Method of providing coding instructions to a printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10785381-B2
Application number	US-201615559510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Mar 19, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A method of providing coding instructions to a printer includes creating artwork design for a package and creating coding instructions associated with the artwork design, the coding instructions for printing a code on the package. The coding instructions are associated with the artwork design and transferred to a remote storage location. An identifier is provided with the package, package materials, or a component thereof to allow a user to retrieve the coding instructions for printing the code on the package.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing, by a processor of a computing system, a code creating instruction (CCI) tool for creating coding instructions for printing a code by a printer device on a package or package material subsequent to an artwork design being applied to the package or package material, the package or packaging material with the artwork design provided with an identifier associated with the coding instructions and the CCI tool including a coding instruction menu having at least one editable printer setting;
causing, by the processor, a display device to display the artwork design, the coding instruction menu, the at least one editable printer setting of the menu, and a representation of the code to be printed on the package or packaging material with the artwork design and according to the coding instructions;
transferring, by the computing system, the coding instructions to a remote memory device, the coding instructions for printing the code linked to the artwork; and
accessing, by the printer device and in communication with the remote memory device, the coding instructions from the remote memory device, in response to retrieving the identifier of the artwork design on the package or the package material, wherein the printer device prints the code on the package or the package material in accordance with the coding instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: re-purposing a bar code or SKU code of the artwork as the identifier to electronically access the coding instructions from the remote memory device; and providing the coding instructions to the printer device for printing the code on the package or the package material.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coding instructions further comprise information about a location on the package or the package material for printing the code.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coding instructions further comprise information about a format of the code and further comprising editing the coding instructions via the displayed coding instruction menu by editing the format of the code.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coding instructions further comprise information about a maximum line speed printer setting at which the code should be printed and further comprising editing the coding instruction, via the displayed coding instruction menu, by editing the maximum line speed printer setting.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coding instructions further comprise information about a type of ink to print the code on the package or the package material and further comprising the editing the coding instructions, via the displayed coding instruction menu, by editing the type of ink to print the code by the printer device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the code comprises a variable code selected from a lot code, batch code, time code, date code, date, or combination thereof and further comprising previewing, via the displayed CCI tool, the artwork design with the characteristic representation of the variable code printed on the artwork.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the artwork design comprises graphical components and text components and further comprising:
creating the artwork design;
printing the artwork design on the package or the package material; and
causing the printer device to print the code in accordance with the coding instructions on the package or the package material.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising previewing the artwork with the representation of the code during the creating of the artwork for the package.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coding instructions are provided in a PDF file comprising information about the artwork design.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transferring the artwork design to a converter for printing the artwork design on the package or the package material.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the identifier comprises a bar code associated with the artwork design printed on the package or the package material; and further comprising:
scanning the bar code on the package or the package material to retrieve the identifier wherein the accessing of the coding instructions being based on the scanned bar code.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprising a printed indicia associated with the artwork design printed on the package or the package material and further comprising:
receiving, by a printer device, a user entered code from the printed indicia wherein the accessing of the coding instructions being based on the user entered code.

14. A system for providing coding instructions comprising:
a code creating instruction (CCI) tool for creating coding instructions for printing a code by a printer device on a package or package material subsequent to an artwork design being applied on the package or the package material, and the package or packaging material with the artwork design provided with an identifier associated with the coding instructions and the CCI tool including a coding instruction menu having at least one editable printer setting;
a remote memory device;
a computing system with a processor and a display device, the processor configured to:
cause the display device to display the artwork design for the packaging or packaging together with the coding instruction menu, the at least one editable printer setting, and a representation of the code to be printed according to the coding instructions, and
transfer the coding instructions to the remote memory device, the coding instructions for printing the code linked to the artwork design; and

a production line printer device configured to communicate with the remote memory device and access the coding instructions from the remote memory device, in response to retrieving the identifier of the package or the package material with the artwork design, wherein the printer device prints the code on the package or the package material in accordance with the coding instructions.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the coding instructions further comprise information about a location on the package for printing the code.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the coding instructions further comprise information about a format of the code and the processor further configured to edit the coding instructions via the displayed coding instruction menu by editing the format of the code.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the coding instructions further comprise information about a maximum line speed printer setting at which the code should be printed and the processor further configured to edit the coding instruction, via the displayed coding instruction menu, by editing the maximum line speed printer setting.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the coding instructions comprise information about a type of ink to print the code on the package or the package material and further comprising the editing the coding instructions, via the displayed coding instruction menu, by editing the type of ink to print the code by the printer device.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the code comprises a variable code selected from a lot code, batch code, time code, date code, date, or combination thereof and further comprising previewing, via the displayed CCI tool, the artwork design with the representation of the variable code printed on the artwork.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the artwork design comprises graphical components and text components.

21. The

Assignees

• Videojet Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Weaver Robert
• Fini john
• Van Bael Kristiaan
• Beyer Martin

Classifications

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G06Q10/101

  Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services · CPC title

• G06K7/1413

  1D bar codes · CPC title

• G06F3/1275

  Print workflow management, e.g. defining or changing a workflow, cross publishing · CPC title

• H04N1/32149 Primary

  Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations · CPC title