GB2464781A

GB2464781A - Electronic shelf label using a wake-up function

Info

Publication number: GB2464781A
Application number: GB0908478A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hyun Hak Kim; Yong Gil Namgung; Jae Chan Lee; Seok Min Woo
Original assignee: Samsung Electro Mechanics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electro Mechanics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2008-10-30
Filing date: 2009-05-18
Publication date: 2010-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 2029-05-18
Also published as: KR20100048205A; FR2938101A1; FR2938101B1; GB0908478D0; KR100978665B1; GB2464781B

Abstract

A plurality of electronic labels (13) display product information in a store, the labels being grouped into a plurality of groups. A plurality of sync devices (12), each being disposed in one of the groups wirelessly communicates with the labels belonging to the same group to send data containing the product information to the labels. A management server (11) storing the product information sends the data to the labels via the sync devices. The labels are periodically turned ON and OFF, and the sync devices, when having data to transfer to the labels of the respective label groups, send a wake-up signal at a turned-on period of the labels. The labels having received the wake-up signal maintain a turned-on state until data is received from the sync devices. The labels may be woken up in the preset order of the groups and the wake-up and data signals may be sent via different channels.

Description

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ELECTRONIC SHELF LABEL SYSTEM USING WAKE-UP FUNCTION

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2008-0107247 filed on October 30, 2008, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a system for operating an electronic shelf label (ESL), and more particularly, to an ESL system using a wake-up function, which can efficiently operate a plurality of electronic shelf labels, grouped into a plurality of label groups, in a store by use of a wake-up function.

Description of the Related Art

[0003] In general, electronic shelf labels (ESL, hereinafter, also referred to as electronic labels') are electronic display devices that substitute paper labels displaying information regarding the products (e.g., price) on display counters in a store or the like. The electronic label may include a display device (e.g., LCD or electronic paper) for the visual display of product information, and a communication unit receiving and Page 1 processing data containing variable product information.

(0004] If the electronic labels are used in a store where various kinds of products are displayed, it is substantially impossible to connect external power to all of the electronic S labels. For this reason, power is supplied to the electronic labels by use of a battery or the like. Thus, for long term use of electronic labels with a single battery change, it is very important to reduce the power consumption of each electronic label.

[0005] Low-priced communication devices, which can communicate simultaneously with a plurality of electronic labels for large stores, do not exist. For this reason, a plurality of electronic labels need to be divided into a plurality of label groups and be operated according to each label group.

(0006] Accordingly, the system for operating electronic shelf labels demands operating schemes to reduce the power consumption of the electronic labels, and schemes to improve efficiency in operating the electronic labels grouped into a plurality of label groups.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIOM

[00071 An aspect of the present invention provides an electronic shelf label (ESL) system, which can lengthen battery replacement intervals by minimizing the power consumption of Page 2 electronic labels, which are unable to receive power from the external power grid, by using a wake-up function.

[0008] An aspect of the present invention also provides an ESL system which allows an efficient data transfer to a plurality of electronic labels displayed in stores.

[0009] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic shelf label system having a wake-up function, the system including: a plurality of electronic labels displaying product information of products displayed in a store, the plurality of electronic labels being grouped into a plurality of label groups; a plurality of sync devices, each being disposed in one of the plurality of label groups and wirelessly communicating with the electronic labels belonging to the same label group to send data containing the product information to the electronic labels belonging to the same label group; and a management server storing the product information and sending the data containing the product information to the plurality of electronic labels via the plurality of sync devices.

The plurality of electronic labels are periodically turned ON and OFF, the plurality of sync devices, when having data to transfer to the electronic labels belonging to the respective label groups, send a wake-up signal at the turned-on period of the plurality of electronic labels, and the plurality of electronic labels, having received the wake-up signal, maintain the turned-on state thereof until data is received from the Page 3 corresponding sync devices.

[0010] If data to transfer to the electronic labels of the different label groups is present, the sync devices disposed in the label groups to which the data is to transfer respectively may wake up the electronic labels of the label groups in the preset order of the label groups, and then send the data, which contains product information.

[0011] The sync devices disposed in the label groups to which the data is to transfer respectively may send a wake-up signal using one channel, and send the data containing the product information using one channel.

[0012] If data to transfer to the electronic labels of the different label groups is present, the sync devices disposed in the label groups to which the data is to transfer respectively may simultaneously send a wake-up signal to the electronic labels of the corresponding label groups, and then send data containing the product information.

[0013] The sync devices disposed in the label groups to which the data is to transfer respectively may send a wake-up signal using different channels, and send the data containing the product information using one channel.

[0014] The electronic labels, when failing to receive the data containing the product information, may make a request for the sync device of the same label group to resend the data containing the product information, and the sync device, having received Page 4

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the request, may resend the data containing the product information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

10015] The above and other aspects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic shelf label (ESL) system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [0017] FIG. 2 is a view illustrating one example of the disposition of sync devices and electronic labels, which are components of the ESL system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [0018] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for sending data in an ESL system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and [0019] Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a method for sending data in an ESL label system, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0020] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying Page 5 drawings. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the shape and the size of elements are exaggerated for clarity [0021] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic shelf label (ESL) system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view illustrating one example of the disposition of synch devices and electronic label, which are components of the ESL system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the ESL system according to this embodiment of the present invention may include a management server 11, a plurality of synch devices 12, and a plurality of electronic labels 13.

