ELECTRONIC SHELF-LABEL SYSTEM WITH A CONTACT-FREE SHELF-LABEL POWER AND/OR DATA SUPPLY

Abstract

Shelf rail for an electronic shelf-label system, wherein the shelf rail comprises a first fastening structure for fastening at least one electronic shelf label that can be supplied with power in a contact-free manner, in particular, an electronic shelf-label display, wherein the first fastening structure comprises a wall running between a head area and a foot area of the shelf rail with a wall front side and a wall back side, which is used to define a shelf-label plane with its wall front side for the positioning of the at least one shelf label along the wall, and wherein the shelf rail on the wall back side comprises at least one second fastening structure, which is tubular or channel-shaped in particular, for attaching at least one conductor loop on a conductor-loop plane, wherein the conductor-loop plane is aligned parallel to the shelf-label plane and runs at the defined first distance from the shelf-label plane, and wherein the shelf rail comprises a third fastening structure for fastening a conductive structure, in particular, a planar structure, at a defined second distance from the conductor-loop plane.

Claims

1. Shelf rail (3) for an electronic shelf-label system (1), wherein the shelf rail (3) comprises a first fastening structure for the attachment of at least one electronic shelf label (2), in particular an electronic shelf-label display, that is suppliable with power in a contactless way, wherein the first fastening structure comprises a wall (29) running between a head area (27) and a foot area (28) of the shelf rail (3) with a wall front side and a wall back side, which, with its wall front, is used to define a shelf-label plane for the positioning of at least one shelf label (2) along the wall (29), and wherein the shelf rail (3) on the wall back side comprises at least one, second fastening structure, in particular a tubular or channel-shaped one, for fastening at least one conductor loop (L) on a conductor-loop plane, wherein the conductor-loop plane is aligned parallel to the shelf-label plane and runs at the defined first distance from the shelf-label plane, and wherein the shelf rail (3) comprises a third fastening structure for fastening a conductive structure (26), in particular a planar structure, at a defined second distance from the conductor-loop plane.

2. Shelf rail (3) according to claim 1, wherein the third fastening structure is designed in such a way that the conductive structure (26) is receivable with a height that covers at least the entire conductor loop (L), in particular with a height that corresponds approximately with the height of the wall (29) measured between the head area (27) and the foot area (28) of the shelf rail (3).

3. Shelf rail (3) according to claim 1, wherein the third fastening structure comprises two substructures, between which the conductive structure (26) is receivable, wherein the first substructure runs along the head area (27) of the shelf rail (3) and the second substructure runs along the foot area (28) of the shelf rail (3).

4. Shelf rail (3) according to claim 1, wherein the third fastening structure along the length of the shelf rail (3) is designed in such a way that the conductive structure (26) is insertable laterally into the shelf rail (3) or the conductive structure (26) is snappable into the third fastening structure at its outer edges.

5. Shelf rail (3) according to claim 1, wherein the third fastening structure is designed for holding a plate-shaped conductive structure (26), in particular one with protruding edges.

6. Shelf rail (3) according to claim 1, wherein the third fastening structure is designed for holding the conductive structure (26) along the entire conductor loop (L), preferably along the entire shelf rail (3).

7. Shelf rail (3) according to claim 1, wherein the first fastening structure in addition to the wall (29) comprises a first fastening groove (30) formed at the head area (27) and extends along the head area (27) and comprises a second fastening groove (31) formed at the foot area (28) and extends along the foot area (28), and the fastening grooves (30, 31) are designed in such a way that a shelf label (3) with its fastening elements is insertable into them in a locking manner, and a back wall of the shelf label (3) is positionable to abut the shelf-label plane.

8. Shelf rail (3) according to claim 1, wherein the second fastening structure comprises two tubes (34) adjacent to each other at a third distance running in the longitudinal direction of the shelf rail (3) each with an open end, which are designed in such a way that a wire creating the conductor loop (L) is insertable into them in such a way that the wire connects the two tubes (34) at an end area of the shelf rail (3) and, at the other end area of the shelf rail (3), conductor-loop connections (C) of the conductor loop (L) are accessible for them to be contacted.

