ARRANGEMENT FOR PRESENTING AND UPDATING INFORMATION

• US 20090179825A1
• Filed: 02/06/2006
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MariSense Oy (MariCap Oy)
• Original Assignee: MariSense Oy (MariCap Oy)
• Inventors: Uimonen, Joakim, Hyvonen, Tapani, Alava, Matti, Ollikainen, Kimmo, Liimatainen, Janne, Virtanen, Juhani, Kyyny, Kari, Enarvi, Jukka
• Application Number:
  US11/816,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20090179825A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/204 specially adapted to be attached to a shelf or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/208 Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels

Abstract

The aim of this invention is an arrangement for displaying and updating information with the use of controllable display units, which display units contain at least one display laminate equipped with an essentially thin display which can be updated. The display laminate is arranged for positioning in an essentially transparent pocket-like space, which space also has the ability to contain, in addition to the display laminate, a sheet of paper or a similar sheet or label containing additional information in text or image form.

Claims

1. An arrangement for displaying and updating information with the use of controllable display units, which display units contain at least one display laminate equipped with a display which can be updated, wherein the display laminate is arranged for positioning in an essentially transparent pocket-like space, which space also has the ability to contain, in addition to the display laminate, a sheet of paper or a similar sheet or label containing additional information in text or image form.

2. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control conductors of the display laminate are bent out of sight, concealed at least partly by the display laminate.

3. An arrangement in accordance with claim 2, wherein the control conductors of the display laminate placed in a hanging display pocket unit are, when in use, bent behind the display laminate, and wherein a sheet of paper or a similar sheet is placed in between the display laminate and the control conductors, concealing the control conductors.

4. An arrangement in accordance with claim 3, wherein the hanging display pocket unit contains at least a connector rail, to which at least one essentially transparent plastic pocket-like space is attached by its top edge, which transparent space contains both the display laminate with its control conductors and a sheet of paper or a similar sheet containing product information in text or image form.

5. An arrangement in accordance with claim 4, wherein the hanging display pocket unit further comprises a second, essentially shorter, transparent pocket-like space, which is placed essentially on the upper section of the display pocket unit, which second space can contain a sheet of paper or a similar sheet containing logos or names in text or image form.

6. An arrangement in accordance with claim 3, wherein in that the display drivers of the display units placed inside the hanging display pocket unit are connected with conductors to a control unit.

7. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, comprising at least a shelf rail attached to the edge of a product shelf, which shelf rail contains at least an essentially narrow front space for inserting the display laminate of the display unit as well as a separate paper label containing product information in text or image form, and a rear space located behind the front space, which rear space is intended to contain the display driver for the display laminate.

8. An arrangement in accordance with claim 7, comprising connected to the shelf rail, at least a control unit for the display laminates and an open conductor equipped with wires, as well as a number of display units, such that the display drivers for the display laminates are connected to the control unit with the use of an open conductor.

9. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the display unit is equipped with a thin, essentially transparent pocket-like space placed next to the display space of the display laminate, in order to display additional information in printed format on paper, or in another suitable form, to complement the information displayed on the display laminate.

10. An arrangement in accordance with claim 9, wherein the display laminate is essentially thin and comprises layers of varying thicknesses, which layers include at least a protective laminate layer, underneath which is an electrically conducting layer, underneath which is an active display material layer, underneath which is an electrically conducting layer containing display elements, underneath which is a PET layer or similar layer equipped with access perforations, onto the underside of which the ends of the control conductors are printed with conducting ink.

11. An arrangement in accordance with claim 10, wherein the access perforations are positioned such that there is only one perforation by each display segment, and the end of each control conductor passes through one access perforation to touch one display segment.

12. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the information to be updated is arranged for being transmitted as a control signal through a control centre to control units located close to the display units, with which control units an electric current is selectively connected to display elements in the display laminates of the display units in accordance with the information contained in the control signal, to update the information displayed on the display laminates in accordance with the control signal through the electrical effect on the display laminates, and the electrical current is switched off from the display units after the updating event.

13. An arrangement in accordance with claim 12, wherein each display unit is equipped with a display driver to control each display segment or each matrix element row and column of the display laminate individually, which display driver controls the electrical current so that it is switched on selectively for the updating event in accordance with the information contained in the control signal, in order to have the desired electrical effect on the display segments or matrix element rows and columns of the display laminates of the display units, in order to change the display status.

14. An arrangement in accordance with claim 13, wherein each display segment or each matrix element row and column of the display laminate is connected to one control conductor, the other end of which conductor is connected to the display driver.