Method for radio channel assignment in an electronic display system

Abstract

A method for radio channel assignment in a system of electronic displays, wherein the system has a data processing device, communication stations and electronic displays, and each communication station is designed for radio communication with the electronic displays assigned to the communication station using radio channels defined by the data processing device, wherein the method has the method step of defining the radio channels to be used on the basis of radio channel activity data transmitted by the communication stations to the data processing device, which describe detected radio activity in the respective radio channels, characterized in that the radio channel activity data, which describe detected radio activity after the mentioned first establishing of a connection, are transmitted by the communication stations at a point in time after the first establishing of a connection by the respective communication station with at least one of the electronic displays using a radio channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for radio channel allocation in an electronic display system and an electronic display system in which the method is used or the electronic display system is designed to use the method. Background Technology

[0002] For example, a method for radio channel allocation in an Electronic Shelf-Label System (ESL system) is known from KR.20140014540A. A heterogeneous radio system is described there, in which ZigBee radio communication is applied in the ESL system, and Wi-Fi radio communication also occurs in the same frequency band. This can lead to interference in radio communication, especially in the ESL system.

[0003] The ESL system has multiple gateway units that connect to the central management server unit on one hand, and handle the ZigBee radio communication with each set of Electronic-Shelf-Labels (ESLs) on the other hand.

[0004] To address the aforementioned interference issue in radio communications, the following provision is made: Each gateway unit provides radio channel usage information related to the use of one or more radio channels, as well as location information related to the location of the corresponding gateway unit, and transmits this radio channel usage information and location information to the management server unit. Based on this, the management server unit defines a preferred radio channel for each gateway unit, which is used to establish connections with these ESLs. This ensures that: for the radio connection between the corresponding gateway unit and these ESLs, a ZigBee radio channel is used, which does not correspond to the WiFi radio channel used, and that optimal reception sensitivity exists for this ZigBee radio channel. It also ensures that adjacent gateway units use different ZigBee radio channels.

[0005] Among known radio channel allocation methods, a proven disadvantage is the inability to respond to changes within both the ESL and WiFi systems during ESL system operation. Furthermore, the proposed use of GPS to determine the location of appropriate gateway units in buildings, such as shops, where ESL systems are typically installed, is problematic.

[0006] Therefore, the objective of this invention is to provide an improved method for radio channel allocation in an ESL system and an improved ESL system that uses this method, or is designed to use this method, thereby avoiding the problems discussed. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This task is solved by the method according to claim 1. Therefore, the subject of the invention is a method for radio channel allocation in a system of electronic displays, wherein the system has a data processing device, a communication station, and an electronic display, and each communication station is designed to radioly communicate with the electronic display allocated to that communication station using a radio channel defined by the data processing device, wherein the method comprises the steps of: defining the radio channel to be used based on radio channel activity data transmitted to the data processing device through the communication station, the radio channel activity data describing the detected radio activity in the respective radio channel.

[0008] Its features are,

[0009] At some point after the respective communication station has initially established a connection with at least one of these electronic displays using a radio channel, the communication station transmits radio channel activity data describing the radio activity detected after the aforementioned initial connection establishment.

[0010] This task is also solved by the electronic display system according to claim 16. Therefore, the subject of the invention is an electronic display system comprising: an electronic display; and communication stations, wherein each communication station is designed to radioly communicate with the electronic display assigned to it using a defined radio channel; and a data processing device designed to define a radio channel to be used by the respective communication station based on radio channel activity data transmitted to the data processing device through these communication stations, the radio channel activity data describing radio activity in the respective radio channel.

[0011] Its features are,

[0012] These communication stations are designed to transmit radio channel activity data, which describes the detected radio activity after the respective communication station has initially established a connection with at least one of the electronic displays via a radio channel, at a certain point in time.

[0013] This task is also solved by the application according to claim 17. Therefore, the subject of the invention is: an application of a communication station in an electronic display system having electronic displays for transmitting radio channel activity data to a data processing device, the radio channel activity data describing radio activity in a corresponding radio channel, the data processing device being designed to define, based on the transmitted radio channel activity data, a radio channel to be used by the corresponding communication station for communication with an electronic display assigned to that communication station, characterized in that the communication station is used to transmit the radio channel activity data at a point in time after the corresponding communication station has initially established a connection with at least one of these electronic displays using the radio channel, wherein the radio channel activity data describes the detected radio activity after the aforementioned initial connection establishment.

[0014] The measures according to the invention can be used in electronic display systems, for example, installed in a retailer's store. There, electronic displays are present, designed to display product and / or price information about the product. For example, these electronic displays may be mounted on product packaging, placed at the front edge of a shelf, erected on a product display stand, or attached to clothing.

[0015] The system also includes a data processing unit, implemented via on-site computers, particularly servers, and software applications running thereon. These applications manage or provide visually perceptible information presented through these electronic displays, digitally mapping stores, products, and their locations, along with the corresponding electronic displays (and thus the locations of these displays), in a so-called "piano score." The data processing unit can also be implemented, partially or entirely, via cloud-based software, which is then provided or run on corresponding computers in a computing center and connected to the electronic display system's infrastructure via the Internet.

[0016] The system also includes multiple communication stations distributed throughout the store, also known as access points or gateway units for the electronic displays. These communication stations are connected to the data processing device via WLAN or wired connections, for example, and are used for radio communication with the electronic displays. During system operation, a group of electronic displays is logically assigned to a separate communication station, meaning that these displays, during their commissioning, have registered with that station and can receive the strongest radio signal from one of the available radio channels substantially without interference. These communication stations then—especially without any measures to change the assignment of these displays—communicate only with the electronic displays registered at those stations, and here data can be exchanged between the data processing device and these displays, thereby querying the status information of the displays or changing the image content on the screens of the displays.

[0017] The measures according to the present invention now offer the advantage that automatic adjustment of radio channel allocation can be performed even after these electronic displays have been initially registered at the corresponding communication station, i.e., after the initial commissioning of the electronic display system. This allows communication stations included in the electronic display system to automatically operate in radio channels, which, if necessary, change over time, where interference from other communication stations, but also from other radio devices not belonging to the system, is minimized, even while the electronic display system is in operation. In other words, in this system, even during operation, the allocation of radio channels can be changed in a manner adapted to the actual radio activity present in the corresponding radio channels to ensure interference-free radio operation.

[0018] Other particularly advantageous designs and extensions of the invention are derived from the dependent claims and the following description. It should be noted here, in conjunction with different claim classes, that the advantages and effects listed in a claim class also exist for or are applicable to corresponding measures adapted to the respective claim classes in other claim classes.

[0019] To obtain the detected radio activity in the relevant radio channel, it is first necessary to detect the radio activity in the relevant radio channel. This can be achieved in different ways, as discussed in detail later.

