Electronic shelf edge price display system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. System for the electronic display of information on at least one shelf, said system comprising:
- a plurality of display unite for displaying information, each of said plurality of display units comprising at least one shelf display unit;
means for transmitting power to said plurality of display units;
said transmitting means for being disposed apart from said plurality of display units;
each of said plurality of display units comprising;
means for receiving power from said transmitting means;
means for displaying information; and
means for powering said displaying means at least partly from the power received by said receiving means;
said receiving means comprising means for receiving power from said transmitting means solely upon said display unit being disposed substantially adjacent to at least a portion of said transmitting means;
said transmitting means comprising a transmitter for at least transmitting power;
said at least a portion of said transmitting means comprising at least one transmitter element, said at least one transmitter element being electrically conductive and being configured to receive power from said transmitter;
at least one of said plurality of display units having means for disposing said at least one display unit on a shelf;
said receiving means of said at least one of said plurality of display units comprising means for receiving power from said transmitting means solely upon said display unit being disposed substantially adjacent to, and substantially on the same shelf as, said at least one of said at least one transmitter element;
said means for powering said displaying means comprising rechargeable means for powering said displaying means;
said transmitting means comprising means for at least substantially continuously providing, to said receiving means of said at least one display unit;
data for the display of information on said displaying means; and
power for providing energy to said rechargeable means;
said means for at least substantially continuously providing data and power to said at least one display unit comprising;
means for transmitting data to said at least one display unit in the form of intermittently transmitted data packets, the intermittent transmissions of data packets for being interrupted by pauses;
endmeans for transmitting power;
said means for transmitting power comprising means for transmitting power to said at least one display unit during the pauses between the intermittent transmissions of data packets;
said receiving means comprising means for receiving power from said transmitting means during the pauses between intermittent transmissions of data packets; and
said means for transmitting power during the pauses between the intermittent transmissions of data packets comprising means for transmitting power to said at least one display unit to recharge said rechargeable means during the pauses between the intermittent transmissions of data packets.
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Abstract
A system for electronically displaying prices on shelves. To improve operational reliability and to reduce the field strengths emitted, the invention teaches that the transmitter elements are laid in the vicinity of the display units on the edges of the shelves, that the components of the display units receive the energy emitted by the transmitter elements inductively, and that the control transmitter sends an alternating current to the transmitter elements in the pauses between the data packets, and recharges the power supplies of the display units.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. System for the electronic display of information on at least one shelf, said system comprising:
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a plurality of display unite for displaying information, each of said plurality of display units comprising at least one shelf display unit; means for transmitting power to said plurality of display units; said transmitting means for being disposed apart from said plurality of display units; each of said plurality of display units comprising; means for receiving power from said transmitting means; means for displaying information; and means for powering said displaying means at least partly from the power received by said receiving means; said receiving means comprising means for receiving power from said transmitting means solely upon said display unit being disposed substantially adjacent to at least a portion of said transmitting means; said transmitting means comprising a transmitter for at least transmitting power; said at least a portion of said transmitting means comprising at least one transmitter element, said at least one transmitter element being electrically conductive and being configured to receive power from said transmitter; at least one of said plurality of display units having means for disposing said at least one display unit on a shelf; said receiving means of said at least one of said plurality of display units comprising means for receiving power from said transmitting means solely upon said display unit being disposed substantially adjacent to, and substantially on the same shelf as, said at least one of said at least one transmitter element; said means for powering said displaying means comprising rechargeable means for powering said displaying means; said transmitting means comprising means for at least substantially continuously providing, to said receiving means of said at least one display unit; data for the display of information on said displaying means; and power for providing energy to said rechargeable means;
said means for at least substantially continuously providing data and power to said at least one display unit comprising;means for transmitting data to said at least one display unit in the form of intermittently transmitted data packets, the intermittent transmissions of data packets for being interrupted by pauses;
