US20250049233A1

US20250049233A1 - Shelf interactive power control circuit

Info

Publication number: US20250049233A1
Application number: US18/231,766
Authority: US
Inventors: Chun-Tse Yang; Chih-Sheng Hou
Original assignee: Universal Cement Corp
Current assignee: Universal Cement Corp
Priority date: 2023-08-08
Filing date: 2023-08-08
Publication date: 2025-02-13

Abstract

A shelf power control circuit includes a power source, a status sensor, a status detection circuit, a switch, and a control signal detection circuit. The power source is used to supply power, and the status sensor is used to detect a status change of products on a shelf. The status detection circuit is coupled to the status sensor and the power source for generating an enabling signal when the status sensor detects the status change of the products. The switch is coupled to the power source and the status detection circuit for being turned on when receiving the enabling signal and turned off when receiving a disabling signal. The control signal detection circuit is coupled to the switch for generating the disabling signal when the control signal detection circuit is turned on.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shelf power control circuit, and more particularly, a shelf interactive power control circuit capable of reducing power consumption and managing product replenishment.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the prior art, a merchandise monitor system has a plurality of sensors for sensing products in a plurality of inventory zones. The products can be disposed in the plurality of inventory zones in different arrangements. Each of the sensors is used to sense a corresponding inventory zone periodically, and convert a sensed quantity of the products into a respective signal. Since the sensors sense product quantities periodically, the sensors are kept turning on even when no product is added onto the shelf or removed from the shelf, thus is very power consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment provides a shelf interactive power control circuit comprising a power source, a status sensor, a status detection circuit, a switch, and a control signal detection circuit. The power source is configured to supply power, and the status sensor is configured to detect a status change of products on a shelf. The status detection circuit is coupled to the status sensor and the power source and configured to generate an enabling signal when the status sensor detects the status change of the products. The switch is coupled to the power source and the status detection circuit and configured to be turned on when receiving the enabling signal and turned off when receiving a disabling signal. The control signal detection circuit is coupled to the switch and configured to generate the disabling signal when the control signal detection circuit is turned on.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGURE is a shelf power control circuit according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGURE is a shelf power control circuit 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The shelf power control circuit 100 comprises a power source 102, a status sensor 110, a status detection circuit 104, a switch 106, a control signal detection circuit 108, a pressure sensor 116, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 114, a micro control unit (MCU) 118, an electronic paper or other display device 112, and a server 120.
The power source 102 is configured to supply power, and the status sensor 110 is configured to detect a status change of products on a shelf. The status detection circuit 104 used to limit the selection of trigger conditions is coupled to the status sensor 110 and the power source 102 and configured to generate an enabling signal when the status sensor 110 detects the status change of the products. The switch 106 is coupled to the power source 102 and the status detection circuit 104 and configured to be turned on when receiving the enabling signal and turned off when receiving a disabling signal. The control signal detection circuit 108 is coupled to the switch 106 and configured to generate the disabling signal when the control signal detection circuit 108 is turned on.
The pressure sensor 116 is configured to detect the amount of products on the shelf. The application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 114 is coupled to the switch 106 and the pressure sensor 116, and configured to convert the amount of products on the shelf to an existing quantity of products on the shelf. The micro control unit (MCU) 118 is coupled to the application specific integrated circuit 114 through an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) and the control signal detection circuit 108, and configured to turn on the control signal detection circuit 108 after receiving the existing quantity of products on the shelf from the application specific integrated circuit 114.
The electronic paper or other display device 112 is coupled to the MCU 118 through a serial peripheral interface (SPI), and configured to receive information of the products from the MCU 118 and display the information of the products. The server 120 is linked to the MCU 118 through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and configured to receive the existing quantity of products on the shelf from the MCU 118 and to change the display of information on electronic paper or other display device.
In an embodiment, the shelf power control circuit 100 further comprises a first resistor 124, a second resistor 122, and a third resistor 126. The first resistor 124 has a first end coupled to an output end of the switch 106, and a second end coupled to an output end of the status detection circuit 104. The control signal detection circuit 108 includes a switch. The switch of the control signal detection circuit 108 can be an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (NMOS) 108. The NMOS 108 has a drain coupled to the second end of the first resistor 124, a source coupled to a ground, and a gate coupled to the MCU 118. The second resistor 122 is coupled between the gate of the NMOS 108 and the ground. The MCU 118 is coupled to an output end of the switch 106. The third resistor 126 is coupled between the power source 102 and an output end of the status detection circuit 104.
The shelf power control circuit 100 may be divided into three circuits. Circuit 1 is for waking up circuits 2 and 3. Circuit 2 is for data reading, data writing and displaying. Circuit 3 is for product scanning.
The purpose of circuit 1 in the shelf power control circuit 100 is to detect the status change of the products on the shelf. The output of the status detection circuit 104 is high only when the status sensor 110 (e.g. a piezoelectric sensor or a triboelectric sensor) detects a pressure change, which corresponds to a product removal or product replenishment. When the status detection circuit 104 is inactive, the output of the status detection circuit 104 is low. When the status detection circuit 104 is active, an enabling signal with a high voltage is transmitted to the switch 106 to enable circuit 2 and circuit 3. As the switch 106 is turned on, the power supplies to the ASIC 114 and the MCU 118. Afterwards, the pressure sensor 116 in circuit 3 detects the amount of the products on the shelf and the amount of the products on the shelf is transferred into the existing quantity of the products on the shelf by the ASIC 114. the existing quantity of products on the shelf is then transmitted to the MCU 118 in circuit 2 through the I2C, and the MCU 118 sends the existing quantity of the products on the shelf to the server 120 through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The manager of the server 120 can then add products onto the shelf or remove products accordingly. The e-paper or other display device 112 in the circuit 2 displays the status of the product on the shelf from the information sent by the MCU 118 through the SPI.
In the embodiment, the power consumption mostly comes from the pressure sensor 116. Therefore, only when the status of products on the shelf changes, the circuit 2 and circuit 3 are activated by circuit 1. This will save a lot of power consumption and ease product management and product analysis on the server 120.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A shelf power control circuit comprising:

