Electronic label system

• US 9,786,233 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Hung, Chi-Mao
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/883,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20160035291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 340 106, 34082549, 34082552, 34082553, 340 104, 340 1042, 340 105, 340 1051, 340 1052, 34082572, 34082576, 3403094, 340331
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/06 Message adaptation to terminal or network requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

An electronic label system including a control unit and a plurality of electronic label units is provided. The control unit transmits wireless power. The electronic label units are coupled to the control unit. The electronic label units respectively output a plurality of state information to the control unit, so that the control unit monitors operation states of the electronic label units according to the state information. The state information is transmitted to the control unit when a state of the electronic label units is varied. The control unit transmits the wireless power to the electronic label units by using wireless communications, and the electronic label units are charged with the wireless power. Furthermore, a wired communication interface is used as the communication interface between the net unit and the electronic label units in the electronic label system, so that the cost of the electronic label system is reduced.

Claims

1. An electronic label system, comprising:

a control unit, sending display information;

a first net unit, coupled to the control unit, and configured to convert the display information into a display signal;

a second net unit, coupled to the first net unit, and configured to receive the display signal and output a display control signal; and

a plurality of electronic label units, coupled in series to the second net unit, and configured to receive the display control signal and to respectively display according to the corresponding display control signal, wherein the electronic label units respectively output a plurality of state information to the control unit, so that the control unit monitors operation states of the electronic label units according to the state information,

wherein the state information is transmitted to the control unit when a state of the electronic label units is varied.

2. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the electronic label units comprises:

a network connecting unit, wherein the network connecting unit of each of the electronic label units is coupled to the network connecting unit of the adjacent electronic label unit or the second net unit; and

a display unit, coupled to the network connecting unit to receive the display control signal through the network connecting unit and display according to the display control signal.

3. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the electronic label units further comprises:

a detecting unit, coupled to the network connecting unit and the display unit, and configured to detect operation state information of the display unit, and output the operation state information to the network connecting unit,

wherein the network connecting unit outputs the corresponding state information according to the device information and the operation state information.

4. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit generates the display information corresponding to each of the electronic label units according to the state information.

5. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each state information comprises a part of, all of or one of an operating temperature, an operating voltage, a display resolution and a display panel type.

6. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic label units are respectively corresponding to an address.

7. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second net unit sends out an address setting instruction and a starting address so that the electronic label units sequentially set the corresponding address respectively according to the coupling relationship.

8. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the address range of the electronic label units is corresponding to the quantity of connected address lines of the electronic label units.

9. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second net unit sends out an address setting instruction and a starting address to the electronic label units, so that the electronic label units sequentially set the corresponding address respectively according to the received starting address, and the electronic label units sequentially output the address setting instruction and the starting address increased by 1 to the next electronic label unit.

10. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the electronic label units are respectively corresponding to a fixed address.

11. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display control signal received corresponds to the electronic label unit, the electronic label unit displays according to the corresponding display control signal, and when the display control signal does not correspond to the electronic label unit, the display control signal is sent to the next electronic label unit.

12. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display signal is a wireless display signal, the first net unit converts the display information into the wireless display signal, and the second net unit receives the wireless display signal.

13. An electronic label system, comprising:

a control unit, transmitting wireless power; and

a plurality of electronic label units, coupled to the control unit, and configured to respectively output a plurality of state information to the control unit, so that the control unit monitors operation states of the electronic label units according to the state information, and the state information is transmitted to the control unit when a state of the electronic label units is varied,

wherein the control unit transmits the wireless power to at least one of the electronic label units by using wireless communications, and the at least one of the electronic label units are charged with the wireless power.

14. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a network unit, coupled between the control unit and the electronic label units, wherein the control unit transmits the wireless power to the electronic label units through the network unit via a wireless signal, and the electronic label units respectively transmit the corresponding state information to the network unit through the wireless signal, so as to transmit the state information to the control unit.

15. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the electronic label units are coupled in series to the net unit, and respectively output the state information to the control unit through the network unit.

16. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of the electronic label units comprises:

a network connecting unit, coupled to the network unit;

a display unit, coupled to the network connecting unit, and configured to receive display information transmitted from the control unit through the network connecting unit, display according to the display information, and output device information to the network connecting unit; and

a detecting unit, coupled to the network connecting unit and the display unit, and configured to detect operation state information of the display unit, and outputting the operation state information to the network connecting unit,

wherein the network connecting unit outputs the corresponding state information according to the device information and the operation state information.

17. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of the electronic label units comprises:

a power processing unit coupled to the network connecting unit, and configured to receive the wireless power, storing the wireless power, monitor the stored wireless power, and request transmission of the wireless power from the network unit.

18. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the power processing unit comprises:

a power reception unit, coupled to the network connecting unit, and configured to receive the wireless power.

19. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the power processing unit further comprises:

a power storage unit, coupled to the power reception unit, and configured to be charged with the wireless power received by the power reception unit, and store the wireless power; and

a power management unit, coupled to the network connecting unit, and configured to monitor the stored wireless power, and request transmission of the wireless power from the network unit.

20. The electronic label system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control unit generates display information corresponding to each of the electronic label units according to the state information, and transmits the display information to the electronic label units for displaying.