Interactive display of deep product information in smart retail

Abstract

In some aspects, a method of communication performed by a management entity includes determining positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment; receiving product information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; and transmitting, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.

Description

Qualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO1 / 44INTERACTIVE DISPLAY OF DEEP PRODUCT INFORMATION IN SMART RETAILCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present Application for Patent claims the benefit of Greek Application No.20250100219, entitled “INTERACTIVE DISPLAY OF DEEP PRODUCT INFORMATION IN SMART RETAIL,” filed March 26, 2025, assigned to the assignee hereof, and expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE1. Field of the Disclosure

[0002] Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to wireless technologies.2. Description of the Related Art

[0003] Electronic labels, such as electronic shelf labels (ESLs), are used by retailers for displaying product pricing or other product information to consumers. ESLs typically use electronic paper (e-paper) or liquid crystal display (LCD) to display the current information. E-paper (also referred to as e-ink) is widely used for ESLs, as it provides a sharp display and supports full graphic imaging while only needing power during updates and no power to retain an image.

[0004] ESLs are increasingly being integrated with existing retail technologies, such as electronic article surveillance, digital signage, and people counters. For example, retailers can upload a floor plan of the sales area into the ESL management software. Consumers can then be tracked (in real time) through a network of people-counting devices, or via their personal BLUETOOTH® devices, in order to determine their position within the store at all times. This allows an individual customer to receive targeted, customized marketing initiatives, such as discounts, individual pricing, etc.SUMMARY

[0005] The following presents a simplified summary relating to one or more aspects disclosed herein. Thus, the following summary should not be considered an extensive overview relating to all contemplated aspects, nor should the following summary be considered toQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO2 / 44identify key or critical elements relating to all contemplated aspects or to delineate the scope associated with any particular aspect. Accordingly, the following summary has the sole purpose to present certain concepts relating to one or more aspects relating to the mechanisms disclosed herein in a simplified form to precede the detailed description presented below.

[0006] In an aspect, a method of communication performed by a management entity includes determining positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment; receiving product information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; and transmitting, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.

[0007] In an aspect, a management entity includes one or more memories; one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to: determine positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment; receive, via the one or more transceivers, product information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; and transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.

[0008] In an aspect, a management entity includes means for determining positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment; means for receiving product information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; and means for transmitting, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO3 / 44

[0009] In an aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a management entity, cause the management entity to: determine positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment; receive product information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; and transmit, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.

[0010] Other obj ects and advantages associated with the aspects disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The accompanying drawings are presented to aid in the description of various aspects of the disclosure and are provided solely for illustration of the aspects and not limitation thereof.

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates an example electronic shelf label (ESL) system, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates example components of an example ESL, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0014] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are simplified block diagrams of several sample aspects of components that may be employed in a user equipment (UE), a base station, and a network entity, respectively, and configured to support communications as taught herein.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example electronic shelf label (ESL) deployment scenario, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example positioning scenario using a weighted centroid algorithm, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates an example electronic tag, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates examples of item-related visual indications that may be displayed to a user on the display screen of a cooler door, according to aspects of the disclosure.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO4 / 44

[0019] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of displaying an indication that a product needs to be moved to a different location on the shelf of a cooler, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example scenario where a user is presented with an advertisement on a smart cart display directing them to an advertisement on a cooler door display, according to aspects of the disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 10 illustrates an example method of communication, according to aspects of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Aspects of the disclosure are provided in the following description and related drawings directed to various examples provided for illustration purposes. Alternate aspects may be devised without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, well-known elements of the disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the disclosure.

[0023] Various aspects relate generally to electronic label devices and associated wireless radios.Some aspects more specifically relate to an interactive display of deep product information in smart retail. In some examples, the disclosure presents an interactive system for smart retail environments using infrastructure such as electronic shelf labels (ESLs), energy harvesting tags (eTags), and digital product passports to provide extensive (deep) product information, including sustainability data and ethical sourcing details. A first technique disclosed herein uses eTags and cooler / freezer door screens, leveraging BLUETOOTH® Low Energy (BLE) and received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements for precise positioning, while a second technique involves smart carts and cooler / freezer door screens and BLE, RSSI, and camera vision for item location updates and user profile tracking.

[0024] Particular aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. In some examples, by providing extensive product information, including sustainability data and ethical sourcing details, the described techniques can be used to enhance user experience and support sustainability initiatives.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO5 / 44

[0025] The words “exemplary” and / or “example” are used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” and / or “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Likewise, the term “aspects of the disclosure” does not require that all aspects of the disclosure include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.

[0026] Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the information and signals described below may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the description below may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the particular application, in part on the desired design, in part on the corresponding technology, etc.

[0027] Further, many aspects are described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. It will be recognized that various actions described herein can be performed by specific circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. Additionally, the sequence(s) of actions described herein can be considered to be embodied entirely within any form of non- transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a corresponding set of computer instructions that, upon execution, would cause or instruct an associated processor of a device to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, the various aspects of the disclosure may be embodied in a number of different forms, all of which have been contemplated to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. In addition, for each of the aspects described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspects may be described herein as, for example, “logic configured to” perform the described action.

[0028] As used herein, the terms “user equipment” (UE) and “base station” are not intended to be specific or otherwise limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT), unless otherwise noted. In general, a UE may be any wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, router, tablet computer, laptop computer, consumer asset locating device, wearable (e.g., smartwatch, glasses, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) headset, etc.), vehicle (e.g., automobile, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.), Internet of Things (loT) device, etc.) used by a user to communicate over a wireless communications network. A UE mayQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO6 / 44be mobile or may (e.g., at certain times) be stationary, and may communicate with a radio access network (RAN). As used herein, the term “UE” may be referred to interchangeably as an “access terminal” or “AT,” a “client device,” a “wireless device,” a “subscriber device,” a “subscriber terminal,” a “subscriber station,” a “user terminal” or “UT,” a “mobile device,” a “mobile terminal,” a “mobile station,” or variations thereof. Generally, UEs can communicate with a core network via a RAN, and through the core network the UEs can be connected with external networks such as the Internet and with other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms of connecting to the core network and / or the Internet are also possible for the UEs, such as over wired access networks, wireless local area network (WLAN) networks (e.g., based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 specification, etc.) and so on.

[0029] Electronic label displays (or electronic display devices), such as electronic shelf labels (ESLs), are used by retailers for displaying product pricing or other product information to consumers. ESLs typically use electronic paper (e-paper) or liquid crystal display (LCD) to display the current information. E-paper (also referred to as e-ink) is widely used for ESLs, as it provides a sharp display and supports full graphic imaging while only needing power during updates and no power to retain an image, thereby significantly reducing power consumption.

[0030] ESLs are increasingly being integrated with existing retail technologies, such as electronic article surveillance, digital signage, and people counters. For example, retailers can upload a floor plan of the sales area into the ESL management software. Consumers can then be tracked (in real time) through a network of people-counting devices, or via their personal BLUETOOTH® devices, in order to determine their position within the store at all times. This allows an individual customer to receive targeted, customized marketing initiatives, such as discounts, individual pricing, etc.

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates an example ESL system 100, according to aspects of the disclosure. An ESL system generally includes three components: label management software (e.g., running on a central management entity 110, such as a local server at the retail location or a cloud-based server), one or more wireless communication access points 120 (e.g., Wi-Fi access points), one or more rail controllers 130, and one or more (usually many) ESLs 140. The label management software is responsible for the configuration of the system, configuration of the properties of the ESLs 140 themselves, and storing theQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO7 / 44database of information to be displayed by the ESLs 140. The software mainly covers the network management, file systems, and transmission of data. It also processes and packs the data to be displayed into packets of information. The data packets are then sent to one or more wireless communication access points 120 via a wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi) for distribution to the ESLs 140 via the one or more rail controllers 130.