[0020] In this way, for example, radio activity in the radio channel can be checked by means of a communication station at the location of the corresponding communication station.

[0021] Since different radio channels within a frequency band can be used for communication in this electronic display system, radio activity can occur for multiple, preferably predefined, radio channels. In this case, radio channels not directly used by the electronic display system for communication between the communication station and the electronic display can also be included. However, it is preferable to consider, and in particular only consider, those radio channels predefined for use by the electronic display, in order to limit or minimize detection costs.

[0022] To detect radio activity, a communication station selects a radio channel and receives radio signals that may be present in that channel. In the presence of such radio signals, corresponding radio channel activity data describes the detected radio activity in the relevant radio channel, such that this data, for example, indicates the signal strength of the received radio signals and / or contains information about the source of these radio signals, provided that this is achievable based on the nature of the radio signals or their informational content. For completeness, it should be mentioned here that in the absence of dedicated radio signals, the communication station simply receives noise, in which case the corresponding radio channel activity data would describe the relevant radio channel as unused.

[0023] Communication stations are typically fixed within a store, for example, to the store's ceiling, and positioned with a relatively large spacing between them. This allows each station to wirelessly cover the store's spatial area for communication with electronic displays assigned to that station. Since the locations of the communication stations are known, this method allows for coarse-grained detection of radio activity within the corresponding spatial area of ​​the station's location, where only radio signals arriving at the station's location can actually be detected by that station.

[0024] The detected radio activity may, for example, relate to or describe the radio activity of other communication stations located at a distance from the station in question and using the same radio channels. Such other communication stations can be relatively easily identified as part of the electronic display system because they transmit according to a unique communication protocol known in principle within the electronic display system. These other communication stations can also be identified based on uniquely identifiable data or data structures.

[0025] However, detected radio activity can also be caused by other wireless devices, such as WLAN access points located within a store. Even if such a WLAN access point is transmitting radios in a radio channel other than the one in which the communication station is in receive mode, the resulting WLAN radio signal sidebands can still interfere with communication between the communication station and the electronic display assigned to that station. This is particularly true for communication from an electronic display in transmit mode to the communication station in receive mode. In this case, it may happen that the sidebands of radio communication originating from the WLAN access point and extending into the ESL radio channel become dominant relative to the radio signals emitted by the electronic display in that ESL radio channel. This can make it impossible to receive the radio signals emitted by the electronic display at the communication station, and thus may significantly impair radio communication between the communication station and the electronic display assigned to that station.

[0026] The WLAN access point can be spatially separated from the communication station of the electronic display system. In contrast, according to a specific embodiment of the communication station, the station may have: a first radio communication module for radio communication with the electronic displays according to a first communication protocol; and a second radio communication module for radio communication with other devices besides the electronic displays according to a second communication protocol different from the first. In this specific embodiment, the communication station is essentially a combined communication station in which different radio communication modules are combined or integrated into a single device or housing. Such a communication station may have an ESL communication module as the first radio communication module and, for example, a WLAN communication module as the second radio communication module. For completeness, it should also be mentioned here that the second radio communication module may also be designed to emit radio signals according to another specification or standard, such as ZigBee or Bluetooth. In this combined communication station, the two communication modules can, in principle, be implemented through structurally or physically separate electronic components. However, preferably, the combined communication station has a unified, i.e., shared, computerized hardware platform for both communication modules, on which two different software drivers implementing the functions of the respective communication modules are installed and run, in order to achieve the different functions of the two communication modules, especially the communication protocols. Furthermore, the combined communication station may have two differently designed transmitting and receiving units coupled to the common hardware platform, wherein each of these transmitting and receiving units forms a physical radio interface for the corresponding communication module. These units may, for example, have communication module-specific electronics, such as modulators and demodulators, and antennas or antenna resonant circuits, etc.

[0027] In this configuration, the communication station, here the ESL communication module, does not need to receive radio signals to detect radio activity from, for example, a WLAN communication module integrated within the combined communication station. More precisely, integrating these two communication modules into a single device allows radio activity to be detected at the first radio communication module by querying radio channel usage from the second radio communication module via a hardware and / or software interface (within the combined communication station).

[0028] Within the store, various different variations of communication stations can be installed, such as multiple combined communication stations discussed above, as well as several other “simple” communication stations that are only used for radio communication with electronic displays.

[0029] Regardless of how radio activity is actually detected, the radio activity detected by different communication stations in the corresponding radio channels is transmitted by these communication stations as radio channel activity data to the central data processing unit.

[0030] For communication stations that are combined communication stations, the data processing device defines not only the first radio channel to be used by the first radio communication module but also the second radio channel to be used by the second radio communication module. This second radio channel substantially does not overlap with the first radio channel, especially even considering sidebands. Therefore, in a simple manner, not only can centralized control of radio channel allocation for "simple" communication stations be achieved, but also the radio channel allocation for ESL communication modules and WLAN communication modules within the combined communication station can be centrally controlled, continuously adjusted as needed, and thereby optimized over time. This is primarily achieved considering the radio channels to be used by the "simple" ESL communication station and the ESL communication modules installed within the combined communication station, automatically ensuring interference-free ESL radio communication, especially even when the different communication modules within the combined communication station are spatially very close.

[0031] However, if only the corresponding communication station is used to detect radio activity at its corresponding location, it is only possible to roughly deduce, or even impossible, radio activity existing at greater distances from the communication station or at the edges of the corresponding radio-covered area. In particular, it is impossible to draw conclusions about the actual radio activity at the locations of the corresponding electronic displays assigned to the relevant communication stations. These electronic displays are distributed within the store according to a corresponding topology (the arrangement of shelves and shelf rails or the bottom surfaces of the shelves to which they are fixed) within the radio-covered area utilizing the respective communication stations. Since the radio signals of these electronic displays typically have the lowest transmission power, it is precisely these electronic displays' radio signals that are affected by radio interference signals in the radio channels used by these electronic displays.

[0032] Therefore, it has proven particularly advantageous to detect radio activity in the radio channel at the location of the corresponding electronic display using an electronic display, and to transmit the radio activity present at the location of the corresponding electronic display as radio channel activity data, along with a display identifier identifying the corresponding electronic display, to a data processing device via a communication station assigned to the relevant electronic display. Using this method, radio activity can be determined at the corresponding location of the most important relevant electronic display. It should be emphasized that no other auxiliary measures, such as manual measurement of radio activity within the store, are required for this. More precisely, these electronic displays themselves are used as field detectors for detecting radio activity.

