Wirelessly connected hybrid environment of different types of wireless nodes

A method comprising:

• a plurality of wireless nodes corresponding to a plurality of different node types wirelessly transmitting data about the wireless nodes to a remote computer system via a wireless network, wherein the node types comprise a product display assembly node type, and wherein the wireless nodes comprise a plurality of product display assemblies that are connected to products for presentation to consumers, and wherein the wirelessly transmitting step comprises each of a plurality of the product display assemblies wirelessly transmitting data about their connected products to the remote computer system via the wireless network;
• the remote computer system receiving and storing the wirelessly transmitted data including the product data;
• the remote computer system providing a common graphical user interface that presents at least a portion of the stored data to a user including a presentation of the product data to the user;
• the remote computer system remotely managing a plurality of wireless nodes corresponding to a plurality of different node types in response to user input through the common interface, wherein the remotely managing step comprises the remote computer system (1) generating a command to arm or disarm a security function of a selected wireless node in response to user input through the common graphical user interface, and (2) wirelessly transmitting the command to the selected wireless node via the wireless network, and wherein the selected wireless node comprises a selected product display assembly;
• and
• the selected product display assembly (1) receiving the wirelessly communicated command to arm or disarm the security function of the selected product display assembly, and (2) arming or disarming its security function in response to the received command.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of wireless nodes, wherein each of a plurality of the wireless nodes includes a wireless transceiver, wherein the wireless nodes comprise at least two different node types;
• and
• a plurality of processor-executable instructions that are resident on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the instructions configured for execution by a processor to cause the processor to communicate with the wireless transceivers of the wireless nodes over a wireless network;
• wherein each of a plurality of the wireless nodes of the at least two node types is configured to (1) wirelessly transmit data about a wireless node in the wireless network via the wireless network, (2) wirelessly receive command data via the wireless network, and (3) control at least one wireless node operation based on the received command data;
• wherein the node types comprise a product display assembly node type, and wherein the wireless nodes comprise a plurality of product display assemblies, and wherein each of a plurality of the product display assemblies is configured to (1) connect with a product for presentation to a consumer, and (2) wirelessly transmit data about the connected product to the computer system via the wireless network;
• wherein the instructions are further configured for execution to cause the processor to (1) receive the wirelessly transmitted data from the wireless nodes via the wireless network, (2) provide a common graphical user interface for remotely managing the wireless nodes, including a plurality of the product display assemblies and at least one other of the node types, in response to user input, (3) provide at least a portion of the received data for presentation to a user through the common graphical user interface including a presentation of the product data to the user, (4) generate the command data for a selected wireless node in response to user input through the common graphical user interface, and (5) wirelessly communicate the command data to the selected wireless node via the wireless network, wherein the command data comprises a command to arm or disarm a security function of the selected wireless node, and wherein the selected wireless node comprises a selected product display assembly;
• and
• wherein the selected product display assembly is configured to (1) receive the wirelessly communicated command to arm or disarm the security function of the selected product display assembly, and (2) arm or disarm its security function in response to the received command.