Electronic price tag communication method, system and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic price tag communication method, system and computer-readable storage medium, which belong to the field of communication technology. The method described in the present application stores the bitmap data corresponding to the target electronic price tag into the data gateway through the main control processor, and controls the data gateway to receive and send data signals based on the data channel; the control processor controls the broadcast gateway to send a broadcast data packet containing the target electronic price tag based on the broadcast channel; based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag. The present application can avoid mutual interference between transmitted signals, quickly and effectively complete the task of channel configuration, improve the stability of communication between electronic price tags and base stations, and effectively improve product quality and user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an electronic price tag communication method, system, and computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] To prevent interference between base station transmission signals in electronic price tag systems, adjacent base stations typically use different channels, forming a cellular network-like structure. Price tags also transmit signals, and in some scenarios, the signal duration is relatively long. Furthermore, due to the large number of price tags, comprehensive considerations are required when configuring base station and price tag channels to ensure that transmission signals between base stations, between base stations and price tags, and between price tags and price tags do not interfere with each other.

[0003] To address this issue, existing methods typically involve manually selecting different channels or employing simple conflict avoidance waiting strategies to complete signal transmission. However, this approach is limited to locations with a small number of electronic price tags. With the widespread adoption of price tag systems in shopping malls, the number of base stations and electronic price tags in a single store can often reach thousands. Furthermore, given the complex electromagnetic environment within shopping malls, existing "distributed" channel selection strategies are no longer effective for channel configuration. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an electronic price tag communication method, system and computer-readable storage medium, aiming to avoid mutual interference between existing base stations and price tag transmission signals, thereby achieving successful signal transmission.

[0005] The technical solutions adopted by the present invention to solve the above technical problems are as follows:

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides an electronic price tag communication system, comprising a base station and a price tag, wherein the base station and the price tag communicate with each other via a wireless communication protocol; the base station comprises a main control processor, a data gateway, and a broadcast gateway; the main control processor controls the data gateway to receive and transmit data signals based on a data channel; the main control processor controls the broadcast gateway to transmit a broadcast data packet containing a target electronic price tag label based on a broadcast channel;

[0007] The data gateway stores bitmap data information corresponding to the target electronic price label;

[0008] The broadcast data packet includes a channel list used by the data gateway, and the channel list includes at least one communication channel;

[0009] The base stations include multiple base stations, one of which is a master base station. The master base station communicates and interacts with other base stations and is used to control the allocation of data links and broadcast links.

[0010] Based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag.

[0011] In some embodiments, the electronic price tag communication system further includes a detection module, which is used to detect the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations.

[0012] In some embodiments, the electronic price tag communication system further includes a transmission link strategy planning module, which is used to control and plan broadcast links and data links to execute different channel transmission strategies according to the distance between adjacent base stations.

[0013] In some embodiments, the electronic price tag communication system further includes an ESL server, the ESL server communicates and interacts with the base station, the data gateway has a 2.4G private protocol, and the data gateway communicates information with the price tag.

[0014] A second aspect of the present invention further provides an electronic price tag communication method, which is applied to the above-mentioned electronic price tag communication system. The electronic price tag communication method comprises the following steps:

[0015] The main control processor controls the data gateway to receive and send data signals based on the data channel;

[0016] The main control processor controls the broadcast gateway to send a broadcast data packet containing a target electronic price tag based on a broadcast channel;

[0017] Storing the bitmap data information corresponding to the target electronic price label in the data gateway;

[0018] Storing a channel list used by the data gateway in a broadcast data packet; the channel list includes at least one communication channel;

[0019] The base stations include at least one master base station, which communicates and interacts with other base stations and is used to control the allocation of data links and broadcast links;

[0020] Based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag.

[0021] In some embodiments, based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag, including the following steps:

[0022] When it is detected that the distance between adjacent base stations is less than 2R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and the price tag transmitting signal; the available channels are divided into a broadcast channel pool and a data channel pool;

[0023] Set at least four channels as the broadcast channel pool, and the other channels into the data channel pool;

[0024] The control broadcast link uses different broadcast channels; the data link selects an allocation channel from the data channel pool as needed.