[0033] Particularly preferably, radio communication is conducted between one of these communication stations and an electronic display assigned to that station using a time-slot communication method. In this method, multiple time slots, particularly a fixed number, are prepared in a repeating sequence for communication between the communication station and the electronic display assigned to it, and each time slot is characterized by a unique time slot symbol. Each electronic display is assigned exactly one time slot using this symbol to autonomously determine synchronization with the communication station and, if necessary, communicate with it. In this case, it has proven particularly advantageous to detect radio activity in the radio channel during the time slots using the electronic displays. The advantageous effect of this measure is that the time points or time ranges for detecting radio activity that substantially correspond to the time slots are precisely defined by the inherently rigid structure of the time-slot communication method. That is, the electronic displays do not need to deviate from the strict timing of the time-slot communication method but can perform the detection of radio activity while synchronized with the relevant communication station. Therefore, the relatively energy-intensive resynchronization that would otherwise be necessary after detecting radio activity can be eliminated, which has a positive impact on the lifespan of energy storage devices such as batteries in these electronic displays.

[0034] Preferably, a dedicated time-slot communication method is used, in which m time slots are used in a repeating sequence, such as within n seconds, for example 15 seconds, or for example 255 time slots. n seconds constitute a time slot cycle. That is, in this time-slot communication method, m time slots are available for communication with these electronic displays within one time slot cycle. Each of these electronic displays can be assigned to one of these time slots, and multiple electronic displays can also be assigned to a specific time slot.

[0035] Every electronic display essentially comprises: a radio communication stage, also known as a transceiver; and a logic stage that works in conjunction with it, providing the display's logical functions. This logic stage can be implemented entirely in hardware, for example, or with a microprocessor and memory modules, or a microcontroller with integrated memory modules, enabling the execution of software stored in these memory modules. The electronic display can: receive radio signals via its radio communication stage; process the received data contained in the radio signals via the logic stage; generate response data, if necessary, via the logic stage; and retransmit this response data as radio signals via its radio communication stage. The radio communication stage includes: means for radio communication; and means for converting analog signals into digital signals and vice versa. These means can be modulators, demodulators, antenna resonant circuits, and antennas, etc.

[0036] Such an electronic display may have an energy storage device, such as a battery or a solar panel coupled to a rechargeable battery, for its power supply. The electronic display may also be powered by receiving radio signals, as is known from technologies such as NFC or RFID, or as applied in the context of "power-over-WiFi".

[0037] To operate with the highest possible energy efficiency, the electronic display has different operating states. In the active state, the electronic display has relatively high energy consumption. The active state exists, for example, when sending or receiving data, during display updates, battery voltage measurements, etc. In the sleep state, relatively low energy consumption exists. Preferably, in the sleep state, as many electronic components as possible are disconnected from the power supply or are shut off, or at least operate in a mode with the lowest possible energy demand. The active state mainly exists within the time slots determined for communication with a communication station for the electronic display. In the active state, the electronic display, for example, is ready to receive, to receive instructions from the communication station and, if necessary, receive data, and to process these instructions and, if necessary, the received data by means of a logic level. In the active state, data can also be generated and transmitted to the communication station by means of a logic level. Outside of the time slots determined for the electronic display, the electronic display mainly operates in an energy-saving sleep state. In sleep mode, the logic or timing control level only performs those activities necessary for timely wake-up, so that the electronic display is ready to receive synchronization data signals and / or ready to communicate with the communication station for the next time slot determined for it. To operate with high energy efficiency and thereby achieve the longest possible lifespan for the electronic display, the basic operating strategy is to keep the synchronized electronic display in sleep mode for as long as possible, and only operate in active mode for the shortest possible time for data transmission with the communication station when absolutely necessary.

[0038] Synchronization with a communication station is sufficient to be determined as follows: each electronic display assigned to the relevant communication station knows a time slot symbol that indicates the time slot determined for that electronic display and is preferably transmitted as part of the synchronization data signal at the beginning of that time slot. That is, each of these electronic displays individually identifies the time slot symbol that is important to it and defines its next wake-up time point based on the appearance of the time slot symbol that is important to it, so as to conform to the timing of the time slot communication method specified by the communication station. Here, it is perfectly sufficient to uniquely identify the time slot symbol, for example, by using a separate time slot identifier for each time slot. No other information encoded into the synchronization data signal is required for the electronic display to operate synchronously with the communication station. The electronic display autonomously, i.e., solely by recognizing the time slot symbol that appears at the expected time point or within the expected time window for that electronic display, and indicates the time slot determined for that electronic display.

[0039] After the electronic display has established its synchronization as discussed previously, it is generally sufficient for it to return to a sleep state, since the time frame known to the electronic display in the time-slot communication method automatically determines the next wake-up time. Therefore, the definition of the new wake-up time can be limited to: the electronic display's timing control stage (e.g., a timer) with timing parameters previously used to transition from sleep to active state being restarted. The electronic display can then return to a sleep state and remain in it until, triggered by time control, it is woken up again at a new wake-up time in the next time-slot cycle, transitioning from sleep to active state. However, the electronic display is not required to remain in a sleep state for the remainder of the time slot determined for it, but can also perform other tasks in the active state during that time slot or the entire time-slot cycle, such as detecting radio activity in one or more available radio channels.

[0040] In conjunction with this time-slot communication method, it is also advantageous to detect radio activity in the radio channel during time slots when communication between the communication station and the electronic display allocated to that communication station is not in use. This includes an electronic display that performs the detection of radio activity. This ensures that radio signals not caused by the communication station with the assigned electronic display for detection, or by the electronic display allocated to that communication station, can actually be received or identified. That is, there is radio silence between the aforementioned communication station and the electronic display allocated to that communication station. Since the data processing device and / or the communication station understands the allocation of time slots belonging to the electronic display of the data processing device and / or the communication station to the time-slot communication method provided by the relevant communication station, the group of electronic displays can be specifically (e.g., by instruction) programmed to "listen" to radio signals from other wireless devices (other communication stations, electronic displays outside the group of relevant communication stations, WLAN routers, etc.) during time slots when there is no radio communication between the communication station and any of the electronic displays allocated to that communication station. This allows for maximum flexibility in using available time slots to detect radio activity. However, this also comes with increased energy consumption because the electronic displays must be addressed by radio technology within their associated time slot—that is, they must receive and decode the command—which, if necessary, prompts the electronic displays to also engage in energy-intensive receiving activities in another time slot outside their associated time slot to perform radio activity detection. Sudden communication demands within a programmed time slot can also lead to unnecessary detection of radio activity within that time slot, which, of course, also results in unnecessary energy consumption at the electronic display performing the detection.

[0041] Therefore, it is particularly advantageous to detect radio activity in the radio channel within a predefined time slot of the time slot period, especially the last time slot, using electronic displays. Thus, for example, specific time slots for detecting radio activity can be reserved by definition in this time slot communication method. All electronic displays allocated to a communication station can use the reserved time slot to detect radio activity, more precisely, without prior energy consumption by programming these electronic displays with instructions. In principle, every time slot could potentially be reserved for this measure. However, for the sake of simpler management of available time slots, it has proven advantageous to allocate the time slots preceding the last time slot of the time slot period to the electronic displays allocated to the communication station, that is, to allocate these time slots consecutively to these electronic displays, and to use only the last time slot in sequence to detect radio activity.

