KR20160051529A

KR20160051529A - electronic information label with static display region

Info

Publication number: KR20160051529A
Application number: KR1020150050984A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 강철민
Original assignee: 주식회사 솔루엠
Priority date: 2014-10-30
Filing date: 2015-04-10
Publication date: 2016-05-11
Also published as: KR101642082B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic information label technique to electrically display information and, more specifically, to an electronic information label technique having a static display region. Disclosed is a method for reducing costs for producing an electronic information label by considering a region to display static information. According to one aspect of the electronic information label, an electronic paper panel and a static display unit are continuously to form a display unit. A static display unit has a display surface, which is the same visual display format of that of the electronic paper panel, to print information and continuously installed on a display surface of the electronic paper panel, thereby visually forming one display surface with the electronic paper panel.

Description

An electronic information label with a static display area (electronic information label with static display region)

A description of an electronic information label for electronically displaying information, and an electronic information labeling technique having a static display area in detail.

The paper label attached to the shelf of the store is troublesome to replace if the price changes. An electronic information label (ESL) is known that replaces paper labels and displays information about products that are placed on store shelves and displayed in stores. In addition to the display shelves, electronic information labels are expanding applications such as information on warehouses, hospitals, and memo marks. Among electronic information label systems, electronic information labels communicate with a management server via a gateway to manage display information.

In order to reduce the power consumption of the electronic information label supplied from the battery, the electronic information labels are kept in a sleep state except for a wakeup period necessary for updating the product information. Also, the display uses an electronic paper display (EPD: Electronic Paper Display) that maintains the information display state even when no power is supplied.

The electronic information label displays various information related to the product. This information can be divided into static information such as a product name that does not change when an electronic information label is assigned to a specific product, and dynamic information that changes as price information. Expensive electronic paper panels that display dynamic information despite being a static display area are used.

A method of reducing the cost of the electronic information label is proposed in view of the area displaying static information.

Furthermore, an electronic information label is proposed in which the design is nice and the display surface is wide.

According to one aspect, the electronic information label comprises an electronic paper panel and a static display portion successively forming a display portion. The static display portion is printed with information in the same visual display format as the display surface of the electronic paper panel, and is provided following the display surface of the electronic paper panel to visually form one display surface with the electronic paper panel.

According to another aspect, the static display may be attached to the backing plate in the form of a sticker.

According to another aspect, the static display portion can be installed while covering the driving chips formed on the side surface of the electronic paper panel.

According to another aspect, a plurality of electronic paper panels may be attached among the static display portions.

Because the static display area displays the printed information, it is possible to save money by reducing the size of the electronic paper panel. Static information is printed in the same visual format as the electronic paper panel, so that two different displays are visually indistinguishable.

For example, a 2.4 "electronic paper display is connected to a paper, so that the entire screen has an area of 3" or more, and the entire area can be utilized for product information transmission. In addition, by applying the same paper tag as the background image of the electronic paper panel, the whole screen can be divided into two and can have uniformity as one large screen.

In addition, the bezel design minimizes the size of the screen, and the front of the tag can be used to maximize product information.

1 is a view for explaining the overall configuration of an electronic label system according to an embodiment.
Figure 2 is a front view of an electronic information label according to one embodiment.
3 is a view showing a front side of an electronic information label according to another embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which the static display unit is separated in the embodiment of FIG. 2. FIG.
5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an electronic paper label according to one embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an electronic paper label according to the embodiment shown in FIG.
7 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of an electronic paper label according to another embodiment.
8 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an electronic paper label according to another embodiment.

The foregoing and further aspects are embodied through the embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the components of each embodiment are capable of various combinations within an embodiment as long as no other mention or mutual contradiction exists.

1 is a view for explaining the overall configuration of an electronic label system according to an embodiment. The management server apparatus 10 communicates with the plurality of electronic information label devices 70-1, 70-2, ..., 70-N via the gateway apparatus 30. [ In the illustrated embodiment, the management server apparatus 10 and the gateway apparatus 30 are connected by wire, and the gateway apparatus 30 and the electronic information label apparatuses 70-1 , 70-2,..., 70-N communicate according to a protocol defined on the PHY / MAC layer according to short-range wireless communication, for example, the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.