[0025] In some embodiments, based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag, including the following steps:

[0026] When the distance between adjacent base stations is detected to be less than 4R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and the price tag transmitting signal; based on the spatial layout between base stations, with the base stations as vertices and the distance between the two base stations representing the edge length, a finite undirected graph is constructed; the distance between the two base stations is required to be less than 2R;

[0027] According to the principle of selecting the channel with the smallest number among the available channels, the planned allocation channel is solved by backtracking method;

[0028] Different data links established use different channels.

[0029] In some embodiments, based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag, including the following steps:

[0030] When it is detected that the distance between adjacent base stations is less than 3R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and the price tag transmitting signal;

[0031] The master base station records the allocation of the data channel pool on each base station;

[0032] When a base station receives a new push task, it will request a channel from the main base station and notify the price tag to connect via the broadcast link;

[0033] The master base station allocates channels on demand based on the data link;

[0034] The established data link and broadcast link use different channels.

[0035] In some embodiments, the method further comprises the steps of:

[0036] Based on the spatial layout between base stations, a finite undirected graph is constructed with base stations as vertices and the distance between two base stations as the edge length. The distance between two base stations is required to be less than 4R.

[0037] According to the principle of selecting the channel with the smallest number among the available channels, the planned allocation channel is solved by backtracking method;

[0038] The allocated channel should be a channel that is different from the existing data links of the base station and all data links of other base stations that are edge-connected to the base station.

[0039] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, comprising a processor, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program stored on the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer program implements the steps in the above-described method when executed by the processor.

[0040] The electronic price tag communication method, system and computer-readable storage medium provided by the embodiments of the present invention store the bitmap data corresponding to the target electronic price tag into the data gateway through the main control processor, and control the data gateway to receive and send data signals based on the data channel; the control processor controls the broadcast gateway to send a broadcast data packet containing the label of the target electronic price tag based on the broadcast channel; the broadcast data packet contains a channel list used by the data gateway, and the channel list includes at least one communication channel; the base station includes multiple base stations, one of which is a main base station. The main base station communicates and interacts with other base stations and is used to control the allocation of data links and broadcast links; based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag. Therefore, the electronic price tag communication method described in the embodiment of the present application can realize centralized management of channels, and execute corresponding data transmission link strategies according to the layout between base stations and the distance control between adjacent base stations. It can effectively avoid mutual interference of transmission signals between "base station-base station", "base station-price tag", and "price tag-price tag", quickly and effectively complete the task of channel configuration, improve the stability of communication between electronic price tags and base stations, and effectively improve product quality and user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a mobile terminal according to the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 A communication network system architecture diagram provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 3 This is a structural block diagram of an embodiment of an electronic price tag communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 4 This is a structural block diagram of another embodiment of an electronic price tag communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 5 A base station distance relationship diagram constructed for an electronic price tag communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 6 A base station distance relationship diagram constructed for another embodiment of an electronic price tag communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 7 A base station distance relationship diagram and a channel allocation diagram of an electronic price tag communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 8 A base station distance relationship diagram constructed in accordance with yet another embodiment of an electronic price tag communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 9 This is a flow chart of an embodiment of an electronic price tag communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 10 A method flow chart of another embodiment of an electronic price tag communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 11 A method flow chart of yet another embodiment of an electronic price tag communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 12 This is a method flow chart of another embodiment of an electronic price tag communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention clearer and more understandable, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0054] In the subsequent description, suffixes such as "module," "component," or "unit" used to represent elements are only used to facilitate the description of the present invention and have no specific meaning. Therefore, "module," "component," or "unit" can be used interchangeably.

[0055] The terminal can be implemented in various forms. For example, the terminal described in the present invention may include mobile terminals such as mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, portable media players (PMPs), navigation devices, wearable devices, smart bracelets, pedometers, etc., as well as fixed terminals such as digital TVs and desktop computers.

[0056] The following description will be made by taking a mobile terminal as an example. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, in addition to components specifically used for mobile purposes, the configuration according to the embodiments of the present invention can also be applied to fixed type terminals.

