Label for an electronic product that provides failure information when the product fails

• US 7,370,806 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Komatsu, Jeffrey George, Erickson, Steven C., Syme, Fraser Allan, Knipfer, Ivory Wellman
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US11/532,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20080067253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/487, 235/492, 235/385, 340/572.1, 340/5.92, 340/10.1, 340/519
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual

Abstract

A label on an electronic product may be written electronically and maintains the last display state when power is removed from the label. There are many different types of digital paper and electronic paper known in the art that would be suitable for use as such labels. The label includes multiple defined regions that may be independently written, with one of the regions defined to display failure information for the electronic product. In one implementation, the failure information is available on the electronic product itself. In another implementation, the failure information includes information received from a source external to the electronic product. The display of failure information on the label may be in human-readable and/or machine-readable form. The result is a label on an electronic product that provides reliable information regarding a failure of the electronic product.

Claims

1. A method for displaying failure information for an electronic product, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) the electronic product determining a failure in the electronic product;

(B) the electronic product generating failure information comprising first information corresponding to the failure determined in step (A) and second information not available on the electronic product, generated by and received from a source external to the electronic product in response to determining a failure has occurred;

(C) the electronic product writing to a memory on the electronic product the failure information for the electronic product generated in step (B);

(D) reading the failure information from the memory; and

(E) electronically writing data corresponding to the failure information to a first region of a label for the electronic product, the label displaying information electronically written to the label and maintaining a current display of information when power is removed from the label, the label comprising a plurality of regions that may be independently written, the plurality of regions including the first region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data displayed in the first region of the label includes machine-readable data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data displayed in the first region of the label includes human-readable data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of regions on the label comprise a second region that includes product information for the electronic pocket.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the second information comprises a date and time.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second information comprises runtime hours.

5. A method for displaying failure information for an electronic product, the method comprising the steps of:

generating failure information comprising first information generated by the electronic product in response to the electronic product determining a failure in the electronic product and second information not available on the electronic product, generated by and received from a source external to the electronic product in response to determining a failure has occurred; and

electronically writing data corresponding to the failure information to a first region of a label for the electronic product, the label displaying information electronically written to the label and maintaining a current display of information when power is removed from the label, the label comprising a plurality of regions that may be independently written, the plurality of regions including the first region.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the data displayed in the first region of the label includes machine-readable data.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the data displayed in the first region of the label includes human-readable data.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the plurality of regions on the label comprise a second region that includes product information for the electronic product.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the second information comprises a date and time.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein the second information comprises runtime hours.