ELECTRONIC LABELS

Abstract

In a non-limiting example, a label strip including a plurality of electronic labels is provided. Each electronic label includes a power source, an electronic control circuitry, and a sensor which is controllable by the electronic control circuitry. Each electronic label is separable from the label strip and the sensor is inactive prior to separation of an electronic label from the label strip.

Claims

1. A label strip comprising a plurality of electronic labels each comprising a power source, an electronic control circuitry, and a sensor controllable by the electronic control circuitry, wherein each electronic label is separable from the label strip and the sensor is inactive prior to separation of an electronic label from the label strip.

2. The label strip of claim 1, wherein the electronic control circuitry is adapted to maintain the sensor in an inactive state prior to separation of the electronic label from the label strip.

3. The label strip of claim 1, wherein the electronic control circuitry is adapted to activate the sensor upon, or following, separation of the electronic label from the label strip.

4. The label strip of claim 3, wherein the electronic control circuitry is adapted to activate the sensor by permitting power to be supplied from the power source to the sensor.

5. The label strip of claim 1, wherein each electronic label is in electrical continuity with at least one adjacent electronic label prior to separation of the electronic label from the label strip.

6. The label strip of claim 5, wherein the electrical continuity is provided by an electrical connection between the electronic control circuitry of adjacent electronic labels.

7. The label strip of claim 6, wherein the electrical connection is provided by an electrically conductive strip.

8. The label strip of claim 5, wherein the electrical continuity is adapted to maintain the electronic control circuitry in an inactive state.

9. The label strip of claim 5, wherein the electronic control circuitry is adapted to periodically determine the status of the electrical continuity with an adjacent electronic label.

10. The label strip of claim 1, wherein the electronic control circuitry is adapted to activate the sensor in response to a change in an electrical characteristic between adjacent electronic labels above a predetermined threshold occurring upon separation of the electronic label from the label strip.

11. The label strip of claim 10, wherein the electronic control circuitry is adapted to detect the change in the electrical characteristic upon separation of the electronic label from the label strip.

12. The label strip of claim 10, wherein the electronic control circuitry is adapted to detect the change in the electrical characteristic following separation of the electronic label from the label strip.

13. The label strip of claim 12, wherein the electronic control circuitry is adapted to periodically determine any change in the electrical characteristic above the predetermined threshold.

14. The label strip of claim 10, wherein the change in the electrical characteristic is a change in capacitance, resistance or inductance.

15. The label strip of claim 1, wherein the label strip includes a plurality of separation lines, one of said separation lines being provided between adjacent electronic labels to allow the electronic labels to be individually separated from the label strip.

16. The label strip of claim 1, wherein each electronic label comprises an adhesive layer which permits the electronic labels to be individually adhered to an item following separation from the label strip.

17. A method for activating an electronic label, the method comprising separating the electronic label from a label strip comprising a plurality of electronic labels each comprising a power source, an electronic control circuitry and a sensor controllable by the electronic control circuitry, wherein separation of the electronic label from the label strip permits activation of the sensor by the electronic control circuitry.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein separation of the electronic label from the label strip breaks an electrical continuity with an adjacent electronic label and activation of the sensor by the electronic control circuitry occurs in response to the break in the electrical continuity.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein separation of the electronic label from the label strip causes a change in an electrical characteristic between the separated electronic label and an adjacent electronic label and activation of the sensor by the electronic control circuitry occurs in response to a detected change in the electrical characteristic above a predetermined threshold.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of part of a label strip including a plurality of electronic labels; and

[0025] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of part of an electronic label after separation from the label strip shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a label strip 10 including a plurality of electronic labels 12. The electronic labels 12 may be formed of a flexible strip of printed circuit board material and, thus, although the label strip 10 is depicted in an unwound state, it may be wound to form a reel of electronic labels 12 and may typically include a large number of electronic labels 12. The label strip 10 includes a plurality of separation lines 11, for example, perforated lines, which enable the electronic labels 12 to be individually separated by tearing from the label strip 10. Each electronic label 12 also includes an adhesive layer (not shown) which allows the electronic label 12 to be adhered to an item after it has been separated from the label strip 10.

[0028] Each electronic label 12 includes a power source 14, for example a coin cell battery, electronic control circuitry 16, for example a microprocessor, and a sensor 18 which is controllable by the electronic control circuitry 16. As explained earlier in this specification, the sensor 18 may include an accelerometer, a temperature sensor such as a thermistor or a resistance temperature detector (RTD), a humidity sensor or an ultraviolet light sensor. In some circumstances, each electronic label 12 may include one or more of these different types of sensor 18 depending on the type or types of event that need to be detected by the electronic label 12. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that other types of sensor could be used depending on the nature of the events that need to be detected.

[0029] The electronic control circuitry 16 is adapted to activate the sensor 18 by permitting power to be supplied from the power source 14 to the sensor 18 only after an electronic label 12 has been separated from the label strip 10. Thus, it will be understood that prior to separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10, the sensor 18 is inactive and does not consume any power, thereby preserving the life of the power source 14. Further, since activation of the sensor 18 is initiated automatically by the control circuitry 16 upon, or following, separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10, activation of the sensor 18 is assured without any reliance on manual activation by a user.