[0042] Preferably, radio activity detected at the relevant electronic display on one or more different, preferably predefined, channels is stored using radio channel activity data. This has proven advantageous because multiple channels are available when radio communication is conducted within the electronic display system, and the corresponding radio activity must be determined for each channel. Particularly in the embodiment where radio activity is detected at the location of the corresponding (battery-powered) electronic display, it is advantageous to limit the number of radio channels, and especially to consider only a predefined list of radio channels, in order to keep the energy requirements for detecting radio activity and also for storing the radio channel activity data within limits. Therefore, for each electronic display detecting radio activity in one of these radio channels, a table, or in other words a data structure, can be established describing the radio activity in the corresponding radio channel at the location of the electronic display at the time of detection.

[0043] In principle, the transmission of stored radio channel activity data may also occur at the end of the time slot used to detect radio activity. However, if a larger number of electronic displays are performing the detection within that time slot, this could result in not all electronic displays being able to transmit their stored radio channel activity data within that time slot, as the duration of that time slot might be too short.

[0044] Therefore, it has proven particularly advantageous that radio channel activity data stored at the relevant electronic display is transmitted to the communication station within the time slot allocated to that electronic display. Thus, it is preferable to transmit this radio channel activity data within the time slot associated with the respective electronic display. The timing of this transmission can depend on circumstances, allowing it to occur at a significantly later time point, i.e., within a future time slot period, if other processing tasks or communication tasks take precedence.

[0045] However, other knowledge can also be obtained by detecting radio activity at the corresponding location by one of the communication stations of the ESL system.

[0046] Thus, for example, a distance assessment or spatial neighborhood relationship can be generated, which evaluates the distance between the receiving communication station and other communication stations. This assessment can be interpreted, for example, as: the distance is too small or sufficient.

[0047] That is, because the receiving communication station understands the system and details of the time-slot communication method, it can easily distinguish whether the received radio signal or its content originates from an ESL station or another communication station. It is well known that other communication stations involved in the ESL system, i.e., those transmitting, regularly send synchronization data signals (also known in technical terms as "beacons"), which allows these stations to be distinguished from the ESL system itself. Communication stations in an ESL system can also be uniquely identified by their individual identifiers within the corresponding ESL system.

[0048] The knowledge that "the identified radio activity in the observed radio channel should be attributed to radio signals directly received by another communication station of the ESL system" immediately leads to the determination of the existence of another communication station whose transmission range extends to the station detecting the radio activity; and the determination that this other communication station uses the observed radio channel. This can be used to prevent the radio channel in question from being used by the receiving communication station, or to change the radio channel for another, i.e., the transmitting communication station, because the two communication stations are spatially too close to each other and would interfere or might interfere when transmitting radio signals in the same radio channel.

[0049] Correspondingly, the knowledge that "the determined radio activity in the observed radio channel should be attributed only to radio signals from an ESL (Electronic Support Link) station other than the one assigned to receive the signal" leads to the determination that this other station is located at a sufficiently great distance, and that radio signals directly emitted by this other station are unlikely to interfere with the reception of ESL radio signals emitted by the ESL station assigned to the station that is specifically detecting the radio activity. That is, in this case, it is determined indirectly that another station exists nearby, however, the transmission range of this other station is insufficient for its radio signals to be directly received at the station checking the radio channel. More precisely, the existence of this other station is inferred because the response radio signals from the ESL station assigned to it can be perceived as a response to the other station's radio signals (e.g., synchronization data signals). In principle, radio channel switching is unnecessary in this case. However, if such radio signals from ESL stations assigned to other stations accumulate, this can also be used as an indication that it is best to switch the radio channel to prevent interference in the long term.

[0050] The system described above can also be used to determine whether radio activity identified in a relevant radio channel originates from its own ESL system, or whether the identified radio activity originates from another, for example, a neighboring ESL system. This may be the case if two stores are adjacent to each other and each of these stores operates a separate ESL system. This other ESL system can be identified, for example, by the presence of unknown communication stations and ESL radio activity with respect to known systems of this time-slot communication method. Once this is determined, the ESL system implementing the measures according to the invention can perform radio channel allocation to reduce or avoid interference caused by radio signals originating from its own store's space, and on the other hand, to reduce or avoid interference caused by other radio signals originating from the space of another store.

[0051] To obtain a meaningful description of radio activity in a given radio channel, it has proven effective to detect radio activity by including: receiving radio signals; and determining the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of the received radio signals. This can be achieved through the electronics of the corresponding receiving device.

[0052] As mentioned, the radio activity detected in the corresponding radio channels of the electronic display system is transmitted to a central data processing unit, where this radio activity is assigned to the spatial locations where it was detected within a three-dimensional digital model of the relevant store. Thus, a three-dimensional map of the radio activity within the store can be generated. Based on this, the data processing unit defines the radio channels to be used by the respective communication stations for radio communication with the electronic displays assigned to those stations, such that radio activity other than that of the respective communication stations or the electronic displays assigned to those stations is substantially negligible within the defined radio channels. This is primarily achieved by selecting radio channels that are as far apart as possible from each other within the relevant frequency band for spatially adjacent communication stations. Especially when high-power WLAN radio activity exists in one or more of these ESL radio channels, the spatial distribution of the ESL radio channels to be used is rearranged so that even the sidebands of WLAN signals at the corresponding locations of these electronic displays no longer function in the ESL radio channels to be used. If necessary, a modified WLAN radio channel assignment is also defined to address optimization issues. That is, adjacent radio channels in a frequency band should preferably be used as far apart as possible geographically. In other words, the allocation of radio channels to be used in the future at a communication station is optimized from this perspective, which, as already mentioned, can also influence the radio channel occupancy of WLAN radio systems whose radio signal levels typically dominate, in order to minimize or suppress interference potentials of these radio channels. In summary, this optimization process arises from the current actual spatial distribution of the radio channels used: the future spatial target distribution of the radio channels to be used. In this case, for the corresponding equipment, i.e., for the communication station and, if necessary, for the combined communication station, the new radio channels to be used are defined by a data processing device, which is represented by radio channel definition data.

[0053] To enable relevant equipment to access the newly defined, soon-to-be-used radio channels, the definition of the radio channels to be used includes transmitting radio channel definition data to a communication station. This radio channel definition data can be used at that communication station to set the radio channel to be used. In this regard, it should also be mentioned that if the currently used radio channel is the same as the radio channel to be used in the future, it is unnecessary to transmit this radio channel definition data to the relevant equipment.

[0054] Similarly, the same applies to the WLAN access points or WLAN communication modules involved. After specifying the WLAN radio channel to be used through the data processing device, the WLAN access points or WLAN communication modules are reported to use the WLAN radio channel definition data mentioned above, which will cause channel switching.

