Method and system for preparing a set of paired identification labels

• US 7,930,222 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qmeds Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quiq, Inc.
• Inventors: Frankel, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F. Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Danneman; Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/197,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20090184510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A system and method for preparing a set of paired identification label based a plurality of characters that identify an inventory item. The method includes a step of assigning a predetermined numerical value to each of the plurality of characters. Mathematical operations are performed on the assigned numerical values to obtain a mapping of the plurality of characters to a corresponding non-textual visual indicator. A label is generated which label includes the plurality of characters and the visual indicator. The visual indicator may be a color or a graphic indicator such as an alignment designation bar or a combination and variation thereof.

Claims

1. A method for generating an identification label based on a plurality of characters that identify an inventory item, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning a predetermined numerical value to each of said plurality of characters, wherein each unique character of said plurality of characters is assigned a corresponding unique numerical value;

performing mathematical operations on said assigned numerical values to obtain a mapping of said plurality of characters to a corresponding non-textual visual indicator; and

generating a label including said plurality of characters and said non-textual visual indicator,

wherein the performing step includes calculating values of a plurality of components of a color model based on the plurality of characters; and

wherein the non-textual visual indicator comprises a first color defined by said calculated components of the color model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of characters are arranged in a plurality of rows and wherein the performing step comprises adding said assigned numerical values corresponding to each of said plurality of characters in each of said plurality of rows to obtain a row total for each of said plurality of rows.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said performing step comprises performing a plurality of mathematical operations on each of said row total to obtain said non-textual visual indicator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the performing step comprises obtaining values for a plurality of variables by performing the following mathematical operations:

First Variable=Row total of first row;

Second Variable=Row total of second row;

Third Variable=Row total of third row;

Nth Variable=Row total of nth row.

5. A method for generating an identification label based on a plurality of characters that identify an inventory item, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning a predetermined numerical value to each of said plurality of characters, wherein each unique character of said plurality of characters is assigned a corresponding unique numerical value;

performing mathematical operations on said assigned numerical values to obtain a mapping of said plurality of characters to a corresponding non-textual visual indicator;

generating a label including said plurality of characters and said non-textual visual indicator; and

selecting a first color from a set of pre-determined colors based on the plurality of characters,

wherein the non-textual visual indicator comprises said first color.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of characters are arranged in a plurality of rows and wherein the performing step comprises adding said assigned numerical values corresponding to each of said plurality of characters in each of said plurality of rows to obtain a row total for each of said plurality of rows.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said performing step comprises performing a plurality of mathematical operations on each of said row total to obtain said non-textual visual indicator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the performing step comprises obtaining values for a plurality of variables by performing the following mathematical operations:

First Variable=Row total of first row;

Second Variable=Row total of second row;

Third Variable=Row total of third row;

Nth Variable=Row total of nth row.

9. A method for generating an identification label based on a plurality of characters that identify an inventory item, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning a predetermined numerical value to each of said plurality of characters, wherein each unique character of said plurality of characters is assigned a corresponding unique numerical value;

performing mathematical operations on said assigned numerical values to obtain a mapping of said plurality of characters to a corresponding non-textual visual indicator; and

generating a label including said plurality of characters and said non-textual visual indicator,

wherein said non-textual visual indicator is an alignment designation bar, and

wherein said alignment designation bar comprises a straight line, said line having a starting point and an end point based on said plurality of characters.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said plurality of characters are arranged in a plurality of rows and wherein the performing step comprises adding said assigned numerical values corresponding to each of said plurality of characters in each of said plurality of rows to obtain a row total for each of said plurality of rows.

11. A method for generating an identification label based on a plurality of characters that identify an inventory item, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning a predetermined numerical value to each of said plurality of characters, wherein each unique character of said plurality of characters is assigned a corresponding unique numerical value;

performing mathematical operations on said assigned numerical values to obtain a mapping of said plurality of characters to a corresponding non-textual visual indicator; and

generating a label including said plurality of characters and said non-textual visual indicator,

wherein said non-textual visual indicator is an alignment designation bar, and

wherein said alignment designation bar comprises a series of symbols, said series having a starting point and an end point based on said plurality of characters.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said plurality of characters are arranged in a plurality of rows and wherein the performing step comprises adding said assigned numerical values corresponding to each of said plurality of characters in each of said plurality of rows to obtain a row total for each of said plurality of rows.

13. A method for generating an identification label based on a plurality of characters that identify an inventory item, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning a predetermined numerical value to each of said plurality of characters, wherein each unique character of said plurality of characters is assigned a corresponding unique numerical value;

performing mathematical operations on said assigned numerical values to obtain a mapping of said plurality of characters to a corresponding non-textual visual indicator; and

generating a label including said plurality of characters and said non-textual visual indicator,

wherein said plurality of characters are arranged in a plurality of rows and wherein the performing step comprises adding said assigned numerical values corresponding to each of said plurality of characters in each of said plurality of rows to obtain a row total for each of said plurality of rows.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said performing step comprises performing a plurality of mathematical operations on said row totals to obtain said non-textual visual indicator.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the performing step comprises obtaining values for a plurality of variables by performing the following mathematical operations:

First Variable=Row total of first row;

Second Variable=Row total of second row;

Third Variable=Row total of third row;

Nth Variable=Row total of nth row.

16. A method for generating an identification label based on a plurality of characters that identify an inventory item, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning a predetermined numerical value to each of said plurality of characters, wherein each unique character of said plurality of characters is assigned a corresponding unique numerical value;

performing mathematical operations on said assigned numerical values to obtain a mapping of said plurality of characters to a corresponding non-textual visual indicator; and

generating a label including said plurality of characters and said non-textual visual indicator,

wherein said non-textual visual indicator is an alignment designation bar,

wherein said non-textual visual indicator comprises a first color and a second color;

wherein said alignment designation bar divides said label into a first part and a second part; and

wherein said first and second parts of said label are printed in said first color and said second color respectively.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said plurality of characters are arranged in a plurality of rows and wherein the performing step comprises adding said assigned numerical values corresponding to each of said plurality of characters in each of said plurality of rows to obtain a row total for each of said plurality of rows.