KR20110068229A - Electronic shelf label system having wake-up function using magnetic field detection - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An electronic shelf label system having a wake-up function using magnetic field detection is provided to solve the inconvenience of the worker by automatically waking up an electric label using magnetism generated in an input device. CONSTITUTION: An input means(10) comprises a self-instructed part(11) which creates a magnetic field in an adjacent region. A magnetic detector(21) detects the magnetic field. If the magnetic field is detected, a communication module(22) is woken up and communicates with the input means. The communication module comprises a power supply unit, a switch unit which blocks the power supply voltage or the current of the power supply unit, and a transceiver. If the magnetic field is detected, the switch outputs the power voltage or the current of the power supply unit. If the magnetic field is not detected, the switch blocks the power supply voltage or the current of the power supply unit.

Description

ELECTRONIC SHELF LABEL SYSTEM HAVING WAKE-UP FUNCTION USING MAGNETIC FIELD DETECTION}

The present invention relates to an electronic shelf label (ESL) system, and more particularly, to detect the magnetism output from the input means and automatically wake up the electronic shelf label in the sleep mode when the input means are in an adjacent position. The present invention relates to an electronic shelf label system having a wake-up function of a magnetic detection method that can be up.

In general, an electronic shelf label (ESL, also referred to as an 'electronic label') is an electronic display device that replaces a paper ticket displaying information (for example, price) of a product on a merchandise display stand in a store. The electronic label may include a display device (LCD or electronic paper, etc.), which is a means for visually displaying information of goods, and communication means for receiving and processing data having fluctuating goods information.

Since so many kinds of merchandise can be displayed in a store to which the electronic label is applied, it is practically impossible to connect an external power source to all of the electronic labels. Therefore, the electronic label is supplied with power using a coin battery or the like. Therefore, it is very important to reduce the power consumption of the electronic label itself in order to continuously use the electronic label for several years (for example, five years or more) with a single battery change.

Typically, in order to minimize power consumption, an electronic label is supplied with power only when necessary to communicate or update a display device, and consumes minimal power when no communication or display device is required (e.g., For example, the device consumes power only to maintain the display state of the display device and cuts off power to the communication device. When the electronic label is in the sleep mode, the electronic label must be able to wake up in the sleep mode in order to enter new data.

In the conventional wake-up method of an electronic label, the administrator adopts a method of repeatedly waking up the electronic label at a predetermined cycle determined by the communication network applied to the electronic label, or by using an wake-up switch provided in the electronic label. A method of manually triggering a wake-up switch to wake up an electronic label has been used, and a combination of the two methods has been used.

In the conventional wake-up method of the electronic label, the method of periodically waking up must wake up according to the period even when data communication is not necessary, and the wake-up period must be very short in order to immediately perform data communication at a desired time. Therefore, the unnecessary frequent wake-up consumes a lot of power, causing a problem of shortening the battery life of the electronic label. In addition, the manual triggering method of the wake-up method of the conventional electronic label is a cumbersome and inconvenient problem because the operator must manually trigger a large number of electronic labels.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for an electronic label system having a function of automatically waking up an electronic label immediately at the same time as the user needs while minimizing power consumption.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic shelf label system capable of automatically waking up in a sleep mode even when a portable input device is present in the vicinity without a separate trigger by an operator.

According to an aspect of the present invention,

Input means having a magnetic generator for generating a magnetic field in an adjacent region; And

An electronic label having a magnetic detector for detecting a magnetic field generated by the magnetic generator, and a communication module that wakes up and communicates with the input means when the magnetic field is detected by the magnetic detector;

It provides an electronic shelf label system comprising a.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the communication module, the power supply unit for supplying a power supply voltage or power current, and outputs the power supply voltage or power current received from the power supply unit when the magnetic field is detected in the magnetic detection unit, the magnetic detection unit In the case that the magnetic field is not detected in the switch unit for cutting off the power voltage or power current from the power supply unit and the switch unit is operated by receiving the power supply voltage or power current from the switch unit, and may further include a transceiver for communicating with the input means. have.

In this embodiment, the magnetic detection unit may be implemented as a Hall sensor including a Hall element for generating a voltage according to the magnetic flux magnitude of the magnetic field when a magnetic field is generated.

