Dynamic electronic communication device

• US 9,092,814 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Molex Incorporated (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Timm, Matthew P., Griffin, Jeffrey T., Heitzinger, John M., Sime, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US14/464,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 1/005 using electronic timing, e.g. counting means pulse time delay arrangements H03K5/13; modifications of electronic switches for introducing a time delay before switching H03K17/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An dynamic electronic communication device. The tag according to embodiments of the invention is designed or set to discount, promote, incentivize, or apply information at certain states or within a certain timeframe at initial deployment, the tags themselves being capable of handling the logic. The tag generally includes a circuit, such as a silicon chip, that controls a flexible printed display, which displays the information when applied. The tag is optionally encapsulated in a plastic or glass case. The tag is made of a suitably small size such that the tag can easily be placed on individual items, and can be secured to other objects via an adhesive backing, sewn in, pinned on, and the like.

Claims

1. A dynamic electronic communication label for generating and displaying time sensitive information regarding an article to a viewer, the label comprising:

a display adapted to display the time sensitive information;

a power source;

a control means for controlling at least one of generation of the time sensitive information and the display;

an initialization means for at least one of initializing, resetting, and powering-up the device;

a locking means for locking the device in its current state; and

attachment means for attaching the label to the article.

2. The label of claim 1, wherein the attachment means comprises an adhesive, a clip, a pin, screw, a magnet, and combinations thereof.

3. A thin, flexible dynamic electronic communication device for generating and displaying dynamic information regarding an article to a viewer, the device comprising:

a display adapted to display the dynamic information;

a control module adapted to execute an algorithm to determine when a desired state is met, such that the when the desired state is met, dynamic information is displayed to the viewer via the display for a period of time determined by the algorithm;

a power source adapted to power at least one of the control module and the display; and

an initialization module adapted to at least one of initialize, reset, and power-up the device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the device comprises a stand-alone device and can generate and display information without use of communication with an external control means.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the control module is an integrated circuit (IC) selected from the group including a silicon-based IC, a compound semiconductor-based IC, an organic materials-based IC, a flexible IC, a printed IC, or combinations thereof.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the display is selected from the group including an electrochromic display, an electrophoretic display, and electrowetting display, a thermochromic display, an LCD, a flexible LCD, an LED based display, an OLED based display, and combinations thereof.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the power source is selected from the group including a battery, a photovoltaic cell, a capacitor, a fuel cell, an energy harvesting means, and combinations thereof.

8. The device of claim 3, wherein the device further comprises a communication module adapted to at least one of receive and send information to a central hub.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the communication module comprises a connecting device based on a wireless local area network protocol.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the connecting device is selected from the group including a BLUETOOTH transceiver, a radio frequency device, a ZIGBEE-based device, an ultra-wideband device, a WiFi device, and combinations thereof.

11. The device of claim 3, wherein the device comprises a thickness of between 20 microns and 3000 microns.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the device comprises a thickness of between 20 microns and 500 microns.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device comprises a thickness of between 50 microns and 150 microns.

14. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is assembled on a flexible substrate selected from the group including plastics, fiberglass, stainless steel metal foil, aluminum foil, paper, woven web, non-woven webs, and combinations thereof.

15. The device of claim 3, wherein the control module includes a counter circuit such that the time sensitive information is displayed on the display when the counter reaches a predetermined state.

16. The device of claim 3, wherein the control module comprises analog electronics adapted to provide a variable electrical response depending on a status or time.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the analog electronics are selected from the group including an electrochemical switch, a chemical switch, and combinations thereof.

18. The device of claim 3, wherein the control module comprises a combination of digital and analog components.

19. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is fabricated using additive processes selected from the group including printing, coating, spraying, vapor deposition, and combinations thereof using functional materials to create the device.

20. The device of claim 3, wherein at least one component of the device is fabricated using an additive process on a flexible substrate, and at least another component of the device is secured to the flexible substrate using a non-additive process.