Electronic shelf label tag, electronic shelf label system for time-division transmission of display data and change command data, and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9454919-B2
Application number	US-201514721373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2015
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

An electronic shelf label tag includes a communications unit configured to wirelessly communicate with an electronic shelf label repeater; a control unit configured to control operations including receiving display data including display information mapped to a display information index from the communications unit prior to a preset time, storing the display data, receiving change command data including the display information index from the communications unit after the preset time, retrieving the display information mapped to the display information index included in the change command data from the stored display data, and displaying the retrieved display information on a screen; a memory unit configured to store the display data including the display information mapped to the display information index under the control of the control unit; and a display unit configured to display the retrieved display information on the screen under the control of the control unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic shelf label tag comprising:
a communications unit configured to wirelessly communicate with an electronic shelf label repeater;
a control unit configured to control operations comprising:
receiving display data comprising display information mapped to a display information index from the communications unit prior to a preset time;
storing the display data;
receiving change command data comprising the display information index from the communications unit after the preset time;
retrieving the display information mapped to the display information index included in the change command data from the stored display data; and
displaying the retrieved display information on a screen;

a memory unit configured to store the display data comprising the display information mapped to the display information index under the control of the control unit; and
a display unit configured to display the retrieved display information on the screen under the control of the control unit.

2. The electronic shelf label tag of claim 1 , wherein the memory unit is further configured to store an index-display information lookup table storing display information 1 to display information N respectively mapped to display information indexes P 1 to PN.

3. The electronic shelf label tag of claim 1 , wherein the display information comprises any one or any combination of any two or more of information related to a corresponding product, marketing information, and sales-related information.

4. The electronic shelf label tag of claim 1 , wherein the communications unit is further configured to receive the change command data from the electronic shelf label repeater in a broadcast packet signal.

5. The electronic shelf label tag of claim 1 , wherein the change command data further comprises an event in which schedule time information is mapped to the display information index; and
the communications unit is further configured to receive the change command data from the electronic shelf label repeater in a broadcast packet signal.

6. The electronic shelf label tag of claim 1 , wherein the change command data further comprises identification information of the electronic shelf label tag; and
the communications unit is further configured to receive the change command data from the electronic shelf label repeater in a unicast packet signal.

7. The electronic shelf label tag of claim 1 , wherein the change command data further comprises identification information of the electronic shelf label tag, and an event in which schedule time information is mapped to the display information index; and
the communications unit is further configured to receive the change command data from the electronic shelf label repeater in a unicast packet signal.

8. The electronic shelf label tag of claim 1 , further comprising a time managing unit configured to provide current time information to the control unit, receive time information from the electronic shelf label repeater, and update the current time information based on the received time information.

9. An operating method of an electronic shelf label tag, the operating method comprising:
receiving, by an electronic shelf label tag, a data signal comprising display data comprising display information mapped to a display information index from an electronic shelf label repeater prior to a preset time;
storing, by the electronic shelf label tag, the display data included in the data signal;
receiving, by the electronic shelf label tag, a control signal comprising change command data comprising the display information index from the electronic shelf label repeater after the preset time;
retrieving, by the electronic shelf label tag, the display information mapped to the display information index included in the change command data of the control signal from the stored display data; and
displaying, by the electronic shelf label tag, the retrieved display information on a screen.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions to cause a computer to perform the operating method of claim 9 .

11. An electronic shelf label system comprising:
an electronic shelf label server configured to generate and transmit display data comprising display information mapped to a display information index, and transmit change command data for changing the display information;
an electronic shelf label repeater configured to transmit, prior to a preset time, a data signal comprising the display data transmitted by the electronic shelf label server, and transmit, after the preset time, a control signal comprising the change command data transmitted by the electronic shelf label server; and
an electronic shelf label tag configured to wirelessly communicate with the electronic shelf label repeater, the electronic shelf label tag comprising:
a communications unit configured to receive the data signal from the electronic shelf repeater prior to the preset time, and receive the control signal from the electronic shelf label repeater after the preset time;
a control unit configured to control operations comprising:
storing the display data included in the data signal;
receiving the change command data included in the control signal after the preset time;
retrieving the display information mapped to the display information index included in the change command data from the stored display data; and
displaying the retrieved display information on a screen;

a memory unit configured to store the display data comprising the display information mapped to the display information index under the control of the control unit; and
a display unit configured to display the retrieved display information on the screen under the control of the control unit.

12. The electronic shelf label system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic shelf label server is further configured to store an update scenario comprising an event comprising the display information index and a schedule time mapped to the display information index for updating the display information for each of a plurality of electronic shelf label tags comprising the electronic shelf label tag; and
the change command data further comprises the update scenario.

13. The electronic shelf label system of claim 11 , wherein the display information comprises any one or any combination of any two or more of information related to a corresponding product, marketing information, and sales-related information.

14. The electronic shelf label system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic shelf label repeater is further configured to transmit the control signal comprising the change command data in a broadcast packet signal; and
the communications unit is further configured to receive the receive the broadcast packet signal.

15. The electronic shelf label system of claim 11 , wherein the change command data further comprises an event in which schedule time information is mapped to the display information index;
the electronic shelf label repeater is further configured to transmit the control signal comprising the change command data in a broadcast packet signal; and
the communications unit is further configured to receive the receive the broadcast packet signal.

16. The electronic shelf label system of claim 11 , wherein the change command data further comprises identification information of the electronic shelf label tag;
the electronic shelf label repeater is further configured to transmit the control signal comprising the change command data in a unicast packet signal; and
the communications unit i

Assignees

• Solum Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jae Hee
• Kim Sung Ki
• Seo Dae Yeol
• Park Sang Hwa
• Kim Sung Woon
• Seo Bo Yle
• Lee Joo Hyung
• Lee Chang Woo
• Lee Dong Won

Classifications

• G06Q30/0641

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title

• G06Q30/02 Primary

  Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising · CPC title

• G09F3/208 Primary

  Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays · CPC title

• G08B5/36

  using visible light sources · CPC title