Also, in this embodiment, the communication module can be woken up by the voltage generated by the hall element.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic detection unit repeats the wake up and sleep in a first period, and the communication module may repeat the wake up and sleep in a second period longer than the first period.

According to the present invention, when the input device for transmitting data is adjacent to each other, the magnetic label generated by the input device can be detected to automatically wake up the electronic label without a separate manual trigger, thereby eliminating the inconvenience of the operator. Can be. In addition, according to the present invention, since the electronic label may wake up by the magnetic detector having a short wake-up period when data transmission is required, immediate data communication is possible, and the power consumed to wake up the magnetic detector is Compared to the wake-up of the communication module itself, the power consumption of the electronic label can be minimized, thereby extending the battery life.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Embodiment of this invention is provided in order to demonstrate this invention more completely to the person skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. Therefore, it should be noted that the shape and size of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for more clear explanation.

1 is a view showing a store environment to which the electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an electronic label 20 for displaying information on a corresponding display product at a position where a product is displayed on a merchandise display shelf of a store, and the electronic label. And a portable input means 10 which communicates with 20 to input data for modifying information displayed on the display device of the electronic label 20. As shown in FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present invention is in a sleep mode when the operator brings the portable input means 10 close to the desired electronic label 20 to enter new data into the electronic label 20. The present invention relates to an electronic shelf labeling system that can automatically wake up electronic labels.

2 is a block diagram illustrating in more detail an electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an input means 10 and an electronic label 20.

The input means 10 is a means for the operator to input data to the electronic label 20, the magnetic generator 11 for generating a magnetic field used to wake up the communication module 22 of the electronic label 20 It may include. In addition, the input means 10 includes an input unit 12 such as a keypad for receiving a user's manipulation, a microprocessor (MCU) 13 for performing control according to a user's manipulation received from the keypad, and a microprocessor ( The operation is controlled by 13) and may further include a transceiver 14 for performing wireless communication with the electronic label 20.

The magnetic generator 11 is a permanent magnet capable of always generating a magnetic field having a magnetic flux of a magnitude required to wake up the communication module 22 of the electronic label 20, or a current is applied by an operator's operation Electromagnets may be employed that generate a magnetic field having a magnetic flux of a magnitude necessary to wake up the communication module 22 of the label 20. In addition, various means capable of generating a magnetic field known in the art may be employed.

The electronic label 20 wakes up when the magnetic field is detected by the magnetic detector 21 that detects the magnetic field generated by the magnetic generator 11 of the input means 10 and the magnetic detector 21. It may comprise a communication module 22 in communication with the input means 10. In addition, the electronic label 20 may include a power supply 23 for providing a power voltage or power current to the magnetic detector 21, the communication module 22, and / or the LCD driver 24, and an LCD for displaying product information. (25) may be further included.

The magnetic detector 21 detects a magnetic field generated by the magnetic generator 11 when the input means 10 approaches the vicinity. The magnetic detector 21 may employ various means for detecting a change in the magnetic field around the magnetic field, that is, the magnetic flux. Preferably, the magnetic detector 21 may be implemented as a hall sensor having a Hall element that generates a voltage according to a change in magnetic flux.

3 is a circuit diagram of a magnetic detection unit applied to an electronic shelf labeling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the hall sensor 21 may include a hall element 211. The hall element 211 may be implemented as a conductor or a semiconductor in which a power supply voltage or a power supply current is applied to both ends by the power supply unit 23. A current in a predetermined direction flows on the surface of the hall element 211 (in FIG. 3, the direction from Vdd to ground). When a magnetic flux in the vertical direction is generated on the surface of the Hall element 211, an electromotive force, that is, a voltage Vo, is generated at both ends of the Hall element in a direction perpendicular to the current flowing through the Hall element 211 and the magnetic flux. As such, the hall sensor 21 detects the magnetic flux caused by the magnetic field and outputs it in the form of a voltage.

