Item labeling, inspection and verification system for use in manufacturing, packaging, product shipment-fulfillment, distribution, or on-site operations

• US 7,918,402 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tension International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tension International Inc.
• Inventors: Owens, Timothy J., Conlon, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUDORF, LAURA A
• Application Number:
  US11/714,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20070210164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/491, 235375-376, 705/216, 705 28- 29, 700215-218, 340/5.92
• US Class Current: 235/491
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

An item contents verification system, and associated method, for use in an assembly line of carrier-totes (if used) each containing at least one of a plurality of items having a labeling. Also, a labeling for use with a computerized inspection apparatus for verification of items, and associated method. The system includes: (a) the labeling comprising a luminescent marking and a human-visible indicia; (b) the luminescent marking comprises a coded-indicia generally invisible to a human eye without an irradiation, each of these coded-indicia contains item-information about the item to which the labeling is applied, multiple such coded-indicia will be substantively identical; (c) an inspection apparatus adapted for automatically collecting item-information from luminescent coded-indicia oriented outwardly from items passing in proximity to the inspection apparatus; (d) in communication with the inspection apparatus is a processor unit used for comparing an order of selected items against the item-information collected about all items; if the item-information collected matches the order of selected items, that carrier-tote contents is deemed verified. A reject spur is included to which any respective carrier-tote, or any respective item not matched to an order, is routed if the contents of the carrier-tote is not deemed verified.

Claims

1. An item contents verification system for use in an order fulfillment assembly line of carrier-totes each containing at least one of a plurality of items having a labeling, the system comprising:

(a) the labeling comprising a luminescent marking and a human-visible indicia;

(b) said luminescent marking comprising a coded-indicia generally invisible to a human eye without an irradiation, each said coded-indicia to contain item-information about the item to which the labeling is applied;

(c) an inspection apparatus within the assembly line adapted for automatically collecting said item-information from said luminescent coded-indicia oriented outwardly and within a respective one of the carrier-totes as said respective carrier tote passes in proximity to said inspection apparatus;

(d) said inspection apparatus comprising a source of radiation selected from the group consisting of an ultra-violet (UV) radiation source, a near-infrared (near-IR) radiation source, and an infrared (IR) radiation source for emitting at said luminescent coded-indicia;

(e) in communication with said inspection apparatus is a processor unit adapted for comparing, while said respective one of the carrier-totes is in the assembly line, a purchase order comprising at least one selected item against said item-information collected about each said item within said respective carrier-tote;

if said item-information collected is of said order, said respective carrier-tote contents is deemed verified; and

(f) a reject spur to which any said respective carrier-tote is routed if the contents is not deemed verified.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the carrier-totes are positioned for automatic movement such that said inspection apparatus is generally overhead said respective carrier-tote as said respective carrier-tote passes on a track of the assembly line; and

(b) said luminescent marking further comprises a plurality of said coded-indicia that are substantively identical.

3. The system of claim 2:

further comprising a tote agitation station through which said rejected carrier-tote routed to said reject spur passes prior to being routed for a second pass under said inspection apparatus.

4. The system of claim 3:

(a) wherein said processor unit is further adapted for comparing said purchase order against a second item-information collected, during said second pass, about each said item within said agitated carrier-tote;

if said second item-information collected is of said purchase order, said agitated carrier-tote contents is deemed verified; and

(b) a manual inspection spur to which any said agitated carrier-tote is routed if the contents is not deemed verified after said second pass under said inspection apparatus.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

(a) said luminescent marking further comprises a plurality of said coded-indicia in proximity with each other and organized in array fashion, at least one of said coded-indicia to overlap, at least in part, said human-visible indicia;

(b) said inspection apparatus is computerized and further comprises a device adapted to capture said coded-indicia when illuminated by said source; and

(c) said human-visible indicia comprises a string of alphanumeric characters and a UPC barcode, both of which identify the item to which the labeling is applied.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a data storage unit in communication with said processor unit, said data storage unit comprising a plurality of said purchase orders, each said order bound for shipment to an assigned destination; and

