Package labeling
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a database storing label records and associated label data for a plurality of different products manufactured by an organization;
a label record manager that controls the creation and modification of the label records by multiple users within the organization, wherein the label record manager includes a revision control module to track changes made to the label records and the associated label data; and
an output manager that receives input from the multiple users and permits the users to selectively access the label records for printing on label media to be affixed to the different products.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are described for centrally managing labeling data of an organization, such as a corporation, and for sharing the labeling data in a secure manner between business units and remote manufacturing sites, print centers or other output locations. In this manner, the techniques provide a central system for controlling the output material that the organization applies to packaging and manufactured products. A label management software system is described that comprises a database to store configuration data defining an organization having a number of business units and manufacturing facilities. The label management system creates label records associated with the business units, and selectively prints labels at one the manufacturing systems based on the associated business units.
142 Citations
60 Claims
-
1. A system comprising:
-
a database storing label records and associated label data for a plurality of different products manufactured by an organization;
a label record manager that controls the creation and modification of the label records by multiple users within the organization, wherein the label record manager includes a revision control module to track changes made to the label records and the associated label data; and
an output manager that receives input from the multiple users and permits the users to selectively access the label records for printing on label media to be affixed to the different products. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A method comprising:
-
storing label records and associated label data;
generating images of labels based on the label records and associated label data; and
archiving the images with corresponding date and time stamps. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
-
-
8. The method of claim 8, further comprising recording changes to the label records in a database.
-
11. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:
-
store label records and associated label data; and
generate images of labels based on the label records and associated label data; and
archive the images with corresponding date and time stamps. - View Dependent Claims (12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23)
-
-
13. A system comprising:
-
a database storing a label record having a publication status;
a label record manager that presents an interface for maintaining the label record and setting the publication status of the label record; and
an output manager for printing a label at one of a plurality of output locations based the label record and the publication status.
-
-
18. A method comprising:
-
storing a label record having a publication status;
presenting an interface for setting the publication status of the label record; and
printing a label at one of a plurality of output locations based on the label record and the publication status.
-
-
21. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:
-
store a label record having a publication status;
present an interface for setting the publication status of the label record; and
print a label at one of a plurality of output locations based on the label record and the publication status. - View Dependent Claims (22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
24. A label management software system comprising a database storing configuration data defining an organization having a number of business units and manufacturing facilities, wherein the label management system creates a label record associated with one of the business units, and selectively prints a label at one of the manufacturing facilities based on the label record and the associated business units.
-
27. A method comprising:
-
storing configuration data defining a number of business units and manufacturing facilities;
storing label records and corresponding label data;
associating the label records with the business units;
selecting one of the label records; and
printing a label at one of the manufacturing facilities according to the selected label record and the associated business unit.
-
-
31. A system comprising:
-
a database storing label records and associated archived label images of labels; and
an output module to print a label from a selected one of the label records, wherein the output module includes an interface for presenting the archived label image associated with the selected label record. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40)
-
-
34. A method comprising:
-
storing label records and associated archived images of labels;
selecting one of the label records;
displaying the archived label image associated with the selected label record for verification by a user; and
printing a label upon receiving input indicative of the verification.
-
-
39. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a processor to:
-
store label records and associated archived images of labels;
select one of the label records;
display the archived label image associated with the selected label record for verification by a user; and
print a label upon receiving input indicative of the verification.
-
-
41. A computer-readable medium containing data comprising:
-
a label template defining a number of fields, a packaging level and one or more associated business units;
label data including text and graphics;
a label record associating the label data with the fields of the label template; and
configuration data defining one or more remote output locations. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 49, 50)
-
-
45. A label management system comprising:
-
a database storing label templates and label records associating label data with the label templates;
a template design tool to create the label templates, wherein the template defines one or more fields;
a graphics design tool to create graphics;
a template manager software module to parse the templates and store for the templates and field information within the database;
a graphics manager to receive the graphics from the graphics design tool and store corresponding graphical data within the database;
a label record manager software module presenting an interface to create label records for associating the graphics and text within the fields of the label template; and
an output manager software module for printing a label based on a selected one of the label records and the associated graphics and text.
-
-
48. A label management software system comprising:
-
a database storing configuration data defining plurality of organizations, each organization having at least one group and at least one output location; and
a plurality of software modules executing on computing devices coupled to the database and presenting an interface by which each authorized users of the groups create label records, and selectively prints the labels at the corresponding output location for the organizations.
-
-
51. A method of providing a label management service comprising:
-
storing configuration data defining plurality of organizations, each organization having at least one group and at least one output location;
presenting an interface for by which each authorized users of the groups create label records; and
in response to input from the users, selectively printing labels at the corresponding output locations for the organizations. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53)
-
-
54. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a processor to:
-
store configuration data defining plurality of organizations, each organization having at least one group and at least one output location;
present an interface for by which each organization creates corresponding label records; and
selectively print labels at the corresponding output locations for the organizations. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 58, 59, 60)
-
-
57. A label management system comprising:
-
means for centrally storing label templates and label records associating label data with the label templates;
means for storing configuration data defining a number of groups within an organization and a number of output locations;
means for controlling updates to the label templates and the label records; and
means for printing labels at the output locations.
-
Specification