[0032] A wireless communication access point 120 is responsible for the stability and reliability of transmissions from the label management software (on the central management entity 110) to the ESLs 140. There may be multiple wireless communication access points 120 deployed in a single retail location based on the size of the space and / or the number of ESLs 140 deployed.

[0033] A wireless communication access point 120 communicates with one or more rail controllers 130 via a short-range wireless communications protocol, such as BLUETOOTH® Low Energy (BLE). A rail controller 130 may therefore include a BLE radio (or other short-range wireless communications protocol radio). A rail controller 130 may be powered by a battery (e.g., a lithium-ion battery) or a wired connection. A rail controller 130 is coupled to, or integrated into, a rail to which multiple ESLs 140 can be “clipped” or otherwise attached. Once clipped to the rail, each ESL 140 has a wired connection to the rail controller 130 (e.g., via a three-wire bus for power, ground, and data).

[0034] An ESL 140 functions as a receiver from the wireless communication access point 120 (via the rail controller 130) to display the information configured from the label management software. The ESL 140 then acts based on the instructions that were provided in the data packets from the label management software. An ESL 140 includes a display and optionally a camera. ESLs 140 generally do not include batteries, as they are typically powered by the rail to which they are attached. However, in some cases, an ESL 140 may be powered by a coin-cell battery, which may provide an operational life of eight to nine years. In some cases, an ESL 140 may not have a short-range wireless communications radio (e.g., a BLE radio), as it receives data from the wireless communication access point 120 via the wired rail connection to the rail controller 130.

[0035] An ESL application programming interface (API) is included in the current BLUETOOTH® specification and permits a 7-bit group identifier of 8-bit unique ESL identifiers, allowing for a total of 32,640 ESLs 140 to be allocated for one wirelessQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO8 / 44communication access point 120. With those constraints, multiple wireless communication access points 120 may be needed to cover a typical grocery store ESL application.

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates example components of an example ESL 140, according to aspects of the disclosure. Note that in some cases, rather than an ESL 140 having its own wireless radio (e.g., a BLE radio) as shown in FIG. 2, multiple ESLs 140 may be attached (e.g., clipped) to a rail attached to a retail shelf. In this case, the rail (specifically a rail controller 130) contains the short-range wireless communications radio and the ESLs 140 have just the display. The radio controller 130 in the rail communicates locally to the clipped-on ESLs 140 over a wired protocol (the act of clipping on connects the ESLs 140 to the wires of the rail controller 130). As such, an ESL 140 itself may not have a radio but may connect locally to one (i.e., the rail controller 130). Note that in either case, the radio may also be referred to as a transceiver.

[0037] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate several example components (represented by corresponding blocks) that may be incorporated into a UE 302 (which may correspond to any of the UEs described herein), a base station 304 (which may correspond to any of the base stations or access points described herein), and a network entity 306 (which may correspond to or embody any of the network functions described herein, such as a private network) to support the operations described herein. It will be appreciated that these components may be implemented in different types of apparatuses in different implementations (e.g., in an ASIC, in a system-on-chip (SoC), etc.). The illustrated components may also be incorporated into other apparatuses in a communication system. For example, other apparatuses in a system may include components similar to those described to provide similar functionality. Also, a given apparatus may contain one or more of the components. For example, an apparatus may include multiple transceiver components that enable the apparatus to operate on multiple carriers and / or communicate via different technologies.

[0038] The UE 302 and the base station 304 each include one or more wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceivers 310 and 350, respectively, providing means for communicating (e.g., means for transmitting, means for receiving, means for measuring, means for tuning, means for refraining from transmitting, etc.) via one or more wireless communication networks (not shown), such as an NR network, an LTE network, a GSM network, and / orQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO9 / 44the like. The WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 may each be connected to one or more antennas 316 and 356, respectively, for communicating with other network nodes, such as other UEs, access points, base stations (e.g., eNBs, gNBs), etc., via at least one designated RAT (e.g., NR, LTE, GSM, etc.) over a wireless communication medium of interest (e.g., some set of time / frequency resources in a particular frequency spectrum). The WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 may be variously configured for transmitting and encoding signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, indications, information, and so on), respectively, and, conversely, for receiving and decoding signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, and so on), respectively, in accordance with the designated RAT. Specifically, the WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 include one or more transmitters 314 and 354, respectively, for transmitting and encoding signals 318 and 358, respectively, and one or more receivers 312 and 352, respectively, for receiving and decoding signals 318 and 358, respectively.

[0039] The UE 302 and the base station 304 each also include, at least in some cases, one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360, respectively. The short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 may be connected to one or more antennas 326 and 366, respectively, and provide means for communicating (e.g., means for transmitting, means for receiving, means for measuring, means for tuning, means for refraining from transmitting, etc.) with other network nodes, such as other UEs, access points, base stations, etc., via at least one designated RAT (e.g., Wi-Fi®, LTE Direct, BLUETOOTH®, ZIGBEE®, Z-WAVE®, PC5, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), wireless access for vehicular environments (WAVE), near-field communication (NFC), ultra-wideband (UWB), etc.) over a wireless communication medium of interest. The short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 may be variously configured for transmitting and encoding signals 328 and 368 (e.g., messages, indications, information, and so on), respectively, and, conversely, for receiving and decoding signals 328 and 368 (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, and so on), respectively, in accordance with the designated RAT. Specifically, the short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 include one or more transmitters 324 and 364, respectively, for transmitting and encoding signals 328 and 368, respectively, and one or more receivers 322 and 362, respectively, for receiving and decoding signals 328 and 368, respectively. As specific examples, the short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 may be Wi-Fi® transceivers,QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO10 / 44BLUETOOTH® transceivers, ZIGBEE® and / or Z-WAVE® transceivers, NFC transceivers, UWB transceivers, or vehi cl e-to- vehicle (V2V) and / or vehicle-to- everything (V2X) transceivers.

[0040] The UE 302 and the base station 304 also include, at least in some cases, satellite signal interfaces 330 and 370, which each include one or more satellite signal receivers 332 and 372, respectively, and may optionally include one or more satellite signal transmitters 334 and 374, respectively. In some cases, the base station 304 may be a terrestrial base station that may communicate with space vehicles (e.g., space vehicles 112) via the satellite signal interface 370. In other cases, the base station 304 may be a space vehicle (or other non-terrestrial entity) that uses the satellite signal interface 370 to communicate with terrestrial networks and / or other space vehicles.

[0041] The satellite signal receivers 332 and 372 may be connected to one or more antennas 336 and 376, respectively, and may provide means for receiving and / or measuring satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. Where the satellite signal receiver(s) 332 and 372 are satellite positioning system receivers, the satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 may be global positioning system (GPS) signals, global navigation satellite system (GLONASS) signals, Galileo signals, Beidou signals, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (NAVIC), Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) signals, etc. Where the satellite signal receiver(s) 332 and 372 are nonterrestrial network (NTN) receivers, the satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 may be communication signals (e.g., carrying control and / or user data) originating from a 5G network. The satellite signal receiver(s) 332 and 372 may comprise any suitable hardware and / or software for receiving and processing satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. The satellite signal receiver(s) 332 and 372 may request information and operations as appropriate from the other systems, and, at least in some cases, perform calculations to determine locations of the UE 302 and the base station 304, respectively, using measurements obtained by any suitable satellite positioning system algorithm.

[0042] The optional satellite signal transmitter(s) 334 and 374, when present, may be connected to the one or more antennas 336 and 376, respectively, and may provide means for transmitting satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. Where the satellite signal transmitter(s) 374 are satellite positioning system transmitters,QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO11 / 44the satellite positioning / communication signals 378 may be GPS signals, GLONASS® signals, Galileo signals, Beidou signals, NAVIC, QZSS signals, etc. Where the satellite signal transmitter(s) 334 and 374 are NTN transmitters, the satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 may be communication signals (e.g., carrying control and / or user data) originating from a 5G network. The satellite signal transmitter(s) 334 and 374 may comprise any suitable hardware and / or software for transmitting satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. The satellite signal transmitter(s) 334 and 374 may request information and operations as appropriate from the other systems.