endmeans for transmitting power; said means for transmitting power comprising means for transmitting power to said at least one display unit during the pauses between the intermittent transmissions of data packets; said receiving means comprising means for receiving power from said transmitting means during the pauses between intermittent transmissions of data packets; and said means for transmitting power during the pauses between the intermittent transmissions of data packets comprising means for transmitting power to said at least one display unit to recharge said rechargeable means during the pauses between the intermittent transmissions of data packets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. System for the electronic display of information on at least one shelf, said system comprising:
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a plurality of display units for displaying information, each of said plurality of display units comprising at least one shelf display unit; means for transmitting signals to said plurality of display units to provide data to said plurality of display units; said transmitting means for being disposed apart from said plurality of display units; each of said plurality of display units comprising; means for receiving signals from said transmitting means; means for displaying information based on signals received by said receiving means; and rechargeable means for powering said displaying means; said transmitting means comprising means for et least substantially continuously providing, to said receiving means of at least one of said at least one display unit; data providing for the display of information on said displaying means; and power for providing energy to said rechargeable means; said means for at least substantially continuously providing data and power to said at least one display unit comprising means for transmitting data to said at least one display unit in the form of intermittently transmitted data packets, the intermittent transmissions of data packets for being interrupted by pauses; said means for et least substantially continuously providing data and power to said at least one display unit comprising means for transmitting power to said at least one display unit during the pauses between the intermittent transmissions of data packets; and said receiving means comprising means for receiving power from said transmitting means during the pauses between intermittent transmissions of data packets. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Method of operating a system for the electronic display of information on at least one shelf, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of display units for displaying information, each of the plurality of display units comprising at least one shelf display unit; providing means for transmitting power to said plurality of display units; said step of providing the plurality of display units comprising; providing means for receiving power from the transmitting means; providing means for displaying information; and providing means for powering the displaying means at least partly from the power received by the receiving means; and said step of providing the receiving means comprising providing means for receiving power from the transmitting means solely upon the display unit being disposed substantially adjacent to at least a portion of the transmitting means; said method further comprising the additional steps of; disposing the display units on shelf means; disposing the display units substantially adjacent to at least a portion of the transmitting means; transmitting power to the display units with the transmitting means; receiving power, with the receiving means, from the transmitting means solely upon the display units being disposed substantially adjacent to at least a portion of the transmitting means; displaying information with the displaying means; powering the displaying means at least partly from the power received by the receiving means; said step of providing the transmitting means comprising; providing a transmitter for at least transmitting power; configuring the at least a portion of the transmitting means to comprise at least one transmitter element, the at least one transmitter element being electrically conductive and being configured to receive power from the transmitter; configuring at least one display unit to have means for disposing the at least one display unit on a shelf; configuring the receiving means of the at least one of the display unit to comprise means for receiving power from the transmitting means solely upon the at least one display unit being disposed substantially adjacent to, and substantially on the same shelf as, the at least one transmitter element; said method further comprises the steps of; disposing the at least one display unit on a shelf substantially at an edge of the shelf; receiving power from the transmitting means, with the receiving means, solely upon the at least one display unit being disposed substantially adjacent to, and substantially at the same shelf edge as, the at least one of the at least one transmitter element; transmitting data to the at least one display unit with the transmitting means; displaying information, with the means for displaying information, based on data transmitted from the transmitting means; wherein the receiving means receives data from the transmitting means solely upon the at least one of the at least one display unit being disposed substantially adjacent to, and substantially at the same shelf edge as, the at least one transmitter element; wherein the means for powering the displaying means comprises rechargeable means for powering the displaying means; wherein the transmitting means substantially continuously provides, to the receiving means of the at least one display unit; data for the display of information on the displaying means; and power for providing energy to the rechargeable means; wherein the at least substantially continuous provision of data and power to the at least one display unit comprises; transmitting data to the at least one display unit in the form of intermittently transmitted data packets, and interrupting the intermittent transmissions of data packets with pauses; and transmitting power to the at least one display unit at the pauses between the intermittent transmissions of data packets; wherein power is transmitted to the at least one display unit to recharge the rechargeable means during the pauses between intermittent transmissions of data packets; and the receiving means receives power from the transmitting means during the pauses between consecutive intermittent transmissions of data packets. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification