Control method for low-power-consumption electronic tag to display specific content and electronic tag

Abstract

The invention discloses a control method for a low-power-consumption electronic tag to display specific content and the electronic tag, the control method and the electronic tag display content through a connected ink screen, and the control method comprises the following steps: setting the electronic tag to be in a working state through a preset control program based on content display information of the ink screen; in a working state, acquiring broadcast content monitored by the electronic tag; the first current is consumed based on the broadcast content, and the ink screen is controlled to enter a specific content updating state; stopping supplying power to the ink screen, and setting a micro-control unit of the electronic tag to be in a non-working state; in a non-working state, the circuit and each module of the electronic tag are respectively set to be in an energy-saving mode and a dormant state; wherein after the power supply is stopped, the ink screen maintains displaying specific content based on own characteristics. Through the setting, the working mode of the electronic tag is adjusted, so that the battery works intermittently, the electronic tag is changed into a passive mode and is in a silent state for a long time, and the power consumption of the electronic tag is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of electronic tag display methods, specifically relating to a control method for displaying specific content on a low-power electronic tag and the electronic tag itself. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic tags, also known as electronic price tags, are electronic display devices with information transmission and reception capabilities, primarily used in retail settings such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and pharmacies. Electronic tags typically utilize e-ink display technology. E-ink displays work by using microcapsules containing positively and negatively charged black and white particles that move under the influence of an electric field, thus displaying text or images on the screen. This type of screen features low power consumption and no glare.

[0003] Based on existing electronic tag technology, the battery is always working, which keeps the electronic tag displaying content. The electronic tag also needs to actively send data transmission requests to the backend. As the data initiator, it consumes a lot of power. A 1200mAh battery can only maintain operation for about one year. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a control method for displaying specific content on a low-power electronic tag and an electronic tag that can adjust the working mode of the electronic tag so that the battery works intermittently and the electronic tag becomes passive and remains in a silent state for a long time, thereby reducing the power consumption of the electronic tag.

[0005] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] A method for controlling the display of specific content on a low-power electronic tag, wherein the electronic tag displays content via a connected e-ink screen, comprising:

[0007] Based on the content display information of the e-ink screen, the micro-control unit of the electronic tag is set to working state through a preset control program;

[0008] In the operating state, the broadcast content monitored by the electronic tag is acquired;

[0009] Based on the broadcast content, the microcontroller consumes a first current and controls the e-ink screen to enter a specific content update state;

[0010] After the e-ink screen updates the specific content, the control program shuts off the conduction tube of the electronic tag, stops supplying power to the e-ink screen, and sets the microcontroller unit of the electronic tag to a non-working state.

[0011] In the non-working state, the control program sets each module of the electronic tag to a sleep state and controls the working circuit of the electronic tag to an energy-saving mode;

[0012] Even after the power supply is cut off, the e-ink screen continues to display the specific content based on its own characteristics.

[0013] Furthermore, the control program sets each module of the electronic tag to a sleep state, including:

[0014] The near-field communication module and RGB lights of the electronic tag are both in sleep mode.

[0015] When the RGB light needs to flash to issue a warning signal, the microcontroller unit of the electronic tag is in a suspended state. At this time, the current consumed is similar to the power of the RGB light. The current consumed by the microcontroller unit at this time is the second current, which is the same as the first current.

[0016] Furthermore, after controlling the electronic tag's operating circuit to energy-saving mode, it also includes:

[0017] While the near-field communication module of the electronic tag is in a sleep state, it continuously acquires communication information from external devices.

[0018] Based on the communication information, the near-field communication module is activated, and the electronic tag is switched from the non-working state to the working state;

[0019] In the operating state, the key password of the external device is obtained;

[0020] The verification process is performed based on the key password, and after successful verification, the display information transmitted by the external device is obtained, the display information including specific content;

[0021] The step of controlling the e-ink screen to enter a specific content update state based on the specific content.