9. Shelf rail (3) according to claim 1, which comprises a fourth fastening structure which is used for fastening a supply device (4) for the contact-free power supply of at least one shelf label (2) using at least one conductor loop (L), wherein the fourth fastening structure is designed between the second and the third fastening structure in such a way that the supply device (4) is insertable at an end area of the shelf rail (3) between the wall (29) of the shelf rail (3) and the conductive structure (26), which is attachable with the aid of the third fastening structure, in such a way that conductor-loop connections (C) of the conductor loop (L) available there are contactable with the supply device (4).

10. Electronic shelf-label system (1) comprising at least one shelf rail (3) according to claim 1 and which comprises at least one electronic shelf label (2) which is attached to the shelf-label plane with the aid of the first fastening structure, and which comprises a first electronic circuit (11A) connected to a coupling coil (12) for its contact-free power supply, and which comprises at least one conductor loop (L) fixed in the conductor-loop plane by means of the second fastening structure, and which comprises a supply device (4) inserted into the shelf rail (3), which is electrically connected to said at least one conductor loop (L) in a conductive manner via its conductor-loop connections (C), wherein the supply device (4) comprises a second electronic circuit (18A) for generating an alternating field for the purpose of establishing an inductive coupling between the conductor loop (L) and the coupling coil (12) of the shelf label (3), and which comprises a conductive structure (26) fixed by means of the third fastening structure, wherein the second electronic circuit (18A) is electronically tuned to the environmental conditions defined by the conductive structure (26).

11. System (1) according to claim 10, wherein the first electronic circuit (11A) together with its coupling coil (12) realizes a first NFC interface (11) of the shelf label (2) and wherein the second electronic circuit (18A) with the associated conductor loop (L) realizes a second NFC interface (18) of the supply device.

12. System (1) according to any one of the claim 10, wherein the electronic supply device (4) comprises contacting elements, in particular spring-loaded contact pins (45), for establishing an electrically conductive connection with the conductor-loop connections (C), and the contacting elements are positioned in such a way that they contact the conductor-loop connections (C) if the conductor loop (L) and the supply device (4) are in their target position in the shelf rail (3).

13. System (1) according to claim 10, wherein the shelf label (2) comprises a printed circuit board essentially forming its back side, on which the coupling coil (12) is formed.

14. System (1) according to claim 13, wherein at least one outwardly orientated side of the printed circuit board is coated with a lacquer or a thin sticker, preferably protecting against electrostatic discharge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0073] The invention is explained once again below with reference to the enclosed figures on the basis of exemplary embodiments, to which, however, the inventions is not limited. Thereby, identical components in the various figures are provided with identical reference numbers. Schematically, the figures show:

[0074] FIG. 1 an electronic shelf-label system according to the invention in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment;

[0075] FIG. 2 a block diagram of a shelf-label display;

[0076] FIG. 3 a block diagram of a shelf rail with a supply device;

[0077] FIG. 4 a second embodiment of the shelf-label system;

[0078] FIG. 5 a second exemplary embodiment of the shelf rail;

[0079] FIG. 6 a perspective view of a shelf rail with a supply device;

[0080] FIG. 7 a cross-section of the view in accordance with FIG. 6 along the cross-sectional surface A-A;

[0081] FIG. 8 a cross-section of the view in accordance with FIG. 6 along the cross-sectional surface B-B;

[0082] FIG. 9 a view of the shelf rail with only partially inserted supply device;