The electronic information label is in a sleep mode to wake up at a constant cycle to minimize power consumption. It is necessary to further reduce the power consumption by reducing the size of the electronic paper panel of the electronic information label in the sleep mode switching. This will be described later.

Figure 2 is a front view of an electronic information label according to one embodiment. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an electronic paper label according to one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an electronic paper label according to the embodiment shown in FIG.

In one aspect, the electronic information label includes a housing, an electronic paper panel 121, and a static display portion 113. In one embodiment, the electronic information label is static and the dynamic information is electronic paper panel 121. The electronic paper panel 121 displaying dynamic information can be reduced by the paper label size indicating static information, thereby reducing the price of the electronic information label and the power consumption.

In one embodiment, the housing includes an upper housing having a bezel at the rim of the display area 130 and a lid fastened to the upper housing.

The upper housing 133 is made of a transparent material, and the upper housing and the lid are fastened to seal the inner parts. The display area is visible through the upper housing, which is transparent. The display area is an area in which the electronic information label displays at least one of product information and promotion information. The product information may include a product name, a product price, a manufacturer, and the like. Promotion information may include sale, discount price, discount period, and the like. That is, the electronic paper panel 121 and the static display unit 113 to be described later are seen through the upper housing. The upper housing is not limited to this and an opening corresponding to the sizes of the electronic paper panel 121 and the static display portion 113 is formed so that the electronic paper panel 121 and the static display portion 113 are exposed through the opening .

The lid is coupled to the rear of the upper housing to receive the inner parts together with the upper housing. The lid forms a space with the upper housing, and accommodates the internal parts in this space. The upper housing and the lid can be fastened in a variety of ways. For example, a latching protrusion bent downward along the front edge of the cover is formed, and a latching protrusion is formed on the rear surface of the upper housing to engage with the latching protrusion. When the upper housing is pressed toward the lid, the latching protrusion is caught by the latching jaw, so that the upper housing can be easily coupled to the lid. In another example, the upper housing is fastened to the lid by a fastening member such as a bolt.

In one embodiment, the electronic paper panel 121 is installed inside the housing while occupying a part of the display area. In one embodiment, the electronic paper panel 121 includes a twist ball type of Xerox using hemispherical twist balls filled with electrostatic charge, an electrophoretic display of E-ink using electrophoresis and microcapsules, and a Kent using cholesterol liquid crystal And Cholesterol liquid crystal display of Display Co., Ltd. are known. Segment type and image type are known in electronic paper display. The image type electronic paper display comprises a TFT substrate on which a thin film transistor (TFT) is formed on a polysilicon layer deposited on a plastic substrate, a transparent electrode substrate, and a microcapsule layer sealed therebetween, Region may be recrystallized to form CMOS circuits.

The present invention is not limited thereto, and a part of the display area may be a liquid crystal display. A liquid crystal display or a liquid crystal display device, or a liquid crystal display (LCD) for short, is one of thin display devices. In the case of color liquid crystal displays, promotional information can also be displayed in various colors, which may attract more attention from customers. The display unit is not limited to an electronic paper display or a liquid crystal display, and may be another flat panel display such as a plasma display panel (PDP) or a light emitting diode (LED).

In one embodiment, the electronic paper panel 121 is a display means by a graphic tag capable of displaying various information such as a product name, a barcode, a logo, etc. in addition to a segment tag or a product price that can display numbers or characters as segment electrodes .

In one embodiment, the static display section 113 is printed with information in the same visual display format as the electronic paper panel 121 on the display surface, and is installed following the display surface of the electronic paper panel 121, (121) and one display surface. The visual display format is, according to one aspect, the display color of the background. According to another aspect, in addition to the display color of the background, it may further include a color of the display information. According to another aspect, it is possible to further include the font type of the character. In addition, it may include a continuous graphic pattern.

In one embodiment, the static display portion 113 is attached in the form of a sticker. When information is printed on the display surface of the static display unit 113 in the same visual display format as the display surface of the electronic paper panel 121, for example, in the same color or the same color pattern, the electronic paper panel 121 It is possible to visually configure the static display unit 113 and the electronic paper panel 121 to be viewed as one display surface by attaching the stickers so as to overlap without any separate space. The content displayed on the static display unit 113 is content that is not variable, but the product assigned to the electronic information label may be changed to change the product name which is static content. In this case, the content of the static display unit 113 can be modified by printing the changed contents or by reattaching the written static display unit 113 in the form of a sticker.