[0022] Furthermore, based on the communication information, activating the near-field communication module and causing the electronic tag to transition from the non-working state to the working state includes:

[0023] Based on the communication information, the coil module of the electronic tag is activated, and the near-field communication module is activated through the coil module;

[0024] After the near-field communication module is activated, it outputs a maximum power supply signal to the electronic tag so that the electronic tag enters the working state.

[0025] Furthermore, in the operating state, the broadcast content monitored by the electronic tag is acquired, and the electronic tag consumes a third current in the monitoring state, the third current being greater than the first current.

[0026] Furthermore, based on the broadcast content, the microcontroller provides a first current to the e-ink screen and controls the e-ink screen to enter a specific content update state, including:

[0027] After the electronic tag finishes listening to the broadcast content, it enters the state of updating the content on the e-ink screen. At this time, the microcontroller unit of the electronic tag is in a suspended state. The microcontroller unit supplies power to the e-ink screen through a conductive tube. The e-ink screen is a 2.13-inch to 2.9-inch e-ink screen. The microcontroller unit consumes a first current of 30uA to 50uA, and the current consumed by the electronic tag is 2mA to 5mA.

[0028] Furthermore, in the non-working state, the control program sets each module of the electronic tag to a sleep state and controls the electronic tag's operating circuit to an energy-saving mode, including:

[0029] The control program puts the microcontroller unit into a sleep state and shuts off the power to the e-ink screen through the conductive tube. The near-field communication module and RGB lights of the electronic tag are both in a sleep state. The operating current of the electronic tag is 2uA-4uA and the voltage is 3.0V.

[0030] An electronic tag, and a control method for displaying specific content on the low-power electronic tag, includes a microcontroller unit, and an e-ink screen, RGB lights, a near-field communication module, a battery, a crystal oscillator, and an onboard antenna, all electrically connected to the microcontroller unit; the e-ink screen is electrically connected to the microcontroller unit in sequence through an e-ink screen driving circuit and a conductive tube circuit; the near-field communication module is electrically connected to the microcontroller unit through a near-field communication driving circuit and a coil module.

[0031] Furthermore, the conductive circuit includes a conductive tube, and an e-ink power supply, an input power supply, and a GPIO pin of the microcontroller unit that are electrically connected to the conductive tube.

[0032] Furthermore, the microcontroller unit is an MCU, the near-field communication module is an NFC chip, the conduction tube is a PMOS transistor, the battery is a 3.0V battery, and the e-ink screen is a 2.13-inch to 2.9-inch e-ink screen.

[0033] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0034] 1. The low-power electronic tag display control method of the present invention controls the MCU to be in a low-power state as much as possible and minimizes the working time of peripheral power-consuming devices (such as NFC chips, RGB lights, etc.). This allows the electronic tag to maintain a low power consumption level for a long time, thereby simplifying the execution theory of the control method to the extreme. Except for necessary work, it is in a dormant state for almost the entire time. This enables the electronic tag to adjust its working mode, making the battery work intermittently and the electronic tag become passive, remaining in a silent state for a long time, thereby reducing the power consumption of the electronic tag.

[0035] 2. The overall structure of the electronic tag of the present invention is relatively simple, achieving the goal of displaying specific content on the electronic tag without adding excessive power-consuming circuits. Each of the multiple power-consuming circuit modules has a dedicated power management circuit, which is sufficient to ensure that the tag maintains a low power consumption operating state for extended periods. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a circuit diagram of the electronic tag of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the PMOS transistor switching circuit of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the NFC driving circuit of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 4 This is a circuit diagram of the PMOS transistor switching circuit of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 5 This is the circuit diagram of the RGB lamp of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 6 This is a test diagram for testing the deep sleep current of the electronic tag of the present invention, which is <5uA.

[0042] Figure 7 This is a test diagram showing the wake-up current of the electronic tag of the present invention is <10mA.

