Survey-based location of electronic shelf label (ESL) devices

An apparatus comprising:

• a memory storing processor-readable code;
• and
• at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor configured to execute the processor-readable code to cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
• transmitting, to each electronic shelf label (ESL) device in a group of ESL devices deployed within an environment via a wireless network associated with the environment, a command to emit one or more flashes of light over a flash interval associated with the group;
• receiving, from a mobile device via the wireless network, visual data collected for the group by a camera during the flash interval;
• detecting, within the visual data, the one or more flashes emitted by each ESL device in the group over the flash interval;
• and
• determining a location within the environment of each ESL device in the group based on the one or more flashes emitted by each ESL device in the visual data;
• wherein each ESL device in the group is in a vicinity of the mobile device during a survey of the environment, and wherein the operations further comprise:
• receiving, from the mobile device via the wireless network during the survey, radio frequency (RF) measurements of wireless signals received by the mobile device from a subset of the ESL devices deployed within the environment;
• and
• identifying each ESL device in the group, based on the RF measurements received for the subset.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• transmitting, to each electronic shelf label (ESL) device in a group of ESL devices deployed within an environment via a wireless network associated with the environment, a command to emit one or more flashes of light over a flash interval associated with the group;
• receiving, from a mobile device via the wireless network, visual data collected for the group by a camera during the flash interval;
• detecting, within the visual data, the one or more flashes emitted by each ESL device in the group over the flash interval;
• and
• determining a location within the environment of each ESL device in the group based on the one or more flashes emitted by each ESL device in the visual data;
• wherein each ESL device in the group is in a vicinity of the mobile device during a survey of the environment, and wherein the operations further comprise:
• receiving, from the mobile device via the wireless network during the survey, radio frequency (RF) measurements of wireless signals received by the mobile device from a subset of the ESL devices deployed within the environment;
• and
• identifying each ESL device in the group, based on the RF measurements received for the subset.

An electronic shelf label (ESL) system comprising:

• a group of ESL devices deployed within an environment;
• and
• a server comprising a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform operations comprising:
• transmitting, to each ESL device in the group via a wireless network associated with the environment, a command to emit one or more flashes of light over a flash interval associated with the group;
• receiving, from a mobile device via the wireless network, visual data collected for the group by a camera during the flash interval;
• detecting, within the visual data, the one or more flashes emitted by each ESL device in the group over the flash interval;
• and
• determining a location within the environment of each ESL device in the group based on the one or more flashes emitted by each ESL device in the visual data;
• wherein each ESL device in the group is in a vicinity of the mobile device during a survey of the environment, and wherein the operations further comprise:
• receiving, from the mobile device via the wireless network during the survey, radio frequency (RF) measurements of wireless signals received by the mobile device from a subset of the ESL devices deployed within the environment;
• and
• identifying each ESL device in the group, based on the RF measurements received for the subset.