(b) each said item-information further comprises said assigned destination of the item to which the labeling is applied.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

(a) the items are selected from the group consisting of a handheld computerized device, a cell phone, an optical storage disk, a magnetic storage cassette, and a packaging used for containing or otherwise clustering together smaller objects for transport;

said packages selected from the group consisting of bottles, boxes, packets, pouches, tubes, envelopes, baggies, flexible-wrap, fusion material, cans, canisters, blister-packs, vacuum-formed packs, and storage media cases; and

(b) said inspection apparatus is computerized and further comprises a source of radiation adapted for emitting at a pre-selected range during said collecting of said item-information, and a device adapted to capture said coded-indicia when illuminated by said source at said pre-selected range;

said pre-selected range dedicated to a customer of said purchase order.

8. An item labeling and verification system for use in an order fulfillment assembly line of carrier-totes, the system comprising:

(a) an apparatus for automatically applying to each of a plurality of items, a labeling comprising a luminescent marking;

said labeling further comprising a human-visible indicia;

(b) said luminescent marking comprising a coded-indicia generally invisible to a human eye without an irradiation, said coded-indicia to contain item-information about the item to which the labeling is applied;

(c) an inspection apparatus within the assembly line adapted for collecting said item-information from said luminescent coded-indicia oriented outwardly and within a respective one of the carrier-totes as said respective carrier-tote passes in proximity to said inspection apparatus;

(d) said inspection apparatus comprising a source of radiation selected from the group consisting of an ultra-violet (UV) radiation source, a near-infrared (near-IR) radiation source, and an infrared (IR) radiation source for emitting at said luminescent coded-indicia; and

(e) in communication with said inspection apparatus is a processor unit adapted for comparing, while said respective one of the carrier-totes is in the assembly line, a purchase order comprising at least one selected item against said item-information collected about each said item within said respective carrier-tote;

if said item-information collected is of said order of selected items, said respective carrier-tote contents is deemed verified.

9. The system of claim 8:

further comprising a reject spur to which any said respective carrier-tote is automatically routed if the contents is not deemed verified, and a tote agitation station through which said rejected carrier-tote routed to said reject spur passes prior to being routed for a second pass under said inspection apparatus; and

a second inspection apparatus for use at a later time to recollect item-information from said luminescent coded-indicia of one of said plurality of items and comparing said recollected item-information against a database of a plurality of said item-information collected and recorded earlier, for a subsequent verification.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein:

(a) said luminescent marking further comprises a plurality of said coded-indicia organized in array fashion, at least one of said coded-indicia to overlap, at least in part, said human-visible indicia;

(b) said inspection apparatus is computerized and further comprises a source of radiation adapted for emitting at a pre-selected range during said collecting of said item-information, and a device adapted to capture said coded-indicia when illuminated by said source at said pre-selected range;

said pre-selected range dedicated to an entity having placed said purchase order; and

(c) said human-visible indicia comprises a string of alphanumeric characters and a UPC barcode, both of which identify the item to which the labeling is applied.

11. An item labeling and verification system for use in an order fulfillment assembly line, the system comprising:

(a) a labeling applied to each of a plurality of items, said labeling comprising a luminescent marking and a human-visible indicia;

(b) said luminescent marking comprising a coded-indicia generally invisible to a human eye without an irradiation, said coded-indicia to contain item-information about the item to which the labeling is applied;

(c) a computerized inspection apparatus within the assembly line adapted for collecting said item-information from said luminescent coded-indicia oriented outwardly as said item passes in proximity to said inspection apparatus in the assembly line;

(d) said inspection apparatus comprising a source of radiation selected from the group consisting of an ultra-violet (UV) radiation source, a near-infrared (near-IR) radiation source, and an infrared (IR) radiation source for emitting at said luminescent coded-indicia; and

