DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 20100106588A1
• Filed: 07/13/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Displaydata Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Displaydata Ltd.
• Inventors: Taylor, Steve, Gooch, Simon, Mayne, Clive, Simms, Richard, Dix, David, Jones, John Clifford
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.240
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/06 Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels

Abstract

A display system 10 for displaying information at a point of product display in a retail outlet comprising a communicator 12 for transmitting display information to a remote display module 18, the display module 18 being adapted in a first, low power mode to display information and in a second, higher power mode periodically, in a predetermined manner, to communicate with the communicator 12, the system 10 preferably being configured to enable determination of the accuracy and automated correction of the synchronisation of a periodic communication between the communicator 12 and the display module 18 while the display module 18 continues to switch between first and second modes of operation enabling a low overall consumption of power by the display module 18 and more preferably wherein the display module 18 is adapted to switch between first and second power modes between receipt of a synchronisation signal and a display information signal from the communicator 12.

Claims

1. A display system (10) comprising a communicator (12) and a plurality of remote display modules (18), the communicator (12) in use transmitting display information (76) to each of the remote display modules (18) each of which is adapted in a lower power mode simply to display information and in a higher power mode periodically to communicate with the communicator (12) to obtain updated display information (76), each of the remote display modules (18) being adapted automatically to switch between the higher and lower power modes of operation between communications to enable low overall consumption of power by the display module (18), and moreover wherein each of the remote display modules (18) is assigned one of two or more time slots within which time slot to communicate with the communicator (12).

2. A display system according to claim 1 wherein communication between the communicator and the display module is synchronised according to a predetermined timing schedule using time division multiplexing, and the display module (18) is configured to enable determination of the accuracy of the synchronisation of a periodic communication between the communicator (12) and the display module (18).

3. A display according to claim 2 wherein the communicator transmits a two component signal (70) comprising a synchronisation (wake up) component (74) containing information related to the synchronisation of communication with a display module (18) and a data (payload) component (76) comprising display information for updating the display module (18), and the display module (18) is adapted to switch between higher and lower power modes after receipt of at least part of the synchronisation component (74).

4. A display system according to claim 3 wherein the communicator (12) is adapted to transfer data to two or more display modules within a single data component of the signal (70) and a display module (18) is adapted periodically to switch to the higher power mode to check if data is being transmitted to it during the data component (76) phase thereby to remain in the lower power mode for at least part of the data transfer component (76).

5. A display system according to claim 1 wherein the display module (18) is adapted automatically to correct the synchronisation of communication with the communicator (12).

6. A display system according to claim 5 wherein the synchronisation component (74) comprises two or more synchronisation packets (82) each comprising data related to the position of the synchronisation packet (82) within the transmission of the synchronisation component (74) thereby to enable the display module (18) to determine the accuracy of synchronisation of switching to the higher power mode to receive the transmission from the communicator (12).

7. A display system according to claim 6 wherein the synchronisation component (74) comprises a series of synchronisation packets (82) each data packet in the series comprising data related to the relative transmission of the data packet with respect to a primary data packet with the synchronisation component (74), and wherein the primary data packet is a central data packet in the series of data packets and the display module (18) is adapted to resynchronise switching between low power and higher power modes based on the relative position of a synchronisation data packet (82) received by the display module (18).

8. A display system according to claim 7 wherein the display module is adapted in normal use to switch to a higher power mode in order to receive at least one synchronisation data packet (82) and thereafter to switch back to the lower power mode either to await the next synchronisation signal or a data signal assigned for the display module (18).

9. A display system according to claim 5 wherein the communicator (12) is adapted to transmit a resynchronisation signal on a predetermined channel and any display module (18) which is no longer synchronised with the communicator (12) is adapted to listen on the predetermined channel for the resynchronisation signal whereafter the display module (18) recommences listening for the two component signal (70) comprising a synchronisation (wake up) component (74) (following such a multicast resynchronisation).

10. A display system according to claim 5 wherein the communicator (12) is adapted to send synchronisation signals to display modules 18 for an extended duration, preferably for a plurality of complete series of timeslots and more preferably 3 such series (in such a synchronisation storm).