The magnetic detector 21 may repeat the sleep mode and the wake up at a first predetermined period in order to reduce power consumption. That is, the magnetic detector 21 repeats the sleep mode and the wake-up in such a manner that the power supply voltage and the power current supplied from the power supply unit 23 to the magnetic detector 21 are periodically provided or cut off. However, the wake-up period of the magnetic detection unit 21 is preferably set to be relatively short because the communication module 22 must be woken up immediately as required by the operator.

The communication module 22 includes a switch unit 221 for supplying / blocking a power supply voltage or a power current provided from the power supply unit 23 according to whether the magnetic field is detected by the magnetic detection unit 21, and the switch unit. The microprocessor (MCU) 222 which operates by receiving a power supply voltage or a power current by the control unit 221 and controls the overall operation of the electronic label 20 and the power supply voltage or power current by the switch unit 221. It may include a transceiver 223 provided to operate and perform wireless communication with the input means 10. The switch 211, the MCU 222, and the transceiver 223 may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) in a single chip form.

The switch unit 221 may provide or block a power supply voltage or a power supply current from the power supply unit 23 to the transceiver 223 or the MCU 222 according to a control signal input by the magnetic detection unit 21. That is, when the magnetic detector 21 is implemented with a hall sensor as shown in FIG. 3, the output voltage Vo output from the hall sensor may be used as a control signal of the switch unit 221. When the output voltage Vo output from the hall sensor is equal to or greater than a preset reference voltage, the switch unit 221 determines that the input means 10 is present in an adjacent position, and thus the power supply unit 23, the transceiver 223, and the power supply unit. A connection between the MCU 23 and the MCU 222 is formed to provide a power supply voltage or a current to the transceiver 223 and the MCU 222 to wake up the communication module 22. On the contrary, when the output voltage Vo output from the hall sensor is less than the reference voltage, the switch unit 221 cuts off the power voltage or power current provided from the power supply unit 23 so that the communication module 22 enters the sleep mode. Can be maintained.

Meanwhile, the electronic shelf label system may be operated in a wireless communication network together with a method of inputting data by one-to-one communication with the operator's input means 10 as in the present invention. In this case, the communication module 22 may operate according to a wake-up period set according to a communication protocol followed by a wireless communication network. In this case, instant data entry can be performed using the scheme according to the invention, so that the wakeup period (second period) by the wireless communication network is set relatively long so that the time when the communication module 22 is in the sleep mode. Can be increased. Compared to the first period, which is the wake-up period of the magnetic detector 21, the second period may be set to be very long. As described above, since the second period, which is the wakeup period by the network, can be set long by applying the present invention, the battery life of the electronic label 20 can be further extended. For example, the magnetic detector 21 implemented as a hall sensor has only a few watts of current during wakeup, but a communication module (system on chip (SoC)) including the MCU 222 and the transceiver 223 ( The current required to wake up 22) is several tens of kΩ. Therefore, according to the present invention, the wakeup period of the communication module 22 can be set longer, and the wakeup period of the magnetic detector 21 can be set shorter, so that real-time data can be immediately input to the electronic label 20. The service life of the batteries used can also be significantly increased.

The LCD driver 24 receives the power supply voltage or the power current from the power supply unit 23, determines the contents displayed on the LCD 25 under the control of the MCU 222, and drives the LCD 25. The display 25 or the brightness may be determined according to the driving signal of the LCD driver 24. Although FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the LCD 25 as a display means, other display means known in the art, such as an electronic paper, may replace the LCD 25, and as a display means is replaced to drive it. The drive can also be changed as appropriate.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of an electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the operation and effects of the electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, when an operation is started by supplying power to the electronic label 20 in a power-off state, the power supply unit 23 supplies power to all the electric and electronic devices included in the electronic label 20. Initialization is performed by providing voltage or power current (S41).

After the initialization (S41) is finished, the transmission and reception operation for receiving data related to the contents to be displayed on the LCD 25 is performed by the transceiver 223 (S42), by the LCD driver 24 Information corresponding to the received data is updated in the LCD 25 (S43). The data transmission / reception process S42 may be performed by a wireless communication network to which the electronic label 10 belongs, or may be performed by a portable input means 10 of an administrator as in the present invention.