[0043] The base station 304 and the network entity 306 each include one or more network transceivers 380 and 390, respectively, providing means for communicating (e.g., means for transmitting, means for receiving, etc.) with other network entities (e.g., other base stations 304, other network entities 306). For example, the base station 304 may employ the one or more network transceivers 380 to communicate with other base stations 304 or network entities 306 over one or more wired or wireless backhaul links. As another example, the network entity 306 may employ the one or more network transceivers 390 to communicate with one or more base station 304 over one or more wired or wireless backhaul links, or with other network entities 306 over one or more wired or wireless core network interfaces.

[0044] A transceiver may be configured to communicate over a wired or wireless link. A transceiver (whether a wired transceiver or a wireless transceiver) includes transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitters 314, 324, 354, 364) and receiver circuitry (e.g., receivers 312, 322, 352, 362). A transceiver may be an integrated device (e.g., embodying transmitter circuitry and receiver circuitry in a single device) in some implementations, may comprise separate transmitter circuitry and separate receiver circuitry in some implementations, or may be embodied in other ways in other implementations. The transmitter circuitry and receiver circuitry of a wired transceiver (e.g., network transceivers 380 and 390 in some implementations) may be coupled to one or more wired network interface ports. Wireless transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitters 314, 324, 354, 364) may include or be coupled to a plurality of antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as an antenna array, that permits the respective apparatus (e.g., UE 302, base station 304) to perform transmit “beamforming,” as described herein. Similarly, wireless receiver circuitry (e.g., receiversQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO12 / 44312, 322, 352, 362) may include or be coupled to a plurality of antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as an antenna array, that permits the respective apparatus (e.g., UE 302, base station 304) to perform receive beamforming, as described herein. In an aspect, the transmitter circuitry and receiver circuitry may share the same plurality of antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such that the respective apparatus can only receive or transmit at a given time, not both at the same time. A wireless transceiver (e.g., WWAN transceivers 310 and 350, short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360) may also include a network listen module (NLM) or the like for performing various measurements.

[0045] As used herein, the various wireless transceivers (e.g., transceivers 310, 320, 350, and 360, and network transceivers 380 and 390 in some implementations) and wired transceivers (e.g., network transceivers 380 and 390 in some implementations) may generally be characterized as “a transceiver,” “at least one transceiver,” or “one or more transceivers.” As such, whether a particular transceiver is a wired or wireless transceiver may be inferred from the type of communication performed. For example, backhaul communication between network devices or servers will generally relate to signaling via a wired transceiver, whereas wireless communication between a UE (e.g., UE 302) and a base station (e.g., base station 304) will generally relate to signaling via a wireless transceiver.

[0046] The UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 also include other components that may be used in conjunction with the operations as disclosed herein. The UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 include one or more processors 342, 384, and 394, respectively, for providing functionality relating to, for example, wireless communication, and for providing other processing functionality. The processors 342, 384, and 394 may therefore provide means for processing, such as means for determining, means for calculating, means for receiving, means for transmitting, means for indicating, etc. In an aspect, the processors 342, 384, and 394 may include, for example, one or more general purpose processors, multi-core processors, central processing units (CPUs), ASICs, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), other programmable logic devices or processing circuitry, or various combinations thereof.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO13 / 44

[0047] The UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 include memory circuitry implementing memories 340, 386, and 396 (e.g., each including a memory device), respectively, for maintaining information (e.g., information indicative of reserved resources, thresholds, parameters, and so on). The memories 340, 386, and 396 may therefore provide means for storing, means for retrieving, means for maintaining, etc. In some cases, the UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 may include positioning components 348, 388, and 398, respectively. The positioning components 348, 388, and 398 may be hardware circuits that are part of or coupled to the processors 342, 384, and 394, respectively, and are configured to cause the UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 to perform the functionality described herein. In other aspects, the positioning components 348, 388, and 398 may be external to the processors 342, 384, and 394 (e.g., part of a modem processing system, integrated with another processing system, etc.). Alternatively, the positioning component 348, 388, and 398 may be memory modules stored in the memories 340, 386, and 396, respectively, that, when executed by the processors 342, 384, and 394 (or a modem processing system, another processing system, etc.), cause the UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 to perform the functionality described herein. FIG. 3A illustrates possible locations of the positioning component 348, which may be, for example, part of the one or more WWAN transceivers 310, the memory 340, the one or more processors 342, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component. FIG. 3B illustrates possible locations of the positioning component 388, which may be, for example, part of the one or more WWAN transceivers 350, the memory 386, the one or more processors 384, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component. FIG. 3C illustrates possible locations of the positioning component 398, which may be, for example, part of the one or more network transceivers 390, the memory 396, the one or more processors 394, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component.

[0048] The UE 302 may include one or more sensors 344 coupled to the one or more processors 342 to provide means for sensing or detecting movement and / or orientation information that is independent of motion data derived from signals received by the one or more WWAN transceivers 310, the one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320, and / or the satellite signal interface 330. By way of example, the sensor(s) 344 may include an accelerometer (e.g., a micro-electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) device), a gyroscope,QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO14 / 44a geomagnetic sensor (e.g., a compass), an altimeter (e.g., a barometric pressure altimeter), and / or any other type of movement detection sensor. Moreover, the sensor(s) 344 may include a plurality of different types of devices and combine their outputs in order to provide motion information. For example, the sensor(s) 344 may use a combination of a multi-axis accelerometer and orientation sensors to provide the ability to compute positions in two-dimensional (2D) and / or three-dimensional (3D) coordinate systems.

[0049] In addition, the UE 302 includes a user interface 346 providing means for providing indications (e.g., audible and / or visual indications) to a user and / or for receiving user input (e.g., upon user actuation of a sensing device such a keypad, a touch screen, a microphone, and so on). Although not shown, the base station 304 and the network entity 306 may also include user interfaces.

[0050] Referring to the one or more processors 384 in more detail, in the downlink, IP packets from the network entity 306 may be provided to the processor 384. The one or more processors 384 may implement functionality for an RRC layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, and a medium access control (MAC) layer. The one or more processors 384 may provide RRC layer functionality associated with broadcasting of system information (e.g., master information block (MIB), system information blocks (SIBs)), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-RAT mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression, security (ciphering, deciphering, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functionality associated with the transfer of upper layer protocol date units (PDUs), error correction through automatic repeat request (ARQ), concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs), re-segmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, scheduling information reporting, error correction, priority handling, and logical channel prioritization.

[0051] The transmitter 354 and the receiver 352 may implement Layer- 1 (LI) functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Layer-1, which includes a physicalQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO15 / 44(PHY) layer, may include error detection on the transport channels, forward error correction (FEC) coding / decoding of the transport channels, interleaving, rate matching, mapping onto physical channels, modulation / demodulation of physical channels, and MIMO antenna processing. The transmitter 354 handles mapping to signal constellations based on various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), M-phase-shift keying (M-PSK), M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). The coded and modulated symbols may then be split into parallel streams. Each stream may then be mapped to an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarrier, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., pilot) in the time and / or frequency domain, and then combined together using an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to produce a physical channel carrying a time domain OFDM symbol stream. The OFDM symbol stream is spatially precoded to produce multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from a channel estimator may be used to determine the coding and modulation scheme, as well as for spatial processing. The channel estimate may be derived from a reference signal and / or channel condition feedback transmitted by the UE 302. Each spatial stream may then be provided to one or more different antennas 356. The transmitter 354 may modulate an RF carrier with a respective spatial stream for transmission.