11. A display according to claim 1 wherein the display has a pre-assigned unique identifier a signal component representative of which is transmitted by the communicator in the event of a display update command to the display, and wherein the display acknowledges receipt of the unique identifier signal component before the communicator transmits updated image date for the display module.

12. A display system according to claim 1 comprising two or more display modules and wherein the communicator (12) is adapted to transmit data in two or more timeslots during which timeslots data is transmitted for display modules (18) associated with the relevant timeslot.

13. A display system according to claim 12 wherein each display module (18) comprises a unique address and is assigned to a timeslot for communication with the communicator (12) according to the address and more preferably based on the least significant bit of the address.

14. A display system according to claim 12 wherein the communicator (12) transmits a timeslot id during each timeslot to enable a display module to determine if is it correctly synchronised with the communicator (12).

15. A display system according to claim 12 wherein during each timeslot the communicator (12) transmits a synchronisation packet of data comprising one or more of a timeslot id, data representative of the time to a predetermined, preferably the centre, position of the synchronisation pulse period, and the address of each of the communications modules to receive information in the remainder of the timeslot.

16. A display system according to claim 1 wherein the display module (18) is adapted to resynchronise with the communicator (12) if it fails successfully to process an anticipated synchronisation signal transmitted by the communicator (12) at predetermined repeat periods for predetermined signal durations, by remaining in a lower power mode for a shorter duration than the predetermined repeat period, and than in normal use, then switching to a higher power mode, for a period in the order of the predetermined signal duration, in order to detect a (sufficient part of the) synchronisation signal, and repeatedly to switch to a lower power mode after a failed attempt to detect a synchronisation signal and again remaining in the lower power mode for a period shorter duration than the predetermined repeat period before again switching to the higher power mode to detect the synchronisation signal.

17. A display system according to claim 16 wherein in the event the display module does not detect a valid synchronisation signal after a predetermined number of attempts the display model (18) scans a different frequency, or range of frequencies, to determine if the communicator (12) has switched transmission frequency, and wherein the display module scans in turn selected frequency ranges from a predetermined list of frequency ranges.

18. A display system according to claim 16 wherein the display module (18) makes a predetermined number of attempts to detect a valid synchronisation signal before switching to a lower power state for an extended duration in the order two to three times that of the synchronisation signal repeat period, before recommencing a resynchronisation procedure.

19. A display system according to claim 1 comprising a data transfer protocol based on a modified sliding window protocol, under which unmodified protocol upon receipt of certain, but not necessarily all transmitted data packets by a display module, a communicator (12) only transmits further data packets sequentially up to a defined maximum data size, but wherein under the modified protocol data packets are acknowledged by group rather than individually and or sequentially, and wherein the display module communicates an acknowledgement signal comprising a group of data identifying individual packets of data which have been received, and or wherein, non-sequential packets of data may be unacknowledged and require retransmission, more preferably the system is able to adapt the acknowledgement protocol depending on the level of the bit error ratio, and preferably three possible protocols are provided for low, medium and high BER.

20. A display system according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of display modules, the system being adapted to group two or more such display modules and to communicate with grouped display modules in the same data transfer session, and preferably wherein a group update is repeated to attempt an accurate update across all displays in the group, whereafter any individual displays not having accurately received the update data can be addressed serially by the communicator, wherein image data is transferred to display modules in a group over a period of time and stored in each of the display modules, the display modules in the group being switchable to the display the stored image upon a group update command from the communicator.

21. A display system according to claim 1 wherein the communicator is adapted to transmit display information periodically to two or more groups of one or more display modules in two or more predetermined timeslots each timeslot being associated with a group of display modules, and wherein the communicator is adapted to transmit in four timeslots for different groups of display modules using a time division multiplexing protocol.

22. A display system according to claim 1 wherein the communicator is adapted to transmit an image update command comprising a timing component such as a delay or specified time for a display module to update the image displayed dependent on the timing command.

23. A display system according to claim 1 wherein the display module is adapted to switch between three or more power modes comprising a lower power mode simply enabling display of an image on a display and otherwise the display module is in a standby mode, a first higher power mode in which the display module is adapted to receive a synchronisation signal from the communicator, and a second higher power mode in which the display module receives data which is written to memory or to the display.