In the above-described initialization process (S41), data transmission / reception process (S42), and LCD update process (S43), the switch unit 221 supplies a power voltage or power current from the power supply unit 23 to the MCU 222 and the transceiver 223. Maintain a connection that can be provided.

When the initialization process (S41), the data transmission and reception process (S42) and the LCD update (S43) process is performed to display the product information to be displayed on the LCD 25 of the electronic label 10, the switch unit 221 ) Cuts the power supply voltage and the power current provided from the power supply unit 23 to allow the communication module 22 to enter the sleep mode (S44). The duration of the sleep mode S44 may be determined according to a second period, which is a wake-up period determined by the wireless communication network including the electronic label 10. In addition, in the sleep mode S44, the magnetic detector 21 attempts to detect the surrounding magnetic field while repeating the wake-up at a first predetermined period.

As shown in FIG. 4, if the sleep mode duration time according to the second preset period continues after the sleep mode S44 (S45), the magnetic detector 21 attempts to detect the surrounding magnetic field (S46). When the magnetic field is detected, the switch unit 221 may wake up the communication module 22 by providing the power supply voltage or power current from the power supply unit 23 to the MCU 222 and the transceiver 223 (S47). The wake-up communication module 22 determines whether there is data to be transmitted / received by the adjacent input means 10 (S47), and if data exists, performs a data transmission / reception process (S42) and does not exist. In step S44 it enters the sleep mode again.

On the other hand, even after the sleep mode (S44), the sleep mode duration time according to the second preset period ends (S45), the switch unit 221 is the MCU (222) to the power supply voltage or power current from the power supply unit 23 ) And the transceiver 223 may wake up the communication module 22 (S47). As with the wake-up by the magnetic detector 21 described above, the wake-up communication module 22 determines whether there is data to be transmitted / received by the adjacent input means 10 (S47), and when there is data, If the data transmission and reception process (S42) is performed and data does not exist, the system enters the sleep mode again (S44).

As described above, the present invention detects the magnetism generated by the input apparatus when the input apparatus that transmits data is adjacent, and automatically wakes up the electronic label in the sleep mode due to the magnetic detection even if a separate manual trigger does not occur. Since it can raise, the inconvenience of an operator can be eliminated.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the electronic label can wake up by the magnetic detector having a short wake-up period when data transmission is required, it is possible to immediately communicate data. In particular, since the power consumed to wake up the magnetic detector is significantly less than to wake up the communication module itself, it is possible to minimize the power consumption of the electronic label to extend the life of the battery.

In the detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described, but various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

1 is a view showing a store environment to which the electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of an electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a circuit diagram of a magnetic detection unit applied to an electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation example of an electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

10: portable input means 11: magnetic generator

12: input unit 13: MCU

14: Transceiver 20: Electronic Label

21: magnetic detection unit 22: communication module

221: switch unit 222: MCU

223: transceiver 24: LCD driver

25: LCD

Claims (5)

Input means having a magnetic generator for generating a magnetic field in an adjacent region; And An electronic label having a magnetic detector for detecting a magnetic field generated by the magnetic generator, and a communication module that wakes up and communicates with the input means when the magnetic field is detected by the magnetic detector; Electronic shelf label system having a wake-up function of the magnetic detection method comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication module, A power supply unit supplying a power supply voltage or a power current; A switch unit which outputs the power voltage or power current input from the power supply unit when the magnetic field is detected by the magnetic detection unit, and cuts off the power voltage or power current from the power supply unit when the magnetic field is not detected by the magnetic detection unit; And The electronic shelf label system having a wake-up function of the magnetic detection method, characterized in that it further comprises a transceiver for receiving the power supply voltage or power current from the switch unit, the transceiver to communicate with the input means. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The magnetic detection unit, the magnetic shelf label system having a wake-up function of the magnetic detection method, characterized in that the Hall sensor including a Hall element for generating a voltage according to the magnetic flux magnitude of the magnetic field. The method of claim 3, wherein And the communication module wakes up by the voltage generated by the hall element. The method of claim 1, The magnetic detector repeats wake-up and sleep in a first period, and the communication module repeats wake-up and sleep in a second period longer than the first period. Shelf labeling system.

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