System and method of reducing noise in an electronic shelf label system

• US 6,980,784 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Dalton, Gary C., Adamec, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haroon, Adeel
• Application Number:
  US10/270,935
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 455/226.3, 455/226.2, 455/255, 455/254, 455/161.3, 455/340, 455/164.1, 455/164.2, 455/296, 455/307, 375/346, 375/350, 340/5.91, 340/5.92
• US Class Current: 455/296
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal

Abstract

A system and method of reducing noise in an electronic shelf label system which shifts operation of the receiver away from noise frequencies. The system includes a controller for receiving signal levels and noise levels at different frequencies from a homodyne receiver, and for shifting operation of the receiver away from noise frequencies.

Claims

1. A noise reduction method for an electronic shelf label system comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving signal levels and noise levels at different frequencies in a frequency band;

(b) determining signal to noise ratios at each of the different frequencies;

(c) comparing the signal to noise ratios to a minimum threshold signal to noise ratio;

(d) if one of the signal to noise ratios is lower than the minimum threshold signal to noise ratio, receiving only side band frequencies including

(d-1) determining a lowest frequency and a highest frequency associated with the low SN ratios;

(d-2) determining that a range of frequencies bounded by the lowest and highest frequencies falls outside of the side band frequencies; and

(d-3) receiving only the side band frequencies.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(e) if all of the signal to noise ratios are higher than the minimum threshold signal to noise ratio, receiving any frequency in the frequency band.

3. A communication base station in an electronic shelf label system comprising:

a homodyne receiver for receiving signals in a frequency band from electronic shelf labels; and

a controller for receiving signal levels and noise levels at different frequencies in the frequency band, for determining signal to noise ratios at each of the different frequencies, for comparing the signal to noise ratios to a minimum threshold signal to noise ratio, and for causing the homodyne receiver to receive only side band frequencies if one of the signal to noise ratios is lower than the minimum threshold signal to noise ratio, including determining a lowest frequency and a highest frequency associated with the low SN ratios, determining that a range of frequencies bounded by the lowest and highest frequencies falls outside of the side band frequencies, and receiving only the side band frequencies.

4. A system for reducing noise in an electronic shelf label system comprising:

a controller for receiving signal levels and noise levels at different frequencies in a frequency band from a homodyne receiver, for determining signal to noise ratios at each of the different frequencies, for comparing the signal to noise ratios to a minimum threshold signal to noise ratio, for receiving only side band frequencies if one of the signal to noise ratios is lower than the minimum threshold signal to noise ratio, including determining a lowest frequency and a highest frequency associated with the low SN ratios, determining that a range of frequencies bounded by the lowest and highest frequencies falls outside of the side band frequencies, and receiving only the side band frequencies.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is also for receiving any frequency in the frequency band from the homodyne receiver if all of the signal to noise ratios are higher than the minimum threshold signal to noise ratio.