Method and device for acknowledgement of transmitted information
First Claim
1. A method for acknowledgement of information transmitted by a transmitting device (A) in a shop data system to an electronic label/information module (B) for price marking, comprising a presentation display having price indicating items of information and relevant items of information relating to a certain article, said information module (B) preferably being operated by a solar cell, and said information module (B) further comprising electronics for interpretation and storage of data information transmitted from a system computer and for presentation of said data information on said display, said information module being arranged having an electronically defined unique address or an ID, characterized inthat said information module (B1-B10) transmitting an electromagnetic signal of acknowledgement having a wavelength preferably corresponding to that of said transmitting device (A),that each thus addressed data information from said transmitting device (A, TX) is transmitted in the form of a data package comprising a predetermined number of data bits followed by a time slot for registration of said signal of acknowledgement,that a primary signal of acknowledgement transmitted by an addressed information module (B5) is repeated by other information modules (B1-B4, B6-B10), which are not addressed at that time, whereby a further propagation of said transmitted signal of acknowledgement is obtained, such that even if the coverage of said acknowledgement in the primarily addressed information module (B5), which transmitted said primary signal of acknowledgement, is not sufficient to reach a receiver device (A, TX) in a system, this receiver device is reached by said secondary signal of acknowledgement repeated by other information modules (B1-B4, B6-B10), whereby the acknowledgement signal by said addressed information module (B5) has correctly been received by said system computer.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method and a device for increasing the coverage in a shop data system for each individual information module (B1-B10), which has a low output power for its message acknowledgement at the reception of information, ensuring that a signal of acknowledgement indicating reception of information reaches a system computer. An information device, for instance a shelf-edge module (B5), which has received a correctly decoded information intended for this particular module, emits a signal of acknowledgement, which then is repeated by said other modules (B1-B4, B6-B10), which also have decoded said message finding that it was not intended for them. These modules (B1-B4, B6-B10) switch to a repeater mode so that said signal of acknowledgement emitted by said addressed module (B5), will be repeated by each such other module in said repeater mode, which perceives said signal of acknowledgement, said signal of acknowledgement propagating back to said transmitting unit (TX) during a period of time between transmitted messages. Herethrough, it is only required, that each information module has a coverage for its signal of acknowledgement such that this signal reaches at least one other additional information module.
29 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for acknowledgement of information transmitted by a transmitting device (A) in a shop data system to an electronic label/information module (B) for price marking, comprising a presentation display having price indicating items of information and relevant items of information relating to a certain article, said information module (B) preferably being operated by a solar cell, and said information module (B) further comprising electronics for interpretation and storage of data information transmitted from a system computer and for presentation of said data information on said display, said information module being arranged having an electronically defined unique address or an ID, characterized in
that said information module (B1-B10) transmitting an electromagnetic signal of acknowledgement having a wavelength preferably corresponding to that of said transmitting device (A), that each thus addressed data information from said transmitting device (A, TX) is transmitted in the form of a data package comprising a predetermined number of data bits followed by a time slot for registration of said signal of acknowledgement, that a primary signal of acknowledgement transmitted by an addressed information module (B5) is repeated by other information modules (B1-B4, B6-B10), which are not addressed at that time, whereby a further propagation of said transmitted signal of acknowledgement is obtained, such that even if the coverage of said acknowledgement in the primarily addressed information module (B5), which transmitted said primary signal of acknowledgement, is not sufficient to reach a receiver device (A, TX) in a system, this receiver device is reached by said secondary signal of acknowledgement repeated by other information modules (B1-B4, B6-B10), whereby the acknowledgement signal by said addressed information module (B5) has correctly been received by said system computer.
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9. A subsystem in a shop data system for acknowledgement of information transmitted by a device (A) in said shop data system to an electronic label/information module system for price marking, comprising a presentation display having price indicating items of information and relevant items of information relating to a certain article, said information module system preferably being operated by means of a solar cell, and said information module system (B) further comprising electronics for interpretation and storage of data information transmitted from a system computer and for presentation of said data information on said display, whereby each information module system is arranged having an electronically defined unique address or an ID, characterized in
that said information module system is provided with a means of acknowledgement for transmission of an electromagnetic signal of acknowledgement having a wavelength preferably corresponding to the wavelength of said transmitting device (A) and comprising an electrically controllable switch in series with an element emitting electromagnetic energy, which element is supplied by a capacitor battery (C) obtaining electrical charge through a limiting resistor (R) from said solar cell, that said information module system further is provided with an additional logical circuitry, which controls said means of acknowledgement in response to messages received by said information module system.
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13. A device for acknowledgement of information transmitted by a transmitting device (A) in a shop data system to an electronic label/information module (B) for price marking, comprising a presentation display having price indicating items of information and relevant items of information relating to a certain article, said information module (B) preferably being operated by means of a solar cell, and said information module (B) further comprising electronics for interpretation and storage of the data information transmitted from a system computer and for presentation of said data information on said presentation display, said information module being arranged having an electronically defined unique address or an ID, characterized in
that said information module (B) further is provided with a means of acknowledgement for transmission of an electromagnetic signal of acknowledgement having a wavelength preferably corresponding to the wavelength of said transmitting device (A) and comprising an electrically controllable switch in series with an element emitting electromagnetic energy, which element is supplied by a capacitor battery (C) obtaining electrical charge from said solar cell through said limiting resistor (R), that said information module (B) is provided with an additional logical circuitry, which controls said means of acknowledgement in response to messages received by said information module (B).
Specification