Battery powered electronic tag

Abstract

Electronic label (1) with a housing (2) which has a front wall (3) and a rear wall (4) and at least one side wall (5), wherein the front wall (3) has a, in particular reflective, screen (3A), wherein, in contrast to the front wall (3) and rear wall (4), the side wall (5) is designed to be light-conducting, wherein a light source (19A, 29B) for emitting the light which can be generated thereby is positioned through the side wall (5) within the housing (2), wherein the side wall (5) is at least partially inclined towards the front wall (3), wherein the side wall (5) has an energy storage holder (7) which projects into the interior of the housing (2) and is designed to hold at least one electrical energy storage device (8), in particular a battery ora rechargeable battery, particularly preferably a button cell battery, is formed at a designated position in the housing (2), and wherein the rear wall (4) has a recess (12) adjacent to the side wall (5) and a part of the energy storage holder (7) is exposed there.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a battery-operated electronic label. background

[0002] In a well-known label of the type mentioned above, the display unit (screen) is realized using electronic ink or electronic paper technology, i.e., with the help of "electronic paper," or "e-paper" for short, also called "e-paper" or "e-ink." The reflective screen used for this is known in technical jargon as an electronic paper display, abbreviated to EPD. These terms essentially represent the principle of an electrophoretic display, in which, for example, positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles are contained in a transparent, viscous polymer. By briefly applying a voltage to electrodes between which the medium of particles and polymer is arranged, either the black particles are placed in front of the white particles, or vice versa, in the viewing direction. This arrangement then remains intact for a relatively long time (e.g., several weeks) without further energy input.These EPDs are typically designed for black-and-white or grayscale reproduction, but now also for black-white-red or black-white-yellow reproduction. Labels equipped with such EPDs display static information similar to a traditional, non-electronic label. The EPD is designed to display the same information over an extended period of time, using as little energy as possible.

[0003] To change the image, the image change process described above must be repeated. Updating the image is relatively energy-intensive compared to static display. Furthermore, the particles require time to rearrange, so the image update occurs more slowly than with other screen technologies, meaning that the change in image content is sometimes visible to the viewer. Refreshing the display relatively frequently in a short period of time, as is typical for EPD technology, would therefore result in significantly higher energy consumption and a stuttering image sequence, drawing unwanted attention to this shortcoming.

[0004] The screen technology used here therefore offers no way to attract the desired attention from the viewer through dynamic image changes. This means that, apart from displaying different, static images in similar color variations, the labels offer no way to draw attention to individual products or offers in a visually dynamic way, thus visually distinguishing them from other products.

[0005] The invention has for its object to provide an improved electronic label in which the problems discussed above are eliminated. Summary of the invention

[0006] This object is achieved by an electronic label with a housing having a front wall and a rear wall and at least one side wall, wherein the front wall has a screen, in particular a reflective screen, wherein, in contrast to the front wall and rear wall, the side wall is designed to be light-conducting, wherein a light source for emitting the light that can be generated with it is positioned through the side wall within the housing, wherein the side wall is at least partially inclined towards the front wall, wherein the side wall has an energy storage holder projecting into the interior of the housing, which energy storage holder is designed to hold at least one electrical energy store, in particular a battery or rechargeable battery, particularly preferably a button cell battery, in a designated position in the housing, and wherein the rear wall has a recess adjacent to the side wall and a part of the energy storage holder is exposed there.

[0007] The object is further achieved by a system comprising an electronic label according to the invention and an anti-theft device and a band connecting the electronic label to the anti-theft device.

[0008] The measures according to the invention have the advantage that the light emitted via the side wall can be used to dynamically draw attention to individual products or product groups, or even to the electronic label itself, independently of the products or product groups. While the screen presents static information in the form of text and images and requires little to no electrical energy, the label's electronics control whether and how (e.g., in the form of frequency, color, intensity, etc.), i.e., with what dynamics, light is emitted through the side wall in order to draw the attention of potential customers or even staff to the respective product, product group, or label.

[0009] As mentioned, the label can also be used to attract the attention of staff. For example, before a grocery store opens to customers, those labels for a product about to expire can emit a warning light signal at a specific frequency or color, while those labels for a product that has already expired can emit an alarm light signal at a different frequency or color. This alerts staff according to the light signal coding and allows them to take appropriate action. The control data required for this can either be stored in a memory module of the label's electronics and / or received from a data processing system via a communication module on the label.

