Today’s leading retailers have a tireless focus on driving cost, efficiency and customer engagement. They demand constant innovation while requiring longevity and reliability of in-store systems.
Pricer’s core offering is built around ESL (Electronic Shelf Label) technology using a unique and highly advanced optical wireless network system based on the Infrared spectrum operating above the highly congested frequencies of traditional ICM wireless or Wi-Fi.
Infrared technology tends to be used in critical applications such as aircraft, hospitals, advanced manufacturing and massively scalable system requirements where low power utilization, high reliability, massive scalability and interference-free communication are required.
IR a prerequisite for reliable and advanced ESL functionalities
While much has been made of the rise of wireless radio-based infrastructure, IR has been quietly dominating those ESL applications that require longevity, reliability and advanced functionality. Pricer has been leading this segment since 1991 and the widespread deployment of IR and Pricer’s system ensure both confidence in the technology, the system and the functionality.
Infrared light is a fast and energy-saving technology, with numerous applications in different industries – from communication to medicine to astronomy.
The “near IR technology” has been a key factor in the development of Electronic Shelf Label systems. To make it work in a store, transmitters are installed in the ceiling. The transmitters transfer information to the digital labels by rapid flashes. Every label has a photosensor that reacts to the signals and answers / acknowledges with a quick flash of light that the message has been received.
Transmitting information to the ESLs
The transmitters in the ceiling can send out two types of messages:
- Broadcasts, a general command that addresses all the labels. It could be a command to show stock levels. This information is updated daily and stored in every label and can be displayed on command or outside of store hours.
- Directed messages for a specific label. This is possible because every label has a unique ID. The second the transmitters in the ceiling send something, all the labels react. If the message is for them, they wake up and receive the data, for example a price change. Otherwise they fall asleep again.
Find out more
If you want to find out more about the benefits of using optical wireless communications techniques if you need an ESL system with longevity, reliability and advanced functionality, please download our free whitepaper, Infrared light in stores below.