[0023] The management server 11 stores product information such as the prices of products displayed in a store. When product information is changed, and thus the information displayed on the electronic label needs to be changed, the management server 11 sends data containing this changed information. The management server 11 may obtain information, which involves sales of products in the store, in real time, interworking with a point of sale (POS) system (not shown) or the like.

Page 6 [0024] Each sync device 12 receives data containing product information from the management server 11, and sends the data to the plurality of electronic labels 13. For example, the sync device 12 is connected with the management server 11 via a wired/wireless local area network (LAN), thereby receiving data containing product information from the management server 11.

using TCP/IP communications. The sync device 12 may also employ part of the communication specifications defined for Zigbee or the like for the wireless communication with the electronic labels 13, so that the sync device 12 can send data containing product information to the plurality of electronic labels 13 simultaneously. Thus, the sync device 12 may include a wired/wireless LAN receiver as a receiver for receiving data from the management server 11, and a Zigbee transmitter as a transmitter for transmitting data to the plurality of electronic labels 13.

[0025) A plurality of sync devices 12 may be provided. Each sync device 12 has limited wireless communication coverage.

Thus, the electronic labels may be managed by grouping electronic labels within the data transfer coverage of each sync device 12 to a single label group. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, a sync device 121 manages electronic labels within its coverage (Gl) as one label group. Likewise, a sync device 122 may manage electronic labels within its coverage G2 as one label group. Sync devices 123 to 125 may also have their respective Page 7 label groups in the same manner for the management of the electronic labels.

[0026] The electronic label 13 is one that displays product information attached to a product counter within a store. The electronic labels 13 may each include a small display panel such as black and white or color liquid crystal display devices (LCDs) or electronic paper (e-paper), and a transceiver performing wireless communication with the sync device 12. The wireless communication of the electronic label 13 may be realized by a wake-up method in which the transceiver is turned ON and OFF at preset intervals. That is, if a message is not present in the sync device 12, the transceiver of the electronic label 13 is alternately and periodically turned ON and OFF, checking for the presence of a message that the transceiver is to receive. If there is a message to transfer to the electronic labels 13, the sync device 12 sends a wake-up signal in synchronization with the ON period of the sync device 12. In this case, the electronic label 13, having received the wake-up signal, does not turn off the transceiver and maintains the turned-on state thereof, thus receiving data containing product information sent after the wake-up signal. The use of the wake-up method may be contributive to reducing the power required by the electronic labels 13 for the communication with the sync device 12.

[0027] As described above, electronic labels within the Page 8 coverage Gi through G5 of the sync devices 121 to 125 form respective label groups. A group identification (ID) representing one label group is assigned to the electronic labels within the corresponding label group in initial communication between the electronic labels and a' corresponding device of the sync devices 121 to 125, which belongs to the same label group. When a wake-up signal or a data signal is received, the label group to which the corresponding signal is directed to can be confirmed through the group ID.

[0028] As described above, the electronic labels 13 are grouped into a plurality of label groups according to the sync devices 12 in communication. Thus, the wireless communication is performed by each label group. In the case of stores where tens to thousands of products may be displayed, the number of label groups increases significantly as the sync devices increase in number. In this regard, the wake-up communication and data communication of the electronic labels 13 need to be properly performed in due consideration of the order of the label groups

for example.

[0029] A method for operating the ESL system of FIGS. 1 and 2, according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, will now be described in detail.

[0030] FIGS. 3 and 4 are flowcharts of a method for operating the ESL system of FIGS. 1 and 2, according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

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(0031] In the method for operating the ESL system according to the embodiment of FIG. 3, data communication is performed sequentially to the label groups. As shown in FIG. 3, in the ESL label system, a sync device 12 disposed in the first label group based on the preset order sends a wake-up signal in operation S3l. In operation S32, electronic labels 13, having received the wake-up signal, maintain the turned-on state of the respective receivers, thus receiving the data which follows the wake-up signal and contains product information. The communication from the sync device 12 to the electronic labels 13 is performed through the broadcasting, so that the wake-up signal and the data can be transmitted simultaneously to the plurality of electronic labels 13. In operation S33, it is determined whether the data transfer by the sync device 12 of the first label group is completed. If not all of the electronic labels of the first label group have received the data, the data is sent again until the completion of the data transfer to all the electronic labels 13 is confirmed in operation S33. In operation S34, it is determined whether the communication is completed on all the label groups including the last group of the preset order. If communication on the last group has not been performed yet, the wake-up and data communication may be performed on the next label group based on the preset order.

(0032] The communication scheme of FIG. 3 is a sequential communication scheme by each label group, in which data is sent Page 10 to one label group after the data transfer to the previous label group is completed. In the entire ESL system, this sequential communication scheme can be realized by use of only two communication channels, that is, one communication channel f or the transfer of a wake-up signal and another communication channel for the transfer of data. In such a sequential communication scheme, the data transfer to one label group is completed and then data is transmitted to the next label group.