[0010] The side wall, which is oriented at least partially (as can be the case with a curved side wall surface, for example), preferably mostly, in particular completely (as would be the case with a flat side wall surface, for example) towards the front in the direction of the front wall, ensures that the light generated inside the housing is guided or emitted in such a way that the label is clearly visible from as many viewing directions as possible. In particular, a slight inclination of the side wall, e.g. by 3° - 15°, towards the front wall ensures that the light signal can be easily perceived when viewed from the front (i.e. when looking towards the screen). Even if the light signal is initially generated essentially in the form of a point inside the housing, the light-guiding orThe translucent design of the side panel and the light feed into the interior of the housing ensure that the light signal is emitted across a wide area, effectively illuminating the entire side panel. This requires less intense light to draw attention to the electronic label, its information, and the product or product group. This leads to lower energy consumption despite dynamic and wide-area light signals.

[0011] The side wall can be realized, for example, by a transparent plastic part produced using an injection molding process. However, the side wall can also be made of glass, Plexiglas, or the like. The side wall can also be designed similarly to a conventional light guide, with light entry being favored on the side facing into the interior of the housing and light exiting on the side facing outward from the housing, while lateral exit of the light in between is prevented or inhibited by a corresponding refractive index profile.

[0012] The side wall can be designed at its peripheral end in such a way that it is de facto borderless and ends in a pointed edge. However, if the side wall has a thick edge, it has a side wall edge. This side wall edge can be designed to be opaque. However, it can also be advantageous for the side wall edge to be translucent, so that the light can escape not only via the side wall surface that dominates the area, but also through the side wall edge, which can sometimes be relatively narrow compared to the side wall surface. This can be preferable if the side wall is not embedded between adjacent walls, but is placed on top of these adjacent walls, so that the side wall edge is visible. This increases the viewing area for the viewer because they can also see the illuminated side wall edge.

[0013] The side panel or its material is preferably designed to direct light from the inside to the outside as effectively as possible. By optionally optimizing the shape and material, the maximum possible luminosity (light intensity) of the light can be achieved when exiting the side panel.

[0014] For example, the side wall can run circumferentially between the front wall and the back wall so that the light signals can be perceived from every side of the label.

[0015] However, in the case of a substantially cuboid-shaped design of the label, for example, only one of the lateral surfaces is preferably designed as the side wall to be translucent or light-conducting.

[0016] According to an even more preferred embodiment, separate lateral wall elements can be dispensed with altogether in this context. In this case, apart from the one light-conducting side wall or side surface, the remainder of the housing can be formed entirely by the front wall and the rear wall, which are formed in a shell-like manner, leaving the side wall and an opening for the screen on the front wall free, and largely enclose the interior of the label between them.

[0017] To ensure light penetration only at the side wall, it is advantageous if the front and rear walls are opaque. This can be achieved, for example, by selecting a suitable plastic granulate, and if necessary by coloring it, from which all other walls or wall sections, such as the front and rear walls, are made.

[0018] Of course, any active display, such as an OLED or LCD, can be used. However, for battery-powered labels, as discussed above, an extremely energy-efficient reflective EPD display is preferred.

[0019] Further, particularly advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims and the following description.

[0020] As mentioned, the tag can have a communication module for radio communication, which can be used to exchange data and / or commands with an access point. This allows the tag to be controlled from a central server or data processing system. Various communication protocols can be used for communication with the access point, such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, etc. However, a proprietary time slot communication method is preferred, which is discussed in WO 2015 / 124197 A1, pages 2-22, and the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0021] According to a further aspect of the invention, the side wall has an energy storage holder that projects into the interior of the housing and is designed to hold at least one electrical energy storage device, in particular a battery or rechargeable battery, particularly preferably a button cell battery, at a designated position in the housing. At this designated position, the poles of the energy storage device are contacted by electrically conductive (usually metallic) contact elements, which in turn are electrically conductively connected to the electronics to supply the label's electronics with electrical energy. The side wall and the energy storage holder can be implemented separately from one another and connected to one another by gluing or screwing.