[0030] In a first implementation illustrated in the drawings, an electrically conductive strip 20, or activation strip, connects adjacent electronic labels 12 when they form part of the label strip 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The electrically conductive strip 20 maintains electrical continuity between adjacent electronic labels 12 by providing an electrical connection between the electronic control circuitry 16 of adjacent electronic labels 12. The electrical continuity provided by the electrically conductive strip 20 maintains the sensor 18 in an inactive state.

[0031] In a first embodiment of the first implementation, the electrical continuity maintains the electronic control circuitry 16 in an inactive state prior to separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10. Thus, the electronic label 10 adopts a dormant or sleep state prior to separation from the label strip 10. A break in the electrical continuity that occurs upon separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10 activates the sensor 18 by the electronic control circuitry 16. Thus, it will be understood in this embodiment that both the electronic control circuitry 16 and the sensor 18 are inactive prior to separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10.

[0032] When an electronic label 12 is separated from the label strip 10 as shown in FIG. 2, the electrically conductive strip 20 is simultaneously torn or broken thereby breaking the electrical connection, and hence the electrical continuity, between the separated electronic label 12 and the adjacent electronic label 12 remaining in the label strip 10. The act of breaking the electrical continuity activates the electronic control circuitry 16 of the separated electronic label 12, and thus the separated electronic label 12 wakes up from the sleep state upon being separated from the label strip 10. More particularly, breaking the electrical continuity causes the electronic control circuitry 16 to activate the sensor 18 so that it can detect events.

[0033] In a second embodiment of the first implementation, the electronic control circuitry 16 operates in a polling mode to periodically determine the status of the electrical continuity provided by the electrically conductive strip 20 both prior to, and following, separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10. If the electronic control circuitry 16 determines that the electrical continuity is present (in other words, the electrically conductive strip 20 is intact), the electronic control circuitry 16 determines that the electronic label 12 has not been separated from the label strip 10 and the sensor 18 is not activated by the electronic control circuitry 16. On the other hand, if the electronic control circuitry 16 determines that the electrical continuity has been broken (in other words, the electrically conductive strip 20 has been torn or broken), the electronic control circuitry 16 determines that the electronic label 12 has been separated from the label strip 10 and the sensor 18 is activated by the electronic control circuitry 16 enabling it to detect any events that may occur.

[0034] In a second implementation, the electronic control circuitry 18 is adapted to activate the sensor 18 by detecting a change in an electrical characteristic, for example, resistance, capacitance or inductance, above a predetermined threshold. The change in the electrical characteristic above the predetermined threshold occurs due to separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10, and thus the sensor 18 can be reliably activated by detecting the change in the electrical characteristic either upon, or following, separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10.

[0035] In a first embodiment of the second implementation, the electronic control circuitry 16 is adapted to detect a change in the electrical characteristic above a predetermined threshold upon separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10. Thus, the electronic label 10 adopts a dormant or sleep state prior to separation from the label strip 10. The change in the electrical characteristic that occurs upon separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10 activates the sensor 18 by the electronic control circuitry 16. Thus, it will be understood in this embodiment that both the electronic control circuitry 16 and the sensor 18 may be inactive prior to separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10.

[0036] In a second embodiment of the second implementation, the electronic control circuitry 16 operates in a polling mode to periodically determine whether there has been any change in the electrical characteristic above a predetermined threshold. If the electronic control circuitry 16 determines that a change in the electrical characteristic has not occurred, the electronic control circuitry 16 determines that the electronic label 12 has not been separated from the label strip 10 and the sensor 18 is not activated by the electronic control circuitry 16. On the other hand, if the electronic control circuitry 16 determines that a change in the electrical characteristic has occurred above a predetermined threshold, the electronic control circuitry 16 determines that the electronic label 12 has been separated from the label strip 10 and the sensor 18 is activated by the electronic control circuitry 16 enabling it to detect any events that may occur.

[0037] The electronic labels 12 each include one or more status indicators 22, such as light emitting diodes, which indicate the status of the electronic labels 12. The status indicators may, for example, illuminate following separation of an electronic label 12 from the label strip 10 to provide a visual indication that the separated electronic label 12 is in the active state and capable of detecting events. The status indicator(s) 22 may also provide a visual indication relating to the status of the power source 14, e.g. the charge remaining in the battery, for example by adopting different colours according to the remaining charge.

[0038] The electronic labels 12 are adapted to store and/or transmit and/or receive data, for example relating to one or more events detected by the sensor 18. The storage and/or transmission and/or receipt of data may be effected by the electronic control circuitry 16, for example, using communication protocols such as BLUETOOTH or near-field communication (NFC), or by a transceiver.

[0039] The electronic labels 12 include a push button 24 which can be depressed by a user for testing purposes. For example, when the push button 24 is depressed, the electronic control circuitry 16 may determine the level of charge within the battery and may provide a visual indication of the level of charge to the user by controlling the illumination of the status indicator(s) 22.

[0040] Although exemplary embodiments have been described in the preceding paragraphs, it should be understood that various modifications may be made to those embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the breadth and scope of the claims should not be limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments.

[0041] Any combination of the above-described features in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the present disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

[0042] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words comprise, comprising, and the like, are to be construed in an inclusive as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of including, but not limited to.