US20090008275A1 - Package and merchandising system - Google Patents

Abstract

A package and product merchandising system comprising the package. The package includes a package wall which in turn includes a display element visible from the exterior of the package. The package includes a power receiving element operably connected to the display element. The system includes a sensor, a power distribution element, and a controller, operably connected to each of the sensor and to the power distribution element. The controller receives an output of the sensor as an input and provides a first output profile to the power distribution element, the power distribution element receives the output profile from the controller and provides a power profile to the power receiving element. The power receiving element provides a characteristic change profile to the display element. The display element changes at least one characteristic in response to the characteristic change profile.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• A product package used for merchandising the product and a system incorporating the package. Particularly, a package and merchandising system for interactive shopping environments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• The volume of different products offered in any product category challenges marketers to find ways of obtaining the attention of potential purchasers. Labels, colors, shapes and other package attributes are well known tools for passively attracting the attention of a shopper. What is desired is an active system for drawing the attention of a shopper to the offerings of the marketer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• In one aspect, a package comprises a package wall, a display element integral to the package wall and visible from the exterior of the package. The package further comprises a power receiving element operably connected to the display element. The display element changes a characteristic according to a first characteristic change profile received from the power receiving element.
• In another aspect, a product merchandising system comprises a sensor disposed to detect the presence of a target. The sensor provides an output upon detecting the target. The system also includes a package comprising a package wall, a display element integral to the package wall and visible from the exterior of the package, and a power receiving element integral to the package and operably connected to the display element. The system includes a power distribution element, and a controller. The controller is operably connected to the sensor and to the power distribution element. The controller receives the output of the sensor as an input and provides an output profile to the power distribution element. The power distribution element receives the output profile from the controller and provides a power profile to the power receiving element.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 provides a schematic perspective view of a package according to one embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 2 provides a schematic illustration of a merchandising system according to one embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• As illustrated in the figure, apackage100 comprises apackage wall110. Thepackage100 may comprise a plurality ofpackage walls110. The package may be formed from any packaging materials as these are known in the art. Exemplary packaging material include: paperboard and corrugated paperboard, metal foils, polymeric materials, wood, metallocene films and composite material formed from combinations thereof. Thepackage wall110 includes adisplay element120.Exemplary display elements120 include electroluminescent elements organic light emitting diodes, thermo chromic elements and combinations of these. The display element may comprise elements printed upon thepackage wall110 or upon a label affixed to thepackage wall110. The disposition ofdisplay element120 makes it visible from the exterior of thepackage100. The display element may comprise a portion of an exterior surface of thepackage100, or the nature of thepackage100 may permit the viewing of thedisplay element120 disposed upon an interior surface of the package via a transparent or semi-transparent exterior surface of thepackage100. A transparent or semi-transparent surface may comprise all or only a portion of one or more exterior surfaces of thepackage100.
• Thedisplay element120 may comprise an indicia or a portion of an indicia. The display element may serve as an outline or penumbra of an indicia or a portion of an indicia. The indicia may comprise text or graphics and may relate to the package contents of to other items. The indicia may be printed upon the package, molded into the wall of the package, or otherwise formed into the package wall as is known in the art. The indicia may comprise branding information associated with the package contents or associated with a co-marketing effort. The indicia may be associated with a product attribute or with a product performance attribute. Exemplary product attributes include textual descriptors such as new, better, stronger, whiter, more concentrated, fat free, caffeine free, less calories, and flavor indicators. Exemplary product performance attributes include textual descriptors, cleans, brightens, whitens, colors, instant, long lasting, and permanent. Graphical illustrations of the above delineated descriptors are also considered indicia.
• Display element120 may comprise all or part of any of the indicia described above.Display element120 may comprise a penumbra adjacent to or near the described indicia to outline or highlight the indicia.
• Thepackage100 further comprises apower receiving element130.Power receiving element130 is operably connected to the display element. Thedisplay element120 changes a characteristic according to a power profile received from thepower receiving element130. The power profile produces a characteristic change in thedisplay element120 and may be considered a characteristic change profile.
• Thepackage100 may comprisemultiple display elements120 and multiplepower receiving elements130. A singlepower receiving element130 may provide a characteristic change profile to one or more of thedisplay elements120. Multiple respective power profiles may be provided to thepackage100 via the respectivepower receiving elements130. The receipt of respective characteristic change profiles may enable the package display elements to change characteristics according to a predetermined pattern or according to a randomized pattern due to the provision of a sequence of power profiles.
• The characteristic change of thedisplay element120 may comprise a change in the luminosity, color, or both, of thedisplay element120. In one embodiment, at least a portion ofdisplay element120 changes from a first color to a second color according to the characteristic change profile.
• In one embodiment thepackage100 comprises an integral power source (not shown). The power source (not shown) provides power to the power receivingelement130 and thereby to thedisplay element120. Solar panels and chemical battery cells are exemplary integral power elements (not shown).
• In one embodiment thepackage100 comprises acontrol element150. Thecontrol element150 is operably connected between thepower receiving element130 and thedisplay element120. Thecontrol element150 comprises a control circuit which may alter a characteristic change profile received from thepower receiving element130. In one embodiment thecontrol element150 provides a characteristic change profile to thedisplay element120 in response to power received from thepower receiving element130. In this embodiment the power received may be represented by an idealized step function wherein the power is intended to either be on or off. This received power is subsequently modified by the control element to provide a characteristic modifying profile to thedisplay element120. Exemplary profiles include, sinusoidal, saw-tooth, a segmented step function to alternate between providing and denying power transfer and other control signal patterns as are known in the art.
• In one embodiment thecontrol element150 provides a plurality of profiles to a plurality ofdisplay elements120 to orchestrate a series of characteristic changes in the package. Thepackage100 may comprise a portion of amerchandising system1000. Thesystem1000 may further comprise asensor200 to provide a signal according to the presence of a shopper in a predetermined location relative to a package display area.Exemplary sensors200 include, retro-reflective and through beam electromagnetic sensors, induction loop sensors to detect the presence of a metal shopping cart, load cell based sensors to detect the weight of a shopper at a particular location and other sensors as are known in the art.
• Thesystem1000 comprises at least onepower distribution element300 disposed to transfer power to one ormore packages100 arrayed adjacent to thepower distribution element300. The power transfer may be via induction, conduction, acoustic energy transfer, radiative energy transfer, and other energy transfer means as are known in the art. In one embodiment thesystem1000 comprises a plurality ofpower distribution elements300. In this embodiment, the system provides a plurality of power profiles to thepackage100. Each respective power profile is provided via a respectivepower distribution element300.
• In one embodiment thesystem1000 comprises acontroller400. Thecontroller400 is disposed to accept a signal from thesensor200 relating to the presence of a shopper. Thecontroller400 may provide one or more output profiles to thepower distribution element300 according to the sensor signal. Thecontroller400 may comprise one or more profile programs which serve as a basis for the output profiles provided by thecontroller400. The respective programmed profiles may be provided as outputs according to the nature of the input signal and by providing input signal s from a plurality ofsensors200 according to varying environmental conditions, thecontroller400 may provide environmentally sensitive output profiles to thepower distribution element300. Each of the respectivepower distribution elements300 may be disposed at a separate discrete location.
• The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”
• All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
• While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims (20)