[0057] See also Figure 1 , which is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a mobile terminal for implementing various embodiments of the present invention. The mobile terminal 100 may include: an RF (Radio Frequency) unit 101, a WiFi module 102, an audio output unit 103, an A / V (audio / video) input unit 104, a sensor 105, a display unit 106, a user input unit 107, an interface unit 108, a memory 109, a processor 110, and a power supply 111. Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 1 The structure of the mobile terminal shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation to the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0058] The following combination Figure 1 A detailed introduction to the various components of the mobile terminal:

[0059] The RF unit 101 can be used to send and receive information or receive signals during calls. Specifically, it receives downlink information from the base station and transmits it to the processor 110 for processing. It also transmits uplink data to the base station. Typically, the RF unit 101 includes, but is not limited to, an antenna, at least one amplifier, a transceiver, a coupler, a low-noise amplifier, a duplexer, and more. Furthermore, the RF unit 101 can communicate with the network and other devices via wireless communication. The above-mentioned wireless communications may use any communication standard or protocol, including but not limited to GSM (Global System of Mobile communication), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), CDMA2000 (Code Division Multiple Access 2000), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), TD-SCDMA (Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access), FDD-LTE (Frequency Division Duplexing-Long Term Evolution) and TDD-LTE (Time Division Duplexing-Long Term Evolution), etc.

[0060] WiFi is a short-range wireless transmission technology. Mobile terminals can help users send and receive emails, browse web pages, and access streaming media through the WiFi module 102. It provides users with wireless broadband Internet access. Figure 1 The WiFi module 102 is shown, but it is understandable that it is not an essential component of the mobile terminal and can be omitted as needed without changing the essence of the invention.

[0061] The audio output unit 103 can convert audio data received by the RF unit 101 or the WiFi module 102 or stored in the memory 109 into an audio signal and output it as sound when the mobile terminal 100 is in a call signal reception mode, a talk mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, or the like. Furthermore, the audio output unit 103 can also provide audio output related to a specific function performed by the mobile terminal 100 (e.g., a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.). The audio output unit 103 may include a speaker, a buzzer, or the like.

[0062] The A / V input unit 104 is used to receive audio or video signals. The A / V input unit 104 may include a graphics processing unit (GPU) 1041 and a microphone 1042. The GPU 1041 processes image data of still images or videos captured by an image capture device (e.g., a camera) in video capture mode or image capture mode. The processed image frames may be displayed on the display unit 106. The image frames processed by the GPU 1041 may be stored in the memory 109 (or other storage medium) or transmitted via the RF unit 101 or the WiFi module 102. The microphone 1042 may receive sound (audio data) in operating modes such as phone call mode, recording mode, and voice recognition mode, and may process such sound into audio data. In phone call mode, the processed audio (voice) data may be converted into a format that can be transmitted to a mobile communication base station via the RF unit 101. The microphone 1042 may implement various types of noise cancellation (or suppression) algorithms to eliminate (or suppress) noise or interference generated during the reception and transmission of audio signals.

[0063] The mobile terminal 100 also includes at least one sensor 105, such as a light sensor, a motion sensor, and other sensors. Specifically, the light sensor includes an ambient light sensor and a proximity sensor, wherein the ambient light sensor can adjust the brightness of the display panel 1061 according to the brightness of the ambient light, and the proximity sensor can turn off the display panel 1061 and / or the backlight when the mobile terminal 100 is moved to the ear. As a type of motion sensor, the accelerometer sensor can detect the magnitude of acceleration in all directions (generally three axes), and can detect the magnitude and direction of gravity when stationary. It can be used for applications that identify the posture of the mobile phone (such as horizontal and vertical screen switching, related games, magnetometer posture calibration), vibration recognition related functions (such as pedometer, tapping), etc.; as for other sensors that can be configured in the mobile phone, such as fingerprint sensors, pressure sensors, iris sensors, molecular sensors, gyroscopes, barometers, hygrometers, thermometers, infrared sensors, etc., they will not be described here.

[0064] The display unit 106 is used to display information input by the user or information provided to the user. The display unit 106 may include a display panel 1061, which may be configured in the form of a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), or the like.

