Absorbent article including two dimensional code made from an active graphic

• US 9,220,640 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Ales, Thomas Michael, Long, Andrew Mark, Fitton, Matt
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Lynne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vasat, Peter S
• Application Number:
  US12/982,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20120172825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 604/318, 604/361, 406/25, 235/462.08
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/84 Accessories, not otherwise provided for, for absorbent pads
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8497 having decorations or indicia means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

Absorbent articles are disclosed that convey information to a user. In particular, the absorbent articles include an active graphic that comprises a machine readable code. The active graphic, for instance, may comprise a disappearing graphic, an appearing graphic, and/or a color-change graphic. The change in appearance of the graphic may occur once contacted with a suitable activation agent, such as urine. The machine readable code contained in the active graphic, once scanned by a suitable reader device, may convey information to a user related to the absorbent article.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising:

an outer cover having an interior surface and an exterior surface;

an absorbent structure positioned adjacent to the interior surface of the outer cover, the absorbent article including an inside surface that faces a wearer and an opposite outside surface;

at least one active graphic that includes a visible state where the active graphic is visible from a surface of the absorbent article, the active graphic comprising a machine readable code comprising a two dimensional code that, when in the visible state, is configured to provide information related to the absorbent article when scanned by a suitable reader device; and

at least one permanent graphic, wherein the permanent graphic is interrelated to the at least one active graphic.

2. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the active graphic comprises an appearing graphic that appears and assumes the visible state when exposed to an activation agent.

3. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the active graphic comprises a disappearing graphic that converts from the visible state to an invisible state when activated by an activation agent.

4. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the active graphic comprises a color changing graphic that changes from an initial state to a second state when exposed to an activation agent.

5. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the machine readable code uses color to encode information.

6. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the machine readable code stores information in a circular pattern.

7. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the machine readable code is encoded with a uniform resource locator.

8. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the machine readable code of the active graphic stores information in at least a vertical direction and in a horizontal direction.

9. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the active graphic appears, disappears or changes color when exposed to an activation agent comprising a body fluid.

10. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the two dimensional code of the active graphic comprises a matrix pattern including a finder component and an alignment component in addition to data components.

11. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the active graphic appears, disappears or changes color when exposed to an activation agent that comprises temperature, ultraviolet light, a volatile gas, an analyte or a microbial load.

12. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the active graphic is visible from an outside surface on the absorbent article.

13. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the active graphic is visible from an inside surface on the absorbent article.

14. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the absorbent article further comprises graphics that depict a scene, the active graphic comprising the machine readable code being integrated into the scene.

15. An absorbent article as defined in claim 14, wherein the scene depicts one or more characters.

16. An absorbent article as defined in claim 14, wherein the scene includes at least one focal image and a background, the machine readable code being integrated into the background.

17. An absorbent article as defined in claim 15, wherein the machine readable code is integrated into the character.

18. An absorbent article as defined in claim 14, wherein the active graphic and the scene are visible from an outside surface of the absorbent article.

19. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein the activation agent comprises a body fluid that indicates the possibility of a condition and wherein the information provided by the machine readable code is related to the condition.

20. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein when scanned by a suitable reader device, the machine readable code links the reader device to a website address.

21. An absorbent article as defined in claim 20, wherein the website address provides a user with incentives.

22. An absorbent article as defined in claim 21, wherein the incentives comprise coupons or rebates for products.

23. An absorbent article as defined in claim 20, wherein the website address provides a user with information regarding a physiological condition.

24. An absorbent article as defined in claim 20, wherein the website address provides a user with information regarding an analytical assessment/result done as a result of urination.