[0055] If a communication station receives a command to use a radio channel other than its currently used one, it simply switches the radio channel. At this point, the communication station loses connection with its electronic displays. However, the electronic displays involved were previously registered with the communication station. The electronic displays then scan for available radio channels in turn until they find the relevant communication station again, which can be achieved using a unique communication station identifier. Furthermore, the electronic displays reconnect to the communication station on the radio channel it is currently using. That is, the electronic displays are not re-registered during this process. More precisely, their registration remains unchanged. Alternatively, it may be stipulated that the communication station issues instructions to the electronic displays assigned to it for switching radio channels. These instructions include information about the new radio channel and, if necessary, notify the time of the radio channel switch or the period preceding the communication station's own channel switch.

[0056] What has proven particularly advantageous is the chronological, repeated detection of radio activity and the transmission of corresponding radio channel activity data. This enables the definition of the radio channels to be used to be performed in a quasi-continuous manner by the data processing device, i.e., repeatedly during the operation of the electronic display system. Therefore, the electronic display system can also respond to changing or evolving radio technology frameworks or environmental conditions while in operation, and perform autonomous, i.e., automatic, radio channel allocation.

[0057] The question of when and under what circumstances to update radio channel assignments depends on a variety of factors.

[0058] In this way, for example, the detection of radio activity in the corresponding radio channel can be performed periodically and automatically, and the need for changes in radio channel occupancy can be checked. Periodicity can involve each time slot period or multiples of time slot periods. Of course, other time relationships, such as minutes, hours, days, fractions of days, or multiples of days, can also be used as the time basis for periodic detection, and the need for new radio channel occupancy can be checked. The process can also proceed as follows: starting from determining that a change in radio channel occupancy is needed, the necessity for further changes to the radio channel occupancy is checked at shorter time intervals until it is no longer deemed necessary because further changes are not expected to improve reception. Then, the detection and checking are performed again at longer time intervals. Especially due to the variability of the time base, necessary changes to radio channel occupancy can be initiated as quickly as possible, and when further rapid changes are not required, energy-efficient operation of these electronic displays can be ensured.

[0059] The trigger for redefined radio channel occupancy can be various circumstances requiring changes to radio channel allocation. For example, modifications to the radio infrastructure within a store can serve as a trigger because it is suddenly determined (through repeated automatic checks of radio activity) that some electronic displays or communication stations are receiving unacceptable interference signals in their radio channels. This should be addressed by optimizing, i.e., updating the radio channel allocation in the electronic display system, so that these interference signals no longer occur or are at least minimized. Changes to the facility, such as adding, reducing, or even spatially adjusting the shelves on which electronic displays are mounted, can also trigger updates to radio channel allocation because, even in this case, some of these electronic displays may exhibit altered radio activity in their new locations within their radio channels.

[0060] These and other aspects of the invention become apparent from the accompanying drawings, which are discussed below. Attached Figure Description

[0061] In the following description, the invention will be further described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments; however, the invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Here, in the different drawings, the same components are equipped with the same reference numerals. Wherein:

[0062] Figure 1 The schematic diagram illustrates the radio channels of the WLAN radio system and the ESL system in the 2.4 GHz band;

[0063] Figure 2An electronic display system with an ESL access point is illustrated schematically.

[0064] Figure 3 This illustration schematically demonstrates a dedicated time-slot communication method provided by an ESL access point;

[0065] Figure 4 This schematically illustrates the initial first radio channel assignment for the ESL access point;

[0066] Figure 5 The illustration shows a modified second radio channel assignment for ESL access points. Detailed Implementation

[0067] exist Figure 1 In, an example is shown combining in Figure 2 The electronic display system 9 (hereinafter referred to as System 9) schematically illustrates the radio channel used in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. That is, Figure 1 The horizontal axis shows frequencies from 2400MHz to 2480MHz, and the vertical axis shows the transmission power of radio equipment or its radio signals in the range of 10mW-100mW or in the range of 10dBm to 20dBm.

[0068] On one hand, the first, sixth, and eleventh Wi-Fi radio channels 71, 72, and 73 recommended by IEEE 802.11 are recorded within this frequency band, with a typical bandwidth of 20-22 MHz. The remaining Wi-Fi radio channels are not used according to the recommendations of IEEE 802.11 and are therefore not recorded. Furthermore, for each of these Wi-Fi radio channels 71-73, the corresponding upper and lower sidebands 71A and 71B, 72A and 72B, and 73A and 73B are schematically depicted.

[0069] Furthermore, within this frequency band, for electronic displays 100-699 (see...) Figure 2 The available display radio channels, hereinafter referred to as ESL radio channels, from the zeroth to the tenth ESL radio channels 80-90, are recorded with a bandwidth of 1 MHz. Although the preferred ESL radio channels, namely the third ESL radio channel 83, the fifth ESL radio channel 85, the eighth ESL radio channel 88, the ninth ESL radio channel 89, and the tenth ESL radio channel 90, are outside the bandwidth of the three recommended Wi-Fi radio channels 71, 72, and 73, from... Figure 1It is evident that, under unfavorable spatial configuration in System 9, the radio signals in the aforementioned preferred ESL radio channels 83, 85, 88, 89, and 90 are overridden by the high-power sideband signals of the recommended Wi-Fi radio channels 71, 72, and 73. This invention addresses this problem, which will be discussed in detail below.

[0070] In the following text, by means of Figure 2 Let's discuss an exemplary configuration of System 9.

[0071] Figure 2 The following are shown: a data processing device 8, hereinafter referred to as server 8; a WLAN access point 7 connected to it via a wire, which can use the three recommended Wi-Fi radio channels 71-73 mentioned above; and six communication stations 1-6, hereinafter referred to as ESL access points 1-6, which are also connected to server 8 via a wire.

[0072] Here, the first Wi-Fi radio channel 71 should be assigned to the WLAN access point 7.

[0073] During system 9 installation, ESL access points 1-6 are sequentially put into operation. Each ESL access point 1-6 performs a check regarding the occupancy or use of the preferred five ESL radio channels 83, 85, 88, 89, and 90 (excluding the recommended Wi-Fi radio channels) by another ESL access point 1-6, and selects the first available (idle, i.e., not used by another ESL access point) ESL radio channel 83, 85, 88, 89, or 90 for its own radio communication. Thus, according to this example, the third ESL radio channel 83 is occupied by the first ESL access point 1, the fifth ESL radio channel 85 by the second ESL access point 2, the eighth ESL radio channel 88 by the third ESL access point 3, the ninth ESL radio channel 89 by the fourth ESL access point 4, the tenth ESL radio channel 90 by the fifth ESL access point 5, and the third ESL radio channel 83 by the sixth ESL access point 6.