[0022] Preferably, the side wall and the energy storage holder are formed as a single piece. Thus, both the side wall and the energy storage holder, which are collectively referred to below as the combination part, are made of the same material and are designed to transmit light, translucently, or in other words, to conduct light. This has the advantage that the light does not necessarily have to be fed directly into the side wall, which can sometimes result in problematic and difficult positioning of the light source and its connection to the electronics, but can instead be fed into a position deeper within the housing in the area of ​​the energy storage holder. The light propagating from there into the combination part allows for more homogeneous illumination of the side wall than would be the case if the light were fed directly into the side wall or in its immediate vicinity.This is due to the fact that the light source is located further away from the side wall, and the light, starting from its essentially point-like origin at the light source, can spread spatially on its path through the combination part to the side wall. This means that upon reaching the side wall, the light illuminates it as evenly as possible, and thus, when viewed from the outside, the side wall is perceived as luminous with uniform brightness. If the light were fed directly into the side wall at a specific point on the side wall, the side wall would be extremely brightly illuminated at this point, while other areas further away from the point of feed would be less brightly illuminated.

[0023] The energy storage holder is particularly preferably free of separate clamps or springs or electrical contacts and the like, so that the energy storage device can be inserted into the energy storage holder or removed from it without hindrance, in particular without frictional connection and / or clamping. This means that with the help of the energy storage holder, the energy storage device is only positioned at the position provided for it in the housing, i.e. along the insertion or removal direction. Once positioned there, the energy storage device is essentially directly contacted by the contact elements provided inside the housing and is fixed by them in a frictional connection transverse to the insertion or removal direction. The contact elements are designed orpositioned so that the energy storage device can be inserted into the housing along the insertion direction and pulled out of the housing along the opposite removal direction without any additional tools using only the energy storage device holder.

[0024] The energy storage holder can be designed in different ways to suit the shape of the energy storage device. If, for example, a button cell battery (button cell for short) is used, it is advantageous if the energy storage holder is dish-shaped or pan-shaped. This means that the button cell can be easily inserted into the dish or pan, which is adapted to its size and shape, and then inserted into the housing in this way. It can also be advantageous if the dish or pan is designed without any material in its central area, i.e. it essentially consists of a ring that slightly engages under or encloses the button cell and only partially. This leads to significant material savings, particularly with high volumes, and thus to a more cost-effective design. The dish or pan can alsoThe pan can be constructed in two parts, particularly with a gap in the central area furthest from the side wall, i.e., it can have a left and a right part, with these two parts joining toward the side wall and the button cell being held between them. The two parts can be dimensioned or their spacing adjusted so that the button cell is at least slightly clamped between them. Removal can therefore be carried out without the use of tools.

[0025] The bowl- or pan-shaped design also makes it easier to remove the button cell, since the bowl or pan only needs to be turned over so that the button cell falls out of it or, if there is a slight frictional connection between the bowl or pan and the button cell, it can be pushed out of it by light finger pressure (e.g. through the material-free central area onto the button cell).

[0026] It has proven particularly advantageous for the combination part, consisting of the side panel with its energy storage holder, to be designed in a drawer-like manner. This allows the combination part to be easily grasped near or directly on the side panel and operated similarly to a drawer in which the energy storage unit is stored. This allows for convenient and quick assembly (inserting the battery) during initial installation, as well as during maintenance, such as battery replacement.

[0027] To enable this easy handling, the housing also has a shaft running between the front and rear walls for accommodating the energy storage holder. The shaft can be designed to accommodate the energy storage holder in a form-fitting and / or force-fitting manner. The combination part can be inserted into this shaft in a drawer-like manner according to the described handling in order to position the energy storage device in the housing at its desired position and to supply electrical power to the label there, or it can be pulled out in a drawer-like manner in order to replace or remove the energy storage device, for example to terminate the operation of the label. To provide the aforementioned form-fitting and / or force-fitting, the shapes and dimensions of the shaft and combination part are coordinated accordingly.