[0065] The user input unit 107 can be used to receive input digital or character information, and generate key signal input related to user settings and function control of the mobile terminal. Specifically, the user input unit 107 may include a touch panel 1071 and other input devices 1072. The touch panel 1071, also known as a touch screen, can collect user touch operations on or near it (such as operations performed by the user using a finger, stylus, or any other suitable object or accessory on or near the touch panel 1071) and drive the corresponding connection device according to a pre-set program. The touch panel 1071 may include two parts: a touch detection device and a touch controller. Among them, the touch detection device detects the user's touch direction and detects the signal caused by the touch operation, and transmits the signal to the touch controller; the touch controller receives the touch information from the touch detection device and converts it into touch point coordinates, which are then sent to the processor 110. It can also receive commands sent by the processor 110 and execute them. In addition, the touch panel 1071 can be implemented using various types such as resistive, capacitive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave. In addition to the touch panel 1071, the user input unit 107 may further include other input devices 1072. Specifically, the other input devices 1072 may include, but are not limited to, one or more of a physical keyboard, function keys (such as volume control keys, power keys, etc.), a trackball, a mouse, a joystick, etc., and are not specifically limited here.

[0066] Furthermore, the touch panel 1071 may cover the display panel 1061. When the touch panel 1071 detects a touch operation on or near it, it transmits the information to the processor 110 to determine the type of touch event. Subsequently, the processor 110 provides a corresponding visual output on the display panel 1061 according to the type of touch event. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the touch panel 1071 and the display panel 1061 are two independent components to realize the input and output functions of the mobile terminal. However, in some embodiments, the touch panel 1071 and the display panel 1061 can be integrated to realize the input and output functions of the mobile terminal, which is not limited here.

[0067] The interface unit 108 serves as an interface through which at least one external device can be connected to the mobile terminal 100. For example, the external device may include a wired or wireless headset port, an external power supply (or battery charger) port, a wired or wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device with an identification module, an audio input / output (I / O) port, a video I / O port, a headphone port, etc. The interface unit 108 may be used to receive input (e.g., data information, power, etc.) from an external device and transmit the received input to one or more elements within the mobile terminal 100 or may be used to transmit data between the mobile terminal 100 and an external device.

[0068] Memory 109 can be used to store software programs and various data. Memory 109 may primarily include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store an operating system and at least one application required for a function (such as a sound playback function or an image playback function); the data storage area may store data generated based on the use of the mobile phone (such as audio data, a phone book, etc.). Furthermore, memory 109 may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage device.

[0069] Processor 110 is the control center of the mobile terminal, connecting all components of the mobile terminal using various interfaces and circuits. By running or executing software programs and / or modules stored in memory 109 and accessing data stored in memory 109, it executes various functions of the mobile terminal and processes data, thereby providing overall monitoring of the mobile terminal. Processor 110 may include one or more processing units; preferably, processor 110 may integrate an application processor and a modem processor. The application processor primarily handles the operating system, user interface, and application programs, while the modem processor primarily handles wireless communications. It is understood that the modem processor may not be integrated into processor 110.

[0070] The mobile terminal 100 may also include a power supply 111 (such as a battery) for supplying power to various components. Preferably, the power supply 111 may be logically connected to the processor 110 through a power management system, thereby managing functions such as charging, discharging, and power consumption through the power management system.

[0071] although Figure 1 Not shown, the mobile terminal 100 may further include a Bluetooth module, etc., which will not be described in detail here.

[0072] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the communication network system on which the mobile terminal of the present invention is based is described below.

[0073] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 A communication network system architecture diagram is provided for an embodiment of the present invention. The communication network system is an LTE system of universal mobile communication technology. The LTE system includes a UE (User Equipment) 201, an Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) 202, an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) 203, and an operator's IP service 204, which are sequentially connected in communication.

[0074] Specifically, UE201 may be the above-mentioned terminal 100, which will not be described in detail here.

[0075] E-UTRAN 202 includes eNodeB 2021 and other eNodeBs 2022 , etc. Among them, eNodeB 2021 can be connected to other eNodeBs 2022 via a backhaul (eg, an X2 interface), and eNodeB 2021 is connected to EPC 203 , and eNodeB 2021 can provide UE 201 with access to EPC 203 .

[0076] EPC 203 may include MME (Mobility Management Entity) 2031, HSS (Home Subscriber Server) 2032, other MMEs 2033, SGW (Serving Gate Way) 2034, PGW (PDN Gate Way) 2035, and PCRF (Policy and Charging Rules Function) 2036. MME 2031 is the control node that handles signaling between UE 201 and EPC 203, providing bearer and connection management. HSS 2032 provides registers for managing functions such as the Home Location Register (not shown) and stores user-specific information such as service features and data rates. All user data can be sent through SGW2034, PGW2035 can provide IP address allocation and other functions for UE 201, PCRF2036 is the policy and charging control policy decision point for service data flow and IP bearer resources, and it selects and provides available policy and charging control decisions for the policy and charging execution function unit (not shown in the figure).

