Abstract:
A packaging inspection and verification system and method are applied to products to be packaged. An identification device reads type barcodes of the products and labels affixed to packing boxes for receiving product accessories. A processing unit obtains from a database barcodes of the accessories according to the type barcodes, and determines consistency between the labels affixed to the packing boxes and the barcodes of the accessories, if not consistent, generating a signal indicating an error occurring in the product accessories. The identification device reads ID codes of the products and labels affixed to cartons for receiving the products. The processing unit obtains from another database barcodes of the products according to the ID codes, and determines consistency between the labels affixed to the cartons and the barcodes of the products, if not consistent, generating a signal indicating an error occurring in the labels affixed to the cartons.

Description:
FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to systems and methods of inspection and verification of packaged products, and more particularly, to a packaging inspection and verification system and method, which can be applied to a production line to inspect and verify products that are to be packaged prior to packaging and delivery. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
   Along with the rapid development of information networks, computers become indispensable as a part of daily life of the modern society. Due to the numerous kinds of computers that are available on the market, even computers of identical designs have the external accessories thereof in different specifications, such as keyboards, mouse, connection cords, power supplies, etc., thereby allowing different kinds of equipment to collocate with one another freely to suit and satisfy the consumers&#39; needs. 
   In general, computer manufacturers produce and dispose the external accessories of computers to comply with the consumers&#39; requirements, which are supplied by either the outside suppliers or computer manufacturers themselves. The external accessories required are usually put together in a pizza box to be collocated with a corresponding computer in a subsequent process. Prior to leaving the factory, each computer is individually packed with its matching pizza box into a standard shipping carton so as to be transported and delivered to clients. 
   However, due to the conventional manual operation, it is inevitable to make mistakes in the process of making pizza boxes, resulting in misplacement of products being packaged in cartons such as missing or misplacing accessories in pizza boxes or wrong model numbers that are mistakenly packaged. As computers have different model numbers and each model requires different external accessories in different specifications, computers and the external accessories thereof have different labels affixed thereto for identification purposes. Therefore, without an efficient control mechanism of an inspecting system, it is extremely difficult and ineffective to inspect the contents of each of pizza boxes in order to prevent the foregoing mistakes just by using merely manpower operation. Besides, such mistakes in packaging or delivering wrong computers or-and the matching pizza boxes thereof can easily cause great dissatisfaction and distrust from the customers and might even lose customers as a result of the failure Also, the necessity of conducting the packaging and delivery processes again owing to such mistakes will not only cause the waste of time, labor, and costs, but also severely damage and ruin the reputation of manufacturers as well. 
   Also, it is likely that a computer with the matching pizza box thereof could be packed into a wrong shipping carton in a packaging process. A computer barcode and a shipping label affixed to a packing carton usually comprise a code required by a client and a UPC (Universal Product Code), thereby allowing manufacturers to delivers their computer products to clients accordingly If the content of a computer. barcode does not consist with the content of a shipping label affixed to a shipping carton, which means a wrong shipping carton has been used. Without an effective control mechanism of a verification system, it is extremely difficult to distinguish the contents packed in a shipping carton to prevent mistakes by merely using manpower operation. Similarly, delivery of wrong computers can easily cause great dissatisfaction and distrust from the customers and might even lose customers as a result of the failure. And the necessity of conducting the packaging and delivery processes again owing to such mistakes cause not only the waste of time, labor, and costs, but also can severely damage and ruin the reputation of manufacturers as well. 
   Therefore, there exists a need to develop a system and a method for automatically inspecting and verifying packaged products prior to packaging and delivery, thereby ensuring the correctness of the contents of products as well as labels affixed to shipping cartons to decrease the mistakes to a minimum degree. 
   SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
   A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a packaging inspection and verification system and method, which are easy and convenient to operate to ensure the correctness of the contents of products prior to packaging and delivery. 
   Another objective of the present invention is to provide a packaging inspection and verification system and method, so as to save working time and increase working efficiency. 