[0028] According to a further aspect, the rear wall has a protrusion that encloses an energy storage receiving area dimensioned to accommodate the energy storage holder including the energy storage device. This protrusion protrudes from the rest of the rear wall and is open towards the side wall. The protrusion can be dimensioned depending on the space requirements inside the label. It forms, so to speak, the border of the shaft on the rear wall. This special shape of the rear wall allows for a material-saving design because in other areas of the housing, where only the relatively flat electronics or the screen are to be accommodated in the housing, a significantly slimmer or flatter design of the housing is possible, which leads to a reduced lateral material usage there compared to the protrusion.

[0029] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the rear wall has a recess adjacent to the side wall and there part of the energy storageThe bracket is exposed. This has the advantage that the fingertip of a human hand can make full contact with the energy storage bracket. This ensures significantly more efficient force transmission, particularly when pulling the energy storage bracket out of the housing, than would be the case if one only had to grasp a typically relatively narrow edge of the side panel.

[0030] Separating the combination part from the housing is particularly easy because, in the recess, part of the energy storage holder de facto forms part of the outer surface of the housing. For example, the label can be held in one hand, with the fingers of the hand essentially enclosing the housing parallel to the planar extension of the side wall. At the same time, pressure can be applied with the thumb of the hand, normal to the outer surface formed by the combination part and in the direction of the side wall, so that the combination part is pushed out of the housing. Only the recess in the rear wall enables this one-handed pushing out of the combination part from the housing.

[0031] But the part of the energy storage holder exposed in the recess also illuminates the entire surface, just like the side panel, but the rear panel has a different shape: more square or rectangular, rather than slender or oblong, as is the case with the side panel, which is relatively narrow compared to the front or rear panel. This difference can be easily noticed by staff, for example, to identify labels that are placed upside down on a product, i.e., with the screen and consequently also with the side panel facing forward, oriented toward the product.

[0032] However, if the label is correctly aligned, with the screen facing away from the product, the light emitted from its back can help illuminate the product in the immediate vicinity of the label, resulting in a virtually magical lighting effect on the product itself (especially in sufficiently dimmed ambient light). This is possible because there is always a gap between the product and the label along the back wall between the protrusion and the side wall, where the light emitted from the exposed part of the energy storage holder on the back of the label can also spread laterally.

[0033] Adjacent to the recess is the protrusion on the rear wall that encloses the energy storage device receiving area. The protrusion is thus positioned at a distance from the side wall. This distance can be between a few millimeters and approximately two or even three centimeters. The dimensioning of the distance can define the length of that part of the energy storage device holder that is available for interaction with the fingertip of the human hand and for emitting light on the rear wall of the label. The width of this part of the energy storage device holder (which is available for interaction with the fingertip of the human hand and for emitting light on the rear wall of the label) can, moreover, be based on the dimensions of the energy storage device. In the case of a button cell, this would be the diameter of the button cell, with said width exceeding this button cell diameter by approximately1 to 5 mm to ensure sufficient stability of the energy storage holder.

[0034] As discussed, the protrusion in the rear wall serves, with respect to its inside, to accommodate the energy storage holder including the energy storage device. In addition, the protrusion can have a tape guide for guiding a tape that can be inserted into the tape guide along the outer contour of the protrusion. The protrusion can therefore serve a dual purpose. The tape guide serves to guide a tape with which the label is attached to another object, such as an anti-theft device. However, with the help of the tape, the label can also be attached to an object other than a shelf rail without an anti-theft device. In both applications, the label can be positioned dangling from the tape. The label and tape form a first system that serves purely to attach the label. The label and tape attached to an anti-theft device forms a second system, namely an anti-theft system.

[0035] The use of tape to attach the label to products has proven particularly advantageous when the products are not to be displayed on conventional shelves, whose fronts bear a single label displaying information about numerous identical products. The tape allows the label to be clearly attached to individual products, for example, hanging or individually displayed. This is the case with clothing, handbags, sports equipment, or even watches, among other things.

[0036] Particularly preferably, the tape guide, especially when viewed from the tape in the direction of the side wall, leaves no space in the shaft and has tubes on both sides of the shaft. This ensures that the shaft is not covered by the tape and that the combination part consisting of the side wall and energy storage holder can be pushed into and pulled out of the shaft without hindrance. The distance between the tubes also ensures that the left and right tape sections running above the label rotate out of their own accord due to the cable forces that occur when dangling, and that the label assumes the orientation that corresponds to the parallel run of these tape sections towards a tape attachment to another product or an anti-theft device.