[0043] Figure 8 This is a test graph showing that the power consumption of the electronic tag during the 180s idle cycle of the present invention is <300uAh.

[0044] Figure 9 This is a test diagram showing the power consumption of the electronic tag flashlight in this invention.

[0045] Figure 10 This is a test diagram for testing the flash interval, flash power consumption, power consumption for turning off the light, and power consumption for waking up the electronic tag according to the present invention.

[0046] Figure 11This is a test image for testing the electronic tag's power consumption of <300uA.

[0047] Figure 12 This is a test diagram showing that the power consumption of the upgraded electronic tag of this invention is <300uA. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Terms such as “upper,” “inner,” “middle,” “left,” “right,” and “one” used in this specification are merely for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the invention.

[0049] Example 1

[0050] An electronic tag, such as Figures 1 to 5 As shown, a control method for displaying specific content on a low-power electronic tag includes a microcontroller unit, an e-ink screen, RGB lights, a near-field communication module, a battery, a 24MHz crystal oscillator, and a 2.4GHz onboard antenna, all electrically connected to the microcontroller unit.

[0051] The e-ink screen is electrically connected to the microcontroller unit via an e-ink screen driving circuit and a conduction tube circuit. The conduction tube circuit includes a conduction tube, as well as the e-ink screen power supply, input power supply, and GPIO pins of the microcontroller unit, which are electrically connected to the conduction tube.

[0052] The near-field communication module is electrically connected to the microcontroller unit through a near-field communication driver circuit and a coil module. The near-field communication module uses an NFC chip, and the coil module is a 13.56MHz induction coil. The NFC chip is also electrically connected to the GPIO pins of the microcontroller unit and a 3.0V input / output power supply.

[0053] The microcontroller unit uses an MCU, the transistor uses a PMOS transistor, the battery uses a 3.0V battery, and the e-ink screen uses a 2.13-inch to 2.9-inch e-ink screen.

[0054] In summary, based on the overall structure of the electronic tag of this invention, the circuit structure is relatively simple, achieving the goal of displaying specific content on the electronic tag without adding excessive power-consuming circuits. Furthermore, each of the multiple power-consuming circuit modules has a dedicated power management circuit, which is sufficient to ensure that the tag maintains a low power consumption operating state for extended periods.

[0055] Example 2

[0056] A method for controlling the display of specific content using a low-power electronic tag, employing the electronic tag of Example 1, such as... Figures 1 to 5As shown, the e-ink screen used is a 2.13-inch to 2.9-inch screen. The electronic tag displays content through the connected e-ink screen, including:

[0057] Based on the content displayed on the e-ink screen, the MCU of the electronic tag is set to working state through a preset control program;

[0058] In operation, the electronic tag acquires the broadcast content it listens to. The current consumed by the entire circuit in the listening state is 5mA-8mA (i.e., the third current), and the current consumed by the electronic tag is the largest in the listening state.

[0059] Based on the broadcast content, after the electronic tag finishes listening to the broadcast content, it provides an initial current to the e-ink screen via the MCU and controls the e-ink screen to enter a specific content update state. During this process, the MCU of the electronic tag is in a suspended state, and the MCU powers the e-ink screen by turning on the PMOS transistor through a pin. During the e-ink screen content update, the electronic tag consumes 2mA-5mA of current, while the MCU only consumes an initial current of 30uA-50uA. The current consumed by the electronic tag is mainly based on the size of the e-ink screen; that is, the current consumed by the circuit depends on the power of the e-ink screen.

[0060] After the e-ink screen updates specific content, the electronic tag turns off the PMOS transistor via a control program, stopping power supply to the e-ink screen. After power is cut off, the e-ink screen continues to display the specific content based on its own characteristics. At the same time, the electronic tag sets its MCU to a non-working state, also known as a silent state, through the control program, meaning the MCU is in a deep sleep state.

