Retail digital signage and automatic promotion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12450633-B2
Application number	US-202217839760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2022
Priority date	Sep 18, 2019
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

In an aspect, a cloud-based server can establish a communications channel with a merchant device over a computer network. The cloud-based server can receive product information characterizing a product from the merchant device via the communications channel. The product information can include at least one measurement characterizing the product acquired in real-time by at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the merchant device. The cloud-based server can calculate a remaining life of the product based on the product information received from the merchant device. The cloud-based server can calculate a real-time price of the product based on a plurality of factors including the calculated remaining life of the product. The cloud-based server can transmit a promotion to purchase the product at a discount to a first client device in response to determining that the remaining life of the product is less than a predefined threshold, the discount calculated based upon the real-time price of the product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
a cloud-based server wirelessly receiving information from a merchant device including information indicative of a life of a perishable product based on an expiration date of the perishable product, the perishable product being currently available for sale and physically retained in the merchant device;
the cloud-based server calculating a remaining life of the perishable product using the received information;
the cloud-based server determining whether the calculated remaining life of the perishable product is less than a predefined threshold; and
in response to determining that the calculated remaining life of the perishable product is less than the predefined threshold, the cloud-based server wirelessly transmitting to a) a first client device a promotion to purchase the perishable product currently available for sale from the merchant device and the cloud-based server wirelessly transmitting to b) to a second client device an indication that the promotion has been transmitted to the first client device, the second client device configured to monitor the availability of the perishable product being currently available for sale and retained in the merchant device, the second client device further configured to provide the indication of the transmitted promotion for display via a graphical user interface of the second client device, wherein the graphical user interface of the second client device comprises the indication of the transmitted promotion, an identifier of the merchant device, and an identifier of a retail store in which the merchant device is located, and wherein the indication of the transmitted promotion comprises a flag indicating the promotion has been transmitted to the first client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the merchant device is one of a communications-enabled refrigerator, a communications-enabled cold storage, a communications-enabled low humidity silica container, a communications-enabled humidity inducing water sprayer-based container, a communications-enabled luminous container, a communications-enabled pH maintaining container, and a communications-enabled hot storage.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the information received from the merchant device and used in calculating the remaining life of the perishable product also includes a measurement of a parameter that characterizes the perishable product, the measurement having been acquired by a sensor operatively coupled to the merchant device; and
the parameter is at least one of temperature, humidity, pressure, and brightness.

4. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the indication of the transmitted promotion is displayed on the graphical user interface of the second client device with the remaining life of the perishable product, and at least one of a value of the promotion, a promotion price of the perishable product, and an original price of the perishable product.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the promotion is displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the first client device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloud-based server is configured to wirelessly transmit the promotion to the first client device with the first client device positioned within a fuel dispensing environment in which the merchant device is located; and
the first client device includes one of a mobile device of a user dispensing fuel within the fuel dispensing environment, a mobile device registered with a loyalty program of the fuel dispensing environment, a digital billboard viewable within the fuel dispensing environment, a video player in a car within the fuel dispensing environment, a navigation system in a car within the fuel dispensing environment, an advertisement display viewable within the fuel dispensing environment, and an advertisement communications channel operable within the fuel dispensing environment.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of claim 1 .

8. An apparatus, comprising:
a cloud-based server configured to:
wirelessly receive information from a merchant device including information indicative of a life of a perishable product based on an expiration date of the perishable product, the perishable product being currently available for sale and physically retained in the merchant device;
calculate a remaining life of the perishable product using the received information;
determine whether the calculated remaining life of the perishable product is less than a predefined threshold; and
in response to determining that the calculated remaining life of the perishable product is less than the predefined threshold, wirelessly transmit to a) a first client device a promotion to purchase the perishable product currently available for sale from the merchant device and the cloud-based server wirelessly transmitting to b) a second client device an indication that the promotion has been transmitted to the first client device, the second client device configured to monitor the availability of the perishable product being currently available for sale and retained in the merchant device, the second client device further configured to provide the indication of the transmitted promotion for display via a graphical user interface of the second client device, wherein the graphical user interface of the second client device comprises the indication of the transmitted promotion, an identifier of the merchant device, and an identifier of a retail store in which the merchant device is located, and wherein the indication of the transmitted promotion comprises a flag indicating the promotion has been transmitted to the first client device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the merchant device is one of a communications-enabled refrigerator, a communications-enabled cold storage, a communications-enabled low humidity silica container, a communications-enabled humidity inducing water sprayer-based container, a communications-enabled luminous container, a communications-enabled pH maintaining container, and a communications-enabled hot storage.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the information received from the merchant device and used in calculating the remaining life of the perishable product also includes a measurement of a parameter that characterizes the perishable product, the measurement having been acquired by a sensor operatively coupled to the merchant device; and
the parameter is at least one of temperature, humidity, pressure, and brightness.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the indication of the transmitted promotion is displayed on the graphical user interface of the second client device with the remaining life of the perishable product, and at least one of a value of the promotion, a promotion price of the perishable product, and an original price of the perishable product.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the cloud-based server is configured to wirelessly transmit the promotion to the first client device with the first client device positioned within a fuel dispensing environment in which the merchant device is located; and
the first client device incudes one of a mobile device of a user dispensing fuel within the fuel dispensing environment, a mobile device registered with a loyalty program of the fuel dispensing environment, a digital billboard viewable within the fuel dispensing environment, a video player in a car within the fuel dispensing environment, a navigation system in a car within the fuel dispensing environment, an advertisement display viewable within

Assignees

• Wayne Fueling Systems Llc

Inventors

• Singh Kalpit
• Hairston Hob
• Fieglein Henry

Classifications

• G06Q30/0222 Primary

  During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions · CPC title

• G06Q30/0641

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title

• G06Q30/0272 Primary

  Period of advertisement exposure · CPC title