[0052] At the UE 302, the receiver 312 receives a signal through its respective antenna(s) 316.The receiver 312 recovers information modulated onto an RF carrier and provides the information to the one or more processors 342. The transmitter 314 and the receiver 312 implement Layer- 1 functionality associated with various signal processing functions. The receiver 312 may perform spatial processing on the information to recover any spatial streams destined for the UE 302. If multiple spatial streams are destined for the UE 302, they may be combined by the receiver 312 into a single OFDM symbol stream. The receiver 312 then converts the OFDM symbol stream from the time-domain to the frequency domain using a fast Fourier transform (FFT). The frequency domain signal comprises a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. The symbols on each subcarrier, and the reference signal, are recovered and demodulated by determining the most likely signal constellation points transmitted by the base station 304. These soft decisions may be based on channel estimates computed by a channel estimator. The soft decisions are then decoded and de-interleaved to recover the data and controlQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO16 / 44signals that were originally transmitted by the base station 304 on the physical channel. The data and control signals are then provided to the one or more processors 342, which implements Layer-3 (L3) and Layer-2 (L2) functionality.

[0053] In the downlink, the one or more processors 342 provides demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, deciphering, header decompression, and control signal processing to recover IP packets from the core network. The one or more processors 342 are also responsible for error detection.

[0054] Similar to the functionality described in connection with the downlink transmission by the base station 304, the one or more processors 342 provides RRC layer functionality associated with system information (e.g., MIB, SIBs) acquisition, RRC connections, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression, and security (ciphering, deciphering, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functionality associated with the transfer of upper layer PDUs, error correction through ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs, re-segmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC SDUs onto transport blocks (TBs), demultiplexing of MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction through hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), priority handling, and logical channel prioritization.

[0055] Channel estimates derived by the channel estimator from a reference signal or feedback transmitted by the base station 304 may be used by the transmitter 314 to select the appropriate coding and modulation schemes, and to facilitate spatial processing. The spatial streams generated by the transmitter 314 may be provided to different antenna(s) 316. The transmitter 314 may modulate an RF carrier with a respective spatial stream for transmission.

[0056] The uplink transmission is processed at the base station 304 in a manner similar to that described in connection with the receiver function at the UE 302. The receiver 352 receives a signal through its respective antenna(s) 356. The receiver 352 recovers information modulated onto an RF carrier and provides the information to the one or more processors 384.

[0057] In the uplink, the one or more processors 384 provides demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, deciphering, header decompression, controlQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO17 / 44signal processing to recover IP packets from the UE 302. IP packets from the one or more processors 384 may be provided to the core network. The one or more processors 384 are also responsible for error detection.

[0058] For convenience, the UE 302, the base station 304, and / or the network entity 306 are shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C as including various components that may be configured according to the various examples described herein. It will be appreciated, however, that the illustrated components may have different functionality in different designs. In particular, various components in FIGS. 3A to 3C are optional in alternative configurations and the various aspects include configurations that may vary due to design choice, costs, use of the device, or other considerations. For example, in case of FIG. 3A, a particular implementation of UE 302 may omit the WWAN transceiver(s) 310 (e.g., a wearable device or tablet computer or personal computer (PC) or laptop may have WiFi® and / or BLUETOOTH® capability without cellular capability), or may omit the short- range wireless transceiver s) 320 (e.g., cellular-only, etc.), or may omit the satellite signal interface 330, or may omit the sensor(s) 344, and so on. In another example, in case of FIG. 3B, a particular implementation of the base station 304 may omit the WWAN transceiver(s) 350 (e.g., a Wi-Fi® “hotspot” access point without cellular capability), or may omit the short-range wireless transceiver(s) 360 (e.g., cellular-only, etc.), or may omit the satellite signal interface 370, and so on. For brevity, illustration of the various alternative configurations is not provided herein, but would be readily understandable to one skilled in the art.

[0059] The various components of the UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 may be communicatively coupled to each other over data buses 308, 382, and 392, respectively. In an aspect, the data buses 308, 382, and 392 may form, or be part of, a communication interface of the UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306, respectively. For example, where different logical entities are embodied in the same device (e.g., gNB and location server functionality incorporated into the same base station 304), the data buses 308, 382, and 392 may provide communication between them.

[0060] The components of FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C may be implemented in various ways. In some implementations, the components of FIGS. 3 A, 3B, and 3C may be implemented in one or more circuits such as, for example, one or more processors and / or one or more ASICs (which may include one or more processors). Here, each circuit may use and / orQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO18 / 44incorporate at least one memory component for storing information or executable code used by the circuit to provide this functionality. For example, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 310 to 346 may be implemented by processor and memory component(s) of the UE 302 (e.g., by execution of appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of processor components). Similarly, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 350 to 388 may be implemented by processor and memory component(s) of the base station 304 (e.g., by execution of appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of processor components). Also, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 390 to 398 may be implemented by processor and memory component(s) of the network entity 306 (e.g., by execution of appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of processor components). For simplicity, various operations, acts, and / or functions are described herein as being performed “by a UE,” “by a base station,” “by a network entity,” etc. However, as will be appreciated, such operations, acts, and / or functions may actually be performed by specific components or combinations of components of the UE 302, base station 304, network entity 306, etc., such as the processors 342, 384, 394, the transceivers 310, 320, 350, and 360, the memories 340, 386, and 396, the positioning component 348, 388, and 398, etc.

[0061] In some designs, the network entity 306 may be implemented as a core network component. In other designs, the network entity 306 may be distinct from a network operator or operation of the cellular network infrastructure. For example, the network entity 306 may be a component of a private network that may be configured to communicate with the UE 302 via the base station 304 or independently from the base station 304 (e.g., over a non-cellular communication link, such as Wi-Fi®).

[0062] FIG. 4 is a diagram 400 illustrating an example ESL deployment scenario, according to aspects of the disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of a scenario where ESLs (e.g., ESLs 140) are deployed on both sides of two aisles of shelves in a retail establishment, warehouse, or the like. In the example of FIG. 4, groups of three ESLs are connected to a rail controller (e.g., a radio controller 130 utilizing, for example, a BLE radio) and the rail controllers are spaced Im to 2m apart. However, as will be appreciated, this is merely an example configuration and there may be more or fewer ESLs per rail controller spaced closer or further apart.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO19 / 44

[0063] In some cases, the ESLs may not be equipped with short-range wireless communications radios (e.g., BLE radios), and instead, the rail controller may include the short-range wireless communications radio for the three ESLs connected to it. In either case, the wireless radio associated with an ESL (whether a component of the ESL of the rail controller to which the ESL is connected) may be referred to as an “ESL radio.” Note that, as an ESL may include a radio (see, e.g., FIG. 2), the term “ESL” may also refer to the ESL radio. Where the radio is explicitly not included in the ESL, the ESL may be referred to as an “ESL display.” Further note, however, that ESLs and ESL radios are merely examples, and the disclosure is applicable to other types of wireless radios associated with other types of electronic label devices. Such radios may be referred to as “wireless electronic label device radios,” “electronic label device radios,” “wireless electronic label radios,” “electronic label radios,” and / or the like.

[0064] Indoor positioning based on BLE beaconing from ESLs is being developed for retail and warehouse applications. In general, the location of a target device (e.g., an energy harvesting tag (eTag)) is determined based on signal strength measurements (e.g., received signal strength indicator (RSSI)) of beacon signals transmitted by multiple ESLs. Trilateration using RSSI has been observed to be highly unreliable, as the RSSI is very susceptible to attenuation, which in turn leads to poor range estimation accuracy. Instead, the weighted centroid algorithm is considered to be much more robust to attenuation and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) effects.

[0065] FIG. 5 is a diagram 500 illustrating an example positioning scenario using a weighted centroid algorithm, according to aspects of the disclosure. In the example of FIG. 5, measurements of the beacon signals transmitted by three ESL radios (labeled “ESL1,” “ESL2,” and “ESL3”) are used to determine a location of a target device (labeled “eTag”). For a given target device beacon transmission, let > r2> ••• rMdenote the RSSI values of the beacon as measured by M ESL radios (in descending order). The target device position estimate is then given by the weighted average of the ESL radio positions, where the weights are a function of the RSSI values:p=- Pfc

[0066] In the above equations, N < M is the maximum number of ESL radios that are used in the computation, and wkis an exponential function (based on a value ) of the RSSIQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO20 / 44values. N and A are empirical terms that may be preset to some desired value. The weights may be proportional to the RSSIs. That is, the weight assigned to the kthESL radio is proportional to the signal strength measured by that ESL radio, meaning an ESL radio associated with a higher RS SI may be assigned a larger weight. In the example of FIG. 5, w3> wx> w2.