(e) in communication with said inspection apparatus is a processor unit adapted for, automatically while the item moves along the assembly line, accessing a batch order made by a customer comprising items, recording said item-information collected, and comparing said item-information collected against said batch order for verification that the item to which the labeling is applied is of said batch order.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising an apparatus for automatically applying said labeling to each of said items, and wherein:

(a) said luminescent marking further comprises a plurality of said coded-indicia that are substantively identical;

(b) said luminescent marking and said human-visible indicia both having been applied to a label medium selected from the group consisting of a clear label material, an opaque label material, a multi-layer label, and a coated label material; and

(c) said inspection apparatus is computerized and further comprises a source of radiation adapted for emitting at a pre-selected range during said collecting of said item-information, and a device adapted to capture said coded-indicia when illuminated by said source at said pre-selected range;

said pre-selected range associated with said batch order.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein:

(a) said luminescent marking further comprises a plurality of said coded-indicia in proximity with each other and organized in array fashion, at least one of said coded-indicia to overlap, at least in part, said human-visible indicia;

(b) said inspection apparatus is computerized and further comprises a device adapted to capture said coded-indicia when illuminated by said source; and

(c) said human-visible indicia comprises a string of alphanumeric characters.

14. The system of claim 11 for use with a plurality of carrier-totes, each containing at least one of the plurality of items having the labeling, and wherein:

the carrier-totes are positioned for automatic movement such that said inspection apparatus is generally overhead said respective carrier-tote as said respective carrier-tote passes on a track of the assembly line.

15. The system of claim 11:

(a) wherein the items are selected from the group consisting of a handheld computerized device, a cell phone, an optical storage disk, a magnetic storage cassette, and a packaging used for containing or otherwise clustering together smaller objects for transport;

said packages selected from the group consisting of bottles, boxes, packets, pouches, tubes, envelopes, baggies, flexible-wrap, fusion material, cans, canisters, blister-packs, vacuum-formed packs, and storage media cases; and

(b) further comprising a data storage unit in communication with said processor unit, said data storage unit comprising a plurality of records of said item-information collected for subsequent verification of said item.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein said inspection apparatus is a computerized in-line hand-held unit, and further comprising:

(a) a data storage unit in communication with said processor unit, said data storage unit comprising a plurality of records of said item-information collected for subsequent verification of said item;

(b) a reject spur to which any said item is automatically routed if not deemed verified; and

(c) a second inspection apparatus for use at a later time to recollect item-information from said luminescent coded-indicia of one of said plurality of items and comparing said recollected item-information against a database of a plurality of said item-information collected and recorded earlier, for a subsequent verification.

17. A labeling for use with a computerized inspection apparatus for verification of items within an order fulfillment assembly line:

(I) the labeling comprising;

(a) a luminescent marking and a human-visible indicia; and

(b) said luminescent marking comprising a plurality of substantively identical coded-indicia in proximity with each other and generally invisible to a human eye without an irradiation, each said coded-indicia to contain item-information about an item to which the labeling is applied;

(II) the inspection apparatus comprising;

(a) a source of radiation selected from the group consisting of an ultra-violet (UV) radiation source, a near-infrared (near-IR) radiation source, and an infrared (IR) radiation source, emitted for collection of said item-information from items moving within the assembly line; and

(b) a device adapted to capture said coded-indicia when illuminated by said source of radiation; and

(III) the inspection apparatus in communication with a processor unit adapted for an in-line verification of item fulfillment of a customer purchase order, said verification to comprise comparing said item-information collected for a selection of the items against said purchase order.

18. The labeling of claim 17 wherein:

(a) said plurality of coded-indicia is organized in array fashion;

(b) said luminescent marking is applied after said human-visible indicia is present on the item; and

(c) the items are selected from the group consisting of a handheld computerized device, a cell phone, an optical storage disk, a magnetic storage cassette, and a packaging used for containing or otherwise clustering together a smaller object for transport;

said packages selected from the group consisting of bottles, boxes, packets, pouches, tubes, envelopes, baggies, flexible-wrap, fusion material, cans, canisters, blister-packs, vacuum-formed packs, and storage media cases.

