Method and apparatus for providing information concerning products, using radio frequency transmissions

• US 5,697,061 A
• Filed: 09/22/1993
• Issued: 12/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IXYS Intl Limited (Littelfuse Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Seattle Silicon Corporation
• Inventors: Krueger, Thomas E., Astrof, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/125,518
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 345/2, 364/478, 364/479, 340/825, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 340/825.1, 340/825.15, 340/825.18, 340/825.3, 340/825.35, 340/835.2, 235/383, 235/385, 455/39, 455/31.1, 455/32.1, 455/33.1, 455/33.4, 455/3.1, 455/66
• US Class Current: 455/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0704 the battery being rechargeable, e.g. solar batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing information concerning products, using radio frequency transmissions. A host computer transfers information relating to a product to a radio frequency transmitter. The information is transmitted to a transceiver built into a label for the product, the label being located near a shelf of a gondola that is holding the product. The transmission from the transmitter to the transceiver may be made through one or more repeaters. A label transceiver for another product can act as a repeater, upon instruction from the host computer. When the intended label transceiver correctly receives the information concerning the product, it retransmits an acknowledgement back to the host computer along the same transmission path by which the information reached the transceiver. The transceiver stores the information relating to the product in the label. The transceiver and label are powered by a photovoltaic cell that transforms ambient light into electrical energy. If the ambient light decreases, in order to save electrical energy, the transceiver is first turned off. If it is necessary to save further electrical energy, the label display is next turned off. If the ambient light then increases, the display and then the transceiver are turned back on.

Claims

1. A product indicator for storing information concerning a product, comprising:

a receiver to receive a radio frequency signal containing information concerning a product and an address indicative of the product;

a storage device to electronically store the information concerning a particular product with which the product indicator is associated;

a display to display the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated;

an energy source to provide electrical energy to the receiver the storage device and the display;

an electronic circuit to determine the capability of the energy source to provide electrical energy to the means for receiving the radio frequency signal, to the storage device and to the display; and

a controller to control the delivery of the electrical energy if the energy source is not capable of providing the electrical energy to all of the receiver, the storage device and the display.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller reduces the energy delivered to one of the receiver, the display and the storage device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the controller first reduces the energy delivered to the receiver before it reduces the energy delivered to either of the storage device or the display.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the controller reduces the energy delivered to the display after the controller has terminated delivery of electrical energy to the receiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller further comprises a transducer to provide additional electrical energy to the receiver, the storage device and the display.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the controller increases the energy delivered to the storage device before it increases the energy delivered to either of the receiver or the display.

7. A product indicator for storing information concerning a product, comprising:

means for receiving a radio frequency signal containing information concerning a product and an address indicative of the product;

means for electronically storing the information concerning a particular product with which the product indicator is associated;

means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated;

means for providing electrical energy to the means for receiving the radio frequency signal, the means for electronically storing the information and the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated;

means for determining the capability of the means for providing electrical energy to provide electrical energy to the means for receiving the radio frequency signal, to the means for electronically storing the information and to the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated; and

means for controlling the delivery of the electrical energy if the means for providing electrical energy is not capable of providing the electrical energy to all of the means for receiving the radio frequency signal, the means for electronically storing the information and the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the means for controlling the delivery of the electrical energy reduces the energy delivered to one of the means for receiving the radio frequency signal, the means for electronically storing the information and the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the means for controlling the delivery of the electrical energy first reduces the energy delivered to the means for receiving the radio frequency signal before it reduces the energy delivered to either of the means for electronically storing the information or the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for controlling the delivery of the electrical energy reduces the energy delivered to the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated after the means for controlling the delivery of the electrical energy has terminated delivery of electrical energy to the means for receiving the radio frequency signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the means for controlling the delivery of the electrical energy further comprising means for providing additional electrical energy to the means for receiving the radio frequency signal, the means for electronically storing the information and the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated if any of the means for receiving the radio frequency signal, the means for electronically storing the information and the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated is not receiving enough energy necessary for it to operate.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the means for controlling the delivery of the electrical energy first increases the energy delivered to the means for electronically storing the information before it increases the energy delivered to either of the means for receiving the radio frequency signal or the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated.

13. A method for storing information concerning a product, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a radio frequency signal containing information concerning a product and an address indicative of the product;

b) electronically storing the information concerning a particular product with which the product indicator is associated;

c) displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated;

d) connecting a means for providing electrical energy to a means for receiving the radio frequency signal, a means for electronically storing the information and a means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated;

e) determining the capability of the means for providing electrical energy to provide electrical energy to the means for receiving the radio frequency signal, to the means for electronically storing the information and to the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated; and

f) controlling the delivery of the electrical energy from the means for providing electrical energy if the means for providing electrical energy is not capable of providing the electrical energy to all of the means for receiving the radio frequency signal, the means for electronically storing the information and the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

g) reducing the energy delivered to one of the means for receiving the radio frequency signal, the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated and the means for electronically storing the information.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein step g) includes reducing the energy delivered to the means for receiving the radio frequency signal before reducing the energy delivered to either of the means for electronically storing the information or the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of controlling the delivery of the electrical energy includes reducing the energy delivered to the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated after the means for controlling the delivery of the electrical energy has terminated delivery of electrical energy to the means for receiving the radio frequency signal.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

h) increasing the energy delivered to the means for electronically storing the information before increasing the energy delivered to either of the means for receiving the radio frequency signal or the means for displaying the information concerning the particular product with which the product indicator is associated.