Business portal for electronically tagging product packaging
First Claim
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1. A system that coordinates the application of encoded electronic tags to packaging for goods comprisinga network that:
- communicates information for encoding the electronic tags, andcommunicates 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, tests the encoded tags,separates the successfully encoded tags, andbundles a set of the tested and successfully encoded electronic tags into a reel for delivering the set of tested and successfully encoded tags to a different location; and
a tag applicator system at the different location that;
draws information from the network for associating the encoded electronic tags with the packaging for goods,unbundles the set of tested and successfully encoded electronic tags from the reel, andapplies the tested and successfully encoded encoded tags to the packaging for goods in accordance with the associating information.
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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.
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Citations
32 Claims
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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, tests the encoded tags, separates the successfully encoded tags, and bundles a set of the tested and successfully encoded electronic tags into a reel for delivering the set of tested and successfully encoded tags to a different location; and a tag applicator system at the different location that; draws information from the network for associating the encoded electronic tags with the packaging for goods, unbundles the set of tested and successfully encoded electronic tags from the reel, and applies the tested and successfully encoded encoded tags to the packaging for goods in accordance with the associating information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system of attaching encoded electronic tags to product packaging comprising:
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a network that communicates a sequence of codes for encoding electronic tags intended for application to the product packaging, an encoder that is presented with a succession of the electronic tags for encoding the tags with codes from 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 one of the encoded and tested electronic tags in the succession is successfully encoded, a sorter that removes 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 inline 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 inline transporter at a second higher speed. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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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 the network for encoding the electronic tags, encoding the electronic tags in accordance with the encoding information, reading the encoded electronic tags for accepting or rejecting individual electronic tags, applying accepted electronic tags without applying rejected electronic tags in a sequence to a web and winding the web together with the sequence of accepted electronic tags into a reel, drawing information from the network for associating the accepted electronic tags with the packaging for goods, unwinding the accepted electronic tags from the reel, and applying the accepted tags to the packaging for goods in accordance with the associating information.
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26. 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 into a reel to the exclusion of the not successfully encoded tags, delivering the reel of bundled successfully encoded tags to a tag applicator, and unbundling the successfully encoded tags from the reel at the tag applicator and applying the successfully encoded tags to product packaging.
Specification