[0061] In non-operating mode, the electronic tag is in a silent state. The control program sets all modules of the tag to sleep mode. Specifically, the MCU, NFC chip, and RGB LEDs are all in sleep mode when there is no task. The PMOS transistor turns off the power to the e-ink screen. The NFC chip and RGB LEDs are also in sleep mode. The operating current of the electronic tag is 2uA-4uA, and the voltage is 3.0V. At this time, the electronic tag's operating circuit is in energy-saving mode, meaning that the current consumed by the e-ink screen is less than 1uA while all modules are in sleep mode. Based on this power consumption, a 1200mA battery can sustain operation for approximately 10 years.

[0062] While the NFC chip in the electronic tag is in sleep mode, it continuously acquires communication information from external devices. These external devices are NFC-enabled handheld devices, such as NFC sensors or NFC-enabled mobile phones. In other words, even when the NFC chip in the electronic tag is in sleep mode, it can acquire communication information when an NFC-enabled handheld device approaches.

[0063] Based on communication information, the NFC chip can be activated, enabling the electronic tag to transition from a non-operating state to an operational state. Specifically, the NFC chip activates the electronic tag's coil module based on the acquired communication information. The NFC chip draws power from the coil module to activate itself. After activation, the NFC chip outputs a maximum power supply signal to the electronic tag, which is 3.3V, 5mA. With this power supply, the electronic tag transitions from a silent state to an operational state, at which point it requires almost no additional battery power.

[0064] In operation, the electronic tag acquires a key password from an external device. The electronic tag performs authentication based on the key password, and upon successful authentication, obtains the display information transmitted by the external device that needs to be displayed on the e-ink screen. This display information includes specific content. Based on this specific content, the electronic tag controls the e-ink screen to enter a specific content update state.

[0065] It should be noted that even when the battery is almost depleted, the electronic tag can still control the e-ink screen to enter a specific content update state, so that specific content is displayed on the e-ink screen, thereby greatly extending the usage time of the electronic tag.

[0066] When the RGB light is in sleep mode, the MCU of the electronic tag is in a suspended state when the RGB light needs to flash to issue an alarm signal. At this time, the current consumed by the MCU of the electronic tag is approximately equal to the power of the RGB light, that is, the current consumed by the MCU of the electronic tag is 30uA-50uA (i.e., the second current).

[0067] In summary, the low-power electronic tag display control method of the present invention controls the MCU to be in a low-power state as much as possible by program control and minimizes the working time of peripheral power-consuming devices (such as NFC chips, RGB lights, etc.), so that the electronic tag can be kept at a low power consumption level for a long time.

[0068] Based on this, the low-power electronic tag display control method of the present invention was applied to a 2.9-inch e-ink screen electronic tag to actually test its power consumption. The test results are shown in the table below:

[0069] From the table above, it can be seen that in a 24-hour period, the standby power consumption is 432 mAs, the wake-up power consumption is 622.08 mAs, and the power consumption for two communications is 12.722 mAs. Figure 2The refresh rate is 132 mAs. The total power consumption is 1198.802 mAs. The nominal capacity of two batteries is 1200mAh, which calculates to 3603 days, or approximately 9.87 years. However, this capacity is calculated based on a voltage of 2V; in reality, it cannot be refreshed at around 2.7V, meaning the capacity is reduced by half to approximately 500mAh, or about 4.114 years. Therefore, based on the above circuitry and program, it is feasible for this electronic tag to operate for 3 years.

[0070] Based on this, it can be seen that the present invention has the following advantages: The electronic tag of the present invention simplifies the circuit to the extreme, with almost no additional power-consuming devices or circuits except for the necessary power-consuming devices. At the same time, the execution theory of the control method for displaying specific content on the low-power electronic tag of the present invention is also extremely simple, remaining in a dormant state for almost a long time except for necessary operations; thereby enabling the adjustment of the electronic tag's working mode, making the battery work intermittently, and the electronic tag becoming passive, remaining in a silent state for a long time, thus reducing the power consumption of the electronic tag.