[0067] Low-cost battery -less energy harvesting “tags” (referred to as “eTags” or ambient Internet-of-Things (A-IoT) tags or simply electronic tags) are being developed that can be affixed to various types of assets for various purposes, such as positioning, tracking, verification / validation, product information storage, etc. FIG. 6 illustrates an example eTag 600, according to aspects of the disclosure. The example eTag 600 is a flexible printed circuit (FPC) having a size of, for example, 43mm by 45mm by 0.2mm. In some cases, the eTag 600 may be encapsulated in a paper or plastic label with an adhesive backing that can be attached to an asset.

[0068] eTags do not include batteries, but rather, are energized by (harvest energy from) received wireless signals, similar to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. As such, the eTag 600 includes an energy harvesting antenna 610, which may operate in the 900 MHz range. An eTag, such as eTag 600, may be able to harvest energy from a transmitter as far away as 20m (in contrast, an RFID tag needs to be within a few meters of the transmitter to be able to perform energy harvesting).

[0069] The energy captured by the energy harvesting antenna 610 is stored in an external capacitor 620, which in turn powers a test chip 630 and a transmit antenna 640. When powered by the external capacitor 620, the test chip 630 provides information for transmission to the transmit antenna 640. The transmit antenna 640 may operate in the 2.4 GHz range according to one or more communication protocols (e.g., BLE, Wi-Fi, NR). For example, the test chip 630 and transmit antenna 640 may act as a BLE beacon and support BLE advertisement transmission. Note that in some cases, the transmit antenna 640 may also act as an energy harvesting antenna. In some cases, where the energy harvesting antenna 610 and the transmit antenna 640 are the same antenna, the combination of the energy harvesting antenna 610 and the transmit antenna 640 may be referred to as a transceiver.

[0070] In some cases, the eTag 600 may include one or more sensors 650. Such sensors may include temperature sensors, pressure sensors, and / or other low energy sensors.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO21 / 44

[0071] In some cases, to position an eTag 600 using the positioning method illustrated by FIG.5, the eTag 600 may be energized to transmit one or more BLE beacon transmissions to nearby ESL radios (e.g., ESL1, ESL2, andESL3). TheESL radios may report their RS SI measurements to the central management entity 110, which may calculate the position of the eTag 600 or forward the measurements to another entity for processing.

[0072] In some cases, eTags may be utilized in an ESL deployment scenario, such as illustrated in FIG. 4. For example, eTags may be attached to the boxes, pallets, or other containers holding individual products, or may be attached to the individual products themselves. In such a scenario, an eTag subsystem coexists with the ESL subsystem (e.g., the central management entity 110, the wireless communication access point 120, the rail controllers 130, and the ESLs 140). The eTag subsystem includes the eTags, multiple energizer devices deployed within the environment to power the eTags, and a gateway or edge server connected to the energizer devices.

[0073] The gateway or edge server may be shared with the ESL subsystem (e.g., it may be a central management entity 110) and may perform joint management of the ESL and eTag subsystems. For example, the gateway or edge server may pair energizer devices to access points (e.g., wireless communication access points 120) for timing synchronization across the subsystems.

[0074] The energizer devices may operate in, for example, the 900 MHz and / or 2.4 GHz range(s), depending on the energy harvesting and beacon transmission configuration of the eTags. In some cases, therefore, the energizer devices may be dual mode, meaning they can operate as RFID readers to energize the eTags and BLE devices to receive / measure the BLE beacons transmitted by the eTags. (Note, however, that as described above, the energizer devices may be located further from the eTags than they would need to be from any RFID tags.) The energizer devices may also coordinate timing synchronization between the ESL radios and the eTags. Note that in a joint ESL and eTag deployment, the ESL radios do not energize the eTags; they only receive / measure the beacon transmissions from the eTags.

[0075] A number of major retailers intend to deploy ESLs within their stores to facilitate the digital display of product information that can be changed “on-the-fly.” Additional digitization is accelerating in the retail space, including digital product passports (DPPs)QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO22 / 44for items, energy-harvesting battery-less tags (i.e., eTags) that can be used to track items / inventory, cooler door display screens, and “smart” carts.

[0076] A DPP is a digital record that provides comprehensive information about a product throughout its entire lifecycle. DPPs offer detailed information about a product’s origin, materials, environmental impact, disposal recommendations, etc. They can be used to support sustainability initiatives by tracking and sharing data related to, for example, a product’s recyclability and environmental attributes. Smart carts are typically equipped with a touchscreen display, an in-cart payment device, and weight sensors.

[0077] Using such infrastructure, users may be presented with more substantial and meaningful information (related to the DPP) about the products they are purchasing, such as (1) sustainability and ethical sourcing (e.g., users may prefer products that were made using sustainable ingredients and / or under ethical conditions), (2) product life cycle and carbon footprint (e.g., users may prefer products that pollute the atmosphere less and / or were manufactured and transported with minimal impact to the environment, or users may prefer to buy a product that expires soon so that it is not wasted or thrown away), and / or (3) social justice and / or other causes (e.g., users may prefer to buy products made by women-owned businesses).

[0078] Accordingly, the present disclosure provides techniques for displaying DPP -related information for an item to a user, where the information is dependent on the estimated position of an eTag associated with the item and, optionally, a user profile / preferences. In some cases, interactive indications may be provided using multiple screens (such as one on a smart cart and another on a cooler door).

[0079] Referring to displaying deep product information (e.g., DPP information) using the relative location of an eTag, in some cases, an eTag associated with an item (whether attached to the item directly or to a shelf, box, crate, pallet, etc. containing the item) may store DPP information for that item. In such cases, the eTag may be periodically reprogrammed with the latest DPP information at various supply chain checkpoints (e.g., site of manufacture, distribution centers or warehouses, and site of final sale (i.e., retail store)).

[0080] In the case where one or more types of items are placed on one or more shelves of a cooler or freezer (or other type of shelving unit) that is equipped with a display screen on the door (or otherwise nearby), the positions of the items within the cooler / freezer may beQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO23 / 44estimated. In some cases, the positions may be determined using manual labor, where an item location would be known and updated at the time of restocking (e.g., item A in the second row, third column, etc.). In some cases, the positions may be determined using eTag positioning (e.g., using BLE, RSSI, angle of arrival (AoA), time of arrival (ToA), etc.), as discussed above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. In some cases, the positions may be determined using vision measurements from one or more cameras installed within the cooler / freezer (or otherwise nearby, such as a security camera).

[0081] Based on the estimated positions of the items, and the DPP information transmitted in the corresponding eTag beacons, visual indications related to the DPP information may be displayed to a given user. In some cases, a user profile / preferences may influence the type of indications displayed. For example, a user “A” may prefer to see promotional discounts, while a user “B” may be more interested in sustainability and eco-friendly products.

[0082] FIG. 7 illustrates examples of item-related visual indications that may be displayed to a user on the display screen of a cooler door, according to aspects of the disclosure. Specifically, diagram 700 illustrates one example of the types of visual indications about various items inside the cooler that may be displayed to the user on the display screen of the door of the cooler. Likewise, diagram 750 illustrates another example of the types of visual indications about the items inside the cooler that may be displayed to the user on the display screen of the cooler door.

