ELECTRONIC TAG SYSTEM

• US 20130229260A1
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Inventors: Huang, Shih-I, Chen, Yuan-Hung
• Application Number:
  US13/759,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229260A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.91
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/025 LAN communication management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels

Abstract

An electronic tag system includes a point of sale host, a client host, a coordinator, a router and an electronic tag group. The point of sale host is configured for transmitting textual data. The client host is configured to provide image data corresponding to the textual data received from the point of sale host. The coordinator is configured for transmitting the image data received from the client host. The router is configured for transmitting the image data received from the coordinator. The electronic tag group includes a plurality of electronic tags for displaying images according to the image data received from the router.

Claims

1. An electronic tag system, comprising:

a point of sale host for transmitting textual data;

a client host for providing corresponding image data according to the textual data received from the point of sale host;

a first coordinator for transmitting first image data received from the client host;

a first router for transmitting the first image data received from the first coordinator; and

a first electronic tag group comprising a plurality of first electronic tags for displaying images respectively according to the first image data received from the first router.

2. The electronic tag system of claim 1, wherein the client host comprises:

a front desk management system for receiving the textual data received from the point of sale host; and

an electronic shelf label central control host, for providing the corresponding image data according to the textual data received from the front desk management system.

3. The electronic tag system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second router for communicating with the first coordinator and transmitting second image data received from the first coordinator; and

a second electronic tag group comprising a plurality of second electronic tags, each second electronic tag is configured for receiving the second image data from the second router, and displaying second images respectively according to the second image data received from the second router.

4. The electronic tag system of claim 3, further comprising:

a second coordinator for transmitting third image data received from the client host;

a third router for transmitting the third image data received from the second coordinator; and

a third electronic tag group, comprising a plurality of third electronic tags, wherein each third electronic tag is configured for receiving the third image data from the third router, and displaying third images respectively according to the third image data received from the third router.

5. The electronic tag system of claim 4, wherein:

the first electronic tags are configured to update synchronously after receiving the first image data;

the second electronic tags are configured to update synchronously after receiving the second image data;

the third electronic tags are configured to update synchronously after receiving the third image data; and

the point of sale host comprises a data base.

6. The electronic tag system of claim 5, wherein:

the first electronic tags are configured to enter into the sleeping status after updating;

the second electronic tags are configured to enter into the sleeping status after updating; and

the third electronic tags are configured to enter into the sleeping status after updating.

7. The electronic tag system of claim 3, wherein the second router is configured for blocking the first image data from being transmitted to the plurality of second electronic tags.

8. The electronic tag system of claim 1, wherein each first electronic tag comprises:

a network transmission unit for exchanging data with the first router;

a counter for providing a trigger signal at a predetermined time;

a display for displaying one of the first images; and

a control unit, electrically coupled to the display, the network transmission unit and the counter, for transmitting a request signal to the client host sequentially through the network transmission unit, the first router and the first coordinator, and updating the image displayed by the display according to the received first image data.

9. The electronic tag system of claim 1, wherein the textual data comprises prices, names or related information of merchandise recorded in texts.

10. An electronic tag for communicating a client host through a router and a coordinator, the electronic tag comprising:

a network transmission unit for exchanging data with the router;

a counter for providing a trigger signal at a predetermined time;

a display for displaying an image; and

a control unit, electrically coupled to the display, the network transmission unit and the counter, for transmitting a request signal to the client host sequentially through the network transmission unit, the router and the coordinator, and updating the image displayed by the display according to received image data.

11. A method of updating an electronic tag, comprising:

transmitting textual data from a point of sale host to a client host;

converting the textual data received from the point of sale host into first image data with the client host;

transmitting the first image data generated by the client host from the client host to a first electronic tag group sequentially through a first coordinator and a first router; and

displaying first images respectively according to the first image data received from the first router on a plurality of first electronic tags of the first electronic tag group.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

transmitting the textual data from the point of sale host to the client host comprises transmitting the textual data from the point of sale host to an electronic shelf label central control host of the client host through a front desk management system of the client host;

converting the textual data received from the point of sale host into first image data with the client host comprises converting the textual data received from the front desk management system into the first image data with the electronic shelf label central control host; and

transmitting the first image data generated by the client host from the client host to the first electronic tag group sequentially through the first coordinator and the first router comprises transmitting the first image data generated by the electronic shelf label central control host to the first electronic tag group sequentially through the first coordinator and the first router with the electronic shelf label central control host.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

outputting a request signal to the electronic shelf label central control host through the router and the first coordinator with an first electronic tag of the first electronic tag group;

wherein transmitting the first image data generated by the electronic shelf label central control host to the first electronic tag group sequentially through the first coordinator and the first router with the electronic shelf label central control host, is transmitting the first image data belonging to the first electronic tag to the first electronic tag group sequentially through the first coordinator and the first router after receiving the request signal with the electronic shelf label central control host.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling the electronic tag to enter into an operating status from a sleeping status; and

controlling the electronic tag to enter into the sleeping status from the operating status.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

outputting a request signal to the client host through the first router and the first coordinator with an first electronic tag of the first electronic tag group;

wherein transmitting the first image data generated by the client host from the client host to the first electronic tag group sequentially through the first coordinator and the first router, is transmitting the first image data belonging to the first electronic tag to the first electronic tag group sequentially through the first coordinator and the first router after receiving the request signal.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the first image data generated by the client host from the client host to the first electronic tag group sequentially through the first coordinator and the first router, is wiredly or wirelessly transmitting the image data belonging to the electronic tags to the electronic tag group sequentially through the coordinator and the router.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

controlling the electronic tag to enter into an operating status from a sleeping status; and

controlling the electronic tag to enter into the sleeping status from the operating status.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the textual data comprises prices, names or related information of merchandise recorded in texts.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

blocking the plurality of first electronic tags from receiving image data not belonging to the first image data.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring the first electronic tags to enter into the sleeping status after updating.