US 12,488,764 B1Granted

Compressing images for display on electronic labels

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsSunil Felix Assao, Joseph W. Chauvin, Nirmal Doshi, Garth M. Jackson, Yi-Kuo Jen, Dnyanesh P. Joshi, Snigdhendu Sekhar Mukhopadhyay, Alpeshkumar Manubhai Vaghasia

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Abstract

Where an image displayed by an electronic label depicts information that requires replacement or revision, data for causing the revised information to be displayed by the electronic label is reduced. The data represents portions of the image depicting the information that requires replacement or revision, rather than an entirely new image. Such portions are smaller in size than an image then being displayed, and are transmitted to the electronic label when such changes or required, or along with the image then being displayed. Such portions may also be compressed or uncompressed versions of the images, and may be represented as sets of code words including one or more bytes that identify rows or pixels having discrete colors.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a base station having at least one data store and at least one computer processor;
a plurality of electronic labels, wherein each of the plurality of electronic labels comprises a display, a battery, a housing, a memory component, a processor, and a transceiver provided within a housing, and wherein each of the plurality of electronic labels is in communication with the base station over one or more networks,
wherein the base station is programmed with one or more sets of instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer processor of the base station, cause the base station to at least:
determine first information regarding a first product, wherein the first information comprises a first plurality of characters in a first sequence;
generate a first image depicting the first information in a first region of the first image, wherein the first region is a subset of the first image;
transmit the first image to at least a first electronic label of the plurality of electronic labels, wherein the first electronic label is provided in association with the first product;
transmit a first set of characters to at least the first electronic label, wherein each of the first set of characters is an image having at least one dimension in common with at least one dimension of the first region of the first image, and wherein each of the first plurality of characters is one of the first set of characters;
transmit a first instruction to display at least the first image to the first electronic label;
identify second information regarding one of the first product or a second product, wherein the second information comprises a second plurality of characters in a second sequence, and wherein each of the second plurality of characters is one of the first set of characters;
generate a string identifying the second plurality of characters in the second sequence;
and
transmit a second instruction to display the second plurality of characters identified in the string in the first region of the first image according to a bit block transfer technique to the first electronic label, wherein the second instruction comprises the string.

9 more elements

A method comprising:

transmitting, by a computer system to an electronic label over one or more networks, at least a first image for display by the electronic label, wherein a first portion of the first image depicts first information, wherein the first information comprises a first plurality of characters in a first sequence, and wherein the first portion is a subset of the first image;
transmitting, by the computer system to the electronic label, at least a first set of characters, wherein each of the first set of characters is an image having at least one dimension in common with at least one dimension of the first portion of the first image, and wherein each one of the first plurality of characters is one of the first set of characters;
causing, by the electronic label, the first image to be displayed on a display of the electronic label;
identifying, by the computer system, second information comprising a second plurality of characters in a second sequence, and wherein each of the second plurality of characters is one of the first set of characters;
transmitting, by the first computer system to the electronic label over the one or more networks, a string identifying the second plurality of characters in the second sequence;
transmitting, by the first computer system to the electronic label over the one or more networks, at least an instruction to display at least the second information in the first portion of the first image, wherein the instruction comprises a string identifying the second plurality of characters in the second sequence;
receiving, by the electronic label, at least the instruction to display at least the second information in the first portion of the first image;
and
causing, by the electronic label, the second plurality of characters to be displayed in the first portion of the first image in the second sequence in accordance with a bit block transfer technique in response to receiving the instruction.

6 more elements

A system comprising:

a display;
a housing;
a battery;
a memory component;
a transceiver;
and
at least one processor,
wherein the system is configured to at least:
receive a first image over one or more networks, wherein a first portion of the first image depicts first information regarding a first item in a first region of the first image, wherein the first region is a subset of the first image, and wherein the first information comprises a first plurality of characters in a first sequence, wherein the first plurality of characters in the first sequence represents one of a name of the first item, a first price of the first item, or a first rating of the first item;
cause the first image to be displayed;
receive a first set of characters, wherein each of the first set of characters is an image having at least one dimension in common with the first region of the first image;
identify second information regarding at least one of the first item or a second item, wherein the second information represents one of a name of the second item, a second price of one of the first item or the second item, or a second rating of one of the first item or the second item;
receive a string identifying a second plurality of characters in a second sequence, wherein each of the second plurality of characters is one of the first set of characters, and wherein the second image is one of the second plurality of characters, and wherein the second plurality of characters in the second sequence represents the second information, and
cause the second plurality of characters to be displayed in the second sequence in the first region of the first image according to a bit block transfer technique.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.