Dynamically modifying the presentation of an e-label
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorTodd M. SCHIMMEL
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic label (e-label) device that monitors situational data and displays an e-label. When the device detects an appearance modification event trigger based on the situational data, it modifies the appearance of the e-label being displayed by the e-label device, for example, by enlarging the machine-readable portion (e.g., barcode portion) of the displayed e-label. The e-label device is a mobile device that can automatically toggle between display modes based on the situational data from external devices. A related method and computer program product are also described.
Claims20
An e-label device for displaying an electronic label (e-label) on a product, the e-label device being affixed to the product, the e-label device comprising:
- a mobile device that displays the e-label, the mobile device including at least one sensor;
- a communications interface receiving situational data from one or more electronic external devices that are separate from the e-label device, the situational data being received when the e-label device is in a presence of the one or more electronic external devices, the communications interface configured to communicate with a communications network;
- and
- an electronic logic circuit that is operably coupled to the communications interface,
- wherein the electronic logic circuit is configured to:
- automatically detect an appearance modification event trigger based on the situational data, the appearance modification event trigger detected using the at least one sensor;
- automatically determine an orientation of the product based on the at least one sensor;
- automatically modify based on the situational data and the orientation, an appearance of the e-label on the mobile device in response to the appearance modification event trigger;
- and
- toggle between a plurality of display modes configured to vary the appearance of the e-label based on the situational data from the one or more electronic external devices.
A method for displaying an electronic label (e-label) on a product, the method comprising:
- displaying the e-label on a mobile device that is affixed to the product, the mobile device including at least one sensor;
- receiving situational data, through a communications interface, from one or more electronic external devices that are separate from the mobile device when the mobile device is in a presence of the one or more electronic external devices, the communications interface being configured to communicate with a communications network, wherein the mobile device comprises an electronic logic circuit that is operably coupled to the communications interface;
- detecting, automatically by the electronic logic circuit, an appearance modification event trigger based on the situational data, the appearance modification event trigger being detected using the at least one sensor;
- determining, automatically by the electronic logic circuit, an orientation of the product based on the at least one sensor;
- modifying, automatically by the electronic logic circuit, based on the situational data and the orientation, an appearance of the e-label on the mobile device in response to the appearance modification event trigger;
- and
- toggling, automatically by the electronic logic circuit, between a plurality of display modes, the display modes being configured to vary the appearance of the e-label based on the situational data from the one or more electronic external devices.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for an e-label device to display an electronic label (e-label) on a product that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- displaying the e-label on a mobile device that is affixed to the product, the mobile device including at least one sensor;
- receiving situational data, through a communications interface, from one or more electronic external devices that are separate from the mobile device when the mobile device is in a presence of the one or more electronic external devices, the communications interface being configured to communicate with a communications network, wherein the mobile device comprises an electronic logic circuit that is operably coupled to communications interface;
- detecting, automatically by the electronic logic circuit, an appearance modification event trigger based on the situational data, the appearance modification event trigger being detected using the at least one sensor;
- determining, automatically by the electronic logic circuit, an orientation of the product based on the at least one sensor;
- modifying, automatically by the electronic logic circuit, based on the situational data and the orientation, an appearance of the e-label on the mobile device in response to the appearance modification event trigger;
- and
- toggling, automatically by the electronic logic circuit, between a plurality of display modes, the display modes being configured to vary the appearance of the e-label based on the situational data from the one or more electronic external devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.