Abstract: Updating a multi-band reconfigurable electronic shelf label includes waking-up a transceiver and processor of the electronic shelf label, such that the transceiver can be reconfigured to operate on a selected frequency band in order to receive updated information on a data link associated with that selected frequency band. The selected frequency band is chosen based on a power efficiency of the associated data link. The updated information can be received on the associated data link of the selected frequency band, and can be displayed on a display of the electronic shelf label. A supplemental data link using a Radio Frequency Identification circuit can be provided among the other data link selections in the label.

Abstract: A height- or width-modulated bar code is decoded by scanning an oblong laser beam across the bar code. Light reflected from the bar code varies in intensity as the laser beam traverses dark and light regions of the bar code. The bar code can be decoded by locating the valleys in the variation of intensity of the reflected light, and comparing the depth of these valleys; the deepest valleys correspond to tall or wide bars and the remainder correspond to short or narrow bars.