Point of sale inductive systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9424446-B2
Application number	US-201514682364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2015
Priority date	Apr 8, 2010
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for the identification, powering and control of products and product packaging. The systems can include a point of sale display having a contactless power supply. The contactless power supply can provide a source of wireless power for products and product packaging. The products and product packaging can include light emitting diodes, e-ink displays and printed speaker circuits that activate as the operating frequency of the contactless power supply varies. Other embodiments include product level sensors, inductive reader networks, printed temperature sensors, product alignment systems, passive identification circuits and methods for controlling operation of the same.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
providing an inductive power supply at a point of sale, the inductive power supply including a primary coil that is adapted to generate a time-varying electromagnetic field;
providing a package at the point of sale, the package including a plurality of resonant circuits including a secondary coil and a luminescent load, each of the plurality of resonant circuits having a different resonant frequency; and
selectively driving the primary coil with a plurality of different operating frequencies corresponding to at least two different resonant frequencies of the plurality of resonant circuits,
wherein the luminescent load of a first one of the plurality of resonant circuits illuminates in response to the primary coil being driven with an operating frequency corresponding to the resonant frequency of the first one of the plurality of resonant circuits, and
wherein the luminescent load of a second one of the plurality of resonant circuits illuminates in response to the primary coil being driven with an operating frequency corresponding to the resonant frequency of the second one of the plurality of resonant circuits.

2. The method according to claim 1 further including monitoring for motion in proximity to separate from the package and, in response to motion be detected, performing the step of driving the primary coil with a plurality of operating frequencies.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of resonant circuits include a series resonant capacitor having a pre-selected capacitance, the resonant frequency of each of the plurality of resonant circuits being based on the pre-selected capacitance of the corresponding series resonant capacitor.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the luminescent load includes a light emitting diode, an e-ink display, an electroluminescent display, or a liquid crystal display.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the luminescent load is a light emitting diode, the light emitting diode rectifying an alternating current induced in the resonant circuit.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the secondary coil includes a printed trace winding.

7. A system comprising:
a package at a point of sale, the package including a plurality of resonant circuits including a secondary coil and a luminescent load having a luminescent output, each of the plurality of resonant circuits having a different resonant frequency; and
an inductive power supply at the point of sale, the inductive power supply including a primary coil that is adapted to generate a time-varying electromagnetic field,
wherein the primary coil is selectively operable at a plurality of different operating frequencies corresponding to at least two different resonant frequencies of the plurality of resonant circuits, such that the primary coil, when selectively inductively coupled to one or more the plurality of resonant circuits, controls the luminescent output of the luminescent load of the one or more of the plurality of resonant circuits while the product package is at the point of sale.

8. The system according to claim 7 further comprising a motion sensor to detect motion in proximity to and separate from the package, wherein the inductive power supply is operable to control the luminescent output of the luminescent load of the one or more of the plurality of resonant circuits in response to the detected motion.

9. The system according to claim 7 further including a capacitor electrically connected in series between the secondary coil and the luminescent load for each of the plurality of resonant circuits.

10. The system according to claim 7 wherein the luminescent load includes a light emitting diode, an e-ink display, an electroluminescent display, or a liquid crystal display.

11. The system according to claim 7 wherein the luminescent load is a light emitting diode, the light emitting diode rectifying an alternating current induced in the resonant circuit.

12. The system according to claim 7 wherein the secondary coil includes a printed trace winding.

13. A product package comprising:
a plurality of resonant circuits that are electrically isolated from each other, each of the plurality of resonant circuits including a secondary coil, a series resonant capacitor, and a luminescent load, each of the plurality of resonant circuits having a different resonant frequency;
wherein a first one of the plurality of resonant circuits provides a luminescent output when electrically coupled to a primary coil that is driven with time-varying current at a first operating frequency corresponding to the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit; and
wherein a second one of the plurality of resonant circuits provides a luminescent output when electrically coupled to the primary coil when driven with time-varying current at a second operating frequency corresponding to the resonant frequency of the second resonant circuit,
such that luminescent output of the product package is controlled by selective operation of the primary coil at the first or second operating frequencies, the primary coil being at the point of sale.

14. The product package of claim 13 wherein the luminescent load includes a light emitting diode.

15. The product package of claim 14 wherein the light emitting diode rectifies an alternating current induced in the corresponding resonant circuit.

16. The product package of claim 13 wherein the luminescent load includes an e-ink display.

17. The product package of claim 13 wherein the luminescent load includes an electroluminescent display.

18. The product package of claim 13 wherein the luminescent load includes a liquid crystal display.

19. The product package of claim 13 wherein the secondary coil includes a printed trace winding.

20. The product package of claim 13 wherein the plurality of luminescent loads are externally viewable at the point of sale.

Assignees

• Access Business Group Int Llc

Inventors

• Baarman David W
• Mollema Scott A
• Stoner Jr William T

Classifications

• B05B11/1056

  comprising rotatable or articulated levers (B05B11/1053 takes precedence; lever actuated piston pumps B05B11/1009; lever actuated pumps with deformable chamber B05B11/1029) · CPC title

• A47F10/02

  for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets (A47F10/06 takes precedence; hand-carts B62B; baskets B65D) · CPC title

• G01G19/4144

  for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems · CPC title

• G06F3/147

  using display panels · CPC title

• G06K7/086 Primary

  sensing passive circuit, e.g. resonant circuit transponders · CPC title