Electronic ID's for printed products

• US 20050102057A1
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quad Graphics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quad Graphics, Inc.
• Inventors: Geres, John C., Graushar, William T., Anderson, Edward J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,272,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/225
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 19/00 Multi-step processes for making books
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4263 Feeding end plate or end sheet before formation or after completion of a pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/40 Identification
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/18269 Marker arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 33/00 Forming counted batches in delivery pile or stream of articles

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic ID coupled to printed products.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of constrained printed products;

an electronic ID coupled to the plurality of constrained printed products and programmed with a unique identifier, the unique identifier obtainable from the electronic I) while the electronic ID is coupled to the printed products; and

a source of information which correlates the unique identifier to information relating to the printed products.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the printed products are constrained using a fastener.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electronic ID is a RFID tag.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the printed products include at least one of signatures and books.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is a unique number.

6. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the source is one of a database and a lookup table.

7. A method of processing printed products comprising:

creating an assembly of printed products;

programming an electronic ID with a unique identifier;

coupling the electronic ID to the assembly;

obtaining the unique identifier from the electronic ID; and

correlating the unique identifier with a source of information relating to the printed products.

8. A method of processing printed products comprising:

creating an assembly of printed products;

programming an electronic ID with a unique identification number;

coupling the electronic ID to the assembly;

reading the unique identification number from the electronic ID; and

correlating the unique identification number with information, relating to the printed products, contained in a database.

9. A method comprising:

generating an assembly of printed products;

removably securing an electronic ID to the assembly;

reading the electronic ID to obtain a unique identifier; and

processing the assembly based on the unique identifier.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the unique identifier is stored in a database and information related to the assembly is stored in the database and associated with the unique identifier.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the information related to the assembly includes information about the contents of the assembly.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the information related to the assembly includes information about processing of the assembly.

13. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the unique identifier is stored in a look-up table and information related to the assembly is stored in the look-up table and associated with the unique identifier.

14. A method comprising:

generating an assembly of printed products;

securing an electronic ID to the assembly; and

reading the electronic ID to obtain processing instructions for the assembly.

15. A method comprising:

generating an assembly of printed products;

identifying the assembly with an electronic ID;

reading the electronic ID;

comparing the electronic ID to information stored in a database;

obtaining a processing instruction for the assembly based on the information stored in the database for the electronic ID; and

processing the assembly based on the instruction.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the electronic ID is removably secured to an end board of the assembly.

17. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the database includes information related to the contents of the assembly and wherein the information is associated with the electronic ID.

18. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the assembly of printed products is secured by a fastener.

19. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the act of comparing the electronic ID to information stored in a database is performed by a controller on a finishing line.

20. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the processing instruction for the assembly includes instructions for processing the assembly on a finishing line.