Display designs and auxiliary promotional mechanisms for electronic labels

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, a real-time delivery of Point of Purchase (POP) messaging at various locations around a retail store is included within aisles, end-of-aisles, shelf edge, departments, check-out stands, on shopping carts and mobile personal devices carried by individual customers.

1 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL) comprising: 
 one or more light emitting devices (LEDs) each exhibiting a state and/or color and located on the face of the ESL, the states and/or colors thereof being indicative of information significant to a potential customer or store personnel, the ESL being located in close proximity to an item for sale in a retail outlet.    
   
   
       2 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL), as recited in  claim 1 , having a “glow-bar” including the one or more LEDs and being coupled to a fluorescent element mounted on the ESL such that the fluorescent element acts as an enhancement for the one or more LEDs' light source.  
   
   
       3 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL), as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the information is promotional.  
   
   
       4 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL), as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the one or more LEDs and the “glow-bar” are indicative of independent promotion.  
   
   
       5 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL), as recited in  claim 1 , further including a screen display element for displaying the information in reverse field.  
   
   
       6 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL), as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the information is sale pricing.  
   
   
       7 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL), as recited in  claim 1 , further including a segmented display element.  
   
   
       8 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL), as recited in  claim 1 , further including a dot-matrix display element partitioned to show different kinds of information.  
   
   
       9 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL), as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the display element is programmable.  
   
   
       10 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL), as recited in  claim 1 , further including a programmable bib tag (PBT) flexibly connected to the ESL.  
   
   
       11 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL), as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the PBT includes LEDs indicative of information associated with an item being promoted.  
   
   
       12 . A remotely programmable electronic shelf label (ESL), as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the PBT includes glow-bar indicative of information associated with an item being promoted.  
   
   
       13 . An aisle frontage comprising means for displaying dynamic messages to customers of a retail outlet  
   
   
       14 . A method of shelf labeling electronically comprising: 
 Receiving information regarding an item being promoted;    programmable electronic shelf label (ESL) and    displaying one or more light emitting devices (LEDs), each exhibiting a state and/or color and located on the face of the ESL, the states and/or colors thereof being indicative of information significant to a potential customer or store personnel, the ESL being located in close proximity to an item for sale in a retail outlet.    
   
   
       15 . A method of messaging in a retail outlet comprising: 
 Transmitting messages dynamically to one or more aisle frontage;    Receiving the transmitted messages dynamically; and    displaying the received messages on one or more aisle frontage.