IP Library Granted Patent US 11,715,115
Granted Patent B2
US 11,715,115 · App. 16/914,909 · Granted Aug 1, 2023

System and method for managing compliance with retail display regulations across a plurality of jurisdictions

Inventors: Ernest James Dale (Waterford, VA); Barbara Clark Eichenser (Leesburg, VA)
Assignee: Information Planning & Management Service Inc.
G06Q30/018G06Q30/02G06Q10/087G06Q10/103
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,715,115
App. No.
16/914,909
Granted
Aug 1, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Compliance with retail display regulations that retailers are subject to within a plurality of jurisdictions is managed. Retail display regulations may differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. To facilitate compliance, retail display regulations for a plurality of jurisdictions are centrally maintained. The regulations may then be used to dynamically generate retail display materials for locations across a plurality of jurisdictions with different regulatory schemes. The central storage and/or maintenance of the retail display regulations may facilitate compliance with disparate regulatory schemes that retailers are subject to based in part of retail location. Central storage of the retail display regulations may facilitate certification of compliance by regulating entities associated with the jurisdictions.

Claims (32)

1. A system configured to produce a tangible retail display material subject to government regulation, the system comprising:

electronic storage configured to store a retail display government regulation for a tangible retail display material that is to be displayed in a retail environment; and

one or more processors in operative communication with the electronic storage, the one or more processors being configured to:

receive a retail display material request for production of the tangible retail display material to be displayed within a legal jurisdiction subject to a retail display government regulation;

obtain from the electronic storage the retail display government regulation associated with the tangible retail display material and the legal jurisdiction; and

produce the tangible retail display material according to the obtained retail display government regulation, wherein the retail display government regulation regulates a display parameter of the tangible retail display material, and the display parameter corresponds to at least one of a group consisting of: a shelf level requirement; a retail display material background color restriction; a retail display material space allowance; a product description requirement; a retail price listing requirement; a unit price listing requirement; a unit measurement requirement; a UPC/GTIN/SKU requirement; a sale and/or reduced price requirement; and combinations thereof.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the regulation request is transmitted electronically to the one or more processors over a communications network from a computing platform associated with a retailer, and wherein access to the requested retail display government regulation is provided by transmitting the requested retail display regulation to the computing platform associated with the retailer over the communications network.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the retail display government regulation regulates one or both of price labels and/or point of display signage.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tangible retail display material defines a price label for an individual product to be affixed to a retail display apparatus separate from the individual product such that the price label conforms to the obtained retail display government regulation.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein producing the tangible retail display material comprises printing the price label.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tangible retail display material defines a shelf strip to be affixed to a retail display apparatus, the shelf strip indicating positions at which a plurality of products should be stocked on the retail display apparatus, the shelf strip including information about the plurality of products that are regulated by the obtained retail display government regulation.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein producing the tangible retail display material comprises printing the shelf strip.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tangible retail display material defines a shelf strip to be affixed to a retail display apparatus, the shelf strip indicating a plurality of positions at which an individual product should be stocked on the retail display apparatus, the shelf strip including

information about the individual product that is regulated by the obtained retail display government regulation.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein producing the tangible retail display material comprises printing the shelf strip.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic storage is further configured to store certification information related to certification of the retail display government regulation within the legal jurisdiction.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to manage the certification information.

12. A computer-implemented method of managing compliance with a retail display government regulation for a tangible retail display material that is to be displayed in a retail environment, wherein the method is implemented in a computer system comprising one or more processors configured to perform:

storing, to electronic storage accessible to the one or more processors, a retail display government regulation for a tangible retail display material to be display in a retail environment,

receiving, by the one or more processors of the computer system, a retail display material request for production of the tangible retail display material to be displayed in the retail environment, wherein the retail display material request specifies a legal jurisdiction within which the tangible retail display material will be displayed;

obtaining, by the one or more processors from the electronic storage, the retail display government regulation associated with the tangible retail display material and the legal jurisdiction,

producing, by the one or more processors, the tangible retail display material according to the obtained retail display government regulation, wherein the retail display government regulation regulates a display parameter of the tangible retail display material, and the display parameter corresponds to at least one of a group consisting of: a shelf level requirement; a retail display material background color restriction; a retail display material space allowance; a product description requirement; a retail price listing requirement; a unit price listing requirement; a unit measurement requirement; a UPC/GTIN/SKU requirement; a sale and/or reduced price requirement; and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the retail display government regulation is transmitted electronically to the one or more processors over a communications network from a computing platform associated with a retailer, and wherein access to the retail display government regulation is provided by transmitting the retail display government regulation to the computing platform associated with the retailer over the communications network.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the retail display government regulation regulates one or both of price labels and/or point of display signage.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the retail display material defines a price label for an individual product to be affixed to a retail display apparatus separate from the individual product such that the price label conforms to the obtained retail display government regulation.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein producing the tangible retail display material comprises printing the price label.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the tangible retail display material defines shelf strip to be affixed to a retail display apparatus, the shelf strip indicating positions at which a plurality of products should be stocked on the retail display apparatus, the shelf strip including information about the plurality of products that are regulated by the obtained retail display government regulation.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein producing the tangible retail display material comprises printing the shelf strip.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the tangible retail display material defines a shelf strip to be affixed to a retail display apparatus, the shelf strip indicating a plurality of positions at which an individual product should be stocked on the retail display apparatus, the shelf strip including information about the individual product that is regulated by the obtained retail display government regulation.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein producing the tangible retail display material comprises printing the shelf strip.

21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electronic storage is further configured to store certification information related to certification of the retail display government regulation within the legal jurisdiction.

22. The method of claim 21 , the method further comprising managing, by the one or more processors, the certification information.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Oct 10, 2024
From: INFORMATION PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT SERVICE INC.
To: ELECTRONIC IMAGING SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 068864/0208 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2021
From: DALE, ERNEST JAMES; EICHENSER, BARBARA CLARK
To: INFORMATION PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT SERVICE INC.
Reel/Frame 057000/0265 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15159091 · May 19, 2016
Continuation 12561985 · Sep 17, 2009
Related Publication 20210004839A1 · Jan 7, 2021