a power source configured to supply power;

a status sensor configured to detect a status change of products on a shelf;

a status detection circuit coupled to the status sensor and the power source, and configured to generate an enabling signal when the status sensor detects the status change of the products;

a switch coupled to the power source and the status detection circuit, and configured to be turned on when receiving the enabling signal and turned off when receiving a disabling signal; and

a control signal detection circuit coupled to the switch, and configured to generate the disabling signal when the control signal detection circuit is activated.

2. The shelf power control circuit of claim 1, wherein the status sensor is a piezoelectric sensor.

3. The shelf power control circuit of claim 1, wherein the status sensor is a triboelectric sensor.

4. The shelf power control circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure sensor configured to detect an amount of products on the shelf; and

an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) coupled to the switch and the pressure sensor, and configured to convert the amount of products on the shelf to an existing quantity of products on the shelf.

5. The shelf power control circuit of claim 4, further comprising:

a micro control unit (MCU) coupled to the application specific integrated circuit and the control signal detection circuit, and configured to turn on the control signal detection circuit after receiving the existing quantity of products on the shelf from the application specific integrated circuit.

6. The shelf power control circuit of claim 5, further comprising:

an electronic paper or other display device coupled to the MCU, and configured to receive information of the products from the MCU and display the information of the products.

7. The shelf power control circuit of claim 6, wherein the electronic paper or other display device is coupled to the MCU through a serial peripheral interface (SPI).

8. The shelf power control circuit of claim 5, further comprising a server linked to the MCU, and configured to receive the existing quantity of products on the shelf from the MCU.

9. The shelf power control circuit of claim 8, wherein the server is linked to the MCU through Bluetooth.

10. The shelf power control circuit of claim 8, wherein the server is linked to the MCU through Wi-Fi.

11. The shelf power control circuit of claim 5, wherein the ASIC is coupled to the MCU through an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C).

12. The shelf power control circuit of claim 5, further comprising a first resistor having a first end coupled to an output end of the switch, and a second end coupled to an output end of the status detection circuit.

13. The shelf power control circuit of claim 12, wherein the control signal detection circuit comprises a switch.

14. The shelf power control circuit of claim 13 wherein the switch of the control signal detection circuit is an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (NMOS).

15. The shelf power control circuit of claim 14, wherein the NMOS has a drain coupled to the second end of the first resistor, a source coupled to a ground, and a gate coupled to the MCU.

16. The shelf power control circuit of claim 15, further comprising a second resistor coupled between the gate of the NMOS and the ground.

17. The shelf power control circuit of claim 5, wherein the MCU is coupled to an output end of the switch.

18. The shelf power control circuit of claim 1, further comprising a third resistor coupled between the power source and an output end of the status detection circuit.