[0037] Furthermore, it can be provided that the tape guide between the two tubes, which preferably run along the outer edges of the rear wall, is curved, preferably partially circular, particularly preferably semicircular, and / or open to the outside. The tape guide can thus be completely closed along the protrusion, ensuring that the tape runs essentially invisibly on the rear wall. On the other hand, the tape guide can also be open to the outside, which contributes to the aspect of material savings with regard to the rear wall.

[0038] A tape can be guided through the tape guide, which can be used to attach the electronic label to products. Compact electronic labels are desired to avoid damage to products due to heavy loads and for aesthetic reasons. This is achieved when the combination part is used to hold the battery or rechargeable battery in position at the end of the label where the tape guide feeds the tape in and out. In order to guide the tape with as little resistance as possible, it should not be guided around edges that are too sharp. A minimum radius is therefore necessary to reduce friction when guiding the tape. On the other hand, a disproportionately large radius would increase friction. With the arrangement mentioned, it is now possible to guide the tape with the tape guide around the slot in the housing of the electronic label that houses the battery or rechargeable battery.The electronic label must be guided along the entire length of the label, which contains the battery and the combination part, without the tape being obstructed by tight edges or a disproportionately large radius. Therefore, the electronic label does not need to be larger at the tape guide location than another electronic label without a tape guide.

[0039] It has also proven particularly advantageous if the center of gravity of the electronic label is below the center of the tape guide. This allows the dangling label to align itself vertically under the influence of gravity and, as discussed above, to independently rotate the tape sections above the label if necessary.

[0040] For a label that is to be positioned lying on a product, it is desirable that the electronic label can be aligned so that it can be easily read by the customer. With conventional labels, this often contradicts the requirement that the conventional label should be attached to the product as firmly as possible to prevent it from falling off. In practice, however, this leads to restrictions in the orientation of the product on the shelf, since the label should always be easy to read and therefore its orientation must be coordinated with the orientation of the image content. However, both aspects are taken into account with the label according to the invention. Firstly, the label is firmly attached to a product or an anti-theft device coupled to the product by the tape.Secondly, the label is only loosely connected to the belt by the bath guide (freely movable relative to the belt, but within the limits defined by the belt length), and therefore remains variable or adjustable in its angle (orientation) when lying on a product. This means that the product can be placed on the shelf in virtually any orientation, while at the same time the orientation of the label placed on it remains freely selectable.

[0041] The tape can be made of a single fiber or a fiber composite (e.g., twisted fibers). It can be made of plastic, carbon fiber, natural fiber, metal, etc., or a combination of various materials. Its diameter can be adjusted to suit the tape guide in the range of approximately 1-6 mm.

[0042] The mentioned anti-theft device, to which the label can be connected by the tape, could be implemented, for example, by a conventional mechanical security label.

[0043] In order to provide the various functionalities of the label, the label has the aforementioned battery-operated electronics, which are designed to control the screen and the light source. The light source can be controlled, for example, by a constant current or by a current modeled in terms of duration and / or amplitude. Accordingly, the electronics have a corresponding driver stage, which can typically be implemented using one or more transistors. This driver stage can be discrete or digital, i.e. integrated. The electronics can also be implemented using an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a microcontroller or a microprocessor with corresponding peripheral components. This can be used to execute programs which, for example, implement the communication protocol for the communication module, control communication with the access point, orand / or send commands and / or data to the screen, or query and process status information from the screen. It should also be mentioned at this point that, in addition to the physical display medium, the screen can also have its own digital screen controller, which processes the received data and / or commands accordingly so that the corresponding image content is visible on the physical display medium. All of these electronic components are supplied with electrical energy using the energy storage device.

[0044] A single LED or an OLED, etc., can be used as the light source. According to a preferred design, which is also extremely energy-efficient while still ensuring homogeneous illumination of the side panel, the electronic label has at least two LEDs positioned at different locations as the light source. These allow light to be fed into the energy storage holder inside the housing from different sides (for example, from the left and right sides). This can, of course, also be achieved with a larger number of LEDs positioned along the energy storage holder.According to this measure, in order to achieve uniform and homogeneous illumination of the side wall, the focus is not only on the aspect that the light can spread from the light source to the side wall at a corresponding distance from it, but also on the fact that a large number of light sources has an additional positive effect on the uniform and homogeneous illumination of the side wall.

