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Electronic device for the remote displaying of information

  • US 5,929,770 A
  • Filed: 08/08/1996
  • Issued: 07/27/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An electronic system for removing displaying of information in a retail environment, the system comprising:

  • a central control unit;

    a communications network having a plurality of nodes, each node being coupled to the central control unit; and

    a plurality of electronic labels, each label having a display for showing information relating to an exhibited item adjacent the label, the items being retail goods available for purchase by a customer;

    each node having at least one transmitter for sending a signal to at least one of the labels, the at least one transmitter being of an infrared (IR) type only;

    each label having a receiver for receiving a signal from at least one of the nodes, the receiver being of an infrared (IR) type only;

    each label having a transmitter for sending a message to at least one of the nodes, the transmitter being of a radio frequency (RF) type only; and

    each node having a receiver for receiving a message from at least one of the labels, the receiver being of a radio frequency (RF) type only, wherein the mixed IR/RF communication scheme eliminates node transmitter antenna concerns, reduces signal interference and reduces label receiver power consumption compared to an RF communication scheme used between the nodes and the labels, while simultaneously reducing label transmitter power consumption, reducing component requirements and reducing the number of nodes required by the system compared to an IR communication scheme used between the labels and the nodes.

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