According to an aspect, identification information indicating the identification information of the electronic information label may be printed in a part of the area of the static display section 113. [ Identification information is information that distinguishes one electronic information label from another electronic information label. For example, the identification information is a MAC ID. The static display unit 113 of the electronic information label can display the identification information of the electronic information label as a bar code or a QR code (Quick response code). The user reads a barcode displayed by the static display unit 113 of the electronic information label in a personal digital assistant (PDA) device in the process of matching an electronic information label with a specific product. The barcode in the packaging of the product or product is also read by the PDA device. The PDA device obtains the identification information and the product information of the electronic information label from the barcode, and transmits the identification information and the product information to the management server. That is, the static display unit 113 displays the identification information of the electronic information label, so that the process of associating with the product can be performed smoothly.

In an aspect, the static display portion 113 may be installed while covering a surface on which a driving chip is mounted on an upper portion of the electronic paper panel 121, with a part of the surface thereof being covered. On one side of the electronic paper panel 121, a plurality of driving chips for amplifying a driving signal to supply an image or text to each driving electrode are mounted. This area is an area where information is not displayed, and it is preferable to hide it as an internal part. It is possible to cover the static display portion 113 so as to extend to the upper portion of the surface on which the driving chip on which no information is displayed so as to maximize the portion where the information is displayed on the electronic information label,

In an aspect, the display area extends to the left and right ends of the rim of the upper housing 133, so that the bezel can be visually seen as if it is not on the left and right sides. The display area may extend to the upper and lower ends of the rim of the upper housing 133, or may extend to the upper and lower ends. And may extend to at least one of the upper, lower, left, and right ends.

In an aspect, the left and right bezel regions of the upper housing 133 may be formed in the same color as the background of the display surface of the electronic paper panel 121. The display area can be seen to be wider by visually eliminating the distinction between the bezel area and the display surface of the electronic paper panel 121. [ The bezel regions of the upper and lower housing, the lower, the left, and the right may be the same color as the background of the display surface of the electronic paper panel 121. [

In an aspect, the battery 170 may be mounted on the cover 135 of the electronic information label. The battery supplies power to the electronic information label, and in order to reduce battery power consumption, the electronic information label maintains a sleep state other than the wake-up period for updating the product information.

In an aspect, the electronic information label may further comprise a substrate on which the static display and the electronic paper panel are mounted.

The substrate forms a step by the thickness of the electronic paper panel 121 at the boundary between the electronic paper panel 121 and the static display portion 113 so that the electronic paper panel 121 and static The display portion 113 is flat. The electronic paper panel 121 includes an electronic paper film 121 having a common transparent electrode formed on its front surface and a printed circuit board 125 on which a driving circuit for applying a driving voltage is formed. The substrate may be fixed to the printed circuit board 125 of the electronic paper panel 121 and the printed circuit board 125 and the static display unit 113 may be positioned on the entire surface thereof. At this time, the static display unit 113 may be attached to the substrate in the form of a sticker 113. In the lower step space, for example, a space for accommodating the battery 170, which is the power source of the electronic information label, can be formed.

In one aspect, the substrate is mounted on the lower portion of the electronic paper panel and is mounted on the circuit board 125, one end of which is fixed to one end of the circuit board 125, and the electronic paper And may include a metal bracket 115 having a level difference by the thickness of the panel. As shown in FIG. 6, the substrate may include a metal bracket portion 115 extending to the stepped portion, and a printed circuit board 125 coupled with the metal bracket. The metal bracket 115 is secured to the printed circuit board 125 of the electronic paper display with a nut 190. The sticker 113 is attached so as to overlap with the display surface of the electronic paper panel 121 and is connected without any connection interface.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which the static display unit is separated in the embodiment of FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of an electronic paper label according to another embodiment. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the electronic labeling apparatus shown in detail in Fig.

In one embodiment, the electronic paper panel is electrically connected to a connector mounted on a printed circuit board by a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). The electronic paper panel is supplied with a driving signal by a flexible circuit board.

