Method for improving transmission efficiency of electronic price tag data

Abstract

A method for improving electronic price tag data transmission efficiency belongs to the technical field of electronic price tags, and comprises the following steps: S1, receiving an original picture brushing data chain, analyzing and identifying; s2, analyzing the original data; s3, deleting the data of the white area; s4, combining duplicated code sequences; s5, generating a compressed data packet; s6, issuing the compressed data packet and the index table to the base station; (S7); the base station sends the data to the target electronic price tag in a wireless mode; s8, after the electronic price tag receives the compressed data, analyzing the compressed data, and reversely restoring the data according to the index table; and S9, executing local screen refreshing processing on the electronic price tag, and executing a screen refreshing program after the complete data is restored through reverse thrust of the electronic price tag. According to the invention, the data volume is obviously reduced, the communication bandwidth requirement of the server and the base station is reduced, the data transmission time is shortened, the data receiving of the electronic price tag is accelerated, the transmission efficiency is improved, and the high-frequency price or information updating of the display screen is more supported. The method has a good prospect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electronic price tag technology, and in particular to a method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic price tags. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) are intelligent devices that use electronic display technology to replace traditional paper labels. They connect to the back-end management system via wireless communication technology to display real-time data such as product prices, promotional information, and inventory status. They are widely used in the retail industry, warehousing and logistics, and chain stores. Their core uses low-power electronic ink screens (E-Ink) or liquid crystal displays (LCDs) to ensure long battery life. The main functions and advantages are as follows: (1) Real-time updates: Price changes can be synchronized with one click in the back-end, avoiding errors caused by manual replacement; (2) Cost reduction and efficiency improvement: Reduces paper waste and labor costs, improving operational efficiency; (3) Interactive marketing: Supports displaying QR codes, promotion countdowns, etc., enhancing customer experience; (4) Environmental protection and sustainability: The paperless design conforms to the trend of green retail.

[0003] In practical applications, the electronic shelf label subsystem needs to frequently update its displayed content. Traditional data transmission methods between the backend management system and the electronic shelf labels involve large amounts of data. Refreshing the e-ink screen of the electronic shelf label requires transmitting complete bitmap data, which contains a large amount of repetitive pixel information. Furthermore, wireless network bandwidth is limited, and large data transmission leads to long interaction times, high latency, and high energy consumption between the backend management system's server, base station, and the electronic shelf label. Because current mainstream compression algorithms (such as JPEG) are unsuitable for the display characteristics of binarized e-ink screens, existing technologies often use complete bitmap transmission, which is characterized by high data redundancy. Some solutions use differential updates, but these methods do not fundamentally solve the problem of effective transmission of basic data. Therefore, a solution that can compress data volume, reduce network load, and improve transmission efficiency is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the shortcomings of existing electronic price tag data transmission as described in the background art, this invention provides a method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic price tags. This method, through the combined action of related processes, significantly reduces the amount of data transmitted, lowers the communication bandwidth requirements between the server and base station, produces smaller data packets, shortens transmission time, improves transmission efficiency, supports high-frequency price or information updates, and provides strong technical support for the stable and reliable operation of electronic price tag systems.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: A method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic shelf labels, characterized by the following steps: S1: The server software unit of the backend management system receives the original image data chain, analyzes the content to be displayed on the screen, and identifies the color type and corresponding coordinate position of the content to be displayed on the screen; S2: The server software unit parses the original data, constructs a mapping table between screen coordinates and colors, and marks the position and size of color areas; S3: Deletes the data of background color areas, and represents non-background color areas with coordinates + length + color identifier; S4: Merges duplicate code sequences, specifically detects repeated color area patterns, replaces them with special symbols or numerical codes, establishes a mapping relationship between symbols and the original sequence, and generates an index table; S5: Generates compressed data packets, removes background color areas, and merges duplicate sequences; S6: Sends the compressed data packets and index table together to the base station; S7: The base station sends the data to the target electronic shelf label wirelessly; S8: The electronic shelf label receives and parses the compressed data, and reverse-engineers the data according to the index table; S9: The electronic shelf label performs local screen refresh processing, specifically, after reversing the electronic shelf label to restore the complete data, it executes the screen refresh program, and the screen displays the corresponding data.

[0006] Furthermore, in step S1, the color type of the content to be displayed on the display screen includes black and white, or black, white and red, or other combinations of colors.

[0007] Furthermore, in step S3, the amount of data is significantly reduced after processing, requiring only the storage of the coordinates, size, and color of the non-background color area. Furthermore, in step S4, the number of merging operations or symbol markers also need to be recorded.

