Intelligent label device and method

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.