19. The labeling of claim 17 applied to each of a plurality of items moving within the order fulfillment assembly line comprising the inspection apparatus, and wherein:

(a) said luminescent marking is applied to a label medium after said human-visible indicia is present thereon; and

(b) said label medium selected from the group consisting of a clear label material, an opaque label material, a multi-layer label, and a coated label material.

20. The labeling of claim 19 wherein said label medium comprises said multi-layer label and said luminescent marking is applied to a clear layer laminated atop a second layer having said human-visible indicia.

21. The labeling of claim 17 wherein:

(a) said human-visible indicia comprises a string of alphanumeric characters to identify the item to which the labeling is applied;

(b) said luminescent marking and said human-visible indicia both having been applied to a label medium selected from the group consisting of a clear label material, an opaque label material, a multi-layer label, and a coated label material; and

(c) said inspection apparatus is computerized and further comprises a source of radiation adapted for emitting at a pre-selected range during said collecting of said item-information, and a device adapted to capture said coded-indicia when illuminated by said source at said pre-selected range;

said pre-selected range dedicated to an entity having placed said customer purchase order.

22. The labeling of claim 17 applied to each of a plurality of items, at least one of which is contained in each of a plurality of carrier-totes moving within the order fulfillment assembly line, and wherein:

(a) said luminescent marking overlaps, at least in part, said human-visible indicia;

(b) said human-visible indicia further comprises a Uniform Product Code (UPC) barcode to identify the item to which the labeling will be applied; and

(c) said item-information further comprises a security code assigned to the item for a subsequent verification thereof.

23. The labeling of claim 17 applied to each of a plurality of items, at least one of which is contained in each of a plurality of carrier-totes moving within the order fulfillment assembly line, and wherein:

said in-line verification is done by comparing said customer purchase order against said item-information collected about each said item of said selection of the items contained within a respective carrier-tote; and

if said item-information collected by the inspection apparatus is of said customer purchase order, said respective carrier-tote contents is deemed verified.

24. A method of labeling items for verification of contents within each of a plurality of carrier-totes in an order fulfillment assembly line, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) applying a labeling to each of a plurality of items comprising applying a luminescent marking and a human-visible indicia;

(b) said luminescent marking comprising a coded-indicia, generally invisible to a human eye without an irradiation, that contains item-information about the item to which said labeling is applied;

(c) collecting said item-information from said luminescent coded-indicia oriented outwardly of said items within a respective one of the carrier-totes, said step of collecting comprising;

emitting radiation selected from the group consisting of ultra-violet (UV) radiation, near-infrared (near-IR) radiation, and infrared (IR) radiation from a source, and reading said coded-indicia when illuminated by said source; and

(d) comparing, while said respective one of the carrier-totes is in the assembly line, a purchase order comprising at least one selected item against said item-information collected about each of the items within said respective carrier-tote;

if said item-information collected is of said order of selected items, said respective carrier-tote contents is deemed verified;

but if said item-information collected is not of said order of selected items, said respective carrier-tote is automatically routed, before leaving the assembly line, to a reject spur.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

(a) if said respective carrier-tote is routed to said reject spur, agitating the contents of said once-rejected respective carrier-tote; and

(b) automatically routing said agitated once-rejected carrier-tote for a second pass under said inspection apparatus.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

comparing said order of selected items against a second item-information collected, during said second pass, about each said item within said agitated once-rejected carrier-tote;

if said second item-information collected is not of said order of selected items, said agitated once-rejected carrier-tote contents is not deemed verified, then routed to a manual inspection spur.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein said step of applying said labeling to each of a plurality of items further comprises:

(a) automatically applying said luminescent marking to a label medium after said human-visible indicia is present thereon; and

(b) automatically applying said label medium with said luminescent marking and said human-visible indicia, to each of said items according to order instructions stored in a data storage unit.

