ELECTRONIC SHELF LABEL AND METHOD OF DISPLAYING REMAINING BATTERY LIFE THEREOF

• US 20120169585A1
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATEC IOT Company Limited
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Ji Hye, Oh, Yong Taek
• Granted Patent: US 9,013,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/208 Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays

Abstract

An electronic shelf label system is provided. There is provided a method in which an electronic shelf label periodically transmits its remaining battery capacity to a server in a electronic shelf label system according to the present invention, and the server converts the battery level into a remaining battery life (time) and provides the same, so that a manager can check the remaining battery life in a management mode of the server and a terminal, and easily manage an electronic shelf label using a battery.

Claims

1. An electronic shelf label comprising:

a battery supplying power;

a communication module transmitting information regarding a remaining battery capacity of the battery to a server, and receiving information regarding a remaining battery life corresponding to the remaining battery capacity;

a display displaying product information and a price;

a user input unit receiving a user input; and

a controller checking the remaining battery capacity of the battery, and displaying the received information regarding the remaining battery life according to the user input.

2. The electronic shelf label according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding the remaining battery capacity of the battery is transmitted to the server along with an Alive signal that is periodically transmitted to the server.

3. The electronic shelf label according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding the remaining battery life is received from the server, along with a reception acknowledgement signal in response to the Alive signal.

4. The electronic shelf label according to claim 3, wherein when the reception acknowledgement signal in response to the Alive signal is not received, the controller retransmits the information regarding the remaining battery capacity and the Alive signal.

5. The electronic shelf label according to claim 1, further comprising a magnetic sensor,

wherein the user input is a magnet detected by the magnetic sensor.

6. The electronic shelf label according to claim 1, wherein the controller displays management information for the electronic shelf label, together with the received information regarding the remaining battery life.

7. A method of displaying a remaining battery life of an electronic shelf label, the method comprising:

checking a remaining battery capacity of a battery;

transmitting information regarding the remaining battery capacity to a server;

receiving information regarding a remaining battery life corresponding to the remaining battery capacity; and

displaying the received information regarding the remaining battery life according to a user input.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising periodically transmitting an Alive signal to the server,

wherein the information regarding the remaining battery capacity is transmitted together with the Alive signal.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a reception acknowledgement signal in response to the Alive signal from the server,

wherein the information regarding the remaining battery life is received together with the reception acknowledgement signal.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising retransmitting the information regarding the remaining battery capacity and the Alive signal, when the reception acknowledgement signal is not received in response to the Alive signal.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the electronic shelf label includes a magnetic sensor,

wherein the information regarding the remaining battery life is displayed when the magnetic sensor detects an approach of a magnet to the magnetic sensor.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the received information regarding the remaining battery life is displayed together with management information for the electronic shelf label.