Packaging inspection and verification system and method

• US 7,185,812 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Inventors: Sung, Min-Tzu, Chien, Ming-Yuan, Shih, Shan-Fa, Wong, Shoui-Liang, Wang, Yi-Te, Lu, Po-Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SEUNG H
• Application Number:
  US11/094,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20060219782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 235/384, 235/470, 235/462.13, 53/55, 534/43
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

A packaging inspection and verification system and method are applied to products to be packaged. An identification device reads type barcodes of the products and labels affixed to packing boxes for receiving product accessories. A processing unit obtains from a database barcodes of the accessories according to the type barcodes, and determines consistency between the labels affixed to the packing boxes and the barcodes of the accessories, if not consistent, generating a signal indicating an error occurring in the product accessories. The identification device reads ID codes of the products and labels affixed to cartons for receiving the products. The processing unit obtains from another database barcodes of the products according to the ID codes, and determines consistency between the labels affixed to the cartons and the barcodes of the products, if not consistent, generating a signal indicating an error occurring in the labels affixed to the cartons.

Claims

1. A packaging inspection and verification system, comprising:

a memory unit including a first database and a second database, the first database for storing type barcodes of products that are to be packaged and barcodes of accessories of the products corresponding to the type barcodes, and the second database for storing identification (ID) codes of the products that are to be packaged and first barcodes and second barcodes of the products corresponding to the ID codes;

an identification device for reading the type barcodes of the products and content of labels affixed to packing boxes for receiving the accessories of the products, and further for reading content of the ID codes of the products and content of labels affixed to cartons for receiving the products; and

a processing unit for receiving the type barcodes of the products and the content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes from the identification device, so as to obtain the barcodes of the accessories of the products from the first database according to the type barcodes, and further compare the obtained barcodes of the accessories with the content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes, if the obtained barcodes of the accessories are not consistent with the content of the labels, generating a signal indicating an error occurring in the accessories of the products; and

the processing unit further for receiving the content of the ID codes of the products and the content of the labels affixed to the cartons from the identification device, so as to obtain the first codes and the second codes of the products from the second database according to the content of the ID codes and compare the obtained first codes and second codes with the content of the labels affixed to the cartons, if the obtained first codes and second codes are not consistent with the content of the labels, generating a signal indicating an error occurring in the labels affixed to the cartons for the products.

2. The packaging inspection and verification system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit comprises:

an acquiring module for obtaining the barcodes of the accessories of the products from the first database according to the type barcodes of the products;

a registering module for storing the content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes read by the identification device and the barcodes of the accessories of the products obtained by the acquiring module; and

a comparison module for comparing and determining the consistency between the content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes and the barcodes of the accessories stored in the registering module, and generating the signal indicating an error occurring in the accessories of the products if the consistency is not achieved.

3. The packaging inspection and verification system of claim 2, wherein the processing unit further comprises a leading module for leading the content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes stored in the registering module into the first database when the inconsistency is not achieved.

4. The packaging inspection and verification system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit comprises:

an acquiring module for obtaining the first codes and the second codes of the products from the second database according to the content of the ID codes of the products;

a registering module for storing the content of the labels affixed to the cartons read by the identification device and the first codes and the second codes of the products obtained by the acquiring module; and

a comparison module for comparing and determining the consistency between the content of the labels affixed to the cartons stored in the registering module and the first codes and the second codes of the products, and generating the signal indicating an error occurring in the labels affixed to the cartons if the consistency is not achieved.

5. The packaging inspection and verification system of claim 4, wherein the processing unit further comprises a leading module for leading the content of the labels affixed to the cartons stored in the registering module into the second database when the consistency is not achieved.

6. The packaging inspection and verification system of claim 1, wherein the products are computers, and the accessories thereof comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of keyboard, mouse and power supplier.

7. The packaging inspection and verification system of claim 1, wherein the first barcode is a product barcode required by a buyer.

8. The packaging inspection and verification system of claim 1, wherein the second barcode is a Universal Product Code (UPC).

9. The packaging inspection and verification system of claim 1, wherein the content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes comprises the barcodes of the accessories of the products to be packaged in the packing boxes.