[0045] These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from the figures discussed below. Short character description

[0046] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures using exemplary embodiments, to which, however, the invention is not limited. In the various figures, identical components are provided with identical reference numerals. They show schematically: Fig. 1 - 2 an electronic label according to the invention in two oblique views; Fig. 3the label viewed from below; Fig. 4 a view of the label looking towards its front wall; Fig. 5 the label from above looking towards the side wall; Fig. 6 a side view of the label viewed from one side; Fig. 7 a view of the label looking towards its back panel; Fig. 8 another side view of the label viewed from the other side; Fig. 9 the label looking towards the front wall with the combination part consisting of the side wall and an energy storage holder partially pulled out; Fig. 10 the label according to the Figure 9 facing the rear wall; Figs. 11 - 15 the combination part in different views; Fig. 16 a housing slot of the label that is open at the top; Fig. 17 an arrangement of electronic components of the label. Description of the embodiments

[0047] In the Figures 1 - 10 An electronic label 1 according to the invention, hereinafter referred to as label 1, is shown in different views. The label 1 has a housing 2 formed by a front wall 3, a rear wall 4, and a side wall 5.

[0048] A component of the front wall 3 is also a reflective screen 3A, which is inserted into a recess in the material of the front wall 3 adapted to its dimensions.

[0049] The three walls 3-5 are made of plastic (e.g., by injection molding), with the front wall 3 and the rear wall 4 being made of an opaque or non-transparent (possibly also colored) plastic. In contrast, the side wall 5 is made of a translucent or transparent plastic, i.e., a light-conducting plastic. Furthermore, the front wall 3 and the rear wall 4 are shell-shaped, except for their upper ends, so that, when joined together as half-shells, they form a large part of the housing 2.

[0050] The side wall 5, which closes or limits the two joined housing shells of the housing 2 consisting of the front wall 3 and the rear wall 4 at the head end, is part of a Figures 11 to 15from different perspectives visualized combination part 6. This combination part 6 has, in addition to the side wall 5, an energy storage holder 7 which is angled to it and which is realized as a button cell battery holder into which a button cell battery 8 (see Figures 9 and 10 ). Like the side wall 5, the energy storage holder 7 is also made of the aforementioned light-conducting plastic and is formed integrally with the side wall 5, i.e., manufactured in one and the same manufacturing step. The combination part 6 is essentially drawer-shaped to accommodate the button cell battery 8 within the housing 2.

[0051] The two housing shells 3 and 4 of the housing 2 close the housing 2 on the left and right side as well as on the foot side, i.e. on its underside, and leave a Figure 9visible entrance into a shaft 9. The combination part 6 can be inserted or pulled out like a drawer into this shaft 9. By inserting the combination part 6, the button cell battery 8 can be placed in the housing 2 in its intended position, where it supplies the entire electronics (not shown in detail, but see reference numeral 25 in Figure 17 ) of the label 1. By pulling out the combination part 6, the button cell battery 8 can be removed from the housing 2 and replaced if necessary. In this context, reference is made to the Figures 9 and 10 which show the housing 2 with the partially pulled out combination part 6, into which a button cell battery 8 is inserted, looking towards the front wall 3 and looking towards the rear wall 4.

[0052] Furthermore, it should be emphasized that the side wall 5 is inclined at an angle of approximately 10° to the front wall 3. This is, for example, in the Figures 1 , 4 , 6 and 8 clearly visible. This is also the case in an analogous way Figures 12, 13, 14 and 15 , where the combination part 6 is shown detached from the housing 2 and the inclined orientation of the side wall 5 with respect to the energy storage holder 7 can be seen. In order to achieve a flush finish of the two housing shells 3 and 4 with the underside of the side wall 5 at the head end, the course of the upper edge of the front wall 3 and the rear wall 4 is adapted according to the inclination of the side wall 5.

