated for the observation, and energy does not need to be consumed for continuous observation.

According to one preferred embodiment with one or more sensors 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D only a part of the area or volume of the storage unit 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D is observed. In this case it is possible to observe e.g. that part of the storage unit which should preferably have products, e.g. the front part of a shelf location.

According to one preferred embodiment, in the method the sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D performs an observation when separately activated.

According to one preferred embodiment the sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D is activated to perform an observation at set intervals. If there are products in the detection area, no procedures are necessarily required. If there are no products in the detection area an indication of the exceedance of the alarm limit is given, in which case a stipulated procedure is performed. If the data transmission device of the sensor does not reply to the request, a new request to perform an observation is given.

According to one preferred embodiment the observation information received from a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D is transmitted at least partly wirelessly. Correspondingly, the observation request to be given to the sensor, or at least to its data transmission means, is transmitted at least partly wirelessly.

According to one preferred embodiment the observation information received from a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D is transmitted at least partly by radio waves. Correspondingly, an optical connection, an infrared connection or some other suitable wireless connection can be used for data transfer. According to a second embodiment a wired connection, which can be a conventional connection suited to the transmission of data or, for instance, an optical cable is used. According to one preferred embodiment for monitoring the fill rate, a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D of a storage unit is arranged to monitor only a certain part of a storage unit.

According to one preferred embodiment the storage unit 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D is a shelf or a section of a shelf or a display rack or a section of a display rack. According to yet another embodiment the operating area of the sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D is determined according to the alarm limit for the desired fill rate of the storage unit 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D.

According to yet another embodiment the data transmission to a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D and/or from a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D is arranged at least partly via a second data transmission system, such as via an electronic price label system.

According to yet another embodiment the sensor is a planar sensor, which comprises intersecting conductive sensor strips 111 a-111c, 112a-112c, of which the parallel first sensor strips are signal electrode strips, and the second sensor strips that intersect in an insulated manner with them are earthing strips, and in which overlapping intersecting areas or intersecting points formed of strip parts that are insulated from each other form at the intersection points 113a-113i of the strips in question.

The invention also relates to a system for monitoring the amount of objects 2 in a at least one storage unit 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D or for monitoring the fill rate of a storage unit. The system comprises at least one or more capacitive proximity sensors 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D for it to detect whether there are any objects 2 being monitored in a storage unit in the detection area of a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D or not, means for transmitting on/off-type data taken from a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, and means for further processing and/or presenting the data.

According to one preferred embodiment of the system it is fitted with at least one or more sensors 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D to observe only a part of the area or volume of a storage unit 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D.

According to one preferred embodiment a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D is fitted to perform an observation when separately activated. The system gives to the sensor an observation request, e.g. at certain set intervals. On/off-type information comes from the sensor to the system. During the time between observations the sensor does not consume energy or consumes very little compared to a situation in which the sensor continuously observes the operating area.

The sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D is fitted to activate and to perform an observation at set intervals.

According to one preferred embodiment the system comprises means for transmitting the observation information to be received from a sensor at least partly wirelessly. The system can comprise means for transmitting the observation information to be received by a sensor at least partly by radio waves.

For monitoring the fill rate of a storage unit, a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D of a storage unit 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D is preferably arranged to monitor only a certain part of the volume or area of the storage unit.

The storage unit 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D is a shelf or a section of a shelf or a display rack or a section of a display rack.

According to one preferred embodiment the operating area of a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D is determined according to the alarm limit for the desired fill rate of the storage unit 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D.

According to one preferred embodiment data transmission to a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D and/or from a sensor 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D is arranged at least partly via a second data transmission system, such as via an electronic price label system 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D.

According to yet another embodiment the sensor is a planar sensor, which comprises intersecting conductive sensor strips 111 a-111c, 112a-112c, of which the parallel first sensor strips are signal electrode strips, and the second sensor strips that intersect in an insulated manner with them are earthing strips, and in which overlapping intersecting areas or intersecting points formed of strip parts that are insulated from each other form at the intersection points 113a-113i of the strips in question. It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments presented above, but that it can be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. The characteristic features possibly presented in the description in conjunction with other characteristic features can if necessary be used separately to each other.