Visually readable electronic label

• US 9,087,318 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Paczkowski, Lyle W., Steele, Kenneth Ray, Cordes, Kevin R., Loman, Clinton Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Marshall, Christle I
• Application Number:
  US14/076,164
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/492, 235/385, 235/487
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0709 the source being an interrogation field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07707 the visual interface being a display, e.g. LCD or electronic ink
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

A visually readable electronic label is disclosed. The system comprises a radio frequency identity (RFID) component that is operable to store data, an antenna coupled to the radio frequency identity component that is operable for deriving electrical power from an incident radio frequency field, where the derived electrical power is the sole electrical power available to the electronic label and a display coupled to the radio frequency identity component that is operable to present a visual indication of the data when commanded by the radio frequency identity component and when electrical power derived from an incident radio frequency field is available.

Claims

1. A system for changing an indication of a brand using visually readable electronic labels, comprising:

at least one visually readable electronic label, comprising;

a radio frequency identity (RFID) component that is operable to store data,

an antenna coupled to the radio frequency identity component that is operable for deriving electrical power from an incident radio frequency field, where the derived electrical power is the sole electrical power externally available to the visually readable electronic label, and

a display coupled to the radio frequency identity component that is operable to present a visual indication of the data when commanded by the radio frequency identity component and when electrical power derived from an incident radio frequency field is available; and

a work station computer of a wireless network provider, comprising;

a network transceiver that communicatively couples the work station to a provisioning data store and the at least one visually readable electronic label, and

at least one processor coupled to the network transceiver and configured to;

identify an updated brand indication corresponding to at least one wireless communication device, wherein the at least one visually readable electronic label is associated with the at least one wireless communication device,

based on the updated brand indication, change the at least one visually readable electronic label to comprise the updated brand indication via the visual indication of the data on the display, and

determine, from a scanning device, that the updated brand indication is successfully stored.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer on the back of the at least one visually readable electronic label, wherein the adhesive layer is configured to affix the at least one visually readable electronic label to at least one of a package, a box, or an inventory pallet.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one visually readable electronic label further comprises an energy storage component coupled to the antenna, wherein the energy storage component stores energy derived from the incident radio frequency field in an electric field, and wherein the display is powered at least in part by discharging the energy stored in the electric field by the energy storage component.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises an indication of a brand associated with a wireless communication network, and wherein the visual indication of the data comprises at least one of a color, a pattern, an icon, or a location of a dot in a grid.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the work station computer is further configured to provision a wireless communication network via the provisioning data store based on the updated brand indication.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the derived electrical power may be stored in at least one of a capacitor, an inductor, or a battery coupled to the at least one visually readable electronic label, and wherein the display is powered by at least a portion of the stored electrical power.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the work station computer is further configured to determine the at least one visually readable electronic label comprises an initial brand indication, wherein the initial brand indication is different from the updated brand indication.

8. A method of transmitting an indication of a brand to a visually readable electronic label affixed to a package or a pallet, comprising:

broadcasting by a scanning device a radio frequency command signal that radiates a plurality of visually readable electronic labels, wherein each label comprises at least one display area, a radio frequency identity chip, and an antenna operable for deriving electrical power from the radio frequency command signal, where the derived electrical power is the sole electrical power available to the label, and wherein the command signal directs the radio frequency identity chip of each label to store an indication of brand;

determining by the scanning device by communicating with each of the radio frequency identity chips which of the radio frequency identity chips successfully stored the indication of brand; and

shipping a plurality of mobile communication devices associated with the package or with the pallet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile communication devices are one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a media player, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or a notebook computer.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising broadcasting by the scanning device a radio frequency command signal directing the radio frequency identity chip of each label to present a visual indication of the stored indication of brand on the display area.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the scanning device is located at least 2 feet from the package or pallet.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the scanning device is located at least 8 feet from the pallet.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the antenna operable for deriving electrical power from the radio frequency command signal of each label extends along at least an inch of the label.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising rebroadcasting by the scanning device the radio frequency command signal to each of the radio frequency identity chips that did not successfully store the indication of brand.

15. A method of changing an indication of a brand of a visually readable electronic label affixed to a package or a pallet, comprising:

reading a brand indication by a scanning device from a plurality of visually readable electronic labels, wherein each label comprises at least one display area, a radio frequency identity chip that stores the brand indication, and an antenna operable for deriving electrical power from a radio frequency signal radiated by the scanning device, where the derived electrical power is the sole electrical power available to the label;

based on reading the brand indications, transmitting a command by the scanning device to at least some of the visually readable electronic labels to change their brand indication;

determining by the scanning device by communicating with the at least some of the visually readable electronic labels which of the visually readable electronic labels successfully changed their brand indication; and

provisioning a wireless communication network to associate the changed brand with the at least some of the visually readable electronic labels,

wherein the package or pallet carry one or more mobile communication devices.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting a command by the scanning device to the at least some of the visually readable electronic labels to present a visual indication of the stored indication of brand in the display area.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising reading unique identifiers associated with at least some of the electronic labels, wherein transmitting the command by the scanning device to at least some of the visually readable electronic labels to change is performed serially, one label at a time, based on the unique identifiers.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising of visually readable electronic labels listening to the broadcast command by the scanning device and changing the brand indication only when the broadcast range includes the unique identifier associated with the electronic label.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the mobile communication devices are one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a media player, a laptop computer, a tablet, or a notebook computer.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the visually readable electronic label on the pallet is transmitting to the scanning device the list of mobile equipment identifiers (MEID), of the packages that is contained within the inventory pallet.