[0077] The IP service 204 may include the Internet, an intranet, an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), or other IP services.

[0078] Although the above description is based on the LTE system as an example, those skilled in the art should know that the present invention is not only applicable to the LTE system, but also to other wireless communication systems, such as GSM, CDMA2000, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, and future new network systems, and is not limited here.

[0079] Based on the above-mentioned mobile terminal hardware structure and communication network system, various embodiments of the method of the present invention are proposed.

[0080] Example 1:

[0081] Premise explanation:

[0082] 1. The effective radius of the transmission signal of the base station and the electronic price tag is R (5 to 10 meters);

[0083] 2. The signal coverage of the same base station / price tag on different channels is equal, that is, channel consistency is met;

[0084] 3. Each base station's broadcast link is assigned a fixed channel, which is one of a fixed candidate set (at least 4 channels) to facilitate price tag scanning;

[0085] 4. The data link temporarily allocates channels as needed and releases them immediately after use.

[0086] The specific implementation plan of this application is described in detail below.

[0087] This invention provides an electronic price tag communication system. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The electronic price tag communication system includes a base station 30 and a price tag 40, which communicate with each other via a wireless communication protocol. The base station 30 includes a main control processor 301, a data gateway 302, and a broadcast gateway 303. The main control processor 301 controls the data gateway 302 to receive and send data signals based on a data channel. The main control processor 301 controls the broadcast gateway 303 to send a broadcast data packet containing the target electronic price tag label based on a broadcast channel.

[0088] The data gateway 302 stores bitmap data information corresponding to the target electronic price label;

[0089] The broadcast data 303 packet includes a channel list used by the data gateway, and the channel list includes at least one communication channel;

[0090] The base stations 30 include multiple base stations, one of which is a master base station. The master base station communicates and interacts with other base stations and is used to control the allocation of data links and broadcast links.

[0091] Based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag.

[0092] In one embodiment, the electronic price tag communication system further includes a detection module 50, and the detection module 50 is used to detect the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations.

[0093] In one embodiment, the electronic price tag communication system further includes a transmission link strategy planning module 60, which is used to control and plan broadcast links and data links to execute different channel transmission strategies according to the distance between adjacent base stations.

[0094] Specifically, the channel transmission strategy includes:

[0095] See also Figure 5 , when it is detected that the distance between adjacent base stations is less than 2R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and the price tag transmitting signal; the available channels are divided into a broadcast channel pool and a data channel pool;

[0096] Set at least four channels as the broadcast channel pool, and the other channels into the data channel pool;

[0097] The control broadcast link uses different broadcast channels; the data link selects an allocation channel from the data channel pool as needed.

[0098] In one specific embodiment, there are 79 available channels in the ISM band. To reserve more channels for data links and support larger concurrent pushes, the available channels are divided into two fixed channel pools: the broadcast channel pool and the data channel pool. The broadcast channel pool should contain at least four channels (based on the four-color map principle), with a recommended number of around ten. The remaining channels are allocated to the data channel pool and allocated on demand when needed by data links.

[0099] See also Figure 6 and Figure 7 When it is detected that the distance between adjacent base stations is less than 4R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and price tag transmission signals; based on the spatial layout between base stations, with base stations as vertices and the distance between two base stations representing the edge length, a finite undirected graph is constructed; the distance between two base stations is required to be less than 2R; the traversal method is used, the time complexity is o(n^2), and the number of base stations is within 100.

[0100] According to the principle of selecting the channel with the smallest number among the available channels, the planned allocation channel is solved by backtracking method;

[0101] Specifically, color each vertex so that the colors of two vertices connected by an edge are different. Figure 7 This is the constructed base station distance and channel allocation relationship diagram. Assuming that up to 4 candidate channels are to be allocated to these base stations, we can start from base station numbered 1 and follow the principle of "selecting the smallest number among the available channels". The channel allocation results are as follows: Figure 7 In fact, three channels are sufficient to satisfy the constraints, with different data links established using different channels, and one channel available as a backup channel.