[0083] In some cases, a user profile may be found as a result of an estimated location of the user (specifically, the user’s UE) being near the display screen. The determination of proximity to the screen may be based on an absolute location estimate (e.g., within a global coordinate system) of the UE in the store using, for example, ESL radios (or other wireless radios associated with other electronic display devices), Wi-Fi APs, etc., or a relative position (e.g., a distance and angle) between the UE and the display screen. Alternatively or additionally, the position of the user / UE may be determined based on a camera system (e.g., a surveillance system) installed in the store.

[0084] In some cases, if products with an earlier expiration date are no longer in the front of a shelf in the cooler or other shelving unit (e.g., due to customers picking products from the back of the shelf and then leaving them in the front), then the display screen may display an alert / indication so that a store employee can reorganize the items appropriately. InQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO24 / 44some cases, the indication may include the screen displaying (1) a visual pattern that employs color, shapes, text, media content, etc. (e.g. a red box in the top right) and / or (2) a textual message (e.g., “item should be moved back” or “item needs attention”) with pointers (such as arrows) towards the item needing attention. In some cases, such an alert and / or indication may also be displayed on a store employee’s UE. In some cases, a similar alert / indication may be displayed when items get mixed up with different items (e.g., the wrong item is placed at the wrong location, which customers frequently do).

[0085] FIG. 8 is a diagram 800 illustrating an example of displaying an indication that a product needs to be moved to a different location on the shelf of a cooler, according to aspects of the disclosure. Specifically, diagram 800 illustrates an example of one type of visual indication about moving an item inside the cooler that may be displayed on the display screen of the door of the cooler.

[0086] With reference now to interactions between multiple displays / screens, in some cases, one or more first indications may be displayed on a first display screen (e.g., a smart cart display) and one or more second indications related to the first indication(s) may be displayed on a second display screen (e.g., a cooler door). The indication(s) on the first display may be, for example, an arrow pointing toward a product / shelf based on relative positioning between the first display (e.g., the smart cart) and the second display (e.g., associated with the shelf). In some cases, the first indication(s) may also, or alternatively, be displayed on the user’s UE (e.g., smartphone).

[0087] In some cases, the indications may be associated with promotional price decreases, coupons, and / or DPP information. As in other cases, a user profile / preferences (e.g., the user’s UE may be paired with the smart cart) may also influence the indications that are displayed.

[0088] In some cases, a user may request more details about information being displayed in a small advertisement or pop-up window (e.g., being shown on the user’s UE or smart cart), and in response, a larger advertisement may begin playing on a second, larger, screen (e.g., the display screen on a cooler door). FIG.9 is a diagram 900 illustrating an example scenario where a user is presented with an advertisement on a smart cart display directing them to an advertisement on a cooler door display, according to aspects of the disclosure. The advertisement on the smart cart display may be presented based on the smart cart being within a certain proximity (i.e., within a threshold distance) of the cooler.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO25 / 44

[0089] In some cases, a participating user / UE may not be present in front of a display at all, but the store may choose to still display generic indications to all users on the screen (such as promotional offers that apply to all users).

[0090] In some cases, where two or more participating users are near a screen, there may be a threshold number of overlapping indications that may be displayed on the screen. Beyond a threshold number users, indications may instead be shown on each of the users’ UEs (e.g., smartphones).

[0091] In some cases, a management entity (e.g., ESL management entity 110) may provide information to the display screen(s) to enable the display screen(s) to display the visual indications. In some cases, the management entity may send specific instructions to the display screen(s) indicating what information to display and how to display that information. However, in some case, the management entity may send the information to be displayed or an indication of what type of information to display, and the display screen may determine what information to display and how to display that information.

[0092] FIG. 10 illustrates an example method 1000 of communication, according to aspects of the disclosure. In an aspect, method 1000 may be performed by a management entity. In some cases, the management entity may be an ESL management entity 110, a gateway, a server, or the like. In some cases, however, the management entity may be located at an access point (e.g., wireless communication access point 120), an ESL radio (e.g., rail controller 130), or even an electronic label display (e.g., ESL 140).

[0093] At operation 1010, the management entity may determine positions of one or more items on a shelf (e.g., of a cooler, freezer, etc.) within an indoor environment (e.g., a retail store, a warehouse).

[0094] In an aspect, where the management entity is a UE, operation 1010 may be performed by the one or more WWAN transceivers 310, the one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320, the one or more processors 332, memory 340, and / or positioning component 342, any or all of which may be considered means for performing this operation.

[0095] In an aspect, where the management entity is a base station or base station component, operation 1010 may be performed by the one or more WWAN transceivers 350, the one or more short-range wireless transceivers 360, the one or more network transceivers 380,QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO26 / 44the one or more processors 384, memory 386, and / or positioning component 388, any or all of which may be considered means for performing this operation.

[0096] In an aspect, where the management entity is a network entity, operation 1010 may be performed by the one or more network transceivers 390, the one or more processors 394, memory 396, and / or positioning component 398, any or all of which may be considered means for performing this operation.

[0097] At operation 1020, the management entity may receive product information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more eTags (e.g., eTags 600) associated with the one or more items.

[0098] In an aspect, where the management entity is a UE, operation 1020 may be performed by the one or more WWAN transceivers 310, the one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320, the one or more processors 332, memory 340, and / or positioning component 342, any or all of which may be considered means for performing this operation.

[0099] In an aspect, where the management entity is a base station or base station component, operation 1020 may be performed by the one or more WWAN transceivers 350, the one or more short-range wireless transceivers 360, the one or more network transceivers 380, the one or more processors 384, memory 386, and / or positioning component 388, any or all of which may be considered means for performing this operation.

[0100] In an aspect, where the management entity is a network entity, operation 1020 may be performed by the one or more network transceivers 390, the one or more processors 394, memory 396, and / or positioning component 398, any or all of which may be considered means for performing this operation.

[0101] At operation 1030, the management entity may transmit, to a display screen associated with the shelf (e.g., a cooler door), information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, where the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.

[0102] In an aspect, where the management entity is a UE, operation 1030 may be performed by the one or more WWAN transceivers 310, the one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320, the one or more processors 332, memory 340, and / or positioningQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO27 / 44component 342, any or all of which may be considered means for performing this operation.

[0103] In an aspect, where the management entity is a base station or base station component, operation 1030 may be performed by the one or more WWAN transceivers 350, the one or more short-range wireless transceivers 360, the one or more network transceivers 380, the one or more processors 384, memory 386, and / or positioning component 388, any or all of which may be considered means for performing this operation.

[0104] In an aspect, where the management entity is a network entity, operation 1030 may be performed by the one or more network transceivers 390, the one or more processors 394, memory 396, and / or positioning component 398, any or all of which may be considered means for performing this operation.

[0105] As will be appreciated, a technical advantage of the method 1000 is increased user information (in some cases, specific to the user’ s preferences) about the one or more items displayed on the shelf.

[0106] Note that while the foregoing has generally referred to ESLs, the techniques of the present disclosure are applicable to any type of electronic label display.

[0107] In the detailed description above it can be seen that different features are grouped together in examples. This manner of disclosure should not be understood as an intention that the example clauses have more features than are explicitly mentioned in each clause. Rather, the various aspects of the disclosure may include fewer than all features of an individual example clause disclosed. Therefore, the following clauses should hereby be deemed to be incorporated in the description, wherein each clause by itself can stand as a separate example. Although each dependent clause can refer in the clauses to a specific combination with one of the other clauses, the aspect(s) of that dependent clause are not limited to the specific combination. It will be appreciated that other example clauses can also include a combination of the dependent clause aspect(s) with the subject matter of any other dependent clause or independent clause or a combination of any feature with other dependent and independent clauses. The various aspects disclosed herein expressly include these combinations, unless it is explicitly expressed or can be readily inferred that a specific combination is not intended (e.g., contradictory aspects, such as defining an element as both an electrical insulator and an electrical conductor). Furthermore, it is alsoQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO28 / 44intended that aspects of a clause can be included in any other independent clause, even if the clause is not directly dependent on the independent clause.

[0108] Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0109] Clause 1: A method of communication performed by a management entity, comprising:determining positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment; receiving product information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; and transmitting, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.

