Methods and systems for an electronic shelf label system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10839172-B2
Application number	US-201916429884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2019
Priority date	Jun 8, 2017
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

An electronic shelf label system comprising a plurality of electronic shelf labels is provided.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electronic shelf label system comprising:
a plurality of electronic shelf labels, each electronic shelf label including one or more radiofrequency communication modules configured to transmit data at different power levels to control a range of communication;
a central computing system configured to transmit data to the plurality of electronic shelf labels;
a candidate electronic shelf label from the plurality of electronic shelf labels, the candidate electronic shelf label configured to:
periodically activate from a sleep mode to identify whether there is an existing master electronic shelf label from the plurality of electronic shelf labels;
in response to failing to identify an existing master electronic shelf label, determine whether to become a new master electronic shelf label to transmit programming instructions received from the central computing system to one or more electronic shelf labels at a first power level; and
in response to identifying the existing master electronic shelf label, determine whether to become another master electronic shelf label to transmit the programming instructions received from the central computing system to the one or more electronic shelf labels at the first power level.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein, in response to the candidate electronic shelf label becoming the new master electronic shelf label, the candidate electronic shelf label is configured to:
store the programming instructions for the one or more electronic shelf labels received from central computing system, the programming instructions including unique identifiers to associate the programming instructions with corresponding ones of the one or more electronic shelf labels; and
transmit the programming instructions to the corresponding ones of the one or more electronic shelf labels.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the candidate electronic shelf label, as the new master electronic shelf label, is further configured to receive programming instructions for the candidate electronic shelf label.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein, in response to the candidate electronic shelf label, as the new master electronic shelf label, determining to deactivate, the candidate electronic shelf label transmits a broadcast message to identify one of the one or more of the electronic shelf labels to replace the candidate electronic shelf label as the new master electronic shelf label, and
wherein, in response to the candidate electronic shelf label identifying the one of the one or more of the electronic shelf labels to replace the candidate electronic shelf label as the new master electronic shelf label, the candidate transmits the programming instructions to the one of the one or more of the electronic shelf labels and deletes the programming instructions from memory.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the candidate electronic shelf label is further configured to:
decline to become the new master electronic shelf label or the additional master electronic shelf label based on the first set of specified conditions or the second set of specified conditions; and
receive programming instructions from the existing master electronic shelf label or wait for one of the one or more electronic shelf labels within range of the candidate electronic shelf label transmitting at the second power level to become the existing master electronic shelf label.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first set of specified conditions includes whether battery power for the candidate electronic shelf label is above a threshold battery power.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second set of specified conditions includes conditions associated with the existing master electronic shelf label and the candidate label, and the specified conditions include at least one of whether a received signal strength indicator level of the existing master electronic shelf label is above a threshold signal strength, whether a read rate of the existing master electronic shelf label is above a threshold read rate, or whether battery power for the candidate electronic shelf label is above the threshold battery power.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the programming instructions change at least one of a price, texts, or lighting displayed on an electronic shelf label.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more communication modules are configured to transmit data using at least one of low level wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, or radio-frequency identification (RFID) capabilities.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the candidate electronic shelf label is further configured to enter a sleep mode after remaining activated for a configurable amount of time.

11. A method for providing an electronic shelf label system comprising:
providing a plurality of electronic shelf labels, each electronic shelf label including one or more radiofrequency communication modules configured to transmit data at different power levels to control a range of communication;
providing a central computing system configured to transmit data to the plurality of electronic shelf labels;
periodically activating a candidate electronic shelf label from the plurality of electronic shelf labels from a sleep mode;
identifying, by the candidate electronic shelf label, whether there is an existing master electronic shelf label from the plurality of electronic shelf labels;
in response to failing to identify an existing master electronic shelf label, determining, by the candidate electronic shelf label, whether to become a new master electronic shelf label to transmit programming instructions received from the central computing system to one or more electronic shelf labels at a first power level; and
in response to identifying the existing master electronic shelf label, determining, by the candidate electronic shelf label, whether to become another master electronic shelf label to transmit the programming instructions received from the central computing system to the one or more electronic shelf labels at the first power level.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein, in response to the candidate electronic shelf label becoming the new master electronic shelf label, the candidate electronic shelf label is configured to:
storing, by the candidate electronic shelf label, the programming instructions for the one or more electronic shelf labels received from central computing system, the programming instructions including unique identifiers to associate the programming instructions with corresponding ones of the one or more electronic shelf labels; and
transmitting, by the candidate electronic shelf label, the programming instructions to the corresponding ones of the one or more electronic shelf labels.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving, by the candidate electronic shelf label as the new master electronic shelf label, programming instructions for the candidate electronic shelf label.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining, by the candidate electronic shelf label as the new master electronic shelf label, to deactivate;
transmitting, by the candidate electronic shelf label, a broadcast message to identify one of the one or more of the electronic shelf labels to replace the candidate electronic shelf label as the new master electronic shelf label; and
wherein, in response to the candidate electronic shelf label identifying the one of the one or more of the electronic shelf labels to replace the candidate electronic shelf label as the new master electronic shelf label, transmitting, by the candidate electronic shelf label, the programming instruc

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Tingler Jeremy
• Jones Nicholaus Adam
• Taulbee Alvin Scott
• Stiefel Thomas E

Classifications

• G06K7/10198 Primary

  setting parameters for the interrogator, e.g. programming parameters and operating modes · CPC title

• G09F3/00

  Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means (medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40); Seals; Postage or like stamps · CPC title

• G09F3/208

  Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays · CPC title

• G06K15/06

  by type-wheel printers · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title