[0102] See also Figure 8 When the distance between adjacent base stations is detected to be less than 3R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and the price tag's transmission signal, data link channels are allocated on demand. That is, when a base station receives a new map push task, if there is an idle data gateway, it will request a channel from the main base station and notify the price tag via a broadcast link to connect. The main base station records the allocation of the data channel pool to each base station and allocates an available channel when a new channel request is received.

[0103] The specific implementation of the data transmission link strategy includes: the master base station records the allocation of the data channel pool on each base station;

[0104] When a base station receives a new push task, it will request a channel from the main base station and notify the price tag to connect via the broadcast link;

[0105] The master base station allocates channels on demand based on the data link;

[0106] The established data link and broadcast link use different channels.

[0107] In one embodiment, it specifically includes:

[0108] Based on the spatial layout between base stations, a finite undirected graph is constructed with base stations as vertices and the distance between two base stations as the edge length. The distance between two base stations is required to be less than 4R.

[0109] According to the principle of selecting the channel with the smallest number among the available channels, the planned allocation channel is solved by backtracking method;

[0110] The allocated channel should be a channel that is different from the existing data links of the base station and all data links of other base stations that are edge-connected to the base station.

[0111] In one embodiment, the electronic price tag communication system further includes an ESL server 80, which communicates and interacts with the base station 30. The data gateway has a 2.4G private protocol, and the data gateway communicates information with the price tag.

[0112] The electronic price tag communication system described in the embodiment of the present application controls the data gateway to receive and send data signals based on the data channel through the main control processor; the main control processor controls the broadcast gateway to send a broadcast data packet containing a label of the target electronic price tag based on the broadcast channel; the data gateway stores bitmap data information corresponding to the target electronic price tag; the broadcast data packet contains a channel list used by the data gateway, and the channel list includes at least one communication channel; the base station includes multiple base stations, one of which is a main base station, and the main base station communicates and interacts with other base stations and is used to control the allocation of data links and broadcast links; based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag.

[0113] Therefore, the electronic price tag communication system described in the embodiment of the present application can realize centralized management of channels, and execute corresponding data transmission link strategies according to the layout between base stations and the distance control between adjacent base stations. It can effectively avoid mutual interference of transmission signals between "base station-base station", "base station-price tag", and "price tag-price tag", quickly and effectively complete the task of channel configuration, improve the stability of communication between electronic price tags and base stations, and effectively improve product quality and user experience.

[0114] Example 2:

[0115] This invention also provides an electronic price tag communication method, see Figure 9 The electronic price tag communication method is applied to the electronic price tag communication system described above. The electronic price tag communication system includes a base station and a price tag. The base station and the price tag communicate with each other via a wireless communication protocol. The base station includes a main control processor, a data gateway, and a broadcast gateway. The electronic price tag communication method specifically includes the following steps:

[0116] S902: The main control processor stores the bitmap data corresponding to the target electronic price tag into the data gateway; and controls the data gateway to receive and send data signals based on the data channel;

[0117] Specifically, the data gateway in the electronic price tag system stores bitmap data corresponding to the target electronic price tag, and the main control processing of the base station controls the data gateway to receive and send data signals based on the data channel according to external reception and request signals.

[0118] S904: The main control processor controls the broadcast gateway to send a broadcast data packet containing a target electronic price tag based on a broadcast channel;

[0119] Specifically, a channel list used by the data gateway is stored in a broadcast data packet; the channel list includes at least one communication channel;

[0120] S906. The base station includes at least one master base station, which communicates and interacts with other base stations and is used to control the allocation of data links and broadcast links;

[0121] S908. Based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute corresponding data transmission link strategies to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag.

[0122] Specifically, the detecting the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between the main base station and the adjacent base stations; executing the corresponding data transmission link strategy according to the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between the adjacent base stations,

[0123] The data transmission link strategy specifically includes:

[0124] S911: When it is detected that the distance between adjacent base stations is less than 2R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and the price tag transmitting signal; Figure 10 , perform the following steps:

[0125] S9111. Divide the available channels into a broadcast channel pool and a data channel pool;

[0126] S9112. Set at least four channels as the broadcast channel pool, and the remaining channels into the data channel pool;

[0127] S9113. Control the broadcast link to use different broadcast channels; the data link selects an allocation channel from the data channel pool as needed.

