Electronic product identification and price display system employing electronic-ink display labels having a stacked architecture for visually displaying the price and/or promotional information for said consumer product, remotely updated by one or more remote activator modules installed within the retail environment

• US 20080314991A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Gelbman, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 7,918,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/02 Forms or constructions layered products B32B
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/344 based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices electrophoretic devices per se G02F1/167

Abstract

An electronic product identification price display system for installation in a retail environment storing a plurality of consumer products on shelves. The system includes a plurality of remote activator modules installed within the retail environment, and a plurality of remotely-updateable electronic-ink labels applied to consumer products stored in the retail environment. Each remote activator module sends and transmits electromagnetic signals within the space of the retail environment. Each electronic-ink label employs an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The device includes an integrated circuit structure having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in communication with storage element. A signal transmitting structure transmits signals from the antenna structure to the remote activator modules. A signal receiving structure receives electromagnetic signals from the remote activator modules, using the antenna structure. An on-board battery power structure, operably connected to the integrated circuit structure, supplies electrical power to the integrated circuit structure. The electronic-ink label applied to each consumer product displays graphical indicia representing the price and/or promotional information for the consumer product, that is remotely updated by one or more remote activator modules installed within the retail environment.

Claims

1. An electronic product identification and price display system for installation in a retail environment storing a plurality of consumer products on shelves, said electronic product identification and price display system comprising:

(A) a plurality of remote activator modules installed within the space of said retail environment, and in communication with and receiving instructions from, a retail-based system determining the price of each said consumer product in said retail environment, as well as promotional information for each said consumer product or group of consumer products stored in said retail environment;

wherein each said remote activator module sends and transmits electromagnetic signal within the space of said retail environment; and

(B) a plurality of remotely-updateable electronic-ink labels applied to a plurality of consumer products stored in said retail environment,

wherein each said remotely-updateable electronic-ink label applied to one said consumer product includes;

(B1) an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material disposed between an activation layer and a transparent electrode layer located above said layer of electronic ink, for so activating said layer of electronic ink at particular locations to display graphical indicia on the surface of said addressable display assembly,

wherein said graphical indicia represents the price of the consumer product to which said electronic-ink label is applied and/or promotional information for the consumer product, and

wherein said layer of electronic ink does not require electrical power to maintain the display of said graphical indicia;

(B2) at least one antenna structure for sending and/or receiving electromagnetic signals carrying information corresponding to one of instructions, programs, data or graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly;

(B3) an integrated circuit structure having (i) a storage element for storing said instructions, programs and data, and (ii) a programmed processor having access to said storage element, and using said programs to process said instructions and data for (i) determining the graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly at any moment in time, (ii) controlling and coordinating operation of said addressable display assembly, and (iii) generating output signals for instructing said addressable display assembly to display the determined graphical indicia;

wherein consumer product identification information is stored in said storage element, and uniquely identifies said consumer product to which said electronic-ink label is applied, among said plurality of consumer products stored on said retail environment;

(B4) a signal transmitting structure, operably connected to said integrated circuit structure and said antenna structure, for transmitting electromagnetic signals from said at least one antenna structure, to at least one remote activator module;

(B5) a signal receiving structure, operably connected to said integrated circuit structure and said antenna structure, for receiving electromagnetic signals from said remote activator module, using said at least one antenna structure;

wherein said received electromagnetic signals carry information corresponding to said programs, said instructions, said data or said graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly; and

(B6) an on-board battery power structure, operably connected to said integrated circuit structure, for supplying electrical power to said integrated circuit structure;

wherein said addressable display assembly is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from said remote activator module by said at least one antenna structure and said signal receiving structure;

wherein said integrated circuit structure is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from said remote activator module by said antenna structure and said signal receiving structure;

wherein said addressable display assembly is responsive to said output signals generated by said programmed processor, to display the determined graphical indicia; and

wherein said at least one antenna structure, said integrated circuit structure, said signal transmitting structure, said signal receiving structure and said on-board battery power structure are arranged and stacked together behind and within the spatial extent of said addressable display assembly so as to form said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label having a stacked construction.

2. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein each said remote activator receives electromagnetic signals from at least one antenna structure of at least one said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, carrying a variety of information, including the status of the graphical indicia displayed by said electronic-ink label, as well as any other information suitable to be employed by said remote activator module.

3. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, said signal transmitting structure and said signal receiving structure are realized as a signal transceiving structure.

4. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein each said electronic-ink label further comprises a protection layer disposed over said layer of electronic ink in order to prevent said addressable display assembly from inadvertent physical trauma and/or environmental damage.

5. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, said activation layer comprises an activation grid, disposed on a support structure, to form a plurality of addressable pixel locations, wherein each said addressable pixel location is addressable by said programmed processor.

6. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 5, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, said programmed processor controls each pixel location in said activation grid to form human and/or machine readable graphical indicia within said layer of electronic ink.

7. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, said activation layer has patterns designed to provide sufficient power at selected pixel locations to form said graphical indicia.

8. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 7, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, the said patterns include shapes selected from the group consisting of quadrilateral shape matrices, intersecting arcs, and linear and non-linear patterns.

9. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, said electronic ink comprises an arrangement of microcapsules disposed between said transparent electrode layer and said activation layer, and wherein each said microcapsule has disposed therein an electro-phoretic composition of a fluid, such as a dielectric or emulsion fluid, and a suspension of colored or charged particles or colloidal material.

10. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, said fluid comprises a dielectric fluid.

11. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, a potential difference produced across said activation layer and said transparent electrode layer causes particles within the microcapsules of said layer of electronic ink, to migrate towards one of said electrodes, thereby changing the color of said microcapsules, and thus the pixel location, as viewed by an individual.

12. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 9, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, said microcapsules can be filled with electrically-charged white colored particles suspended in a black or colored dye.

13. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, said electronic ink is configured as a single color, such as black, white or clear, or as a fluorescent, iridescent, bioluminescent, incandescent, ultraviolet, infrared, or other wavelength specific radiation absorbing or emitting material.

14. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein each said remote activator module employs a processor arranged with a receiver, a transmitter, and an antenna device.

15. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein, within each said remote programmed processor, said receiver and said transmitter in said remote activator module are combined into a single transceiver device for both sending and receiving electromagnetic signals.

16. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein each said remote activator module is configured to transmit or receive, by way of electromagnetic signal transmission, commands, instructions, software programs, and parameters or variables associated with either (i) pixel address locations of said addressable display assembly, (ii) the graphical indicia displayed on the surface of said addressable display assembly, or (iii) instructions for subsequent use by said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label.

17. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, said storage element comprises a volatile or non-volatile memory element, or combinations thereof, such as RAM, ROM, EPROM, or EEPROM.

18. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein, within each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, said programmed processor initiates or executes one or more preprogrammed sequences stored locally within said storage element for determining which graphical indicia is displayed by said addressable display element, and generating output signals to activate said addressable display device to display said graphical indicia based on said executed preprogrammed sequences.

19. The electronic-ink based display system of claim 1, wherein the graphical indicia displayed by the said addressable display assembly of each said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label, is textual and/or graphic information.

20. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic signals transmitted and received between said remotely-alterable electronic-ink label and said remote activator module are radio frequency (RF) based electromagnetic signals.

21. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of remotely-alterable electronic-ink labels form a group of electronic-ink labels that are remotely updated or altered to display different graphic indicia.

22. The electronic product identification and price display system of claim 1, wherein the price of each said consumer product is maintained using real-time supply and demand information available to said retail-based system.