[0074] In addition, Figure 2 The diagram shows a larger number of electronic displays 100-199, 200-299, 300-399, 400-499, 500-599, and 600-699, hereinafter referred to as ESLs. ESLs 100-699 are grouped into groups 10, 20, and so on up to 60, and are characterized by different symbols (circles, squares, triangles, stars, semicircles, and crosses). These symbols are generally clustered around the locations of ESL access points 1-6, with possible spatial overlap of groups 10-60 in the peripheral areas, as shown in... Figure 2As can be seen in the example. For simplicity, each group 10-60 is always provided with one hundred ESLs, but the actual number of ESLs used may vary from group to group, and of course may differ from the values ​​used here.

[0075] The first group 10 is radio-technically assigned to the first ESL access point 1, the second group 20 is radio-technically assigned to the second ESL access point 2, and so on, up to the sixth group 60, which is radio-technically assigned to the sixth access point 6. This radio-technical assignment is established during the installation or commissioning of system 9, wherein the corresponding ESLs 100-699 have been registered at the corresponding ESL access points 1-6, which are radio-technically available to the greatest extent possible. For example, the preferred ESL radio channel 83, 85, 88, 89, or 90 with the strongest radio signal can be selected as the standard for maximum radio-technical availability.

[0076] It should be mentioned here that the squares shown with dashed lines were chosen to visualize groups 10-60. However, this is only for illustrative purposes. In real groups, there would typically be a three-dimensional distribution of ESL 100-699, etc., around their corresponding ESL access points 1-6, but this has been omitted here for clarity.

[0077] In the current context, communication between ESL access points 1-6 and their corresponding assigned ESL 100-699s occurs within the framework of the dedicated time-slot communication method already mentioned in the general description. The structure and timing system of this dedicated time-slot communication method are as follows: Figure 3 The above is visualized. Here, for example and for clarity, only the first ESL access point 1 and its two ESLs 100 and 101 are discussed.

[0078] exist Figure 3In the diagram, the topmost state sequence shows the state Z of the first ESL access point 1. During the slot period duration DC (e.g., 15 seconds), N slots Z1...ZN (e.g., 256) with the same slot duration DS (e.g., approximately 58 milliseconds) are available. During this slot period duration DC, the first ESL access point 1 transitions between a transmit state T and a rest state R. The transmit state T is always occupied at the beginning of slots Z1...ZN and maintained for the duration of the synchronization data signal DSD (or the transmit duration DSD of the synchronization data signal SD) to transmit the corresponding correct slot symbols ZS1, ZS2,...ZSN using the corresponding synchronization data signal SD. As the corresponding slot period symbols ZS1...ZSN, here, by way of example, consecutive numbers of the corresponding slots Z1...ZN in the order of their occurrence are used to uniquely identify the corresponding slots. Therefore, the first time slot Z1 is represented by the time slot symbol Hex 00 in hexadecimal notation (represented by "Hex"), the second time slot Z2 is represented by the time slot symbol Hex 01, and so on, with the last time slot ZN (the 256th time slot Z256 in the current example) being represented by the time slot symbol Hex FF.

[0079] In the current embodiment, the least significant byte B0 of the unique hardware address of ESL 100-199 identifies the time slot determined for the corresponding ESL 100-199 within the framework of this time slot communication method. Besides the least significant byte B0, the remaining three bytes B1-B3 of this hardware address are used to individually address the ESL 100-199 within the time slots Z1...ZN determined for the corresponding ESL 100-199, for example, to transmit data or to send instructions to the ESL 100-199, which are then executed.

[0080] exist Figure 3The diagram shows that the first ESL 100 is in a synchronization state. This first ESL wakes up from its sleep state S at a first wake-up time TA1 and transitions to its ready-to-receive active state E with a relatively short lead time DV before the expected arrival of the synchronization data signal SD. It receives the synchronization data signal SD during a reception duration DE with a first timeslot symbol ZS1 (Hex 00). The first timeslot Z1 determined for the first ESL 100 is displayed by comparing the least significant byte B0 (Hex 00) of its hardware address with the received timeslot symbol ZS1 (the byte to be compared in the hardware address: B0 matches the first timeslot symbol ZS1). The parameters used by the time control level 33 to control this wake-up are reserved for subsequent timeslot cycles to define a new wake-up time. It then transitions back to the sleep state S with a relatively short follow time DN so that, after the specified sleep state dwell time DR expires, it is scheduled to wake up at a new (second) wake-up time TA2 with the aforementioned lead time VD before restarting the first timeslot cycle Z1. The same applies to the second ESL 101, which is in a synchronized state just like the first ESL 100.

[0081] With the help of this system, ESL 100-699 can remain in a synchronized state in the most energy-efficient way possible, and can also be used to communicate with its ESL access points 1-6 within its corresponding time slot.

[0082] Furthermore, these ESLs 100-699 are programmed to be active even outside their associated time slots, more specifically, within the last time slot ZN, as for... Figure 3 The two ESLs, 100 and 101, are shown in the diagram. However, only the receive state exists there.

[0083] In the current configuration, all ESL 100-199 devices assigned to the first ESL access point 1 are woken up precisely at the last synchronization data signal SD of the last time slot ZN of the time slot period. They receive the last time slot symbol ZSN, identify the last time slot ZN based on consecutive numbers to re-verify its synchronization, and check the radio activity in the ESL radio channel 080-1090 during the detection duration E2D within the last time slot ZN. The detected radio channel activity is stored as Radio Channel Activity Data FAD for later transmission to the first ESL access point 1. A portion of the time slot duration DS or the entire time slot duration DS (minus the lead time DV if necessary) can be used as the detection duration E2D.

[0084] ESL access points 1-6 are preferably programmed to cease transmitting after the synchronization data signal SD in the last time slot ZN, i.e., radio silence exists within the last time slot ZN. This ensures that no self-oscillating signal is emitted to spoof the detected radio activity, and that only externally oscillating radio activity should be indicated.

[0085] To ensure the most complete possible detection of radio activity in ESL radio channels 80-90, the detection process for different ESL radio channels 80-90 can be extended across multiple time slots, where for each time slot, only one or a small number of ESL radio channels 80-90 are checked for relevant radio activity. In particular, this detection process is always repeated (e.g., every M time slots, where M is a natural number, such as every 5, 10, or 50 time slots) to continuously establish a complete picture of the current radio activity for all available ESL radio channels 80-90. The time period for detecting radio activity in all ESL radio channels 80-90 is hereinafter referred to as the detection period.