[0053] With reference to the Figures 1, 2 3, 5as well as 6-8 and 10 as well as 16, it is noted that the rear wall 4 further has a protrusion 10 which encloses an energy storage receiving area inside the housing 2 from the rear, i.e. on the rear wall side. This protrusion 10 forms the rear boundary of the aforementioned shaft 9. In addition, the rear wall 4 has a recess 12 extending from its upper rear wall edge 11 towards the protrusion 10, which is delimited by the further rear wall edges 13, 14 and 15. In this recess 12, a part of the energy storage holder 7 is exposed so that finger pressure can be applied there with the tip of a finger of the human hand (not shown) in order to more easily insert the energy storage holder 7 into the shaft 9, but in particular to be able to pull or push it out.

[0054] The rear wall 4 also has a tape guide 16, which is composed of two tubes 17 and 18 running along the left and right edges of the protuberance 10 and a semicircular recess 19 in the protuberance 10 connecting the tubes 17, 18 and open to the outside. The ends of the tubes 17, 18 directed towards the head end end on the left and right sides of the recess 12. The tape guide 16 serves to guide the label 1 with the aid of a tape 20 inserted into the tape guide (see Figure 9, 10 and 16 ) to another object (not shown). It can thus, for example, be tied directly to a merchandise or (e.g., indetachably without additional aids or tools) be connected to an anti-theft device (not shown), whereby the anti-theft device is then directly connected to the merchandise, whereby the anti-theft device is usually only removed by the cashier of a store. The band 20 can be Figures 9, 10and 16 shown have two loose ends or be designed as a closed ribbon loop.

[0055] Furthermore, the positioning of the protrusion 10 in that half of the housing 2 oriented toward the side wall 5 provides the advantage that the label 1 hanging on the band 20 is always aligned due to the effect of gravity so that the side wall 5 always points upwards. The center of gravity of the label 1 is thus shifted asymmetrically toward the side wall 5. This circumstance can advantageously be taken into account in the image design, ultimately the orientation of the image content, which results in the image content always being displayed correctly oriented on the screen 3A for the viewer of the label 1.

[0056] Below are the details of the Figures 11 - 15which, as mentioned, show the combination part 6, which can be inserted into the shaft 9. It should be emphasized here that the energy storage holder 7 has a left and a right mounting element 21 and 22. This offers two advantages.

[0057] On the one hand, this makes it easier to insert and remove the combination part 6. In the housing 2 there are contact elements (not visible in the figures explained so far, but see Figure 17 , contact lugs 23 and 24) for electrically conductive contact with the poles of the button cell battery 8 and these contact elements can be positioned in the housing 2 such that they lie between the holding elements 21, 22, i.e. when the combination part 6 is pushed in or pulled out, they do not come into mechanical interaction with the combination part 6 at all, but are only in contact with the button cell battery 8.

[0058] On the other hand, the two-part design of the holding elements 21 and 22 can also be used to dimension their spacing such that, when the button cell battery 8 is inserted, a clamping effect is created which largely prevents the button cell battery 8 from accidentally falling out of the energy storage holder 7.

[0059] Below is the Figure 17 which very roughly and not conclusively visualizes a selection of electronic functional blocks of the electronics 25 inside the housing 2, without, however, going into details such as the connections between them, because these are routinely apparent to the expert. Figure 17how the energy storage holder 7 positions the button cell battery 8 inside the housing 2 between contact lugs 23 and 24 forming contact elements, and these contact lugs 23, 24 each touch a pole of the button cell battery 8, e.g. from above and below, with the button cell battery 8 being positioned between the contact lugs 23 and 24. The other ends of the metallic contact lugs 23, 24 are connected to the electronics 25 of the label 1. This electronics 25 includes a communication module 26 which is designed for radio communication with an access point (not shown) according to the proprietary time slot communication method mentioned in the general part of the description and, for this purpose, in addition to other electronic components such as a matching network, resonant circuit, etc.an antenna configuration 26A, a screen controller 27 configured to control the screen 3A, and a general digital controller 28 that handles the information exchange with the access point and supplies the screen controller 27 with commands and / or data, and also controls the light emission behavior of two light-emitting diodes 29A and 29B forming the light source. The two light-emitting diodes 29A and 29B are positioned such that they feed their emitted light into the transparent body of the energy storage holder 7 at different locations on the energy storage holder 7. In the present case, the feed is symmetrical to the position of the button cell battery 8, i.e., to its left and right sides, approximately at or in the vicinity of the position of the button cell battery 8.From there, the light spreads through the body of the energy storage holder 7 toward the side wall 5, providing uniform, essentially homogeneous illumination of the side wall 5. The two light-emitting diodes 29A and 29B can be monochrome or RGB LEDs. However, the light can also be fed into the energy storage holder 7 above the position of the button cell battery 8, at a distance from the side wall 5. In this case, only a single LED can be used. 6.