In one embodiment, identification information for displaying the identification information of the electronic information label is printed in a part of the area of the static display section 113. [ Identification information is information that distinguishes one electronic information label from another electronic information label. For example, the identification information is a MAC ID. The static display unit 113 of the electronic information label can display the identification information of the electronic information label as a bar code or a QR code (Quick response code). The user reads a barcode displayed by the static display unit 113 of the electronic information label in a personal digital assistant (PDA) device in the process of matching an electronic information label with a specific product. The barcode in the packaging of the product or product is also read by the PDA device. The PDA device obtains the identification information and the product information of the electronic information label from the barcode, and transmits the identification information and the product information to the management server. That is, the static display unit 113 displays the identification information of the electronic information label, so that the process of associating with the product can be performed smoothly.

In one embodiment, the display area extends to the left and right ends of the upper housing rim, and the bezels 131 and 132 are not in the left and right sides of the housing, but only in the upper and lower sides. The display area may extend to the upper and lower ends of the rim of the upper housing 133, or may extend to the upper and lower ends. May be extended to at least one of the upper, lower, left, and right ends, and the bezel may not be present in the portion.

In an embodiment, the left and right bezel areas of the upper housing 133 are formed in the same color as the background of the display surface of the electronic paper panel 121. The display area can be seen to be wider by visually eliminating the distinction between the bezel area and the display surface of the electronic paper panel 121. [ But the bezel area of the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the upper housing may be the same color as the background of the display surface of the electronic paper panel 121. [

The panel receiving portion 136 and the static display portion 113 in which the receiving groove for accommodating the electronic paper panel is formed are accommodated in the upper housing 133. When the upper housing 133 is fastened to the upper housing 133, And a raised ridge 137 may be provided. Unlike the exploded perspective view of the electronic paper label configuration shown in Fig. 5, the configuration of the electronic paper label shown in Fig. 7 does not include a substrate, and the lid shape is also different. The cover 135 shown in FIG. 7 is different from the cover 136 shown in FIG. 5 in that the second area 137 where the static indicator 113 is installed is smaller than the first area 136 where the electronic paper panel 121 is installed It is uplifted. An electronic paper panel 121 is installed on the panel receiving portion 136 where the battery 170 is installed on the cover. The side wall 139 abuts a part of the side edge of the electronic paper panel installed at the top of the panel receiving portion 136 to firmly fix the electronic paper panel. The second area 137 where the static display part 113 is provided on the lid is raised compared to the panel receiving part 136 on which the electronic paper panel 123 is installed so that the electronic paper panel 121 and the static display part 113, Respectively. The electronic paper panel 121 may have a thickness enough to protrude the ridge 137 relative to the panel receiving portion 136 of the lid and the electronic paper panel 121 may be provided on the top of the panel receiving portion 136 of the lid The static display unit 113 can be installed on the ridge 137 so as to be flush with the electronic paper panel 123.

In one aspect, the electronic information label has a slit formed on the outer wall side of the ridge portion 137 so as to communicate with a narrow gap of the ridge portion, and the static display portion 113 is inserted and accommodated in the sliding manner through the slit. The static display unit 110 may be attached to the substrate in the form of a sticker. However, the static display unit 110 may be pushed and inserted into the slit 134 at one side of the upper housing as shown in FIG. When the static display portion 110 is inserted into the slit 134 in a sliding manner, the guide tang 138 supports the static display portion 110 such that the static display portion 110 is not deviated in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction. As shown in Fig. 4, when the static display portion is pushed and inserted from one side of the upper housing, the static display portion is inserted until it abuts the electronic paper panel.

3 is a view showing a front side of an electronic information label according to another embodiment.

In one aspect, the electronic paper panel 121 may be provided in island form at a plurality of places. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, a static display portion is provided following one side of the electronic paper panel. 2, the electronic paper panel is installed in an island shape between the static display portions. In FIG. 3, the electronic paper panels 127, 128, and 129 installed in an island shape indicate the price and the sale. At least one of characters and images having high flexibility in the display area 130 can be implemented by the electronic paper panels 127, 128, For example, when only the area where the goods price is displayed is implemented by the electronic paper panels 127, 128, and 129, the electronic paper panels 127 and 128 , 129) can be reduced. By reducing the size of the electronic paper panels 127, 128 and 129, the power consumption and the production cost of the electronic information label can be reduced. The embodiment in which the electronic paper panel is installed is not limited to this. The electronic information label may include a static display portion 110 on the left side, an electronic paper panel on the right side, a static display portion 110 on the right side, As shown in FIG.