[0086] Since ESL access points 1-6 and ESL 100-699 know the timing conditions, or in other words, the timing of the detection period, radio activity detected individually at the location of ESL 100-699 in the corresponding ESL radio channels 80-90 can be actively invoked by ESL access points 1-6 from ESL 100-199 to 600-699 respectively assigned to these ESL access points after the detection period expires, for example, by command. This may then trigger data transmission from the corresponding ESL 100-699 to the corresponding ESL access point 1-6, where, depending on the data volume, this data transmission can occur within the time slots Z1-ZN assigned to the relevant ESL 100-699 or can occur across time slots Z1-ZN. Here, the entire amount of data to be transmitted can be divided across different time slots Z1-ZN, or, if necessary, distributed across multiple time slot periods for transmission.

[0087] exist Figure 3 In such cases, radio channel activity data (FAD) might be transmitted, for example, in the first time slot Z1 for the first ESL 100 and in the second time slot Z2 for the second ESL 101, although this is not shown in detail. For this purpose, the corresponding ESL 100 or 101 would be individually addressed by means of the synchronization data signal SD and requested for data transmission via a query command received from the first ESL access point 1. The same applies to all other ESL access points 2-6 and all other ESLs 102-699.

[0088] Next, the radio channel activity data FAD transmitted via radio to ESL access points 1-6 is transmitted from ESL access points 1-6 to server 8, where it is stored with reference to the corresponding locations of the relevant ESL 100-699, thus forming a digital three-dimensional map of radio activity for each ESL radio channel. It should be noted in this context that server 8 stores information about the location of the products corresponding to each ESL 100-699 within the store, thereby defining the approximate locations of the ESL 100-699.

[0089] Based on this mapping of radio activity, at the server, the radio channel allocation for each ESL access point 1-6 is optimized, noting that the corresponding groups 10-60 of ESL 100-699 can utilize the corresponding ESL access points 1-6 to transmit radio signals as effectively as possible, i.e., the radio signals of ESL 100-699 can be received at the relevant ESL access points 1-6 with the highest possible signal strength, especially without being covered by other radio signals. Specifically, for each ESL access point 1-6, the ESL radio channels to be used in the future are defined as zero 80-+90, particularly limited to the preferred ESL radio channels three, five, eight, nine, or ten, and then the ESL radio channels to be used in the future are transmitted to the corresponding ESL access points 1-6 in the form of radio channel definition data via a wired connection.

[0090] ESL access points 1-6 receive radio channel definition data and switch to the newly defined ESL radio channel 80-90 whenever a channel switch is required. ESLs 100-699 at relevant ESL access points 1-6 automatically follow this new radio channel assignment, i.e., the change to ESL radio channel 80-90, because these ESLs lose connection to their ESL access points 1-6 and re-find or resynchronize with that ESL access point via ESL radio channel 80-90 in their search sequence.

[0091] This leads to an optimized spatial distribution of the use of ESL radio channels 80-90 in System 9 with respect to the locations of ESL 100-699. This can be repeated at regular time intervals, particularly at substantially periodic time intervals, thereby, over time as the system operates, yielding a radio channel allocation adapted to the corresponding radio technology framework conditions (interference signals from other radio devices, radio technology shadows, etc., and the altered spatial location of ESL 100-699, etc.), which ensures reliable radio communication between ESL 100-699 and its corresponding ESL access points 1-6.

[0092] exist Figure 4 The text summarizes the existing radio channel allocation prior to the optimization process in tabular form, and... Figure 5 The optimized radio channel allocation is reproduced in these tables. In the first column 91, ESL access points 1-6 are listed, which are abbreviated there as ESL-ACP in conjunction with their corresponding reference numerals 1-6. In the second column 92, ESL radio channels 80-90 occupied by the corresponding ESL access points 1-6 are listed, which are abbreviated there as ESL-CH in conjunction with their corresponding reference numerals 80-90.

[0093] As can be clearly seen, in the original radio channel occupancy, it was quite disadvantageous for the second, third, and fourth ESL access points 3, 4, and 5 to use directly adjacent ESL radio channels 88, 89, and 90, and it was also extremely disadvantageous for the third ESL radio channel 83 used by the sixth ESL access point 6 to be close to the first Wi-Fi radio channel 71 used by the WLAN access point 7. These disadvantages were eliminated by optimizing the radio channel allocation in the following way: ESL access points 2, 4, and 6, which are spatially adjacent to the WLAN access point 7, now use the eighth or tenth ESL radio channel 88 or 90, and therefore, on the one hand, do not operate in adjacent ESL radio channels, while on the other hand, they also have the largest possible frequency spacing from the upper sideband 71B of the first WLAN radio channel 71. Now, ESL access points 1, 3, and 5, which are spatially farther from WLAN access point 7, use ESL radio channels 83, 85, and 83 because the upper sideband 71B no longer has a negative impact at their locations, or at the assigned ESL channels 100-199, 300-399, and 500-599. Furthermore, it is ensured that adjacent ESL radio channels are not used, especially compared to other ESL access points 2, 4, and 6. However, in this example, it is also possible that ESL access point 5 does not use ESL radio channel 83, which is already used by ESL access point 1, but instead uses one of the less preferred ESL radio channels, such as ESL radio channel 87 located in the upper region of the frequency band.

[0094] In system 9, it can also be specified that radio channel allocation is performed in two stages. For example, in the first step, radio activity on ESL radio channels 80-90 can be detected using ESL access points 1-6 and transmitted to server 8. Then, a new allocation of ESL radio channels 80-90 to be used by ESL access points 1-6 is defined and transmitted to these ESL access points, allowing them to change the occupancy of ESL radio channels 80-90 as needed. Then, in the second step, radio activity on ESL radio channels 80-90 can be detected at individual ESL 100-699 locations and transmitted to ESL access points 1-6 and server 8. The allocation of radio channels to ESL access points 1-6 can be further modified to achieve fine-tuning of the radio channel allocation.

[0095] Furthermore, in this system, detected radio activity at the locations of the corresponding ESL access points 1-6 and the corresponding ESL 100-699 can also be considered in combination. To this end, the radio activity is detected not only at the corresponding locations of ESL access points 1-6 but also at the corresponding locations of ESL 100-699, and transmitted to server 8, which then determines the space optimization for channel occupancy allocation at ESL access points 1-6, taking all these radio activities into account.

[0096] It has proven particularly advantageous that, instead of using a separate WLAN access point 7 in system 9, at least one combined communication station (not shown) is used, which integrates the ESL access point and the WLAN access point into a single device, wherein a software interface exists between two software drivers implementing the functions of the respective access point types. Then, via this software interface, the WLAN radio channel used by the WLAN access point can be directly queried or detected, and if necessary, after optimizing the radio channel allocation, not only the ESL radio channel in the combined communication station but also the WLAN radio channel used by the integrated WLAN access point can be changed.

[0097] In summary, these measures result in a system 9 in which the radio channel allocation for ESL access points, and if necessary for WLAN access points combined with them in a single device, can be changed even during operation, i.e., after the initial radio channel occupancy, and can also continue to be changed quasi-continuously in order to ensure or thus improve or optimize the radio connection with the typically low-performance ESL100-699.

