Electronic shipping label with updateable visual display

• US 7,574,366 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F. Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Obeid; Fahd A
• Application Number:
  US11/105,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/5.91, 345/55, 345/2, 345/87, 343/702, 23546201-46249
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• 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 label interface device for updating a shipping label having an updateable visual display, comprising:

an electric field generator configured for updating an electronically updateable visual display of a shipping label;

a communication interface for receiving data from an external device for use by the electric field generator to update the visual display of the shipping label; and

a label interface device guide structure, wherein the label interface device guide structure (a) comprises a ridge or (b) is defined by a groove, and the label interface device guide structure is configured to (a) orient the label interface device relative to the electronically updateable visual display of the shipping label and (b) engage a complementary guide structure (i) comprising a complementary ridge or (ii) defined by a complementary groove on the shipping label.

2. The label interface of claim 1 wherein the updateable visual display comprises electronic paper, and the electric field generator is configured to generate an electric field to update the visual display.

3. The label interface device of claim 1 further comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader for reading a unique package identifier from an RFID tag on a package associated with the shipping label to retrieve the data representing routing information from the external device to update the visual display via the electric field generator.

4. The label interface device of claim 1 further comprising:

a processor connected to receive the data from the communication interface and to transmit the data to the electric field generator;

a memory connected to the processor and storing instructions executed by the processor to receive the data from the communication interface and transmit the data to the electric field generator; and

a power source for powering at least the processor and the electric field generator.

5. The label interface device of claim 4 wherein:

the communication interface comprises a wireless chipset for receiving the data.

6. The label interface device of claim 4 further comprising:

a radio frequency identification tag reader for interrogating a radio frequency identification tag of the shipping label to generate a unique package identifier of a package with which the shipping label is associated, the processor using the unique package identifier to retrieve the data for updating the visual display from the external device based on the unique package identifier.

7. The label interface device of claim 6 wherein the memory includes instructions for directing the processor to perform the steps of:

activating the radio frequency identification tag reader to obtain a unique package identifier from a radio frequency identification tag of the shipping label;

forming a database query based on the unique package identifier obtained from the shipping label;

sending the query to a computer database via the communication interface;

receiving a query response from the computer database containing the data via the communication interface; and

updating the visual display of the shipping label via the electric field generator based on the data received from the computer database.

8. The label interface device of claim 1 wherein:

the electric field generator has a surface area at least as large as the surface area of the visual display so that the data can be written to the visual display without moving the electric field generator relative to the visual display.

9. The label interface device of claim 1 further comprising:

a distance measurement device for measuring movement of the electric field generator relative to the visual display to control output of the electric field generator based on the measured movement to write the data to the visual display.

10. The label interface device of claim 9 wherein:

the distance measurement device comprises a magnetic distance measuring device configured to read a magnetic strip of the shipping label to determine the measured movement.

11. A label interface device for updating a shipping label having an updateable visual display, comprising:

an electric field generator configured for updating an electronically updateable visual display of a shipping label;

a communication interface for receiving data from an external device for use by the electric field generator to update the visual display of the shipping label; and

a label interface device guide structure defined by at least one recess, wherein the label interface device guide structure is configured to (a) orient the label interface device relative to the electronically updateable visual display of the shipping label and (b) engage a complementary guide structure comprising at least one complementary post on the shipping label.

12. The label interface of claim 11 wherein the updateable visual display comprises electronic paper, and the electric field generator is configured to generate an electric field to update the visual display.

13. The label interface device of claim 11 further comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader for reading a unique package identifier from an RFID tag on a package associated with the shipping label to retrieve the data representing routing information from the external device to update the visual display via the electric field generator.

14. The label interface device of claim 11 further comprising:

a processor connected to receive the data from the communication interface and to transmit the data to the electric field generator;

a memory connected to the processor and storing instructions executed by the processor to receive the data from the communication interface and transmit the data to the electric field generator; and

a power source for powering at least the processor and the electric field generator.

15. The label interface device of claim 14 further comprising:

a radio frequency identification tag reader for interrogating a radio frequency identification tag of the shipping label to generate a unique package identifier of a package with which the shipping label is associated, the processor using the unique package identifier to retrieve the data for updating the visual display from the external device based on the unique package identifier.

16. The label interface device of claim 11 further comprising:

a distance measurement device for measuring movement of the electric field generator relative to the visual display to control output of the electric field generator based on the measured movement to write the data to the visual display.

17. A label interface device for updating a shipping label having an updateable visual display, comprising:

an electric field generator configured for updating an electronically updateable visual display of a shipping label;

a communication interface for receiving data from an external device for use by the electric field generator to update the visual display of the shipping label; and

a label interface device guide structure comprising at least one post, wherein the label interface device guide structure is configured to (a) orient the label interface device relative to the electronically updateable visual display of the shipping label and (b) engage a complementary guide structure defined by at least one complementary recess on the shipping label.

18. The label interface of claim 17 wherein the updateable visual display comprises electronic paper, and the electric field generator is configured to generate an electric field to update the visual display.

19. The label interface device of claim 17 further comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader for reading a unique package identifier from an RFID tag on a package associated with the shipping label to retrieve the data representing routing information from the external device to update the visual display via the electric field generator.

20. The label interface device of claim 17 further comprising:

a processor connected to receive the data from the communication interface and to transmit the data to the electric field generator;

a memory connected to the processor and storing instructions executed by the processor to receive the data from the communication interface and transmit the data to the electric field generator; and

a power source for powering at least the processor and the electric field generator.

21. The label interface device of claim 20 further comprising:

a radio frequency identification tag reader for interrogating a radio frequency identification tag of the shipping label to generate a unique package identifier of a package with which the shipping label is associated, the processor using the unique package identifier to retrieve the data for updating the visual display from the external device based on the unique package identifier.

22. The label interface device of claim 17 further comprising:

a distance measurement device for measuring movement of the electric field generator relative to the visual display to control output of the electric field generator based on the measured movement to write the data to the visual display.