10. The packaging inspection and verification system of claim 1, wherein the content of the labels affixed to the cartons comprises the first codes and the second codes of the products.

11. A packaging inspection and verification method applied to a packaging inspection and verification system, the packaging inspection and verification system comprising a memory unit having a first database and a second database, an identification device and a processing unit, the method comprising the steps of:

(1) establishing the first database for storing type barcodes of products that are to be packaged and barcodes of accessories of the products corresponding to the type barcodes, and establishing the second database for storing identification (ID) codes of the products that are to be packaged and first barcodes and second barcodes corresponding to the ID codes of the products;

(2) having the identification device read the type barcodes of the products and transmit the read type barcodes to the processing unit, so as to allow the processing unit to obtain the barcodes of the accessories of the products from the first database according to the type barcodes;

(3) having the identification device read content of labels affixed to packing boxes for receiving the accessories of the products and transmit the read content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes to the processing unit,

(4) having the processing unit compare and determine whether the content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes transmitted from the identification device is consistent with the obtained barcodes of the accessories of the products, if no, generating a signaling indicating an error occurring in the accessories of the products and returning to step (3);

or if yes, proceeding to step (5);

(5) having the identification device read content of the ID codes of the products and transmit the read content of the ID codes to the processing unit, so as to allow the processing unit to obtain the first barcodes and the second barcodes of the products from the second database according to the content of the ID codes;

(6) having the identification device read content of labels affixed to cartons for receiving the products and transmit the read content of the labels affixed to the cartons to the processing unit; and

(7) having the processing unit compare and determine whether the content of the labels affixed to the cartons transmitted from the identification device is consistent with the first codes and the second codes of the products, if no, generating a signal indicating an error occurring in the labels affixed to the cartons and returning to step (6);

or if yes, ending the packaging inspection and verification method.

12. The packaging inspection and verification method of claim 11, wherein the processing unit comprises:

an acquiring module for obtaining the barcodes of the accessories of the products from the first database according to the type barcodes of the products transmitted from the identification device;

a registering module for storing the content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes transmitted from the identification device and the barcodes of the accessories of the products obtained by the acquiring module; and

a comparison module for comparing and determining the consistency between the content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes and the barcodes of the accessories stored in the registering module, and generating the signal indicating an error occurring in the accessories of the products if the consistency is not achieved.

13. The packaging inspection and verification method of claim 12, wherein the processing unit further comprises a leading module, and the packaging inspection and verification method further comprises a step of having the leading module lead the content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes stored in the registering module into the first database when the inconsistency is not achieved.

14. The packaging inspection and verification method of claim 11, wherein the processing unit comprises:

an acquiring module for obtaining the first codes and the second codes of the products from the second database according to the content of the ID codes of the products transmitted from the identification device;

a registering module for storing the content of the labels affixed to the cartons transmitted from the identification device and the first codes and the second codes of the products obtained by the acquiring module; and

a comparison module for comparing and determining the consistency between the content of the labels affixed to the cartons stored in the registering module and the first codes and the second codes of the products, and generating the signal indicating an error occurring in the labels affixed to the cartons if the consistency is not achieved.

15. The packaging inspection and verification method of claim 14, wherein the processing unit further comprises a leading module, and the packaging inspection and verification method further comprises a step of having the leading module lead the content of the labels affixed to the cartons stored in the registering module into the second database when the consistency is not achieved.

16. The packaging inspection and verification method of claim 11, wherein the products are computers, and the accessories thereof comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of keyboard, mouse and power supplier.

17. The packaging inspection and verification method of claim 11, wherein the content of the labels affixed to the cartons comprises the first codes and the second codes of the products.

18. The packaging inspection and verification method of claim 11, wherein the first barcode is a product code required by a buyer.

19. The packaging inspection and verification method of claim 11, wherein the second code is a Universal Product Code (UPC).

20. The packaging inspection and verification method of claim 11, wherein the content of the labels affixed to the packing boxes comprises the barcodes of the accessories of the products to be packaged in the packing boxes.