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US 11,687,857 B2Granted
Optimal merchandise selection and merchandising design display methods and systems
AssigneeThe Hershey Company
InventorsGreg Gressel, Eric Lawrence
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The novel invention provides methods and systems for automated production of merchandising displays. The displays can be assembled in whole, shipped in whole and filled with customer-selected products in customer-selected amounts, filled with criteria-selected products in criteria-selected amounts or both.
Claims19
An automated method of assembling a customer-selected merchandising display for selling packaged goods, the automated method comprising:
- causing, by a computer via a display construction algorithm and in response to a re-fill order, an automated construction of at least two customizable cartridges for use in the customer-selected merchandising display using a robotic assembly line;
- assigning, by the computer via a product prediction algorithm based on multiple factors, at least two types of suitable packaged goods to each customizable cartridge in the at least two customizable cartridges that are specific to the re-fill order;
- digitally designing, by the computer via the display construction algorithm that measures an amount of packaged goods used, a number of cartridges projected, and the weight, structure, and geometry of the packaged goods, an optimal geometric configuration for said customer-selected merchandising display;
- and
- causing the robotic assembly line, by the computer via the display construction algorithm in response to the digital design of the customer-selected merchandising display, to assemble the customer-selected merchandising display by placing the at least two customizable cartridges on a wrap which provides lateral and vertical support to the customizable cartons.
2 more elements
An automated method of assembling a customer-predicting merchandising display for selling goods, the automated method comprising:
- creating, by a computer via a product prediction algorithm, a customized order for the customer-predicting merchandising display;
- designing, by the computer via a display construction algorithm in response to the customized order, the customer-predicting merchandising display based upon multiple display construction factors;
- causing, by the computer via the display construction algorithm and in response to designing the customer-predicting merchandising display, a construction of at least two cartridges for use in the customer-predicting merchandising display using a robotic assembly line;
- assigning, by the computer using the product prediction algorithm that uses multiple product prediction factors, at least two types of packaged goods to each cartridge in the at least two cartridges;
- and
- causing the robotic assembly line, by the computer via the display construction algorithm in response to assigning the at least two types of packaged goods, to assemble the customer-predicting merchandising display by placing the at least two customizable cartridges using the robotic assembly line on a wrap which provides lateral and vertical support to the customizable cartons.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.