[0008] Furthermore, in step S5, the compression ratio of the compressed data packet and the index table combined into a total data packet is improved compared to the original compression ratio.

[0009] Furthermore, in step S8, the restored data covers the non-background color area of ​​the display screen, and the blank coordinate area of ​​the display screen is filled with the data of the background color, thus completing the data of all display colors and coordinate positions.

[0010] Furthermore, in step S9, by using data lacking background color, the data chain is reduced in size, network usage is decreased, and data transmission efficiency between the server, base station, and electronic price tag is improved.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: under the action of the relevant process, the amount of data is significantly reduced, the smaller data packets occupy less bandwidth, and the communication bandwidth requirements between the server and the base station are reduced; due to the smaller data packets, the data transmission time is shortened, the data reception of electronic price tags is also accelerated, the transmission efficiency is improved, and it is more supportive of the high frequency of price or information updates on the display screen. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic price tags.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a coordinate diagram from step A (in the diagram, the triangles are red triangular areas, and the rectangles are black rectangular areas). Detailed Implementation

[0014] Figure 1 As shown, the following content of this invention assumes that an electronic shelf label (E-Ink display screen, resolution: 128×64 pixels) needs to update the following content, and provides a representative explanation of the working principle of this invention. A method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic shelf labels includes the following steps: Step A: The server software unit of the background management system receives the raw image data chain, analyzes the content that the display screen needs to display, and identifies the color type (white, black, red) and corresponding coordinate position of the content that the display screen needs to display; Figure 2 As shown, suppose the original data of an electronic price tag (E-Ink display screen, resolution: 128x64 pixels) needs to display the following content: (1) white background; (2) the coordinate range of the black rectangle area in the upper left corner of the display screen is X=0~10, Y=0~20; (3) the coordinate range of the red triangle area in the lower right corner of the display screen is X=100~127, Y=40~63; Specifically, the original image data is transmitted pixel by pixel (including the coordinates and colors of all white backgrounds), and the total data volume is 128×64×3 bytes (assuming 3 bytes of color are stored per pixel) ≈ 24,576 bytes. Step B: The server software unit constructs a coordinate and color mapping table, marking the position and size of the black (BK) and red (RD) areas. The white (WT) area does not need to be marked (it is filled by default). Specifically, it includes the following process: (1) Analyze the original data and identify the color and coordinate; (2) The server parses the original data and extracts the coordinates and colors of the non-white areas (black and red). The coordinates of the black area are X=0~10 and Y=0~20, and the code data is represented as: [X_start=0,Y_start=0,Width=11,Height=21,COLOR=BLACK]; the coordinates of the red area are X=100~127 and Y=40~63, and the code data is represented as [X_start=100,Y_start=40,Width=28,Height=24,COLOR=RED]).

[0015] Figure 1As shown, in step C: the server software unit deletes the data in the white area of ​​the display screen. For the black and red areas, it uses coordinates + length + color identifier (e.g., [x1,y1,length,BK]). For example, the original data code [white(0,0,100), black(20,30,5)] can be simplified to code [20,30,5,BK]. Through this step, only the coordinates and color information of the non-white areas are retained, and the white background data is deleted. At this time, the amount of data is greatly reduced, and only the coordinates, size and color of the two areas need to be stored. Step D: The server software unit merges repeating code sequences, detects recurring color region patterns (such as consecutive black blocks), and replaces them with special symbols or numerical codes (red regions cannot be merged due to their complex shapes). For example, three consecutive black blocks with codes [20,30,5,BK][20,35,5,BK][20,40,5,BK] can be merged into code [20,30,15,BK,M3], achieving further data compression. Here, M3 represents a 5-pixel block repeated 3 times. Consecutive black regions A[0,0,10,20] and B[0,21,10,20] can be merged into A[0,0,10,41], and the number of merges or symbol markings is recorded, also achieving further data compression. Step E: The server software unit establishes a mapping relationship between symbols and the original sequence, generates an index table, and generates compressed data packets (removing white regions and merging repeating sequences). The compressed data packets, after merging, contain the following code data: Region 1: [0,0,11,21,BLACK] Region 2: [100,40,28,24,RED] The data size is approximately 2 × (coordinates + size + color) = 2 × (4 + 4 + 1) = 18 bytes (assuming coordinates are stored in 2 bytes and color in 1 byte); the index table records compression rules and rules for filling missing white areas, the code is as follows, Index table = { "default_color": "WHITE", / / Blank areas are filled with white by default. "Region 1": { "start_X": 0, "start_Y": 0, "width": 11, "height": 21, "color": "BLACK" }, "Region 2": { "start_X": 100, "start_Y": 40, "width": 28, "height": 24, "color": "RED" } }