   In accordance with the above and other objectives, the present invention discloses a packaging inspection and verification system and method. The packaging inspection and verification system in the present invention includes a memory unit having a first database and a second database, an identification device, and a processing unit. The first database is used to store type barcodes of products that are to be packaged and barcodes of accessories thereof, and the second database is used to store the product ID codes of products that are to be packaged as well as a first barcode and a second barcode of the product that correspond to the product ID code; the identification device is used to read the type barcodes of products and labels affixed to the packing boxes containing accessories, allowing the processing unit to acquire barcodes of accessories that are stored in the first database according to the contents of barcodes, and also compare the barcodes with the contents of labels on packing boxes, thereby signaling to warn the staff of wrong accessories packed therein if the contents are not consistent. When accessories of a product have been correctly verified and are to be combined with the product so as to be packed into a shipping carton, the identification device is used to read the product ID code and the content of the label affixed to the shipping carton, allowing the processing unit to acquire a first barcode and a second barcode of the product from the second database according to the content of the label and to examine the consistency between the acquired barcodes of the product with the shipping label, thereby signaling to warn the staff of the wrong shipping label on the carton. 
   The packaging inspection and verification method is implemented using the packaging inspection and verification system The method comprises the following steps:
         (0) establishing a first database for storing barcodes of product types and the corresponding accessories thereof that are to be packaged, and establishing a second database for storing codes of products as well as a first barcode and a second barcode that correspond to the product code;   (0) reading the content of a barcode of product type via an identification device and transmitting the content of the type barcode to a processing unit, allowing the processing unit to obtain barcodes of accessories that correspond to the product from the first database according to the barcode of the product type;   (0) reading the content of the label affixed to a packing box containing accessories of a product via the identification device and transmitting the content of the label to the processing unit, allowing the processing unit to compare the content of the label on the packing box with barcodes of accessories, thereby signaling to warn the staff if accessories of a product are mistakenly packed, and the step is repeated; or else step (4) is followed;   (0) reading the content of a product code via the identification device and transmitting the content of product code to the processing unit, allowing the processing unit to obtain a first barcode and a second barcode of the product from the second database according to the product code; and   (0) reading the content of the label affixed to a shipping carton containing computer products via the identification device and transmitting the content of the label to the processing unit, allowing the processing unit to compare the content of the label on the shipping carton with the first and the second product codes, thereby signaling to warn the staff if a packing carton is mistakenly packed, and the step is repeated; or else the verification process is ended.       

   Compared to the conventional methods, the packaging inspection and verification system and method in the present invention are capable of detecting errors in the process of packaging the required accessories for computer products prior to leaving the factory, and also detecting errors in the process of packing the computer products with accessories thereof into shipping cartons prior to delivery, thereby eliminating the drawbacks encountered in the prior art. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, with reference made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing basic architecture of a packaging inspection and verification system according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart showing steps involved in disposing product accessories into a pizza in the use of a packaging inspection and verification method according to the present invention; and 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart diagram showing steps involved in disposing products into a packing carton in the use of the packaging inspection and verification method according to the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   A packaging inspection and verification system and method proposed in the present invention can be applied to a process of packaging products so as to inspect and verify the contents of packaged products and accessories thereof. The accessories of a product are selected and packed into a packing box (pizza) as a set according to the requirements of a buyer, such that when leaving the factory, the pizza box containing the required accessories can be conveniently assembled together with the product into a larger shipping carton for shipment. A label is affixed to each of pizza boxes containing accessories of a product to indicate the content of accessories packed therein, and a label is affixed to each of the packing cartons to indicate codes of the product that include a first code as required by the buyer, and a second code that is a Universal Product Code (UPC) of the product. 
   The product mentioned above can be a computer and the accessories thereto can be a keyboard, a mouse, a power supplier, etc. all of which are assembled together as a set in accordance with the requirements of the buyer. The product can also be an electronic product of other types and detailed description based on such arrangement is given below. 
   Illustrated in  FIG. 1  is a basic architecture of the packaging inspection and verification system according to the present invention. As shown, the packaging inspection system  1  at least includes a memory unit  10 , an identification device  12 , and a processing unit  14 , wherein the memory unit  10  at least includes databases  100  and  101 ; the processing unit  14  at least includes an acquiring module  140 , a registering module  142 , a comparison module  144 , and a leading module  146 . 