24. A display system according to claim 1 wherein the system is used for displaying information at a point of product display in a retail outlet.

25. A display system comprising a computer adapted to drive a communicator to relay display data to a plurality of display modules positioned adjacent products in a retail outlet, the computer preferably having a data input from external data sources for example regarding product stock levels in a retail outlet, and being adapted to perform at least one of;

create display module images that relate data from one product to another product thereby enabling cross-selling of products;

perform product price promotion using rules to reduce the standard price of a product by a specific amount and causing use of an alternate image template for display by a display module to promote the reduction;

the computer operates rules established to monitor a retailer'"'"'s inventory database and is adapted to indicate relevant stock levels to customers eg “

Only XXX left in stock”

;

“

IN STOCK”

etc., and or make price changes to be displayed to customers based on the level of stock held at a store and or the rate of change of stock level, and or cross refer customers to alternate products if out of stock, and or display of sell-out notice e.g. swap to white text on black background with “

SOLD OUT”

;

interrogate competitor pricing, such as via the internet, and preferably automatically to adjust the information displayed adjacent a store product, more preferably in real time, to display those competitor prices for example to highlight that the best price can be achieved in store;

automatically update pricing information according to the time remaining to a “

sell-by”

date for the product adjacent a display module;

display by a display module a special offer such as “

Buy-one-get—

one-free”

;

display by a display module detailed product information such as one or more of ingredients of an adjacent product, information about country of origin, free-trade, fat content, review comments (e.g. for wine), healthiness traffic lights, sell-by, use-by and best-by dates;

temperature monitoring using a temperature sensor associated with the display module, to enable the display module to assure customers of maximum temperature of freezer or chiller unit over a given period such as the previous days, preferably the display module incorporates a temperature sensor and is adapted to communicate the temperature information back to the communicator thereby enabling a warning of faulty temperature zones;

display by a display module of the date, hence enabling a reminder of the date for a user when comparing with the associated product “

sell by date”

;

display by a display module of the time—

preferably hours and minutes can be updated with every SYNC pulse and stored (not displayed since display does not wake up). Then when period to change SYNC period (poling-off duration) is reached, all displays will be able to reduce the SYNC period at the correct time, and re-increase it when complete;

display of a promotional colour, e.g. red-corner display wherein the image is automatically changed from black corner (no special offer) to a red corner (special offer applies);

tamper detection of a display module wherein the display module comprise a tamper evident sensor such as a tilt switch for example comprising an accelerometer such that unauthorised attempts at removing the display module from a shelf are detectable, preferably such attempts are displayed on the unit and or communicated to a central office via the communicator;

display on a display module of whether any of the adjacent product items are available in a customer returns bay, such as adjacent a fitting room or with a customer services department, preferably such stock items are identifiable by a member of staff user a system input device such as a laser scanner to identify the product and location remote from the display position (shelf);

triangulation wherein two or more communicators are adapted to determine the location of a display module and to display the triangulation information to a user via a computer and or a display module;

perform a display of which customer is being served for example where queues and especially rather haphazard queues are formed for example at catalogue retailers e.g. Argos or IKEA stations, and or fast-food outlets fro example;

display by the display module of instruction to a member of staff; and

or

display on a display module of the number of updates and or days left before a display module battery needs changing.

26. A display system (10) comprising a communicator (12) and a plurality of remote display modules (18), the communicator (12) is used in transmitting display information (76) to each of the remote display modules (18) each of which is adapted in a lower power mode simply to display information and in a higher power mode periodically to communicate with the communicator (12) to obtain updated display information (76), each of the remote display modules (18) being adapted automatically to switch between the higher and lower power modes of operation between communications to enable low overall consumption of power by the display module (18), and wherein each of the remote display modules (18) is adapted automatically to correct the synchronisation of communication with the communicator (12).

27. A display system (10) according to claim 26 wherein the synchronisation component (74) comprises two or more synchronisation packets (82) each comprising data related to the position of the synchronisation packet (82) within the transmission of the synchronisation component (74) thereby to enable the display module (18) to determine the accuracy of synchronisation of switching to the higher power mode to receive the transmission from the communicator (12).