BUSINESS PORTAL FOR ELECTRONICALLY TAGGING PRODUCT PACKAGING

• US 20070208456A1
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: W/S Packaging Group Inc (Multi-Color Corporation), WS Packaging Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WS Packaging Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Uland, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,683,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A system is provided in which electronic tags are pre-encoded and mounted on a continuous web for subsequent application to packaging at a packaging supplier plant. A B2B portal provides the information needed to coordinate the pre-encoding of the electronic tags with the packaging manufacture according to a goods packager'"'"'s requirements.

Claims

1. A system that coordinates the application of encoded electronic tags to packaging for goods comprising

a network that:

communicates information for encoding the electronic tags, and

communicates information for associating the encoded electronic tags with the packaging for goods;

a tag encoding system that;

draws the information from the network for encoding the electronic tags,

encodes the electronic tags in accordance with the encoding information, and

bundles a set of the encoded electronic tags; and

a tag applicator system that;

draws information from the network for associating the encoded electronic tags with the packaging for goods,

unbundles the encoded set of electronic tags, and

applies the encoded tags to the packaging for goods in accordance with the associating information.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the tag encoding system includes an inspection system that accepts or rejects individual electronic tags for addition to the bundled set of electronic tags.

3. The system of claim 2 in which the tag encoding system includes a sorter that appends accepted electronic tags without appending rejected electronic tags to the bundled set.

4. The system of claim 3 in which the tag encoding system bundles the set of encoded electronic tags at least in part by applying the accepted electronic tags in a sequence to a web and winding the web together with the sequence of accepted electronic tags.

5. The system of claim 4 in which the tag applicator system unbundles the encoded set of electronic tags at least in part by unwinding the web of accepted electronic tags.

6. The system of claim 1 in which the tag encoding system encodes and tests batch order quantities of the electronic tags and bundles the electronic tags in an uninterrupted sequence of encoded and successfully tested electronic tags.

7. The system of claim 6 in which the tag applicator system is incorporated into a package manufacturing system so that the tags are applied to packages manufactured by the package manufacturing system.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the network includes a portal that coordinates separate operations for ordering packaging, encoding electronic tags, and applying the encoded electronic tags to the ordered packaging.

9. The system of claim 8 in which the network communicates orders from a goods packager for both the packaging and the electronic tags associated with the packaging and also communicates instructions from the goods packager for encoding the electronic tags.

10. The system of claim 8 in which both a tag supplier and a packaging manufacturer are connected to the network for filling the orders.

11. The system of claim 8 in which the network communicates orders from the packaging manufacturer for the electronic tags.

12. A system of attaching encoded electronic tags to product packaging comprising:

a network that communicates a sequence of codes for encoding electronic tags intended for application to the product packaging,

an encoder that encodes a succession of the electronic tags with the sequence of codes,

a tester that distinguishes successfully encoded electronic tags from unsuccessfully encoded tags,

the encoder cooperating with the tester to encode successive electronic tags with the same code within the sequence of codes until a next of the successive electronic tags is successfully encoded,

a sorter that removes the successfully encoded electronic tags from the succession of electronic tags presented to the encoder and tester and applies the successfully encoded tags (a) to a web that is advanced by a first in-line transporter at a first overall speed and (b) in a desired order along the web corresponding to the sequence of codes communicated by the network, and

a tag applicator that receives the web of successfully encoded tags and applies the successfully encoded tags to the product packaging that is advanced by a second in-line transporter at a second higher speed.

13. The system of claim 12 in which the network communicates orders for both the packaging and the electronic tags associated with the packaging and the tag applicator accesses the network for associating the encoded tags with the product packaging.

14. The system of claim 12 in which the network includes a portal that coordinates operations of a goods packager, a packaging manufacturer, and a tag encoder, and the goods packager orders the product packaging over the network and communicates over the network the sequence of codes for encoding the electronic tags intended for application to the product packaging.

15. The system of claim 14 in which the packaging manufacturer orders the electronic tags over the network, and the tag encoder accesses over the network the information about the sequence of codes for encoding the electronic tags intended for application to product packaging.

16. The system of claim 12 in which the sorter is formed within an asynchronous inserter that allows the advancing web to be relatively delayed, affording time for the unsuccessfully encoded tags to be diverted and the successfully encoded tags to arrive for application to the web.

17. The system of claim 12 in which the first in-line transporter includes a winder for winding the web together with the successfully encoded tags to be wound on a reel.

18. The system of claim 17 in which the second in-line transporter includes an unwinder for unwinding the web of successfully encoded tags.

19. A method of coordinating the application of encoded electronic tags to packaging for goods comprising steps of

communicating information through a network about encoding the electronic tags,

communicating information through the network about associating the encoded electronic tags with the packaging for goods,

drawing information from a network for encoding the electronic tags,

encoding the electronic tags in accordance with the encoding information,

bundling a set of the encoded electronic tags,

drawing information from the network for associating the encoded electronic tags with the packaging for goods,

unbundling the encoded set of electronic tags, and

applying the encoded tags to the packaging for goods in accordance with the associating information.

20. The method of claim 19 in which the step of communicating information through the network about associating the encoded electronic tags with the packaging for goods includes placing orders for the electronic tags and the packaging for goods.

21. The method of claim 20 in which the step of communicating information includes communicating a sequence of codes for encoding the electronic tags intended for application to product packaging.

22. The method of claim 19 including a step of inspecting the encoded electronic tags for accepting or rejecting individual electronic tags for addition to the bundled set of electronic tags.

23. The method of claim 22 in which the step of bundling includes appending the accepted electronic tags without appending rejected electronic tags to the bundled set.

24. The method of claim 23 in which the step of bundling includes applying the accepted electronic tags in a sequence to a web and winding the web together with the sequence of accepted electronic tags.

25. The method of claim 19 including a step of connecting a goods packager, a packaging manufacturer, and a tag supplier to the network.

26. The method of claim 25 in which the network communicates orders from a goods packager for the packaging and also communicates instructions from the goods packager for encoding the electronic tags.

27. The method of claim 26 in which the network communicates orders to the tag supplier for the electronic tags and also communicates to the tag supplier the instructions for encoding the electronic tags.

28. The method of claim 27 in which the network communicates orders to the packaging manufacturer for the packaging and also communicates information to the packaging manufacturer for associating the encoded electronic tags to the packaging.

29. A method of attaching encoded electronic tags to product packaging comprising steps of

electronically encoding and testing a plurality of electronic tags,

segregating successfully encoded tags from not successfully encoded tags,

bundling the successfully encoded tags to the exclusion of the not successfully encoded tags,

delivering the bundled successfully encoded tags to a tag applicator, and

unbundling and applying the successfully encoded tags to product packaging.

30. The method of claim 29 in which the step of bundling includes bundling the successfully encoded tags in a desired order corresponding to a predetermined sequence of codes that are encoded into the electronic tags.

31. The method of claim 30 in which an individual code within the predetermined sequence that is unsuccessfully encoded into an electronic tag is re-encoded into a succeeding electronic tag before the succeeding electronic tag is bundled in the desired order.

32. The method of claim 31 in which the step of bundling includes applying the successfully encoded tags to a web in the desired order.

33. The method of claim 32 in which the steps of unbundling and applying include unwinding the web into the tag applicator.

34. The method of claim 29 in which the steps of electronically encoding and testing include encoding successive electronic tags with the same code until a next of the successive electronic tags is tested as being successfully encoded.

35. The method of claim 34 in which the step of bundling includes applying a succession of successfully encoded tags to an advancing web and winding the web together with the succession of successfully encoded tags applied to the web.