[0110] Clause 2: The method of clause 1, wherein the product information includes digital product passport (DPP) information for the one or more items.

[0111] Clause 3: The method of any of clauses 1 to 2, wherein the positions of the one or more items are determined based on: manual positioning of the one or more items on the shelf; eTag-based positioning; camera-based positioning; or any combination thereof.

[0112] Clause 4: The method of any of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the product information is received from one or more wireless radios associated with one or more electronic display devices, one or more user equipments (UE), one or more eTag energizer devices, or any combination thereof that received the beacon signals transmitted by the one or more eTags.

[0113] Clause 5: The method of any of clauses 1 to 4, wherein a type of the one or more visual indications is based on: a user profile of a user within a threshold distance of the display screen; one or more preferences of the user; a relative position estimate of the one or more eTags with respect to the display screen; or any combination thereof.

[0114] Clause 6: The method of any of clauses 1 to 5, wherein a position of the user within the threshold distance of the display screen is determined based on: an estimate of an absolute location within the indoor environment of a user equipment (UE) associated with the user; an estimate of a relative distance between the UE and the display screen; vision information from a camera system installed within the indoor environment; or any combination thereof.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO29 / 44

[0115] Clause 7: The method of any of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the one or more visual indications include a notification that the one or more items need to be moved to a different location on the shelf.

[0116] Clause 8: The method of any of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the one or more visual indications include an indication of where on the shelf the one or more items need to be moved.

[0117] Clause 9: The method of any of clauses 1 to 8, wherein the one or more visual indications include: a visual pattern of one or more colors, one or more shapes, or both; one or more arrows; multimedia content; a textual message; or any combination thereof.

[0118] Clause 10: The method of any of clauses 1 to 9, further comprising: transmitting, to a user equipment (UE) of an employee within a threshold distance of the display screen, an instruction to display one or more second visual indications related to the one or more visual indications.

[0119] Clause 11: The method of any of clauses 1 to 10, further comprising: transmitting, to a user equipment (UE) associated with a customer at the indoor environment, an instruction to display one or more second visual indications related to the one or more visual indications.

[0120] Clause 12: The method of any of clauses 1 to 11, wherein the one or more visual indications are displayed in response to the UE moving to within a threshold distance of the display screen.

[0121] Clause 13: The method of any of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the one or more visual indications are displayed in response to the UE receiving a request for more information about the one or more second indications from the customer.

[0122] Clause 14: The method of any of clauses 1 to 13, wherein the UE is: a display unit of a smart cart; or a smartphone.

[0123] Clause 15: The method of any of clauses 1 to 14, wherein the one or more visual indications are: general to any user within the indoor environment; or specific to one or more users within a threshold distance of the display screen.

[0124] Clause 16: The method of any of clauses 1 to 15, wherein the indoor environment is: a retail store; or a warehouse.

[0125] Clause 17: A management entity, comprising: one or more memories; one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors, either alone or inQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO30 / 44combination, configured to: determine positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment; receive, via the one or more transceivers, product information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; and transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.

[0126] Clause 18 : The management entity of clause 17, wherein the product information includes digital product passport (DPP) information for the one or more items.

[0127] Clause 19: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 18, wherein the positions of the one or more items are determined based on: manual positioning of the one or more items on the shelf; eTag-based positioning; camera-based positioning; or any combination thereof.

[0128] Clause 20: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 19, wherein the product information is received from one or more wireless radios associated with one or more electronic display devices, one or more user equipments (UE), one or more eTag energizer devices, or any combination thereof that received the beacon signals transmitted by the one or more eTags.

[0129] Clause 21: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 20, wherein a type of the one or more visual indications is based on: a user profile of a user within a threshold distance of the display screen; one or more preferences of the user; a relative position estimate of the one or more eTags with respect to the display screen; or any combination thereof.

[0130] Clause 22: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 21, wherein a position of the user within the threshold distance of the display screen is determined based on: an estimate of an absolute location within the indoor environment of a user equipment (UE) associated with the user; an estimate of a relative distance between the UE and the display screen; vision information from a camera system installed within the indoor environment; or any combination thereof.

[0131] Clause 23: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 22, wherein the one or more visual indications include a notification that the one or more items need to be moved to a different location on the shelf.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO31 / 44

[0132] Clause 24: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 23, wherein the one or more visual indications include an indication of where on the shelf the one or more items need to be moved.

[0133] Clause 25: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 24, wherein the one or more visual indications include: a visual pattern of one or more colors, one or more shapes, or both; one or more arrows; multimedia content; a textual message; or any combination thereof.

[0134] Clause 26: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 25, wherein the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, are further configured to: transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to a user equipment (UE) of an employee within a threshold distance of the display screen, an instruction to display one or more second visual indications related to the one or more visual indications.

[0135] Clause 27: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 26, wherein the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, are further configured to: transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to a user equipment (UE) associated with a customer at the indoor environment, an instruction to display one or more second visual indications related to the one or more visual indications.

[0136] Clause 28: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 27, wherein the one or more visual indications are displayed in response to the UE moving to within a threshold distance of the display screen.

[0137] Clause 29: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 28, wherein the one or more visual indications are displayed in response to the UE receiving a request for more information about the one or more second indications from the customer.

[0138] Clause 30: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 29, wherein the UE is: a display unit of a smart cart; or a smartphone.

[0139] Clause 31: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 30, wherein the one or more visual indications are: general to any user within the indoor environment; or specific to one or more users within a threshold distance of the display screen.

[0140] Clause 32: The management entity of any of clauses 17 to 31, wherein the indoor environment is: a retail store; or a warehouse.

[0141] Clause 33: A management entity, comprising: means for determining positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment; means for receiving productQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO32 / 44information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; and means for transmitting, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.

[0142] Clause 34: The management entity of clause 33, wherein the product information includes digital product passport (DPP) information for the one or more items.

[0143] Clause 35: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 34, wherein the positions of the one or more items are determined based on: manual positioning of the one or more items on the shelf; eTag-based positioning; camera-based positioning; or any combination thereof.

[0144] Clause 36: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 35, wherein the product information is received from one or more wireless radios associated with one or more electronic display devices, one or more user equipments (UE), one or more eTag energizer devices, or any combination thereof that received the beacon signals transmitted by the one or more eTags.

[0145] Clause 37: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 36, wherein a type of the one or more visual indications is based on: a user profile of a user within a threshold distance of the display screen; one or more preferences of the user; a relative position estimate of the one or more eTags with respect to the display screen; or any combination thereof.

[0146] Clause 38: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 37, wherein a position of the user within the threshold distance of the display screen is determined based on: an estimate of an absolute location within the indoor environment of a user equipment (UE) associated with the user; an estimate of a relative distance between the UE and the display screen; vision information from a camera system installed within the indoor environment; or any combination thereof.

[0147] Clause 39: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 38, wherein the one or more visual indications include a notification that the one or more items need to be moved to a different location on the shelf.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO33 / 44

[0148] Clause 40: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 39, wherein the one or more visual indications include an indication of where on the shelf the one or more items need to be moved.

[0149] Clause 41: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 40, wherein the one or more visual indications include: a visual pattern of one or more colors, one or more shapes, or both; one or more arrows; multimedia content; a textual message; or any combination thereof.

[0150] Clause 42: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 41, further comprising: means for transmitting, to a user equipment (UE) of an employee within a threshold distance of the display screen, an instruction to display one or more second visual indications related to the one or more visual indications.

[0151] Clause 43: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 42, further comprising: means for transmitting, to a user equipment (UE) associated with a customer at the indoor environment, an instruction to display one or more second visual indications related to the one or more visual indications.

[0152] Clause 44: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 43, wherein the one or more visual indications are displayed in response to the UE moving to within a threshold distance of the display screen.

[0153] Clause 45: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 44, wherein the one or more visual indications are displayed in response to the UE receiving a request for more information about the one or more second indications from the customer.

