Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With radio cabinet
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-17
2001-02-06
Le, Hoanganh (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With radio cabinet
C343S7000MS, C343S846000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06184834
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems, and more specifically to an electronic price label antenna for electronic price labels of different sizes.
EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for merchandise items in a transaction establishment. EPLs typically display the prices of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A transaction establishment may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. Price information displayed by the EPLs is obtained from a price look-up (PLU) data file and stored within an EPL price change record.
EPLs are produced in different sizes. Two sizes are typically mounted to shelf rails or edges. A first or large size EPL is typically about three to four inches in length and is used in connection with most items in a store. An example of the a large size EPL is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,560, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference.
A second or small size EPL has been created for use in connection with small items which occupy very little shelf space. Use of the small size EPL allows many different types of small items to placed adjacent one another. Use of a large size EPL in connection with these small items would waste shelf space between small items. The small size EPL is about one and a half inches to two inches in length and has a smaller display than the large size EPL. The small size EPL also takes a smaller adhesive overlay for displaying item information which rarely changes.
One problem with the small size EPL is that it includes a different antenna than the large size EPL, since the antenna in the large size EPL is too large.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a common antenna and communication circuitry design for large and small size EPLs in order to reduce overall cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, an electronic price label (EPL) antenna for electronic price labels of different sizes is provided.
The electronic price label is suitable for use in both small EPLs having lengths of about 1.5 to 2 inches and large size EPLs having lengths of about 3 to 4 inches.
The antenna includes a folded planar conductor including a generally planar radiator portion coupled to a antenna port on a printed circuit board, a generally planar ground plane portion coupled to a ground on the printed circuit board having a width and oriented generally parallel to the radiator portion, and a dielectric layer between the radiator portion and the ground plane portion. The width of the ground plane portion is larger than the width of the radiator portion by a distance sufficient to produce an electric field which is linearly polarized in the width direction, thereby eliminating a need for shielding.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an EPL antenna for EPLs of different sizes.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved EPL antenna design.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an EPL antenna which requires fewer solder points.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an EPL antenna which is small enough in height to reduce EPL housing sizes to no more than about 7 mm to 9 mm.
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patent: 5668560 (1997-09-01), Evans et al.
patent: 6026373 (2000-02-01), Goodwin, III
patent: 6031494 (2000-02-01), Okabe et al.
Tran Cuong
Utsumi Yoshitaka
Le Hoang-anh
Martin Paul W.
NCR Corporation
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