Electronic Shelf Label Time Slot Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic shelf label (ESL) updating systems face communication failures due to interference in complex retail environments, leading to update failures and increased labor costs when manual updates are required, and the on-demand wakeup method increases hardware costs.
Innovation Solution
Each ESL randomly selects a time slot from a predetermined frame for updates, using a transceiver with a media condition detector to coordinate with other ESLs, allowing self-decision and distributed coordination without relying on a central schedule, and adjusts slots based on observed behavior to avoid conflicts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the central assigned schedule method is used to update ESLs, then the gateway can coordinate updates centrally, but communication failures occur due to interference in complex retail environments leading to update failures
Solution Approach 1:
Each ESL autonomously selects its own update time slot from available slots in the frame structure, eliminating the need for complex centralized coordination and reducing communication overhead. The ESL independently determines its update schedule without requiring continuous gateway intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The update frame is divided into multiple time slots that can be independently selected by different ESLs. This segmentation allows multiple ESLs to update simultaneously in different slots without conflict, while failed updates can be retried in subsequent frames without affecting other ESLs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the on-demand wakeup method is used with additional trigger signal receivers, then ESLs can wake up on demand to receive updates, but hardware costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The existing transceiver module in each ESL performs multiple functions: it serves as both the wake-up trigger receiver and the data communication transceiver. This eliminates the need for separate trigger signal receiver hardware while maintaining on-demand update capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wake-up trigger functionality is extracted from a separate hardware component and integrated into the existing transceiver module, removing the need for additional dedicated trigger receivers while preserving the on-demand update capability.
3Use of energy by moving object
If ESLs update simultaneously at assigned times, then power consumption is reduced by turning on wireless modules only when needed, but the limited bandwidth prevents multiple ESLs from updating simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The update process is segmented into multiple time slots within each frame, allowing multiple ESLs to update simultaneously in different slots. This increases overall update throughput while each ESL still activates its wireless module only during its assigned slot, maintaining power efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
ESLs operate in periodic frames with multiple slots, activating their wireless modules only during their assigned update slots rather than continuously or simultaneously. This periodic, slot-based operation maintains low power consumption while enabling parallel updates across multiple ESLs.
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary embodiment of a system for updating electronic shelf labels (ESLs) comprises multiple ESLs, and a gateway connected to the multiple ESLs to update data of the multiple ESLs. Each ESL comprises a transceiver having a media condition detector to detect whether other ESL(s) perform an update at the time slot, a controller, a memory, and a random number generator randomly selecting one of multiple time slots of a frame when an ESL update procedure begins, wherein the time slot corresponds to an index stored in the memory by the controller. The ESL performs the update at this time slot when none of said other ESL(s) performs the update at the time slot. When said other ESL(s) performs the update at the time slot, the controller enables the random number generator to randomly select another time slot from a next time frame.