   The memory unit  10  can store at least a plurality of product information such as computers that are to be packaged into cartons and inspected prior to delivery. In particular, the database  100  of the memory unit  10  is used to store barcodes of product types such as computer models and computer accessories in accord with barcodes of product types (such as a keyboard, a mouse, a power supplier, etc,); whereas the database  101  is used to store codes of products, i.e. product identification (ID) codes, as well as a first barcode and a second barcode of a product in accord with the product ID code, wherein the first barcode is a code required by the buyer and the second barcode is a Universal Product Code; UPC. 
   The identification device  12  is used to read barcodes of product types, and further transmit the content of the type barcode to the processing unit  14 , allowing the processing unit  14  to acquire and obtain from the database  100  barcodes of accessories that correspond to the type barcode according to the content of the barcode. In the meantime, the identification device  12  reads the content of the label (the barcode that indicates accessories contained in a pizza box) affixed to a pizza box containing the product accessories, and transmit the content of the label to a processing unit  14  for comparing the label of a pizza box with the obtained barcode of accessories, thereby signaling to warn the staff if there is any inconsistencies in between so that necessary actions can be taken, such as making up for a missing accessory or taking out a misplaced accessory. In this embodiment, the identification device is a scanner, however, it can also be any other types of electronic devices or equipment that has the identification functionality to suit the practical and operational needs. 
   As mentioned above, accessories of a computer product are assembled and supplied by manufacturers in accordance with the requirements of a buyer. In the process of assembling the product accessories, the identification device  12  reads the barcode of a product type so that the processing unit  14  can acquire and obtain barcodes of the product accessories that correspond to the type barcode; and prior to packing the product accessories into a pizza box, the identification device  12  reads the barcode of each of the required accessories, and, after assembling the required accessories, the barcode of each of the required accessories is printed out via a printing device (not shown) as a label that is to be affixed to each of pizza boxes for identification of the contents packed therein. Thereby, when inspecting accessories of a product, the identification device  12  can directly read the barcode of each of the required accessories that is affixed to each pizza box without having to open every pizza box containing accessories of a product, and further transmit the content of the barcode to the processing unit  14  for subsequent handling and arrangement, thereby saving time and increasing efficiency as a result. 
   After the content of product accessories packed in a pizza box has been inspected and verified, the product can be packed with the pizza box containing the required accessories of the product into a shipping carton for shipment. Subsequently, the identification device  12  reads a product ID code and transmits the content of the product ID code to the processing unit  14 , allowing the processing unit  14  to acquire a first code and a second code of the product from the database  101  in accord with the product ID code according to the content of the product ID code; at the same time, the identification device  12  reads the label affixed to the shipping carton (ice. the content of the first code and the second code of the product) and transmits the content of the label to the processing unit  14  so as to compare the content of the label with the first and the second codes of the product, thereby signaling to warn the staff if there is any inconsistencies in between so that necessary actions can be taken such as substituting a wrong label with a correct one. 
   The operation of the processing unit  14  is further detailed with other necessary elements herein. The acquiring module  140  is used to acquire barcodes of product accessories from the database  100  according to the barcode of a product type that is transmitted from the identification device  12 , and further transmit the acquired barcodes to a registering module  142  for temporary storage; and further acquire from the database  101  a first code and a second code of a product according to the barcode of a product type and transmit the obtained codes to the registering module  142  for temporary storage. 
   The registering module  142  is used to temporarily store the contents of labels affixed to the pizza boxes transmitted from the identification device  12 , the contents of labels affixed to the shipping cartons transmitted from the identification device  12 , as well as the contents obtained by the acquiring module  140  from the databases  100  and  101 . 
   The comparison module  144  is used to compare the contents of labels affixed to pizza boxes with the contents of labels affixed to shipping cartons that are temporarily stored in the registering module  142 , and also compare the contents of labels affixed to shipping cartons with a first code and a second code of a product, thereby signaling to warn the staff if there is any inconsistencies in between so as to make corrections in time. 