[0083] FIG. 10 the view similar to FIG. 9 with contacting elements of the supply device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0084] In FIG. 1, a shelf-label system 1 is shown, which comprises a number of identically designed electronic shelf labels implemented as shelf-label displays 2, which are attached to three—“intelligent”—shelf rails 3 according to the invention. Each shelf rail 3 comprises an electronic supply device 4, which is inserted laterally into it. Also shown is a data processing device, which is implemented with the aid of a server 5, which is wire-connected to an access point 6, which comprises two antennas 7 as an example. The supply devices 4 shown are in radio contact with the access point 6 via the first radio signals F1. This allows the image contents of the shelf-label displays 2 to be changed from server 5, and, where applicable, associated status information can also be queried from the shelf-label displays 2 and transmitted to server 5. Each of the shelf rails 3 is mounted on an individual shelf 8 on its leading edge. The three shelves 8 shown all belong to a shelf 9, which is only very schematically indicated. Various products can be placed on shelf 8, but they are not shown in the present case.

[0085] For the electrical supply of the supply devices 4, a separate power supply 10 assigned to shelf 9 is provided as a supply station, which converts an input-side mains alternating voltage (from 230 V for example) to a DC voltage suitable for the supply devices 4 as the first supply voltage VCC1 (of 12 V for example) compared to a first reference potential GND1. This first supply voltage VCC1 is supplied to the supply devices 4 with the aid of a cable K via their supply connections N1 and N2.

[0086] The supply devices 4 are shown schematically on the right edge of the shelf rails 3, but this does not necessarily have to be the case. In this way, they can also be in other positions along shelf rail 3. In the present case, the supply devices 4 are integrated into the shelf rails 3, for example, installed or inserted within a shaft (not shown here, but see FIG. 7).

[0087] Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows a single conductor loop L integrated into the shelf rail 3, which is connected to the supply device 4 installed there with its two loop connections C. The shelf rails 3 support the shelf-label displays 2.

[0088] The shelf rail 3, like the shelf-label display 2, is designed in such a way that the shelf-label display 2 can be inserted from the front into the shelf rail 3 and locked with it via a snap mechanism in such a way that it can only be removed from the shelf rail 3 with considerable effort. At the same time, the aforementioned mechanism allows the shelf-label display 2 to be moved along the shelf rail 3 with relatively little effort and can therefore be easily placed in any position. A snapping mechanism of the described species is known, for example, from WO2017/153481A1, FIG. 2. However, the mechanism can also be designed differently, which will be discussed in detail below.

[0089] In the following, a block diagram of the shelf-label display 2 based on FIG. 2 is explained.

[0090] The block diagram shows a first NFC interface 11 with its coupling coil 12. With the aid of the coupling coil 12, an inductive coupling with another NFC-capable device, in this case, the supply device 4, specifically with the conductor loop L formed there, can be established if the coupling coil 12 is brought correspondingly close (a few tenths of a millimetre to about 4 millimetres) to the conductor loop L, which is the case with the shelf-label display 2 attached to one of the shelf rails 3. During inductive coupling, a second supply voltage VCC2 (compared to a local second reference potential GND2) is generated with the aid of the NFC interface 11 for the operation of the entire shelf-label display 2, which activates the electronics or first electronic circuit 11A of the shelf-label display 2 in such a way that contact-free bidirectional communication of data D via its first NFC interface 11 is also feasible. Part of these electronics 11A is also an NFC controller, which provides the entire NFC functionality, but is not shown in detail here, but is integrated in the first NFC interface 11.

[0091] The block diagram also shows a display unit 13 connected to the first NFC interface 11, which is divided into an electronic paper display controller 14 and a controllable electronic paper display screen 15. With the aid of the controller 14, the received data is interpreted, where applicable, the image contents of the screen 15 are changed accordingly or also status information in the form of data D is transmitted to the supply device 4 via the first NFC interface 11.

[0092] In the following, on the basis of FIG. 3, a block diagram of the shelf rail 3 in accordance with FIG. 1, in particular, also the supply device 4, is explained.

[0093] As mentioned, the (first) supply voltage VCC1 required for operation is supplied via the supply connections N1 and N2. In the event that no external power supply 10 (see FIG. 1) is used, but the mains AC voltage is supplied directly, the supply device 4 can also have its own internal power supply 16, which is indicated in the present case with a broken line.

