Method and system for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication preliminary class

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12207187-B2
Application number	US-202418798412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2024
Priority date	Mar 11, 2022
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

A method and a system for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication are disclosed in the present disclosure. The present disclosure greatly improves the success rate of a background server in selecting an optimal base station to timely communicate with an electronic shelf label that has newly entered a coverage area of an electronic shelf label system or moved, and ensures the reliability and stability of the communication between the background server and the electronic shelf label.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication, comprising:
periodically sending, by an electronic shelf label and with a slow period T1, heartbeat signals to base stations,
periodically receiving, by the electronic shelf label and with a period P1, base station signals,
recording, by the electronic shelf label, power of the base station signals, and
comparing the power of the base station signals received by the electronic shelf label at different time points to judge whether the electronic shelf label enters a base station coverage area or whether the electronic shelf label roams between base station coverage areas; and
periodically sending, by the electronic shelf label and with a fast period T2, the heartbeat signals to the base stations if it is judged that the electronic shelf label enters a base station coverage area or roams between base station coverage areas,
reporting, by the base stations, the received heartbeat signals to a background server, and selecting, by the background server, an optimal base station for communication with the electronic shelf label based on the power of the heartbeat signals received by the base stations,
wherein the method for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication further comprises:
setting, by the electronic shelf label, a holding duration for the fast period T2, and if the holding duration is exceeded or the electronic shelf label receives a base station response, resuming periodically sending, by the electronic shelf label, the heartbeat signals with the slow period T1.

2. The method for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication according to claim 1 , wherein comparing the power of the base station signals received by the electronic shelf label at different time points to judge whether the electronic shelf label enters a base station coverage area comprises: if no base station signal is received at a first time point and a base station signal is received at a second time point, it indicates that the electronic shelf label has entered a base station coverage area.

3. The method for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication according to claim 1 , wherein comparing the power of the base station signals received by the electronic shelf label at different time points to judge whether the electronic shelf label enters a base station coverage area comprises: if no base station signal is received at both a first time point and a second time point, it indicates that the electronic shelf label does not enter a base station coverage area.

4. The method for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication according to claim 1 , wherein comparing the power of the base station signals received by the electronic shelf label at different time points to judge whether the electronic shelf label roams between base station coverage areas comprises:
if the power of a base station signal received at a first time point is great than the power of a base station signal received at a second time point and a difference therebetween exceeds a preset threshold value, it indicates that the electronic shelf label moves from one base station coverage area to another base station coverage area, and roams therebetween; and
if the power of the base station signal received at the first time point is great than the power of the base station signal received at the second time point and the difference therebetween does not exceed the preset threshold value, and the power of the base station signal receive at the second time point is less than a preset threshold, it indicates that the electronic shelf label moves from one base station coverage area to another base station coverage area, and roams therebetween.

5. A system for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication, comprising: an electronic shelf label, base stations and a background server, and being configured to implement a method for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication,
wherein the method for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication comprises:
periodically sending, by an electronic shelf label and with a slow period T1, heartbeat signals to base stations,
periodically receiving, by the electronic shelf label and with a period P1, base station signals, recording, by the electronic shelf label, power of the base station signals, and
comparing the power of the base station signals received by the electronic shelf label at different time points to judge whether the electronic shelf label enters a base station coverage area or whether the electronic shelf label roams between base station coverage areas; and
periodically sending, by the electronic shelf label and with a fast period T2, the heartbeat signals to the base stations if it is judged that the electronic shelf label enters a base station coverage area or roams between base station coverage areas,
reporting, by the base stations, the received heartbeat signals to a background server, and selecting, by the background server, an optimal base station for communication with the electronic shelf label based on the power of the heartbeat signals received by the base stations,
wherein the method for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication further comprises:
setting, by the electronic shelf label, a holding duration for the fast period T2, and if the holding duration is exceeded or the electronic shelf label receives a base station response, resuming periodically sending, by the electronic shelf label, the heartbeat signals with the slow period T1.

6. The system for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication according to claim 5 , wherein comparing the power of the base station signals received by the electronic shelf label at different time points to judge whether the electronic shelf label enters a base station coverage area comprises: if no base station signal is received at a first time point and a base station signal is received at a second time point, it indicates that the electronic shelf label has entered a base station coverage area.

7. The system for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication according to claim 5 , wherein comparing the power of the base station signals received by the electronic shelf label at different time points to judge whether the electronic shelf label enters a base station coverage area comprises: if no base station signal is received at both a first time point and a second time point, it indicates that the electronic shelf label does not enter a base station coverage area.

8. The system for electronic shelf label network access and roaming communication according to claim 5 , wherein comparing the power of the base station signals received by the electronic shelf label at different time points to judge whether the electronic shelf label roams between base station coverage areas comprises:
if the power of a base station signal received at a first time point is great than the power of a base station signal received at a second time point and a difference therebetween exceeds a preset threshold value, it indicates that the electronic shelf label moves from one base station coverage area to another base station coverage area, and roams therebetween; and
if the power of the base station signal received at the first time point is great than the power of the base station signal received at the second time point and the difference therebetween does not exceed the preset threshold value, and the power of the base station signal receive at the second time point is less than a preset threshold, it indicates that the electronic shelf label moves from on

Assignees

• Hanshow Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liang Min
• Hou Shiguo
• Ji Yaping
• Wang Yujing
• Zhang Ju
• Zhang Guofeng
• Jiang Qi

Classifications

• H04W64/006 Primary

  with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination · CPC title

• H04W48/16

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04W48/20 Primary

  Selecting an access point · CPC title