# US 2018/0025262 A1 · Intelligent label device and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0025262 A1 - Document ID: US20180025262A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/268,942 - Filed: 2016-09-19 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2008-07-03 - Assignees: Chromera, Inc. - Inventors: Paul Atkinson; James Kruest; Anoop Agrawal; John P. Cronin; Lori L. Adams; Juan Carlos L. Tonazzi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025262A1 ## CPC - G06K 19/06028: {using bar codes} - G01K 3/04: in respect of time - G06K 19/0702: {the arrangement including a battery} - G06K 19/0717: {the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure} - 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} - G06K 19/07707: {the visual interface being a display, e.g. LCD or electronic ink} - G09F 3/0291: {Labels or tickets undergoing a change under particular conditions, e.g. heat, radiation, passage of time} - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS ## 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 ### Claim 1 An intelligent label, comprising: a processor capable of maintaining conditional information; an actuator operably connected to the processor, the actuator arranged to active electronics in the label; a bi-stable indicator capable of being transitioned from a first visual state to a second visual state; 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The intelligent label according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a vibration sensor, a mechanical force sensor, a strain 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. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the bi-stable indicator is an irreversible electro optical indicator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the conditional information is date information, time information, or elapsed time information, or duration information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor and wherein the conditional information is sensor information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless receiver. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The intelligent label according to claim 7, wherein the wireless receiver activates the actuator responsive to receiving a wireless signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising an optical receiver. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The intelligent label according to claim 9, wherein the optical receiver activates the actuator responsive to receiving an optical signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The intelligent label according to claim 1, further comprising an electrical interface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The intelligent label according to claim 9, wherein the electrical interface activates the actuator responsive to receiving an electronic signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is activated by removing an adhesive backing from the intelligent label. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is activated by closing an electrical circuit to generate an activation signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is activated by pressure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The intelligent label according to claim 1, wherein manipulating the actuator generates an electrical signal that functions as an activation signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 20 An intelligent label, comprising: a processor capable of maintaining conditional information; a electronic indicator capable of being transitioned from a first visual state to a second visual state, the second state being electronically irreversible; 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. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The intelligent label according to claim 20, further comprising a wireless radio. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The intelligent label according to claim 20, further comprising a sensor. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The intelligent label according to claim 22, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a vibration sensor, a mechanical force sensor, a strain 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. ### Claim 24 An intelligent label, comprising: a processor capable of maintaining conditional information; a electronic indicator capable of being transitioned from a first visual state to a second visual state, the second state being permanent; a wireless radio; 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. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The intelligent label according to claim 24, further comprising a wireless radio. ### Claim 26 (depends on 26) The intelligent label according to claim 26, further comprising a sensor. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The intelligent label according to claim 22, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a vibration sensor, a mechanical force sensor, a strain 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.