[0071] Experimental Example 1

[0072] The 2.9-inch e-ink electronic tag of Embodiment 2, which utilizes the control method for displaying specific content using the low-power electronic tag of this invention, and whose structure is identical to that of the electronic tag in Embodiment 1, underwent tests for deep sleep current <5uA, wake-up current <10mA, idle 180s cycle power consumption <300uAh, flashing power consumption ten times <300uAh, image refresh power consumption <300uA, and upgrade power consumption <300uA. The test results are shown in the table below and the corresponding... Figures 6-12 .

[0073]

[0074] Regarding TC-001, from Figure 6 It can be seen that the current consumption of the 2.9-inch e-ink screen electronic tag is 2.68uA during deep sleep, which is lower than 5uA. Therefore, the test result meets the expected requirements and the test is normal.

[0075] Regarding TC-002, from Figure 7 It can be seen that the current consumption of the 2.9-inch e-ink screen electronic tag during wake-up is 8.5mA, which is less than 10mA. Therefore, the test result meets the expected requirements and the test is normal.

[0076] Regarding TC-003, from Figure 8As can be seen, the 2.9-inch e-ink screen electronic tag, according to the calculation, has an average voltage of 3.2810V, an average current of 7.7512mA, an average power of 25.4885uW, a total working time of 185s, and a total power consumption of 0.3976uAh (approximately 1.3075uWh), which is lower than 300uAh. Therefore, the test results meet the expected requirements and the test is normal.

[0077] Regarding TC-004, from Figure 9 and Figure 10 As can be seen, the 2.9-inch e-ink screen electronic tag, after measurement, has an average voltage of 3.2810V, an average current of 2.920mA, an average power of 9.589mW, a total working time of 21s, and a total power consumption of 16.905uAh (approximately 55.785uWh). Specifically, the flashing interval is once every 2 seconds; the light-off interval is 2.65mA for 1 second; the light-on interval is 3.09mA for 1 second; and the peak wake-up time is 6.46mA for 6ms. Therefore, the test results meet the expected requirements, and the test is normal.

[0078] Regarding TC-005, from Figure 11 As can be seen, the 2.9-inch e-ink screen electronic tag, according to the calculation, has an average voltage of 3.2810V, an average current of 2.5463mA, an average power of 8.3476mW in this area, a total working time of 24s, and a total power consumption of 16.7827uAh (approximately 55.02uWh). Therefore, the test results meet the expected requirements and the test is normal.

[0079] Regarding TC-006, from Figure 12 As can be seen, the 2.9-inch e-ink screen electronic tag, according to the calculation, has an average voltage of 3.2810V, an average current of 3.4637mA, an average power of 11.3721mW, a total working time of 7s, and a total power consumption of 6.4568uAh (approximately 21.1775uWh). Therefore, the test results meet the expected requirements and the test is normal.

[0080] The embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Based on the above description of the present invention, and using common technical knowledge and conventional means in the field, the present invention can be modified, replaced or combined in various other forms without departing from the basic technical idea of ​​the present invention, and all such modifications, replacements or combinations fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for displaying specific content on a low-power electronic tag, characterized in that, The electronic tag displays content via a connected e-ink screen, including: Based on the content display information of the e-ink screen, the micro-control unit of the electronic tag is set to working state through a preset control program; In the operating state, the broadcast content monitored by the electronic tag is acquired; Based on the broadcast content, the microcontroller consumes a first current and controls the e-ink screen to enter a specific content update state; After the e-ink screen updates the specific content, the control program shuts off the conduction tube of the electronic tag, stops supplying power to the e-ink screen, and sets the microcontroller unit of the electronic tag to a non-working state. In the non-working state, the control program sets each module of the electronic tag to a sleep state and controls the working circuit of the electronic tag to an energy-saving mode; Even after the power supply is cut off, the e-ink screen continues to display the specific content based on its own characteristics.