[0094] Here, the shelf rail 3 carries the conductor loops L attached directly to it.

[0095] Corresponding to the position of the conductor loop L, the shelf-label displays 2 positioned there, in this case, five pieces in accordance with the lowest shelf rail of FIG. 1, are also indicated. In contrast to FIG. 1, the electrical connection of the loop connections C to the supply device 4, specifically to an electronic supply unit, which is implemented as a (second) NFC interface 18 with a second electronic circuit 18A, is also shown. This second NFC interface 18 also comprises its own NFC controller (not shown). The second NFC interface 18 is designed with an inductive coupling to the first NFC interface 11 of the shelf-label display 2 for the contact-free transmission of electrical power to the shelf-label display 2 and for bidirectional communication of data with the shelf-label display 2 activated by power supply.

[0096] The supply device 4 also comprises an access-point communication interface 19, which is designed for radio-based communication with the access point 6 shown in FIG. 1. The access-point communication interface 19 comprises electronics (not shown in detail) designed for this purpose and an antenna configuration 19A, which can also comprise a plurality of antennas. The supply device 4 comprises a control unit 20 for controlling the internal processes, the power supply of the shelf-label display 2, the communication with the shelf-label display 2, as well as the communication with the access point 6. The control unit 20 is produced with the aid of a microcontroller, which is connected via a bidirectional data bus to the second NFC interface 18 and the access-point communication interface 19.

[0097] Another embodiment of system 1 is shown in FIG. 4. In contrast to the system 1 shown in FIG. 1, the power supply 10 is missing here. In the present case, the supply of the individual supply devices 4 with electrical power is carried out with the aid of a supply transmitter 21 (also referred to as a radio power source) as a supply station, which is designed to transmit electrical power to a receiver (i.e., one of the supply devices 4) with the aid of a focused or directed (second) radio signal F2 with a certain transmission power, such as 5 W for example. Such a supply transmitter 21 also comprises a plurality of antennas 22 (six pieces are shown here), with the aid of which the direction of the power transmission (ultimately the propagation of the second radio signal F2) is adjustable at a relatively precise level so that the power transmitting second radio signal F2 arrives precisely at the respective supply device 4. This power transfer is known as “Power over WiFi”.

[0098] In order to be able to use this type of power transmission, the supply device 4 used in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5 comprises a supply receiver 23 suitable for receiving the second radio signal F2, which is equipped with its antenna configuration 24 (which may have a plurality of antennas) and electronics (not shown in detail), which are designed to receive the second radio signal F2 and to store the power transmitted therewith in an internal electrical energy store 25 (rechargeable battery, power pack) and thus to generate the second supply voltage VCC2 compared to a second reference potential GND2.

[0099] In operation, the supply submission 4 can, for example, query or monitor the state of charge of the energy store 25 with the aid of its control unit 20. As soon as the state of charge drops below a certain level, the control unit 20 can request a (re-)charge with the aid of the first radio signal F1. This demand is received by the access point 6 and, depending on the implementation, it can be forwarded directly to the supply transmitter 21 or, taking the server 5 into consideration, to the supply transmitter 21. Since, within the system 1 (e.g., the server 5), the exact geographical position (the three-dimensional coordinates) of each of the supply devices 4 as well as their unique identifier are known, the supply transmitter 21 can send out the second radio signal F2 precisely directed to the position of the respective supply device 4 demanding charging. There, the second radio signal F2 is received, and the power transmitted with its aid is used to charge the internal energy store 25 there.

[0100] The shelf rail 3 described here is therefore designed for contact-free communication with the shelf-label displays 2 installed on it and an access point 6 assigned to it via radio technology and it is designed for contact-free power supply in the sense of energy storage for its own operation, as well as for the power supply of the respective shelf-label display 2, while the said shelf-label display 2 is in a communication state and/or in an update state of its screen 15 or, in general, their electronics are active.

