Electronic shelf labels developed with wireless power

An electronic shelf label system is one deployed by retailers to display product pricing on shelves. The modules are attached to the front edge of retail shelving. A common format is for such modules to use electronic paper or a liquid-crystal display to display the current product price to the customer. Displaydata provides retailers with advanced enterprise software and wireless electronic shelf labels in order to manage information at the point where a consumer weight up whether to take an item from the shelf and into their basket, at the given price. A retailer has the ability to alter the price according to demand, or to target a group of shoppers. For the retailer, the price displayed on shelves is fully automated. Wireless power can improve upon the process. Wireless power is a form of power that can be delivered over the air, remotely, without the need for plugs or for the transmitting signal to be in direct line-of-sight. The power aspect is the transmission of electrical energy without wires as a physical link. The application uses a transmitter device, which is driven by electric power from a power source. This produces a time-varying electromagnetic field, which transmits power across space to a receiver device. The receiver extracts power from the field and supplies it to an electrical load. With the idea of using wireless power, the companies plan to reveal a proof-of-concept model by the end of 2018. This will use the Cota receiver chip. The chip is tiny and can integrate into existing smart retail devices, like electronic shelf labels. The Cota transmitter is installed in shops as a standalone device or it can be integrated into existing infrastructure, like lighting fixtures or via Wi-Fi access points. Commenting on the development, Preston Woo of Ossia, said: “One of the biggest challenges for retailers is getting meaningful power to all of their various devices and sensors in a dynamic store environment.” He adds: “We are excited to partner with Displaydata because of their commitment to always bringing their customers the most advanced and best performing solutions.”