Labeling methods and devices

• US 7,904,277 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Leon, Schatzberger, Richard, Ady, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US11/954,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 702/183, 345/59, 345/107, 345/85, 345/87, 345/1.1, 345/1.3, 345/2.1, 345/2.3, 345/55, 370/406, 340/825.49, 340/5.91, 340/5.92, 340/572.1, 705/67, 705/75
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and electronic devices 102 including a display 104 that is configured to display indicia 114, 116, 118 persistently during a shipping process. The disclosed methods and electronic devices may include an indicia control 110 for dynamically determining the indicia for persistent display based on at least one of a self-diagnostic software tool 112, a selection from a table 122 of predetermined information, or downloaded data 124. In one embodiment, by self-diagnosing a condition in the device 102, repair or other similar indicia may be determined dynamically based on the self-diagnosis, and displayed persistently on the display 104 during a shipping process. In another embodiment, the persistent labeling indicia may include destination information 116 for routing based on the self-diagnosis. In yet another embodiment, product recycling indicia may be persistently displayed when the age of the device is determined in accordance with a self-diagnostic software tool 112.

Claims

1. A method of an electronic device having a controller and a display coupled to the controller, the method comprising:

self-diagnosing a condition in the electronic device, wherein the condition is that the electronic device needs repair or that the electronic device has reached a predetermined age;

dynamically determining, by the electronic device, destination information for routing based on the self-diagnosed condition in the electronic device; and

showing persistent indicia on the display persistently during an entire shipping process, the persistent indicia including the determined destination information for routing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein self-diagnosing comprises:

self-diagnosing non-interactively based upon predetermined criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein self-diagnosing comprises:

self-diagnosing interactively via receipt of user input.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein showing persistent indicia on the display persistently during an entire shipping process is in an absence of an applied voltage.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein showing persistent indicia on the display persistently during an entire shipping process is in an absence of a main battery.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein showing persistent indicia on the display comprises displaying an address label.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein showing persistent indicia on the display comprises displaying a bar code.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

downloading remote data from a server; and

determining the persistent indicia based on the remote data.

9. The method of claim 1, the electronic device further having a memory, the method further comprising:

retrieving local data from the memory; and

displaying the persistent indicia based on the local data.

10. A method of an electronic device including a controller and a display coupled to the controller, the method comprising:

self-diagnosing a condition of the electronic device, wherein the condition is that the electronic device needs repair or that the electronic device has reached a predetermined age;

dynamically determining, by the electronic device, destination information for routing based on the self-diagnosed condition to generate self-diagnostic indicia; and

displaying the self-diagnostic indicia persistently throughout a shipping process.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the self-diagnostic indicia persistently throughout a shipping process is in an absence of an applied voltage.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein dynamically determining comprises:

downloading remote data from a server; and

determining the self-diagnostic indicia based on the remote data.

13. The method of claim 10, the electronic device further having a memory, wherein dynamically determining comprises:

retrieving local data from the memory; and

determining the self-diagnostic indicia based on the local data.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a controller;

a display coupled to the controller, wherein the display is configured to display indicia persistently during a shipping process; and

a dynamic indicia control coupled to the controller for determining destination information for routing based on a self-diagnostic software tool that determines whether the electronic device needs repair or has reached a predetermined age.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the display is configured to display the indicia persistently during a shipping process in an absence of an applied voltage.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the indicia comprises:

a bar code.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the dynamic indicia control triggers generation of destination indicia.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the destination indicia comprises:

postal address indicia.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the destination indicia comprises:

postage indicia.

20. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the display is an electrophoretic (E-ink) type display.