8 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an electronic paper label according to another embodiment.

In an aspect, the additional display portion is printed with information in the same visual display format as the electronic paper panel 121 on the display surface, and is attached after the static display portion 113. [ The position at which the additional display portion is attached is not limited to this, but may be attached to the electronic paper panel in a position where it is attached to the panel but the static display portion 113 is not attached. 1, for example, the static display portion is attached to the left side of the electronic paper panel, so that the additional display portion can be attached to the upper, lower, left, or upper, lower, right side of the static display portion. For example, the supplementary display unit may be a colored color printed with a promotional phrase such as 'Sale' or '2 + 1' indicating that it is on sale.

As shown in FIG. 8, a static display portion in the form of a sticker is attached to the left side of the electronic paper panel, and an additional display portion can be inserted into the slit described later on the right side of the upper housing. The static display portion in the form of a sticker is attached to the right side of the electronic paper panel and the additional display portion can be inserted into the slit described later on the left side of the upper housing.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and similarities that may occur to those skilled in the art. The claims are intended to cover such modifications.

10: Management server device
30: Gateway device
70-1, 70-2, ... , 70-N: Electronic information label
110: Static display
111: Barcode
113: Static display
115: substrate
117: step
120: electronic paper panel
121: electronic paper panel
125: printed circuit board
127: electronic paper panel
129: Electronic paper panel
128: Electronic paper panel
130: display area
131: Bezel
132: Bezel
133: upper housing
134: slit
135: Cover
136:
137: ridge
138: guide chin
139: side wall
170: Battery
190: Nuts

Claims

A housing including an upper housing having a bezel formed at an edge of the display area, and a cover coupled to the upper housing;
An electronic paper panel installed inside the housing while occupying a part of the display area;
A static display unit in which information is printed in the same visual display format as that of the electronic paper panel, the static display unit being installed subsequent to the display surface of the electronic paper panel and visually forming an electronic paper panel and a display surface;
&Lt; / RTI >

The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic information label is:
A substrate on which an electronic paper panel and a static display portion are provided;
And an electronic information label.

The electronic information label according to claim 1, wherein the static display portion is attached in the form of a sticker.

The electronic information label according to claim 2, wherein the substrate forms a step by the thickness of the electronic paper panel at the boundary of the electronic paper panel and the static display portion, such that the electronic paper panel and the static display portion are flat in the front surface of the label.

The method of claim 4, wherein the substrate
A circuit board mounted on a lower portion of the electronic paper panel and having a circuit mounted thereon, and
A metal bracket having one end fixed to one end of the circuit board and having a level difference in thickness between the electronic paper panel and the static display part,
&Lt; / RTI >

The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic information label comprises:
An additional display unit to which information is printed in the same visual display format as the display surface of the electronic paper panel, and which is attached to the static display unit; And an electronic information label.

The electronic information label according to claim 1, wherein the electronic paper panel is installed in a plurality of places in the form of an island.

The electronic information label according to claim 1, wherein identification information for displaying identification information of an electronic information label is printed in a part of the area of the static display section.

The electronic information label according to claim 1, wherein the static display portion is installed while covering a surface on which the driving chip is mounted on the upper portion of the electronic paper panel.

The electronic information label as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display area extends to the left and right ends of the upper housing frame so that the bezel is not visible on the left and right sides.

The electronic information label according to claim 10, wherein the left and right bezel areas of the upper housing are formed in the same color as the background of the display surface of the electronic paper panel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,
An electronic information label having a panel receiving portion in which a receiving groove for accommodating an electronic paper panel is formed and a raised portion accommodated in the static display portion and protruding to form a narrow gap with a surface facing the upper housing when fastened to the upper housing.

The electronic information label according to claim 12, wherein a slit is formed on the outer wall side of the raised portion communicating with a narrow gap of the raised portion, and the static display portion is inserted and accommodated in the sliding manner through the slit.