1. A package comprising:

a) a package wall,

b) a display element integral to the package wall and visible from the exterior of the package,

c) a power receiving element operably connected to the display element

wherein the display element changes a characteristic according to a first characteristic change profile received from the power receiving element.

2. The package according toclaim 1 wherein the display element comprises a portion of an indicia.

3. The package according toclaim 1 wherein the display element outlines at least a portion of an indicia.

4. The package according toclaim 1 wherein the appearance of at least a portion of the display element changes from a first color to a second color in response to changes in power from the power receiving element.

5. The package according toclaim 1 further comprising a power source element operably connected to the power receiving element.

6. The package according toclaim 1 further comprising a control circuit integral to a package wall, the control circuit operably connected between the power receiving element and the display element, wherein the control circuit profiles the change in characteristic of the display element upon receiving power from the power receiving element.

7. The package according toclaim 1 wherein the display element is associated with a product attribute.

8. The package according toclaim 1 wherein the display element relates to a product performance attribute.

9. The package according toclaim 1 comprising a second display element, wherein the Second display element changes a characteristic in response to changes in power received from the power receiving element according to a second characteristic change profile.

10. A product merchandising system comprising:

a) a sensor disposed to detect the presence of a target, the sensor providing an output upon such detection;

b) a package comprising:

i) a package wall,

ii) a display element integral to the package wall and visible from the exterior of the package,

iii) a power receiving element integral to the package and operably connected to the display element,

c) a power distribution element, and

d) a controller, operably connected to the sensor and to the power distribution element,

wherein the controller receives the output of the sensor as an input and provides a first output profile to the power distribution element, the power distribution element receives the output profile from the controller and provides a power profile to the power receiving element.

11. The product merchandising system according toclaim 10 wherein power is conducted from the power distribution element to the power receiving element.

12. The product merchandising system according toclaim 10 wherein power is induced in the power receiving element by the power distribution element.

13. The product merchandising system according toclaim 10 wherein the display element comprises a portion of an indicia.

14. The package according toclaim 10 wherein the display element outlines at least a portion of an indicia.

15. The product merchandising system according toclaim 10 wherein the power distribution element is operably connected to the package at a first locations, the system further comprising a secondary power distribution element operably connected to the package at a second location.

16. The product merchandising system according toclaim 10 wherein the display element is associated with a product attribute.

17. The product merchandising system according toclaim 10 wherein the display element relates to a product performance attribute.

18. The product merchandising system according toclaim 10 the package comprising a second display element.

19. The product merchandising system according toclaim 10 wherein the controller provides a second output profile, the first profile altering the appearance of the first display element and the second profile altering the appearance of the second display element.

20. A product merchandising system comprising:

a) a sensor disposed to detect the presence of a target, the sensor providing an output upon such detection;

b) a package comprising:

i) a package wall,

ii) a display element integral to the package wall and visible from the exterior of the package,

iii) a power receiving element integral to the package and operably connected to the display element,

c) a power distribution element, and

d) a controller, operably connected to the sensor and to the power distribution element,

wherein the controller receives the output of the sensor as an input and provides a characteristic change output profile to the power distribution element, wherein the power distribution element receives the output profile from the controller and provides power to the power receiving element according to the output profile, the display element receives power from the power receiving element according to the output profile, changes a characteristic according to the received profile, and the display element comprises an indicia.

Images