Electronic shipping label with updateable visual display

• US 20050237203A1
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ramsager, Thomas, Burman, Robert F., Wright, Albert L., Nonneman, Robert V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,511,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.800
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• 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 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0288 Labels or tickets consisting of more than one part, e.g. with address of sender or other reference on separate section to main label; Multi-copy labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0297 including a machine-readable marking, e.g. a bar code digitally marked record carriers in general G06K19/00

Abstract

A novel shipping label is described that includes an electronically updateable visual display that can be updated throughout the shipping process to provide routing instructions to package handlers. Instructions shown on the updateable display can provide such information as an indication of a particular conveyor belt or vehicle or a particular location in a vehicle for the package to be placed. A label interface device for updating the new shipping label is also described herein along with systems for updating the shipping label over the course of the package delivery. In addition, novel methods of providing shipping services that are made possible by these devices and systems are included in the disclosure.

Claims

1. A package shipping label comprising:

an electronically updateable visual display, the package shipping label including a unique package identifier.

2. The package shipping label of claim 1 wherein:

the unique package identifier is located on the visual display.

3. The package shipping label of claim 2 wherein:

the unique package identifier located on the visual display is machine readable.

4. The package shipping label of claim 3 wherein:

the unique package identifier located on the visual display is a barcode.

5. The package shipping label of claim 1 further comprising:

standard paper, the visual display being attached to the standard paper.

6. The package shipping label of claim 5 wherein:

the unique package identifier is located on the standard paper.

7. The package shipping label of claim 6 wherein:

the unique package identifier located on the standard paper is machine readable.

8. The package shipping label of claim 7 wherein:

the unique package identifier is a barcode.

9. The package shipping label of claim 1 wherein:

the visual display comprises electronic paper.

10. The package shipping label of claim 1 wherein:

the visual display is configured to change upon the application of a localized electric field.

11. The package shipping label of claim 10 wherein:

the visual display is configured to display two colors, where the first color is displayed at points where the applied electric field is positive and the second color is displayed at points where the applied electric field is negative.

12. The package shipping label of claim 10 wherein:

the visual display retains its output after the electric field is removed.

13. The package shipping label of claim 10 further comprising:

a guide for interfacing with an external device, the visual display being attached to the guide.

14. The package shipping label of claim 13 wherein:

the guide is configured to spatially orient an electric field generator of the external device to the visual display.

15. The package shipping label of claim 14 wherein:

the guide is configured to spatially orient the electric field generator of the external device so that the electric field generator sits in a plane parallel to a plane of the visual display.

16. The package shipping label of claim 13 wherein:

the guide comprises at least one groove.

17. The package shipping label of claim 13 wherein:

the guide comprises at least one ridge.

18. The package shipping label of claim 13 wherein:

the guide comprises at least one recess.

19. The package shipping label of claim 13 wherein:

the guide comprises at least one post.

20. The package shipping label of claim 13 wherein:

the guide is configured to slideably interface with an external device.

21. The package shipping label of claim 20 wherein:

the guide is configured to communicate a distance to an external device interfacing with the guide as the external device slides across the guide, the distance representing the movement of the external device relative to the shipping label.

22. The package shipping label of claim 21 wherein:

the distance is communicated via a magnetic strip affixed to the shipping label.

23. The package shipping label of claim 21 wherein:

the distance is communicated via alternating levels of contrasting surface appearing in series on the shipping label.

24. The package shipping label of claim 21 wherein:

the distance is communicated via alternating physical features located in series on the shipping label.

25. The package shipping label of claim 1 further comprising:

a radio frequency identification tag having a memory that is at least readable, the visual display being attached to the radio frequency identification tag.

26. The package shipping label of claim 25 wherein:

the unique package identifier is stored in the memory.

27. The package shipping label of claim 26 wherein:

the radio frequency identification tag is configured to transmit the unique package identifier stored in the memory in response to interrogation by an external device.

28. The package shipping label of claim 26 wherein:

the memory of the radio frequency identification tag is writeable.

29. The package shipping label of claim 28 wherein:

the visual display is configured to change upon the application of a localized electric field.

30. The package shipping label of claim 26 further comprising:

an electric field generator configured to apply an electric field to the visual display.

31. The package shipping label of claim 30 wherein:

the electric field generator is disposed behind the visual display and is configured to generate a localized electric field to cause the visual display to show a pattern.

32. The package shipping label of claim 31 wherein:

at least a portion of the writeable memory of the radio frequency identification tag is mapped to the electric field generator, the electric field generator being configured to cause a pattern to be shown on the visual display that corresponds to the contents of the portion of the writeable memory mapped to the electric field generator.

33. The package shipping label of claim 32 wherein:

the electric field generator is configured to receive power from an inductive power source of the radio frequency identification tag.

34. The package shipping label of claim 32 further comprising:

power terminals configured to accept power input from an external device, the power terminals being electrically connected to the electric field generator.

35. The package shipping label of claim 32 further comprising:

a power source electrically connected to the electric field generator.

36. The package shipping label of claim 35 wherein:

the power source comprises a battery.

37. The package shipping label of claim 35 wherein:

the power source comprises an inductor.

38. The package shipping label of claim 35 wherein:

the power source comprises a capacitor.

39. The shipping label of claim 12 further comprising:

a plurality of conductors disposed behind the visual display, the conductors being insulated from each other and having externally accessible connection points, the conductors configured to apply an electric field to the visual display when a voltage is applied to the connection points, the conductors arranged so that selective application of voltage to the connection points causes a pattern to be shown on the visual display.

40. The package shipping label of claim 1 further comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a wireless radio; and

a power source, the power source providing power to the processor, memory, and wireless radio,

the unique package identifier being stored in the memory,

the wireless radio configured to provide communication between the processor and an external device,

the processor configured to retrieve from the memory and transmit via the wireless radio the unique package identifier to the external device at multiple points along the route from origin to destination, to receive instructions from the external device at the multiple points along the route, and to show messages generated by the processor based on respective instructions on the visual display to assist human handlers in routing the package at multiple points along the route.

41. The package shipping label of claim 40 wherein:

the visual display is a liquid crystal display.

42. The package shipping label of claim 40 wherein:

the visual display is a vacuum fluorescent display.

43. The package shipping label of claim 40 wherein:

the visual display comprises light emitting diodes.

44. The package shipping label of claim 40 further comprising:

a switch electrically connected to the power source and the visual display, the switch being configured to provide power to the visual display when the switch is operated.

45. The package shipping label of claim 40 wherein:

the wireless radio communicates according to IEEE 802.11 wireless standards.

46. The package shipping label of claim 40 wherein:

the wireless radio communicates according to Bluetooth™

wireless standards.

47. A package assembly comprising:

a container;

a shipping label affixed to the container, the shipping label including a unique package identifier for the package assembly; and

an electronically updateable display affixed to the container for providing package routing information to human package service providers.

48. The package assembly of claim 47 wherein:

the unique package identifier is read by at least one external device that uses the package identifier to retrieve routing information which the external device writes to the electronically updateable display to assist a human handler in routing the package.

49. The package assembly of claim 47 wherein:

the unique package identifier is read by multiple external devices at respective points along the route traveled by the package assembly to instruct human package handlers how to route the package.