[0154] Clause 46: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 45, wherein the UE is: a display unit of a smart cart; or a smartphone.

[0155] Clause 47: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 46, wherein the one or more visual indications are: general to any user within the indoor environment; or specific to one or more users within a threshold distance of the display screen.

[0156] Clause 48: The management entity of any of clauses 33 to 47, wherein the indoor environment is: a retail store; or a warehouse.

[0157] Clause 49: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a management entity, cause the management entity to: determine positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment; receive product information about the one or more items based on beacon signalsQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO34 / 44transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; and transmit, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.

[0158] Clause 50: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of clause 49, wherein the product information includes digital product passport (DPP) information for the one or more items.

[0159] Clause 51: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 50, wherein the positions of the one or more items are determined based on: manual positioning of the one or more items on the shelf; eTag-based positioning; camera-based positioning; or any combination thereof.

[0160] Clause 52: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 51, wherein the product information is received from one or more wireless radios associated with one or more electronic display devices, one or more user equipments (UE), one or more eTag energizer devices, or any combination thereof that received the beacon signals transmitted by the one or more eTags.

[0161] Clause 53: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 52, wherein a type of the one or more visual indications is based on: a user profile of a user within a threshold distance of the display screen; one or more preferences of the user; a relative position estimate of the one or more eTags with respect to the display screen; or any combination thereof.

[0162] Clause 54: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 53, wherein a position of the user within the threshold distance of the display screen is determined based on: an estimate of an absolute location within the indoor environment of a user equipment (UE) associated with the user; an estimate of a relative distance between the UE and the display screen; vision information from a camera system installed within the indoor environment; or any combination thereof.

[0163] Clause 55: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 54, wherein the one or more visual indications include a notification that the one or more items need to be moved to a different location on the shelf.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO35 / 44

[0164] Clause 56: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 55, wherein the one or more visual indications include an indication of where on the shelf the one or more items need to be moved.

[0165] Clause 57: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 56, wherein the one or more visual indications include: a visual pattern of one or more colors, one or more shapes, or both; one or more arrows; multimedia content; a textual message; or any combination thereof.

[0166] Clause 58: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 57, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the management entity, cause the management entity to: transmit, to a user equipment (UE) of an employee within a threshold distance of the display screen, an instruction to display one or more second visual indications related to the one or more visual indications.

[0167] Clause 59: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 58, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the management entity, cause the management entity to: transmit, to a user equipment (UE) associated with a customer at the indoor environment, an instruction to display one or more second visual indications related to the one or more visual indications.

[0168] Clause 60: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 59, wherein the one or more visual indications are displayed in response to the UE moving to within a threshold distance of the display screen.

[0169] Clause 61: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 60, wherein the one or more visual indications are displayed in response to the UE receiving a request for more information about the one or more second indications from the customer.

[0170] Clause 62: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 61, wherein the UE is: a display unit of a smart cart; or a smartphone.

[0171] Clause 63: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 62, wherein the one or more visual indications are: general to any user within the indoor environment; or specific to one or more users within a threshold distance of the display screen.

[0172] Clause 64: The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 49 to 63, wherein the indoor environment is: a retail store; or a warehouse.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO36 / 44

[0173] Those of skill in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0174] Further, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0175] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0176] The methods, sequences and / or algorithms described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM),QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO37 / 44registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An example storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal (e.g., UE). In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

[0177] In one or more example aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0178] While the foregoing disclosure shows illustrative aspects of the disclosure, it should be noted that various changes and modifications could be made herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. For example, the functions, steps and / or actions of the method claims in accordance with the aspects of theQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO38 / 44disclosure described herein need not be performed in any particular order. Further, no component, function, action, or instruction described or claimed herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms “set,” “group,” and the like are intended to include one or more of the stated elements. Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” and the like does not preclude the presence of one or more additional elements (e.g., an element “having” A may also have B). Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Also, as used herein, the term “or” is intended to be inclusive when used in a series and may be used interchangeably with “and / or,” unless explicitly stated otherwise (e.g., if used in combination with “either” or “only one of’) or the alternatives are mutually exclusive (e.g., “one or more” should not be interpreted as “one and more”). Furthermore, although components, functions, actions, and instructions may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. Accordingly, as used herein, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to include one or more of the stated elements. Additionally, as used herein, the terms “at least one” and “one or more” encompass “one” component, function, action, or instruction performing or capable of performing a described or claimed functionality and also “two or more” components, functions, actions, or instructions performing or capable of performing a described or claimed functionality in combination.QC2503641WO

Claims

Qualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO39 / 44CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A management entity, comprising:one or more memories;one or more transceivers; andone or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to:determine positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment;receive, via the one or more transceivers, product information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; and transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.

2. The management entity of claim 1, wherein the product information includes digital product passport (DPP) information for the one or more items.

3. The management entity of claim 1, wherein the positions of the one or more items are determined based on:manual positioning of the one or more items on the shelf;eTag-based positioning;camera-based positioning; orany combination thereof.

4. The management entity of claim 1, wherein the product information is received from one or more wireless radios associated with one or more electronic display devices, one or more user equipments (UE), one or more eTag energizer devices, or anyQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO40 / 44combination thereof that received the beacon signals transmitted by the one or more eTags.

5. The management entity of claim 1, wherein a type of the one or more visual indications is based on:a user profile of a user within a threshold distance of the display screen; one or more preferences of the user;a relative position estimate of the one or more eTags with respect to the display screen; orany combination thereof.

6. The management entity of claim 5, wherein a position of the user within the threshold distance of the display screen is determined based on:an estimate of an absolute location within the indoor environment of a user equipment (UE) associated with the user;an estimate of a relative distance between the UE and the display screen; vision information from a camera system installed within the indoor environment; orany combination thereof.

7. The management entity of claim 1, wherein the one or more visual indications include a notification that the one or more items need to be moved to a different location on the shelf.

8. The management entity of claim 7, wherein the one or more visual indications include an indication of where on the shelf the one or more items need to be moved.

9. The management entity of claim 1, wherein the one or more visual indications include:a visual pattern of one or more colors, one or more shapes, or both;one or more arrows;multimedia content;QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO41 / 44a textual message; orany combination thereof.

10. The management entity of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, are further configured to:transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to a user equipment (UE) of an employee within a threshold distance of the display screen, an instruction to display one or more second visual indications related to the one or more visual indications.

11. The management entity of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, are further configured to:transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to a user equipment (UE) associated with a customer at the indoor environment, an instruction to display one or more second visual indications related to the one or more visual indications.

12. The management entity of claim 11, wherein the one or more visual indications are displayed in response to the UE moving to within a threshold distance of the display screen.

13. The management entity of claim 11, wherein the one or more visual indications are displayed in response to the UE receiving a request for more information about the one or more second indications from the customer.

14. The management entity of claim 11, wherein the UE is:a display unit of a smart cart; ora smartphone.

15. The management entity of claim 1, wherein the one or more visual indications are:general to any user within the indoor environment; orspecific to one or more users within a threshold distance of the display screen.QC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO42 / 4416. The management entity of claim 1, wherein the indoor environment is:a retail store; ora warehouse.

17. A method of communication performed by a management entity, comprising:determining positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment;receiving product information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; andtransmitting, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the product information includes digital product passport (DPP) information for the one or more items.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the positions of the one or more items are determined based on:manual positioning of the one or more items on the shelf;eTag-based positioning;camera-based positioning; orany combination thereof.

20. A management entity, comprising:means for determining positions of one or more items on a shelf within an indoor environment;means for receiving product information about the one or more items based on beacon signals transmitted by one or more energy harvesting tags (eTags) associated with the one or more items; andQC2503641WOQualcomm Ref. No. 2503641WO43 / 44means for transmitting, to a display screen associated with the shelf, information to enable the display screen to display one or more visual indications providing information about the one or more items, wherein the information about the one or more items is based on the product information about the one or more items.QC2503641WO

Images