[0060] The manner in which the side wall 5 illuminates (e.g. color, flashing frequency, brightness, signal coding, etc.) can be controlled by a server (not shown) by transmitting commands via the access point to the general digital controller 28 of the label 1. The general controller 28 decodes the commands and controls the LEDs 29A and 29B accordingly. This can produce a wide variety of effects on the viewer. This can draw the attention of customers and staff alike to the label 1 in question. In particular, the area-wide light emission across the entire side wall 5 allows the viewer to perceive the optical attention trigger as pleasant, quite different from what would be the case if an LED or other point light source were to flash directly at them, which is often perceived as garish and invasive.

[0061] In addition, the light emission via the forward-inclined side wall 5 has the advantage that, despite the light signature being perceived from the front, the front wall 3 is largely available for the screen 3A, i.e., no compromises need to be made with regard to the size and positioning of the screen 3A due to the additional light signal emission means (light source, energy storage holder 7, side wall 5).

[0062] Finally, it should be noted once again that the figures described in detail above are merely exemplary embodiments that can be modified in a variety of ways by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For the sake of completeness, it should also be noted that the use of the indefinite articles "a" or "an" does not exclude the possibility that the relevant features may be present multiple times.

Claims

1. Electronic label (1) with a housing (2) which has a front wall (3) and a rear wall (4) and at least one side wall (5), - wherein the front wall (3) has a, in particular reflective, screen (3A), - wherein, in contrast to the front wall (3) and rear wall (4), the side wall (5) is designed to be light-conducting, - wherein a light source (19A, 29B) for emitting the light that can be generated with it is positioned through the side wall (5) within the housing (2), - wherein the side wall (5) is at least partially inclined towards the front wall (3), - wherein the side wall (5) has an energy storage holder (7) projecting into the interior of the housing (2) and for holding at least one electrical energy storage device (8), in particular a battery ora rechargeable battery, particularly preferably a button cell battery, is formed at a designated position in the housing (2), and - wherein the rear wall (4) has a recess (12) adjacent to the side wall (5) and a part of the energy storage holder (7) is exposed there.

2. Electronic label (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the side wall (5) partially oriented forwards in the direction of the front wall has a curved side wall surface.

3. Electronic label (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the side wall (5) is designed to be translucent in such a way that a light fed into the interior of the housing (2) is emitted over a surface.

4. Electronic label (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the side wall (5) has a side wall edge and wherein the side wall edge is translucent, so that light can exit not only via the region-dominating side wall surface, but can also exit through the side wall edge, which is particularly relatively narrow in relation to the side wall surface.

5. Electronic label (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the side wall (5) runs circumferentially all the way around between the front wall (3) and the rear wall (4).

6. Electronic label (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the energy storage holder (7) is free of separate terminals or springs or electrical contacts and the like.

7. Electronic label (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the side wall (5) with its energy storage holder (7) is designed in the shape of a drawer.

8. Electronic label (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) has a shaft (9) extending between the front wall (3) and the rear wall (4) for receiving the energy storage holder (7).

9. Electronic label (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rear wall (4) has a protuberance (10) which encloses an energy storage receiving area which is dimensioned such that the energy storage holder (7) together with the energy storage (8) can be received therein.

10. Electronic label (1) according to one of the preceding claims, which has as light source (29A, 29B) at least two LEDs positioned at different locations, with the aid of which light can be fed into the energy storage holder (7) from different sides.

11. System comprising - an electronic label (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, - an anti-theft device, and - a band (20) which connects the electronic label (1) to the anti-theft device.

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