Locating a device on a shelf rail

1 . Shelf-rail system, which comprises

a shelf rail and

at least one shelf-rail device attached to the shelf rail,

wherein the shelf-rail system comprises at least one sensor which is provided and designed to automatically determine the position of at least one of the at least one shelf-rail device attached to the shelf rail along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail and/or to automatically determine the sequential order of at least two shelf-rail devices attached to the shelf rail along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail, and

wherein the sensor is designed to detect a signal propagating along the shelf rail to measure the time-of-flight measurement of a mechanically excited signal.

2 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is installed in the shelf-rail device and is designed to detect at least one coding element of the shelf rail.

3 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 2 , wherein the sensor is designed for mechanical, electrical, or optical detection of the at least one coding element.

4 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 3 , wherein the sensor is designed for electrical detection of the coding elements, the electrical detection being resistive or inductive or capacitive.

5 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is installed in the shelf-rail device and is used to determine the distance along the shelf rail to an adjacent object with respect to the shelf-rail device.

6 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanically excited signal is an acoustic signal.

7 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 1 , wherein the shelf- rail system comprises, as one of the shelf-rail devices, a shelf-rail control device which can be used to control at least one other shelf-rail device attached to the shelf rail.

8 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 7 , wherein the shelf rail comprises a cable system, wherein the shelf-rail control device is connected to the cable system and at least one other shelf-rail device contacts the cable system.

9 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 8 , wherein the cable system comprises exactly three conductors.

10 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 7 , wherein the shelf-rail control device can be used to supply electrical power to the at least one other shelf-rail device, and the other shelf-rail device is an electronic shelf-rail display or a shelf-rail camera or a shelf-rail-temperature and/or moisture-detection device or a shelf-rail input unit.

11 . Shelf-rail system, which comprises

a shelf rail and

at least one shelf-rail device attached to the shelf rail,

wherein the shelf-rail system comprises at least one sensor which is provided and designed to automatically determine the position of at least one of the at least one shelf-rail device attached to the shelf rail along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail and/or to automatically determine the sequential order of at least two shelf-rail devices attached to the shelf rail along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail,

wherein the sensor is installed in the shelf-rail device and is designed to detect a plurality of coding elements of the shelf rail, and

wherein the coding elements are formed by recesses in the shelf rail, along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail.

12 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 11 , wherein the recesses are formed in a grid.

13 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 11 , wherein the recesses are provided and designed for the force-transmitting fastening of the shelf-rail device to the shelf rail.

14 . The shelf-rail system according to claim 11 , wherein the recesses differ in shape and/or dimensions.

15 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 14 , wherein all the recesses differ from each other.

16 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 11 , wherein the shelf rail comprises at least one shelf-rail wall and the coding elements are formed in at least one of the at least one shelf-rail wall.

17 . Shelf-rail system, which comprises

a shelf rail and

at least one shelf-rail device attached to the shelf rail,

wherein the shelf-rail system comprises at least one sensor which is provided and designed to automatically determine the position of at least one of the at least one shelf-rail device attached to the shelf rail along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail and/or to automatically determine the sequential order of at least two shelf-rail devices attached to the shelf rail along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail,

wherein the sensor is installed in the shelf-rail device and is designed to detect a plurality of coding elements of the shelf rail, and

wherein the coding elements differ in terms of one of their characteristics and each characteristic occurs only once.

18 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 17 , wherein a measure characterizing the characteristic differs by only one unit of measurement from one coding element to the next.

19 . Shelf-rail system according to claim 17 , wherein the coding elements differ in only one of their characteristics.

20 . Shelf-rail system, which comprises

a shelf rail and

at least one shelf-rail device attached to the shelf rail,

wherein the shelf-rail system comprises at least one sensor which is provided and designed to automatically determine the position of at least one of the at least one shelf-rail device attached to the shelf rail along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail and/or to automatically determine the sequential order of at least two shelf-rail devices attached to the shelf rail along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail, and

wherein each shelf-rail device comprises at least one transmitter as the sensor for inter-shelf-rail device communication and the respective shelf-rail device is designed to provide the result of a communication and/or signal transmission between two adjacent shelf-rail devices for the purpose of determining the position and/or sequential order.