SHELVING

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to shelving. More specifically it relates to shelving systems comprising network devices, for example display, audio or telecommunication devices or processors .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are many examples of shelving systems, for example display arrangements in stores, which incorporate lighting. Generally the power is provided to lamps mounted on the shelves through an extra-low voltage supply (i.e. a supply not exceeding 50 volts AC or 120 volts DC) . In our earlier International patent application WO03/063655 we disclose shelving systems with integral power supply lines (e.g. for extra-low voltage supplies) for electrical components, such as lamps, mounted on the shelf structure.

More recently, there is a growing desire to provide shelving systems incorporating electronic devices, particularly networked electronic devices such as displays and audio devices. For example, EP0558305 describes a shelving system including electronic shelf edge displays that can be used, for example, to display information (e.g. price) about items on the shelves, useful in supermarket and warehouse environments.

Such networked devices require power supply lines and data transmission lines, with two lines (positive and negative polarity) for power supply and two lines for data transmission .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes, in general terms, to transmit data to networkable devices on shelving systems over a power supply line (e.g. an extra-low voltage line) that also supplies power to the networkable device.

The present invention provides a shelving system comprising a support structure, one or more shelves mounted on the support structure, at least one networkable electronic device mounted on a shelf or the support structure and conductors for power supply and data transmission to said networkable device, wherein one or more of said conductors provide a shared line for power supply and data transmission.

By using a shared line in this way, transmitting data over power lines (e.g. extra-low voltage power lines) for the networkable device, the number of connections and the number of conductors necessary within the system can be kept to a minimum. This simplifies installation and helps to minimise costs.

Power line networking is of itself well known in the context of home and small office environments using the mains wiring in a building. The HomePlug Powerline Alliance have developed and published a specification, the "HomePlug 1.0 specification", to facilitate such networking for data transmission. The HomePlug specification provides functions, operations and interface characteristics for high-speed networking based on OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) modulation over power lines.

The present invention can, in preferred embodiments, adopt the same approach used by HomePlug for transmission of data .

The conductors for the combined power supply and data transmission can be incorporated within the shelving system in the manner described in WO03/063655.

The power supply wiring of the shelving system, which will typically be for an extra-low voltage supply, preferably receives data from an external source, for example a networked computer. This source may be connected to the power lines via a receiver (e.g. a modem or transceiver) that receives data from the external source and transmits it on to the networkable device on the shelving system over the shared line .

The data transmission from the external source may itself be over power supply wiring (using for example a conventional HomePlug system) or via a wired (e.g. Ethernet) or wireless telecommunications network.

Particularly where the shelving system is to be installed in a commercial building (e.g. a supermarket or warehouse) , the transmission of data to the shelving system can conveniently be accomplished using the mains wiring within the building. Typically in a commercial building, the mains supply will be three-phase, with each phase serving distinct parts of the building. In this case, the same or different data signals can be transmitted over each phase.

A combination of different ones of the communication paths described above may be used.

Preferably, the shelving system will include multiple networkable devices mounted on shelves and/or the support structure and connected to the shared line, which then serves as a common data transmission line for all of the devices. In this case, each of said networkable devices may be individually addressable so that data transmitted over the shared line can be addressed to individual ones of said devices if desired.

The data transmission may be both to and from the networkable device .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :

Figure 1 schematically shows a shelving system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 schematically shows an installation comprising a series of shelving systems in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; and

Figure 3 schematically shows another installation comprising a series of shelving systems according to embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The shelving system 2 illustrated in figure 1 comprises a support structure 4, in this case a series of upright supports, and a plurality of shelves 6 mounted on the support

structure. For simplicity, only two shelves 6 are shown in the figure, but normally more shelves would be employed, mounted on the support structure one above the other and side-to-side. Back-to-back arrangements of shelves are also envisaged.

Each shelf has mounted on it a networkable electronic device 8. The device may for example be a display unit for displaying information, including price for example, about items on the shelf, for displaying advertising or other messages for instance. Additionally or alternatively, the device may be an audio device for broadcasting messages or sensors for monitoring stock levels or conditions (e.g. temperature) for example. Each shelf may have more than one such device mounted on it. Device may also be mounted on the supporting structure.

The shelf-mounted devices are connected to an extra-low voltage power supply (in this example a 12v supply) 10, by conductors 12 that are housed within the upright support members 4 and conductors (not shown) within or on the underside of the shelf 6. The arrangement of conductors can be as described in our International patent application WO03/063655.

In accordance with the present invention, the power supply conductors are also used to transmit data between a transceiver 14 and the networkable devices 8.

The transceiver 14 receives data signals from an external source (for example and networked computer serving as a central controller for e.g. displays on the shelving - not shown) and transmits it over the power supply conductors

12 to the networkable devices 8. In the case where two-way data communication is needed, the transceiver 14 receives data signals, again over the power supply conductors 12, from the networkable devices 8 for onward transmission to the external source or one or more other networked devices .

The data may be transmitted over the extra-low voltage power lines using conventional communications protocols (e.g. TCP/IP) . The transport of the data over the power lines may be in accordance with the HomePlug 1.0 specification or similar using OFDM modulation or other suitable modulation of a carrier signal on the power line.

The communication link between the transceiver 14 and the remote, external data source ( ^λ external' in the sense of not part of the shelving system) may be via the mains power supply of the building in which the shelving system is installed (which may also power the extra-low voltage supply via an appropriate transformer) . Alternatively, the transceiver may be connected to a wired (Ethernet) or wireless (e.g. WiFi) telecommunications network.

Figure 2 shows an installation, as might be used in a supermarket of warehouse for example, of multiple shelving systems 2 networked to a remote server 20 that controls and transmits data to the networkable electronic devices (not shown) associated with the shelving systems.

The shelving systems 2 may be as described above with reference to Fig. 1. The server 20 may be located within the supermarket or warehouse and the term "remote" is intended to mean only that the server 20 is not part of the shelving systems themselves. Alternatively, however, the server 20

may be located elsewhere, so long as a communication link can be established.

The example of Fig. 2 shows an installation in a commercial building with a three-phase power supply 22. Each phase (22a, 22b, 22c) supplying a different area within the building, providing power to shelving systems (amongst other things) in those respective building areas. In figure 2, only one shelving system 2 per phase is shown, but in practice many more shelving systems may be fed by each phase of the power supply 22.

Each phase (22a, 22b, 22c) of the power supply 22 also serves as part of a transmission path for communication of data between the shelving systems 2 and the central server

20. A single transceiver 24, for example a HomePlug device, is connected to all three phases of the power supply 22 remote from the shelving systems 2. Each shelving system also includes a transceiver 14, as described above in relation to Fig. 1.

The remote transceiver 24 is linked to a modem/router 26 of the central server 20 for data communicaton . In the illustrated example, this link is a wireless telecommunications link (e.g. a WiFi link) but alternatives include wired telecommunications links (e.g. Ethernet) and a HomePlug-type link using the power supply lines, or a combination of these.

Figure 3 shows a similar installation to that of fig. 2. It differs in that a separate remote transceiver 24a, 24b, 24c is provided for each phase 22a, 22b, 22c of the three- phase power supply 22. The modem/router 26 of the server 20

communicates data to and from all three of these transceivers 24a, 24b, 24c. The same data may be sent to all three transceivers or, if preferred, they may be individually addressable and different data signals transmitted to each.

As with the installation of figure 2, although a wireless link is illustrated between the transceivers 24a, 24b ,24c and the modem 26 other forms of link are possible.