Locating a device on a shelf rail
View Patent ↗Shelf-rail system comprising one shelf rail and at least one shelf-rail device attached to the shelf rail, wherein the shelf rail system comprises at least one sensor that is provided and designed to automatically determine the position of 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.
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.