Thus, all the labels can receive the data, and communication interference between the label groups does not occur, thereby achieving a very stable data transfer.

10033] The method of operating the ESL system according to the embodiment of FIG. 4 will now be described. In the operating method of FIG. 4, the wake-up function is performed substantially simultaneously on the label groups, and a data transfer is also performed simultaneously on the label groups.

As shown in FIG. 4, the sync devices 121 to 125 of FIG. 2 disposed in the respective label groups send a wake-up signal almost simultaneously to the electronic labels 13 of the corresponding label groups in operation S41. In this case, a different communication channel is used for each label group, so that adjacent electronic labels of different groups are prevented from failing to wake up due to interference between label groups.

Thereafter, using a single channel, all the sync devices 121 to 125 almost simultaneously send data containing product Page 11 information, such as price, to the electronic labels 13 of the corresponding label groups through the broadcasting in operation S42. Then, the electronic labels 13 of each of the label groups receive data containing product information from a corresponding sync device of the sync devices 121 to 125 disposed in the label groups respectively. In this case, the electronic labels placed at a boundary in each label group may fail to receive the data from the sync device of the same label group because of interference from signals transmitted from the sync device of another label group. Thus, it is determined whether an electronic label exists that has failed to receive data in operation S43. If the data has not been received in a predetermined period of a turned-on state after the reception of the wake-up signal, it is determined that the electronic label has failed to receive the data. The electronic label, having received no signal for more than a preset standby time since the reception of the wake-up signal, makes a request for the sync device of the same label group to retransmit the data, and the sync device may repeat the process of sending the data containing product information in operation S44.

(0034] In the method of operating the ESL system as in FIG. 4, a data transfer is performed simultaneously on the electronic labels of the entire system, so that the time required for the data transfer can be significantly shortened as compared to the operation method of FIG. 3.

Page 12 [0035] As described so far, the ESL system can achieve a significant reduction in the amount of power required for the communication of the electronic labels, which are unable to receive power from the external power grids, thereby extending the life of the battery for the electronic labels. According to the present invention, after a plurality of labels disposed in a store are grouped into a plurality of label groups, data is sent sequentially or simultaneously to the label groups, and then data is resent to erroneous electronic labels. In such a manner, various operating methods may be provided, which allow efficient operation of a plurality of electronic labels in large stores.

[0036] In the ESL system according to the present invention, power required for the communication of the electronic labels that cannot receive power from the external power grids is significantly reduced, thereby extending the life of a battery of the electronic labels.

[0037] According to the present invention, after a plurality of labels disposed in a store are grouped into a plurality of label groups, data is sent sequentially or simultaneously to the label groups, and then data is resent to erroneous electronic labels. In such a manner, various operating methods can be provided, which allows the efficient operation of a plurality of electronic labels within a large store.

[0038] While the present invention has been shown and described Page 13 in connection with the exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

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Claims

What Is Claimed Is: 1. An electronic shelf label system having a wake-up function, the system comprising: a plurality of electronic labels displaying product information of products displayed in a store, the plurality of electronic labels being grouped into a plurality of label groups; a plurality of sync devices, each being disposed in one of the plurality of label groups and wirelessly communicating with the electronic labels belonging to the same label group to send data containing the product information to the electronic labels belonging to the same label group; and a management server storing the product information and sending the data containing the product information to the plurality of electronic labels via the plurality of sync devices, wherein the plurality of electronic labels are periodically turned ON and OFF, the plurality of sync devices, when having data to transfer to the electronic labels belonging to the respective label groups, send a wake-up signal at a turned-on period of the plurality of electronic labels, and the plurality of electronic labels, having received the wake-up signal, maintain a turned-on state thereof until data is received from the corresponding sync devices.

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2. The electronic shelf label system of claim 1, wherein if data to transfer to the electronic labels of the different label groups is present, the sync devices disposed in the label groups to which the data is to transfer respectively wake up the electronic labels of the corresponding label groups in the preset order of the label groups, and then send the data, which contains product information.
3. The electronic shelf label system of claim 2, wherein the sync devices disposed in the label groups to which the data is to transfer respectively send a wake-up signal using one channel, and send the data containing the product information using one channel.
4. The electronic shelf label system of claim 1, wherein if data to transfer to the electronic labels of the different label groups is present, the sync devices disposed in the label groups to which the data is to transfer respectively simultaneously send a wake-up signal to the electronic labels of the label groups, and then send data containing the product information.
5. The electronic shelf label system of claim 4, wherein the sync devices disposed in the label groups to which the data is to transfer respectively send a wake-up signal using Page 16 different channels, and send the data containing the product information using one channel.
6. The electronic shelf label system of claim 4, wherein the electronic labels, when failing to receive the data containing the product information, make a request for the sync device of the same label group to resend the data containing the product information, and the sync device, having received the request, resends the data containing the product information.Page 17