[0128] In one specific embodiment, there are 79 available channels in the ISM band. To reserve more channels for data links and support larger concurrent pushes, the available channels are divided into two fixed channel pools: the broadcast channel pool and the data channel pool. The broadcast channel pool should contain at least four channels (based on the four-color map principle), with a recommended number of around ten. The remaining channels are allocated to the data channel pool and allocated on demand when needed by data links.

[0129] S912: When it is detected that the distance between adjacent base stations is less than 4R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and the price tag transmitting signal;

[0130] Refer to 11 and perform the following steps:

[0131] S9121. Based on the spatial layout between base stations, a finite undirected graph is constructed with base stations as vertices and the distance between two base stations representing the edge length.

[0132] The distance between two base stations is required to be less than 2R; the traversal method is used, the time complexity is o(n^2), and the number of base stations is within 100.

[0133] S9122. According to the principle of selecting the smallest channel number among the available channels, solve the planned allocation channel by backtracking method;

[0134] Specifically, color each vertex so that the colors of two vertices connected by an edge are different. Figure 5 This is the constructed base station distance relationship diagram. Assuming that up to 4 candidate channels are to be allocated to these base stations, we can start from base station numbered 1 and follow the principle of "selecting the one with the smallest number among the available channels". The channel allocation results are as follows: Figure 5 In fact, three channels are sufficient to satisfy the constraints, with different data links established using different channels, and one channel available as a backup channel.

[0135] S913, when it is detected that the distance between adjacent base stations is less than 3R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and the price tag transmitting signal;

[0136] Data link channels are allocated on demand. When a base station receives a new map push task, if there is an idle data gateway, it will request a channel from the main base station and notify the price tag via the broadcast link to connect. The main base station records the allocation of data channel pools to each base station and allocates an available channel when a new channel request is received.

[0137] Refer to 12. The specific implementation of the data transmission link strategy includes:

[0138] S9131. The master base station records the allocation of the data channel pool to each base station;

[0139] S9132, when the base station receives a new push task, it will apply for a channel from the main base station and notify the price tag to connect through the broadcast link;

[0140] S9133. The master base station allocates channels as needed based on the data link.

[0141] S9134. The established data link and broadcast link use different channels.

[0142] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0143] S9135. Based on the spatial layout between base stations, a finite undirected graph is constructed with base stations as vertices and the distance between two base stations as the edge length. The distance between two base stations must be less than 4R.

[0144] S9136. According to the principle of selecting the smallest channel number among the available channels, the planned allocation channel is solved by backtracking method;

[0145] The allocated channel should be a channel that is different from the existing data links of the base station and all data links of other base stations that are edge-connected to the base station.

[0146] The electronic price tag communication method described in the embodiment of the present application stores the bitmap data corresponding to the target electronic price tag into the data gateway through the main control processor, and controls the data gateway to receive and send data signals based on the data channel; the control processor controls the broadcast gateway to send a broadcast data packet containing the label of the target electronic price tag based on the broadcast channel; the broadcast data packet contains a channel list used by the data gateway, and the channel list includes at least one communication channel; the base station includes multiple base stations, one of which is a main base station. The main base station communicates and interacts with other base stations and is used to control the allocation of data links and broadcast links; based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute corresponding data transmission link strategies to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag. Therefore, the electronic price tag communication method described in the embodiment of the present application can realize centralized management of channels, and execute corresponding data transmission link strategies according to the layout between base stations and the distance control between adjacent base stations. It can effectively avoid mutual interference of transmission signals between "base station-base station", "base station-price tag", and "price tag-price tag", quickly and effectively complete the task of channel configuration, improve the stability of communication between electronic price tags and base stations, and effectively improve product quality and user experience.

[0147] Example 3:

[0148] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps in the above-mentioned electronic price tag communication method are implemented. The specific steps are as described in Example 1 and will not be repeated here.

[0149] The memory in this embodiment can be used to store software programs and various data. The memory may primarily include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store an operating system, at least one application required for a function, and the data storage area may store data generated based on the use of the mobile phone. Furthermore, the memory may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage device.

[0150] According to an example of this embodiment, all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned method can be completed by a computer program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the program can be stored in a storage medium of a computer system and executed by at least one processor in the computer system to implement the processes including the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. The storage medium includes but is not limited to a magnetic disk, a USB flash drive, an optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM), etc.

[0151] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising the element.