[0098] Finally, it should be noted again that the accompanying drawings described in detail above are merely embodiments, and these embodiments can be modified in various ways by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of this invention. For completeness, it should also be noted that the use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude the related features from existing multiple times.

Claims

1. A method for radio channel allocation in a system (9) of an electronic display (100-699), The system (9) includes a data processing device (8), communication stations (1-6), and electronic displays (100-699), and each communication station (1-6) is designed to communicate radioly with the electronic displays (100-699) assigned to that communication station using a radio channel (80-90) defined by the data processing device (8). The method described herein comprises the following steps: Based on the radio channel activity data transmitted to the data processing device (8) via the communication stations (1-6), the radio channels to be used are defined, wherein the radio channel activity data describes the detected radio activity in the corresponding radio channels (80-90). Its features are, At a certain point in time after the respective communication station (1-6) first establishes a connection with at least one of the electronic displays (100-699) via a radio channel, the communication station (1-6) transmits radio channel activity data, wherein the radio channel activity data describes the detected radio activity after the aforementioned first connection establishment. The communication station (1-6) includes: a first radio communication module for radio communication with the electronic display (100-699) according to a first communication protocol; A second radio communication module is configured to perform radio communication according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol, for radio communication with devices other than the electronic displays (100-699), wherein at the first radio communication module, radio activity is detected by querying radio channel usage from the second radio communication module via a hardware and / or software interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Radio activity in radio channels (80-90) is detected at the locations of the respective communication stations (1-6).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the communication station (1-6) selects a radio channel and receives radio signals in the radio channel in order to detect the radio activity.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the data processing device (8) defines not only a first radio channel (80-90) to be used by the first radio communication module but also a second radio channel (71-73) to be used by the second radio communication module, the second radio channel not overlapping with the first radio channel (80-90).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein Using electronic displays (100-699), radio activity in the radio channel (80-90) is detected at the location of the corresponding electronic display (100-699), and Radio activity present at the location of the corresponding electronic display (100-699) as radio channel activity data, together with the display identifier that identifies the corresponding electronic display (100-699), is transmitted to the data processing device (8) via the communication station (1-6) assigned to the relevant electronic display (100-699).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein radio communication is performed between one of the communication stations (1-6) and an electronic display (100-699) assigned to that communication station according to a time-slot communication method, wherein multiple time slots (Z1-ZN) of each time slot period are prepared in a repeating sequence for communication between the communication station (1-6) and the electronic display (100-699) assigned to that communication station, and each time slot (Z1-ZN) is characterized by a unique time slot symbol (ZS1-ZSN), wherein each electronic display (100-699) is assigned exactly one time slot (Z1-ZN) by using the time slot symbol (ZS1-ZSN) to autonomously determine synchronization with the communication station (100-699) and to communicate with the communication station (1-6), wherein during time slot (Z1-ZN), radio activity in the radio channel (80-90) is detected by means of the electronic display (100-699).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of time slots (Z1 - ZN) is a fixed number of time slots.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein radio activity in the radio channel (80-90) is detected by means of an electronic display (100-699) during a time slot (Z1-ZN) when communication between the communication station (1-6) and the electronic display (100-699) allocated to the communication station is not in use, the electronic display also comprising an electronic display (100-699) performing the detection of the radio activity.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein radio activity in the radio channel (80-90) is detected by means of an electronic display (100-699) within a predefined time slot (Z1-ZN) of the time slot period.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein radio activity in the radio channel (80-90) is detected in the last time slot (ZN) of the time slot period by means of an electronic display (100-699).

11. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein radio activity detected at associated electronic displays (100-699) on one or more different channels (80-90) is stored by means of said radio channel activity data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein radio activity detected at associated electronic displays (100-699) on one or more different predefined channels (80-90) is stored by means of the radio channel activity data.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the radio channel activity data stored at the relevant electronic display (100-699) is transmitted to the communication station (100-699) in the time slot (Z1-ZN) allocated to the electronic display (100-699).

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 10, wherein the detection of the radio activity comprises: Radio signal reception; And determine the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 10, wherein the data processing device (8) defines a radio channel (80-90) to be used by the respective communication station (1-6) for radio communication with an electronic display (100-699) assigned to the communication station, such that radio activity other than that of the respective communication station (1-6) or the electronic display (100-699) assigned to the communication station in the defined radio channel (80-90) is negligible.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 10, wherein the definition of the radio channel to be used includes: Radio channel definition data is transmitted to the communication station (1-6), which can be used at the communication station (1-6) to set the radio channel to be used.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 10, wherein the detection of the radio activity and the transmission of the corresponding radio channel activity data are repeated in chronological order.

18. An electronic display system (9), the electronic display system having: - Electronic display (100-699); - Communication stations (1-6), wherein each communication station (1-6) is designed to use a defined radio channel (80-90) to radio communicate with an electronic display (100-699) assigned to that communication station (1-6); and - A data processing device (8) designed to define a radio channel (80-90) to be used by the respective communication station (1-6) based on radio channel activity data transmitted to the data processing device (8) via the communication station (1-6), the radio channel activity data describing radio activity in the respective radio channel. Its features are, The communication stations (1-6) are designed to transmit radio channel activity data at a certain point in time after the respective communication station (1-6) has initially established a connection with at least one of the electronic displays (100-699) via radio channel (80-90), wherein the radio channel activity data describes the detected radio activity after the aforementioned initial connection establishment. The communication station (1-6) includes: a first radio communication module for radio communication with the electronic display (100-699) according to a first communication protocol; A second radio communication module is configured to perform radio communication according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol, for radio communication with devices other than the electronic displays (100-699), wherein at the first radio communication module, radio activity is detected by querying radio channel usage from the second radio communication module via a hardware and / or software interface.

19. An application in an electronic display system (9) having electronic displays (100-699) for transmitting radio channel activity data of a communication station (1-6) to a data processing device (8), the radio channel activity data describing radio activity in a corresponding radio channel (80-90), the data processing device being designed to define, based on the transmitted radio channel activity data, the radio channel (80-90) to be used by the corresponding communication station (1-6) for communication with the electronic display (100-699) assigned to that communication station. Its features are, The communication stations (1-6) are designed to transmit radio channel activity data at a certain point in time after the respective communication station (1-6) has initially established a connection with at least one of the electronic displays (100-699) via radio channel (80-90), wherein the radio channel activity data describes the detected radio activity after the aforementioned initial connection establishment. The communication station (1-6) includes: a first radio communication module for radio communication with the electronic display (100-699) according to a first communication protocol; A second radio communication module is configured to perform radio communication according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol, for radio communication with devices other than the electronic displays (100-699), wherein at the first radio communication module, radio activity is detected by querying radio channel usage from the second radio communication module via a hardware and / or software interface.

Images