2. The control method for displaying specific content on a low-power electronic tag as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The control program sets each module of the electronic tag to a sleep state, including: The near-field communication module and RGB lights of the electronic tag are both in sleep mode. When the RGB light needs to flash to issue a warning signal, the microcontroller unit of the electronic tag is in a suspended state. At this time, the current consumed is similar to the power of the RGB light. The current consumed by the microcontroller unit at this time is the second current, which is the same as the first current.

3. The control method for displaying specific content on a low-power electronic tag as described in claim 2, characterized in that, After controlling the electronic tag's operating circuit to power-saving mode, the system further includes: While the near-field communication module of the electronic tag is in a sleep state, it continuously acquires communication information from external devices. Based on the communication information, the near-field communication module is activated, and the electronic tag is switched from the non-working state to the working state; In the operating state, the key password of the external device is obtained; The verification process is performed based on the key password, and after successful verification, the display information transmitted by the external device is obtained, the display information including specific content; The step of controlling the e-ink screen to enter a specific content update state based on the specific content.

4. The control method for displaying specific content on a low-power electronic tag as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Based on the communication information, the near-field communication module is activated, and the electronic tag is transitioned from the non-working state to the working state, including: Based on the communication information, the coil module of the electronic tag is activated, and the near-field communication module is activated through the coil module; After the near-field communication module is activated, it outputs a maximum power supply signal to the electronic tag so that the electronic tag enters the working state.

5. The control method for displaying specific content on a low-power electronic tag as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the operating state, the broadcast content monitored by the electronic tag is acquired. The electronic tag consumes a third current in the monitoring state, and the third current is greater than the first current.

6. The control method for displaying specific content on a low-power electronic tag as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the broadcast content, the microcontroller provides a first current to the e-ink screen and controls the e-ink screen to enter a specific content update state, including: After the electronic tag finishes listening to the broadcast content, it enters the state of updating the content on the e-ink screen. At this time, the microcontroller unit of the electronic tag is in a suspended state. The microcontroller unit supplies power to the e-ink screen through a conductive tube. The e-ink screen is a 2.13-inch to 2.9-inch e-ink screen. The microcontroller unit consumes a first current of 30uA to 50uA, and the current consumed by the electronic tag is 2mA to 5mA.

7. The control method for displaying specific content on a low-power electronic tag as described in claim 6, characterized in that, In the non-working state, the control program sets each module of the electronic tag to a sleep state and controls the electronic tag's operating circuit to an energy-saving mode, including: The control program puts the microcontroller unit into a sleep state and shuts off the power to the e-ink screen through the conductive tube. The near-field communication module and RGB lights of the electronic tag are both in a sleep state. The operating current of the electronic tag is 2uA-4uA and the voltage is 3.0V.

8. An electronic tag, applied to a control method for displaying specific content using a low-power electronic tag as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, It includes a microcontroller unit, and an e-ink screen, RGB lights, a near-field communication module, a battery, a crystal oscillator, and an onboard antenna, all electrically connected to the microcontroller unit; the e-ink screen is electrically connected to the microcontroller unit in sequence through an e-ink screen driving circuit and a conductive tube circuit; the near-field communication module is electrically connected to the microcontroller unit through a near-field communication driving circuit and a coil module.

9. The electronic tag as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The conductive tube circuit includes a conductive tube, and an e-ink screen power supply, an input power supply, and a GPIO pin of the microcontroller unit that are electrically connected to the conductive tube.

10. The electronic tag as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The microcontroller unit uses an MCU, the near-field communication module uses an NFC chip, the conduction tube uses a PMOS transistor, the battery uses a 3.0V battery, and the e-ink screen uses a 2.13-inch to 2.9-inch e-ink screen.

Images