[0152] The serial numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are for description only and do not represent the advantages or disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0153] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by means of software plus the necessary general hardware platform, and of course can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better embodiment. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk), and includes a number of instructions for enabling a terminal (which can be a mobile phone, computer, server, air conditioner, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment of the present invention.

[0154] The embodiments of the present invention are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of the present invention, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention and the claims, all of which are protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic price tag communication system, comprising a base station and a price tag, wherein the base station and the price tag communicate with each other via a wireless communication protocol; characterized in that: The base station includes a main control processor, a data gateway and a broadcast gateway; the main control processor controls the data gateway to receive and send data signals based on a data channel; the main control processor controls the broadcast gateway to send a broadcast data packet containing a target electronic price tag based on a broadcast channel; The data gateway stores bitmap data information corresponding to the target electronic price label; The broadcast data packet includes a channel list used by the data gateway, and the channel list includes at least one communication channel; The base stations include multiple base stations, one of which is a master base station. The master base station communicates and interacts with other base stations and is used to control the allocation of data links and broadcast links. Based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag.

2. The electronic price tag communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic price tag communication system further includes a detection module, which is used to detect the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations.

3. The electronic price label communication system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The electronic price tag communication system further includes a transmission link strategy planning module, which is used to control and plan broadcast links and data links to execute different channel transmission strategies according to the distance between adjacent base stations.

4. The electronic price label communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic price tag communication system further includes an ESL server, which communicates and interacts with the base station. The data gateway has a 2.4G private protocol, and the data gateway communicates information with the price tag.

5. An electronic price tag communication method, applied to an electronic price tag communication system, wherein the electronic price tag communication system includes a base station and a price tag, and the base station and the price tag communicate and interact via a wireless communication protocol; the base station includes a main control processor, a data gateway, and a broadcast gateway, characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: The main control processor controls the data gateway to receive and send data signals based on the data channel; The main control processor controls the broadcast gateway to send a broadcast data packet containing a target electronic price tag based on a broadcast channel; Storing the bitmap data information corresponding to the target electronic price label in the data gateway; Storing a channel list used by the data gateway in a broadcast data packet; the channel list includes at least one communication channel; The base stations include at least one master base station, which communicates and interacts with other base stations and is used to control the allocation of data links and broadcast links; Based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag.

6. The electronic price label communication method according to claim 5, characterized in that: Based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag, including the following steps: When it is detected that the distance between adjacent base stations is less than 2R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and the price tag transmitting signal; the available channels are divided into a broadcast channel pool and a data channel pool; Set at least four channels as the broadcast channel pool, and the other channels into the data channel pool; Control broadcast links to use different broadcast channels; The data link selects a channel from the data channel pool as needed.

7. The electronic price tag communication method according to claim 5, characterized in that: Based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag, including the following steps: When the distance between adjacent base stations is detected to be less than 4R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and the price tag transmitting signal; based on the spatial layout between the base stations, a finite undirected graph is constructed with the base stations as vertices and the distance between the two base stations as the edge length; The distance between the two base stations is required to be less than 2R; According to the principle of selecting the channel with the smallest number among the available channels, the planned allocation channel is solved by backtracking method; Different data links established use different channels.

8. The electronic price label communication method according to claim 5, characterized in that: Based on the spatial layout between the main base station and other base stations and the distance between adjacent base stations, the main base station controls the data channel and the broadcast channel to execute the corresponding data transmission link strategy to successfully establish a communication connection with the target electronic price tag, including the following steps: When it is detected that the distance between adjacent base stations is less than 3R, where R is the effective radius of the base station and the price tag transmitting signal; The master base station records the allocation of the data channel pool on each base station; When a base station receives a new push task, it will request a channel from the main base station and notify the price tag to connect via the broadcast link; The master base station allocates channels on demand based on the data link; The established data link and broadcast link use different channels.

9. The electronic price tag communication method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Further comprising the steps of: Based on the spatial layout between base stations, a finite undirected graph is constructed with base stations as vertices and the distance between two base stations as the edge length. The distance between two base stations is required to be less than 4R. According to the principle of selecting the channel with the smallest number among the available channels, the planned allocation channel is solved by backtracking method; The allocated channel should be a channel that is different from the existing data links of the base station and all data links of other base stations that are edge-connected to the base station.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The method comprises a processor, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program stored on the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer program implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 5 to 9 when executed by the processor.

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