   As mentioned above, the processing unit  14  further includes a leading module  146  which is used to lead the contents of labels affixed to the shipping cartons that are stored in the registering module  142  when the comparison module  144  detects and signals to warn any inconsistencies into a specific position in the database  100  for future tracking purposes 
   As mentioned above, the processing unit  14  further includes a leading module  146 . When the comparison module  144  detects and signals to warn any inconsistencies of the contents, the leading module  146  is used to lead the contents of labels affixed to the pizza boxes that contain accessories of products stored in the registering module  142  into a specific position in the database  100  for future tracking purposes; similarly, the leading module  146  is also used to lead the contents of labels affixed to the shipping cartons that contain the first and the second codes of products stored in the registering module  142  into a specific position in the database  101  for future tracking purposes 
   By using the packaging inspection and verification system  1  of the present invention, steps of the packaging inspection and verification method  2  are implemented as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
   In step S 20 , a database  100  is established to store the code of a product type, and the code of an accessory of the product in accord with the type code, and a database  101  is established to store the product ID code, and a first code and a second code of the product, wherein the first code is a code required by the buyer and the second code is a Universal Product Code; UPC. Thereafter, step S 21  is followed. 
   In step S 21 , an identification device  12  reads the type code of the product and transmits the content of the type code to an acquiring module  140 , allowing the acquiring module  140  to acquire from the database  100  codes of accessories of the product and further stores the accessory codes in a registering module  142  according to the type code. Thereafter, step S 22  is proceeded. 
   In step S 22 , the identification device  12  reads the content of the label affixed to a pizza box that contains accessories of a product and transmits the content of the label to a registering module  142  for temporary storage. 
   In step S 23 , the comparison module  144  compares the content of the label affixed to the pizza box with codes of accessories of the product, and, if any inconsistencies between the contents are found, it generates a signal to warn the staff so that necessary corrections can be made such as making up for the missing accessory and taking out the misplaced accessory, and then it returns to step S 22 ; otherwise, if the contents are consistent, it proceeds to the subsequent process of packaging and verification. However, if the packaging inspection and verification method is only applied to a product and accessories thereof that are packed in a pizza box but not a shipping carton that contains both the product and the pizza box, the verification process is ended. 
   As mentioned above, when the comparison module  144  detects an inconsistency between the contents, subsequently step S 24  is proceeded after the step S 23 . The leading module  146  proceeds to lead the content of the label containing accessories of the product that is temporarily stored in the registering module  142  into the database  100 , allowing the staff to follow up and check afterwards. 
     FIG. 3  illustrates the detailed steps involved in disposing products into a packing carton in proceeding the packaging inspection and verification method. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , firstly in step S 30 , the identification device  12  reads the product ID code of the product and transmits the content of the product ID code to an acquiring module  140 , allowing the acquiring module to obtain a first code and a second code of the product according to the content of product ID code, and further transmit the first and the second codes of the product to a registering module  142  for temporary storage. Thereafter, step  31  is followed. 
   In step S 31 , the identification device  12  reads the content of the label affixed to the shipping carton and transmits the content of the label to a registering module  142  for temporary storage. Thereafter, step  32  is followed. 
   In step S 32 , the comparison module  140  compares the content of the label affixed to the shipping carton with the first and the second codes of the product, and, if any inconsistencies between the contents is found, it generates a signal to warn the staff so that necessary corrections can be made such as replacing the erroneous label with a correct one, and then it returns to step S 31  for verification of packaging again; otherwise, if the contents are consistent and correct, it ends the verification process and proceeds to the subsequent process of delivering the product. 
   As mentioned above, when the comparison module  144  detects any inconsistencies between the contents, step S 33  is proceeded following step S 32  such that the leading module  146  proceeds to lead the content of the label affixed to the shipping carton (the first and the second codes of the product) that are temporarily stored in the registering module  144  into the database  101  for future tracking. 
   Compared to the conventional methods of disposing the product accessories in a pizza box and the products in a shipping carton, the packaging inspection and verification system and method of the present invention can early detect errors and inconsistencies from the contents of labels affixed to pizza boxes and accessory codes stored in the database to reduce unnecessary loss caused by misplacing products and accessories thereof. 
   Further, the inspection and verification system and method of the present invention can directly conduct the verification process of product packaging without having to open every pizza box that contains accessories of a product, thereby providing an easier and more convenient operation to save time and increase efficiency as a result. In addition, the present invention provides a leading module for leading the inconsistent contents after comparison into a database for future tracking can help to increase controllability and maintainability of product packaging as well. 
   The invention has been described using exemplary preferred embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.