Label generating and data tracking system for processing purchase orders
First Claim
1. A container packing verification and labeling system for use on a computer having a processor, a memory, at least one input device operable by a user to enter data and commands to said computer, a display and a communication interface for electronically receiving data for a plurality of purchase orders from a plurality of consignees to store data for each purchase order in a data file associated with the consignee issuing the purchase order, said computer being coupled to a printer for printing on a web of record members, each record member being affixable to a container, said container packing and verification system comprising:
- a plurality of consignee specific configuration files accessible by said processor, said configuration files including information indicating how purchase order data stored in a data file for said specific consignee is to be interpreted;
a nonconsignee specific purchase order translator for controlling, in accordance with a consignee specific configuration file, said processor to store purchase order data from a data file in a predetermined manner in a purchase order database to allow said purchase order database to be accessed by said processor when operating in accordance with a nonconsignee specific purchase order processing controller;
a plurality of consignee specific display screen files accessible by said processor and associated with a plurality of consignees each requiring a different set of input data from a user to process a purchase order issued thereby, each display screen file being associated with a consignee and including data representing information to be depicted on said display to prompt a user to enter only that data required by said associated consignee to process a purchase order issued thereby and said display screen files including data associating particular user entered commands with a consignee specific purchase order processing operation; and
a nonconsignee specific purchase order processing controller for controlling said processor to couple to the display prompt information for a specific consignee from an associated display screen file in response to user entered data including data representing the selection of said consignee, said controller controlling said processor in accordance with said display screen file to collect in said memory data entered by a user in association with a purchase order and to compare selected user entered data to said associated purchase order data from said database to validate said use entered data; and
said controller controlling said processor to couple selected user entered data from said purchase order database to said printer for printing said information on a record member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A purchase order processing system allows purchase orders issued from a number of consignees each requiring different processing operations to be processed simply and in an error free manner. The system prompts a user for only that information required by a selected consignee to process a purchase order issued thereby. In processing a purchase order, the system verifies packing information against stored purchase order data. The system automatically generates shipping labels and advance shipping notices in compliance with the diverse requirements of the various consignees. In order to process purchase orders from different consignees, the system of the present invention utilizes nonconsignee specific software that operates in accordance with consignee specific data files that define the purchase order processing requirements of a consignee.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A container packing verification and labeling system for use on a computer having a processor, a memory, at least one input device operable by a user to enter data and commands to said computer, a display and a communication interface for electronically receiving data for a plurality of purchase orders from a plurality of consignees to store data for each purchase order in a data file associated with the consignee issuing the purchase order, said computer being coupled to a printer for printing on a web of record members, each record member being affixable to a container, said container packing and verification system comprising:
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a plurality of consignee specific configuration files accessible by said processor, said configuration files including information indicating how purchase order data stored in a data file for said specific consignee is to be interpreted; a nonconsignee specific purchase order translator for controlling, in accordance with a consignee specific configuration file, said processor to store purchase order data from a data file in a predetermined manner in a purchase order database to allow said purchase order database to be accessed by said processor when operating in accordance with a nonconsignee specific purchase order processing controller; a plurality of consignee specific display screen files accessible by said processor and associated with a plurality of consignees each requiring a different set of input data from a user to process a purchase order issued thereby, each display screen file being associated with a consignee and including data representing information to be depicted on said display to prompt a user to enter only that data required by said associated consignee to process a purchase order issued thereby and said display screen files including data associating particular user entered commands with a consignee specific purchase order processing operation; and a nonconsignee specific purchase order processing controller for controlling said processor to couple to the display prompt information for a specific consignee from an associated display screen file in response to user entered data including data representing the selection of said consignee, said controller controlling said processor in accordance with said display screen file to collect in said memory data entered by a user in association with a purchase order and to compare selected user entered data to said associated purchase order data from said database to validate said use entered data; and
said controller controlling said processor to couple selected user entered data from said purchase order database to said printer for printing said information on a record member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A container packing verification and labeling system for use on a computer having a processor, a memory, at least one input device operable by a user to enter data and commands to said computer, and a display, said memory storing data for a plurality of purchase orders from a plurality of consignees in at least one database, said system comprising:
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a plurality of consignee specific data files accessible by said processor and associated with a plurality of consignees each requiring a different set of input data from a user to process a purchase order issued thereby, each data display screen file being associated with a consignee and including data representing information to be depicted on said display to prompt a user to enter only that data required by said associated consignee to process a purchase order issued thereby and said consignee specific data files including data associating particular user entered commands with a consignee specific purchase order processing operations; and a nonconsignee specific purchase order processing controller for controlling said processor to couple to the display prompt information for a specific consignee from an associated data file in response to user entered data including data representing the selection of said consignee, said controller controlling said processor in accordance with said consignee specific data file to collect in said memory data entered by a user in association with a purchase order and to compare selected user entered data to said associated purchase order data from said database to validate said user entered data; and
said controller controlling said processor to couple selected user entered data and data from said purchase order database to said printer for printing said information on a record member, said system being updatable to allow the processing of a purchase order from a new consignee without altering said controller by adding consignee specific data accessible by said processor including at least one consignee specific data file associated with said consignee. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A purchase order processing system for use on a computer having a processor, a memory, at least one input device operable by a user to enter data and commands to said computer, and a display, said system comprising:
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a plurality of consignee specific data files respectively associated with a plurality of consignees, said files including for a specific consignee data representing information to be depicted on said display to prompt a user to enter only that data required by said specific consignee to process a purchase order therefrom and data associating each of a plurality of user entered commands with at least one of a plurality of functions to be carried out by said system to process purchase order information; a nonconsignee specific purchase order processing controller for controlling said processor to couple to said display said prompt information for a user selected consignee, said controller including a plurality of function subroutines each associated with one of said functions, said controller controlling said processor to be responsive to a user entered command to implement each function subroutine associated with said command, wherein the data in each of said consignee specific data files associating user entered commands with said functions defines the purchase order processing operation to be performed for each of said plurality of consignees, said operations varying from consignee to consignee. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification