| 摘要 |
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. |
| 主权项 |
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. |