[0101] At this point, it should also be mentioned that the supply transmitter 21 can also be installed in the access point 6.

[0102] FIG. 6 shows a shelf rail 3 with the shelf-label display 2 attached to it and the supply device 4 inserted into the side of the shelf rail 3. This shelf rail 3 comprises a length of about 3 metres, a height of about 4.5 cm and a thickness of 1.2 cm.

[0103] FIG. 7 shows a cut through shelf rail 3. In accordance with the cross-sectional surface A-A drawn in FIG. 6, this cut runs transversely (normally on the front side of the shelf rail 3) through the shelf rail 3. Furthermore, in contrast to FIG. 6, a front part of a shelf 8 is also visible, to which the shelf rail 3 is attached with the aid of a top-hat DIN rail 26 made of metal. The top-hat DIN rail 26 forms a conductive structure for the generation of defined attenuation ratios for contact-free power transfer from the supply device 4 to the shelf-label display 2, as well as for contact-free communication between the supply device 4 and the shelf-label display 2. The top-hat DIN rail 26 can be connected to shelf 8 by gluing, riveting, clamping, plugging or screwing, etc., but this is not discussed in more detail in the figures.

[0104] The shelf rail 3 comprises a first fastening structure for attaching the shelf-label display 2. The first fastening structure comprises a wall 29 running between a head area 27 and a foot area 28 of the shelf rail 3. Analogous to the head and foot area 27, 28, the wall 29 also runs along the entire shelf rail 3 and forms a shelf-label plane on its wall front side orientated towards the shelf-label display 2, on which the shelf-label display 2 is essentially flush with its back wall. The first fastening structure comprises, in addition to the wall, a first fastening groove 30 formed at the head area 27 and extending along the head area 27 and a second mounting groove 31 formed at the foot area 28 and extending along the foot area 28. The fastening grooves 30 and 31 are designed in such a way that the shelf label 2 with its fastening elements 32 and 33 can be inserted locking into them in such a way that the back wall of the shelf label 2 is positioned adjacent to the shelf-label plane. Accordingly, the fastening elements 32 and 33 are positioned and formed and the housing of the shelf label 2 is dimensioned or shaped.

[0105] The shelf rail 3 also comprises a second fastening structure for fastening the conductor loop L. The second fastening structure also comprises the wall 29, wherein two tubes 34 are formed on the wall back side. The two tubes 34 are aligned parallel to each other and run at a defined distance of about 1 cm from each other localized along the entire length of the shelf rail 2. Their two central axes define a conductor-loop plane that runs parallel to the shelf-label plane at a defined first distance of about 2.5 millimetres. The wall 29 comprises a thickness of about 2 millimetres and the tubes 34 are at least partially set into the wall 29, which allows for there to be a small distance between the conductor-loop plane and the shelf-label plane without the load capacity of wall 29 suffering unnecessarily.

[0106] The shelf rail 3 also comprises a third fastening structure for fastening the top-hat DIN rail 26. The third fastening structure comprises two substructures, which are formed, on the one hand, on the head side in a hanging device 35 for suspending the shelf rail 3 and, on the other hand, on the foot side in a lip of a snap-in mechanism 36 for snapping in.

[0107] The third fastening structure also comprises a first spacer element 37 positioned at the head area 27 and a second spacer element 38 positioned at the foot area 28. The two spacer elements 37 and 38 are used to fix and maintain a defined second distance of the top-hat DIN rail 26 from the conductor-loop plane, wherein, here, an essentially parallel orientation of the flat structure of the top-hat DIN rail 26 to the conductor-loop plane is also implemented. The two spacer elements 37 and 38 are essentially orientated at an angle of 90° away from the wall back side and extend from the wall 29 to the top-hat DIN rail 26, where they come into contact with the top-hat DIN rail 26 and ensure the target position. In the present case, the top-hat DIN rail 26 is positioned at the second distance of about 7 millimetres from the conductor-loop plane. The top-hat DIN rail 26 itself comprises a thickness of about 1 millimetre. Its height is about 2.5 cm and, its edges which abut the top-hat DIN rail 26 and are offset by 3 mm in hat-brim-like manner then extend about 5 millimetres long on the head side and on the foot side, with which edges the interaction with the plastic body of the shelf rail 3 takes place. The length of the top-hat DIN rail 26 corresponds approximately to the length of the shelf rail 3.