28. The method of claim 24:

(a) wherein said step of applying said labeling to each of a plurality of items further comprises automatically applying said luminescent marking after said human-visible indicia is present on each of said items; and

said step of collecting said item-information further comprises passing said respective one of the carrier-totes in proximity to an inspection station within the assembly line, and recording said item-information collected for each said items; and

(b) further comprising the step of, using a second inspection apparatus at a later time, recollecting item-information from said luminescent coded-indicia of a respective said item and comparing said recollected item-information against a database of a plurality of said item-information collected and recorded earlier, for a subsequent verification.

29. A method of labeling items for verification within an order fulfillment assembly line, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) applying a labeling to each of a plurality of items, comprising applying a luminescent marking and a human-visible indicia;

(b) said luminescent marking comprising a coded-indicia, generally invisible to a human eye without an irradiation, that contains item-information about the item to which said labeling is applied;

(c) collecting said item-information from said luminescent coded-indicia oriented outwardly of each said item as each said item passes in proximity to an inspection apparatus in the assembly line, said step of collecting comprising;

emitting radiation selected from the group infrared (IR) radiation from a source, and reading said coded-indicia when illuminated by said source; and

(d) automatically while the item moves along the assembly line, accessing a batch order made by a customer comprising items, and if said item-information collected for a respective one of the items is of said batch order of items, it is deemed verified;

but if said respective one of the items is not of said batch order of items, automatically routing, before leaving the assembly line, said respective one of the items to a reject spur.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein:

(a) said step of applying said labeling further comprises applying said luminescent marking to comprise a plurality of said coded-indicia in proximity with each other and that are substantively identical;

(b) said step of collecting said item-information further comprises emitting radiation at a pre-selected range from said source and reading said coded-indicia when illuminated by said source at said pre-selected range.

31. A method of labeling items for verification thereof within an order fulfillment assembly line, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) applying a labeling to each of a plurality of items comprising automatically applying a luminescent marking;

said labeling further comprising a human-visible indicia;

(b) said luminescent marking comprising a plurality of substantively identical coded-indicia in proximity with each other and generally invisible to a human eye without an irradiation, that contains item-information about the item to which said labeling is applied;

(c) using a computerized inspection apparatus within the assembly line through which said plurality of items are passed, automatically collecting and recording said item-information from said luminescent coded-indicia;

(d) said step of automatically collecting comprising;

emitting radiation selected from the group consisting of ultra-violet (UV) radiation, near-infrared (near-IR) radiation, and infrared (IR) radiation from a source, and reading said coded-indicia when illuminated by said source; and

(e) comparing, while each of said plurality of items is moving within the assembly line, a customer purchase order against said item-information collected from each said item.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the verification is of contents of any of the items within each of a plurality of carrier-totes in said assembly line, wherein the step of comparing said customer purchase order is done by comparing against said item-information collected about each of the items within a respective carrier-tote;

if said item-information collected is of said customer purchase order, said respective carrier-tote contents is deemed verified;

but if said item-information collected is not of said customer purchase order, said respective carrier-tote is routed to a reject spur.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein said step of applying said labeling to each of a plurality of items further comprises:

(a) automatically applying said luminescent marking to a label medium after said human-visible indicia is present thereon;

(b) automatically applying said label medium with said luminescent marking and said human-visible indicia, to each of said items according to order instructions stored in a data storage unit; and

(c) using a second inspection apparatus at a subsequent time, recollecting item-information from said luminescent coded-indicia and comparing said recollected item-information against a database of a plurality of said item-information collected and recorded earlier, for the verification.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein said step of applying said labeling to each of a plurality of items further comprises automatically applying said luminescent marking after said human-visible indicia is present on each of said items, said item-information further comprises a security code assigned to said item for the verification thereof.