Intelligent label device and method

• US 9,471,862 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chromera, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chromera, Inc.
• Inventors: Cronin, John P, Adams, Lori L, Tonazzi, Juan Carlos L, Atkinson, Paul, Kruest, James, Agrawal, Anoop
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, SHIN H
• Application Number:
  US14/479,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20150187234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 40/5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/04 in respect of time
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07707 the visual interface being a display, e.g. LCD or electronic ink
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0291 Labels or tickets undergoing a change under particular conditions, e.g. heat, radiation, passage of time

Abstract

Briefly, an intelligent label is associated with a good, and includes one or more permanent and irreversible electrochromic indicators that are used to report the condition of that good at selected points in the movement or usage of that good. These electrochromic indicators provide immediate visual information regarding the status of the good without need to interrogate or communicate with the electronics or processor on the intelligent label. In this way, anyone in the shipping or use chain for the good, including the end user consumer, can quickly understand whether the product is meeting shipping and quality standards. If a product fails to meet shipping or quality standards, the particular point where the product failed can be quickly and easily identified, and information can be used to assure the consumer remains safe, while providing essential information for improving the shipping process. It will be understood that the label may take many forms, such as a tag attached to the good, integrated into the packaging for the good, integrated into the good itself, or may even be an information area on a prepaid card for example. The label may also include, for example, print information regarding the good, usage or shipping rules, or address and coded information.

Claims

1. An intelligent label, comprising:

a processor capable of maintaining time and date information;

an actuator operably connected to the processor and constructed to set the time and date information when the actuator is activated;

an irreversible and permanent indicator capable of being transitioned from a first visual state to a second visual state;

print information for visually displaying information using printed characters, graphics, or symbols;

a power source; and

wherein, responsive to the time and date information, the processor applies a power signal to the irreversible indicator to transition the irreversible indicator to the second visual state.

2. The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the irreversible and permanent indicator is an irreversible electrooptical indicator.

3. The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless radio, the radio arranged to allow an external device to set data for use by the processor.

4. The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless radio, the radio arranged to allow an external device to interrogate and extract data from the intelligent label.

5. The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless radio compliant with 802.11, RFID, Bluetooth, or ZigBee, the radio arranged to allow an external device to set data for use by the processor.

6. The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising a non-wireless connection to allow an external device to capture data for use by the processor.

7. The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of irreversible and permanent indicators, each irreversible indicator arranged to be transitioned to its respective second visual state at a different condition of the date and time indicator.

8. The intelligent label according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of irreversible and permanent indicators are arranged to form a human-readable symbol or character.

9. The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor operably connected to the processor for detecting an environmental condition or a property of the product.

10. The intelligent label according to claim 9, further comprising storage coupled to the processor for storing environmental information derived from the sensor.

11. The intelligent label according to claim 9, further comprising a plurality of irreversible and permanent indicators, each irreversible indicator arranged to be transitioned to its respective second visual state responsive to a detected environmental condition or change in environmental condition by the sensor.

12. The intelligent label according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of irreversible indicators are arranged to form a human-readable symbol or character.

13. The intelligent label according to claim 9, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a vibration sensor, a chemical sensor, a biological sensor, a gas sensor, a pH sensor, a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor, a smoke sensor, a pressure sensor, an altitude sensor, or a shock sensor.

14. The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising a state detector coupled to the irreversible and permanent indicator for providing a confirmation signal that the irreversible material is in the desired state.

15. The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is activated by removing an adhesive backing from the intelligent label.

16. The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is activated by closing an electrical circuit to generate an activation signal.

17. The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is activated by creating a break in an electrical circuit to generate an activation signal.

18. The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is activated by pressure.

19. The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein manipulating the actuator generates an electrical signal that functions as an activation signal.

20. The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the print information further comprises a machine readable indicia.

21. The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the print information further comprises a bar code indicia.

22. The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising storage coupled to the processor for storing information.

23. An intelligent label, comprising:

a processor capable of maintaining conditional information;

a sensor;

an actuator operably connected to the processor and constructed to activate the sensor;

a bi-stable indicator capable of being transitioned from a first visual state to a second visual state, the second visual state being permanent and irreversible;

a print area for visually displaying information using printed characters, graphics, bar codes or symbols;

a power source; and

wherein, responsive to the conditional information, the processor applies a power signal to the bi-stable indicator to transition the bi-stable indicator to the second visual state.

24. The intelligent label according to claim 23, wherein the conditional information is date information, time information, or elapsed time information, or duration information.

25. The intelligent label according to claim 23, wherein the conditional information is sensor information.

26. The intelligent label according to claim 23, further comprising a plurality of bi-stable indicators, each bi-stable indicator arranged to be transitioned to its respective second visual state responsive to the conditional information.

27. The intelligent label according to claim 26, wherein the plurality of bi-stable indicators are arranged to form a human-readable symbol or character.

28. The intelligent label according to claim 23, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a vibration sensor, a chemical sensor, a biological sensor, a gas sensor, a pH sensor, a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor, a smoke sensor, a pressure sensor, an altitude sensor, or a shock sensor.

29. The intelligent label according to claim 23, wherein the bi-stable indicator is an irreversible electro optical indicator.

30. The intelligent label according to claim 23, further comprising a wireless radio, the radio arranged to allow an external device to set data for use by the processor.

31. An intelligent label, comprising:

a processor capable of maintaining conditional information;

an actuator operably connected to the processor and constructed to effect collection of conditional information when the actuator is activated;

a bistable indicator capable of being transitioned from a first visual state to a second visual state;

print information for visually displaying information using printed characters, graphics, or symbols;

a power source; and

wherein, responsive to analyzing the conditional information, the processor applies a power signal to the bistable indicator to transition the bistable indicator to the second visual state.