[0108] Furthermore, in FIG. 7, the outer extension of the coupling coil 12 formed on the back wall of the shelf-label display 2 is incorporated by means of dimension 39. Here it is clearly visible that the coupling coil lies flat on the shelf-label plane and is arranged there corresponding to and even overlapping with the spatial extension of the conductor loop L measured in the direction of the height of the shelf rail 2.

[0109] The shelf rail 3 also comprises a fourth fastening structure, which serves to fasten the supply device to insert and fix the supply device at an end area (left or right end) of the shelf rail 3 between the wall 29 of the shelf rail 3 and the top-hat DIN rail 26 attached with the aid of the third fastening structure in such a way that the available conductor-loop connections C of the conductor loop L are contacted with the supply device 4. For this purpose, the fourth fastening structure comprises a first insertion channel 40 formed on the wall back side below the first spacer element 37 and open to the foot area 28 and a second insertion channel 41 formed on the wall back side above the lip of snap-in mechanism 36 and open to the head area 27. In the two slide-in channels 40 and 41, the supply device 4 with its mounting rails 42 can be inserted, which are visible in FIG. 8. In addition, the fourth fastening structure comprises a round opening 43 located at the head-side end of wall 29 and a round opening 43 located at the foot end of the wall 29, into which fastening screws 44 (see e.g., FIG. 6 but also 9 and 10) can be screwed in from the side of the shelf rail 3 for screwing on the supply device 4 to the shelf rail 3.

[0110] FIG. 8 shows a section through the shelf rail 3 in accordance with the cross-sectional surface B-B shown in FIG. 6, which is orientated transversely (normally aligned to the front side of the shelf rail 3) through the shelf rail 3 and runs to the right of the cross-sectional surface A-A at that point of the shelf rail 3, where contact elements 45 of the supply device 4 are formed. For the sake of improved clarity, the plurality of reference numbers that do not directly concern the attachment of the supply device 4 have been hidden in FIG. 7.

[0111] Furthermore, in the present case, two contact surfaces 46 are provided, wherein each of the contact surfaces 46 is soldered to one of the loop connections C. The contact surfaces 46 are contacted with the contact elements 45 formed as spring contacts when the supply device 4 is completely inserted into the shelf rail 3, meaning when this is positioned in the target position, thereby being contacted in such a way that a connection with the conductor loop L is established and this can be used as part of the second NFC interface 18. In contrast to this embodiment, however, the contact surfaces 46 can be dispensed with in the case of positioning of the contact elements 45 closer, and the wire forming the conductor loop L can be contacted directly at the end areas of the wire provided as conductor-loop connections C.

[0112] It should also be mentioned that, at the other end of the shelf rail, more precisely at the other end of the tubes 34, the wire of the conductor loop L runs as a single piece from one tube 34 to the other tube.

[0113] Finally, FIGS. 9 and 10 are explained, wherein FIG. 9 shows an illustration of a supply device 4, which is only slightly pulled out of shelf rail 3, and FIG. 10 also shows the contacting elements 45 in a slightly modified illustration. Here, the vast majority of reference numbers were also omitted in order not to clutter the illustrations.

[0114] In conclusion, it is again pointed out that in the case of the figures described above in detail, these only have to do with exemplary embodiments that can be modified by the person skilled in the art in various ways without leaving the scope of the invention. For the sake of completeness, it is also pointed out that the use of the indefinite articles “on” or “one” does not exclude that the respective features can also be present a multiple of times.