[0016] Step F: The server software unit sends the compressed data packet and index table together to the back base station. In this embodiment, the compressed data packet (18 bytes) and the index table (assuming the index table is about 50 bytes) can be combined into a total data packet of 68 bytes, achieving a compression rate of up to 99.7% compared to the original 24,576 bytes. Step G: The base station sends the data to the corresponding target electronic price tag. Step G: After receiving the compressed data, the receipt receiving and analysis software unit of the electronic price tag parses it and reverse-engineers the data according to the index table. Blank coordinate areas are filled with white data to complete all display colors and coordinate positions. Specifically, the process includes the following steps: After receiving the data, the price tag fills the entire screen according to the default_color (white) of the index table; according to the coordinate information of the index table, black and red areas are covered; the final display result is completely consistent with the original design. Step H: The corresponding refresh software unit of an electronic price tag performs local refresh processing. Specifically, by reducing the data chain size by addressing the missing color data, network usage is reduced, and data transmission efficiency between the server, base station, and electronic price tag is improved. After reconstructing the complete data through reverse engineering of the electronic price tag, the refresh program is executed, and the corresponding data is displayed on the electronic price tag screen.

[0017] Through all the above technical solutions, this invention significantly reduces the amount of data (the principle is to reduce the amount of data for a certain color; for example, in electronic price tags displaying red, black, and white backgrounds, the data representing the white background is omitted from the data packet during data transmission. Since the background area is the largest, a large amount of data can be effectively reduced, thereby shrinking the data packet size, reducing bandwidth usage, and improving data transmission efficiency. After receiving the data packet, the electronic price tag performs reverse parsing, automatically filling the areas without data with the white background, thus completing the entire screen refresh process. In specific implementation, the background can be either white or black. In the processed data packet, regardless of how many colors the display interface contains, only the color data representing the background area is missing. Therefore, when reverse parsing the data, it is only necessary to fill the blank areas with the default background). Smaller data packets consume less bandwidth, reducing the communication bandwidth requirements of the server, base station, and electronic price tag; due to the smaller data packets, the data transmission time is shortened, the data reception of the electronic price tag is also accelerated, the transmission efficiency is improved, and it better supports the high-frequency price or information updates of the display screen.

[0018] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles and main features of the present invention, as well as its advantages. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or basic characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

[0019] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes the embodiments, the embodiments do not necessarily contain only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in the embodiments can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic price tags, characterized in that, Includes the following steps, S1: The server software unit of the back-end management system receives the raw image data chain, analyzes the content that the display screen needs to display, and identifies the color type and corresponding coordinate position of the content that the display screen needs to display. S2: The server software unit parses the raw data, constructs a mapping table between display screen coordinates and colors, and marks the position and size of the color area; S3: Delete data in the background color area. For non-background color areas, use coordinates + length + color identifier. S4: Merge repeating code sequences, specifically detect repeating color region patterns, replace them with special symbols or numbers, establish a mapping relationship between symbols and the original sequence, and generate an index table; S5: Generate compressed data packets, remove background color areas, and merge duplicate sequences; S6: Send the compressed data packet and index table to the base station together; S7: The base station transmits data to the target electronic price tag wirelessly; S8: After receiving compressed data, the electronic price tag parses it and reverses the data according to the index table; S9: The electronic price tag performs local screen refresh processing. Specifically, after reversing the electronic price tag to restore the complete data, the screen refresh program is executed, and the corresponding data is displayed on the screen.

2. The method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic price tags according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the color type of the content to be displayed on the screen includes black and white, or black, white and red, or other color combinations.

3. The method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic price tags according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the amount of data is greatly reduced after processing, and only the coordinates, size and color of the non-background color area need to be stored.

4. The method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic price tags according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the number of merges or symbol markings also need to be recorded.

5. The method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic price tags according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S5, the compressed data packet and the index table are combined into a total data packet, which improves the compression ratio compared to the original.

6. The method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic price tags according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S8, the data covering the non-background color area of ​​the display screen is restored, and the blank coordinate area of ​​the display screen is filled with the data of the background color, thus completing the data of all display colors and coordinate positions.

7. The method for improving the data transmission efficiency of electronic price tags according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S9, by using data lacking background color, the data chain is made smaller, reducing network usage and improving data transmission efficiency between the server, base station, and electronic price tag.

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