Abstract:
The present invention is directed toward a container and product information management system for the inventory, identification, and distribution of containers filled with compressed and/or liquified gas. The inventive system is effected through a distributed system of processors, displays, input devices, output devices, and communication devices whereby gas product and customer information is maintained at a central location and is distributed to and is available by a plurality of remote locations, each remote location preferably located proximate to a storage facility for gas-filled containers. Upon the filling of each container with a compressed gas, a product label is affixed to the container identifying, at a minimum, the gas and the container. The filled containers are routed to one or more warehouses to await ultimate shipment to an end user or customer. Upon receiving a customer order for gas at a warehouse, the containers satisfying the customer order are identified through the inventive system. Additional product labels are printed at the warehouse based on information input at the warehouse and gleaned from data stored centrally and are affixed to the containers prior to shipment to the customer.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
         [0001]    This application is based upon and claims priority from Japanese patent application No. 232742/00, filed Aug. 1, 2000, the contents being incorporated herein by reference.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to the management of information related to compressed gas products and, more specifically, to a system for the management of containers filled with compressed gas and the customized creation of product labels to be affixed to the containers accurately identifying the gas contained therein and the user to which the container has been sold.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    The manufacture, distribution, sale, and use of a wide variety of compressed gases have increased in recent years as more uses are found for these products and as methods and containers are developed to safely and economically store and transport the gases in compressed, and, therefore, reduced volume form. Examples of such gases include oxygen for both health and welding purposes, propane for the increasing numbers of residential gas barbeque grills, liquid nitrogen for cryogenic processing, and helium for lighter-than-air applications.  
           [0006]    The containers used to house and transport these gases are labeled with a wide variety of product labels that are a function of not only the gas in the container but also the manufacturer who filled the containers and a host of state and national regulations governing the handling of compressed-gas containers and the gases contained therein. Additionally, users and customers have demanded different product labels to be used on the containers, even for the same gas. The result has been a plurality of differently labeled containers for a single gas, with each such labeled container(s) requiring separate handling and storage as if it contained a different gas from the other containers. Therefore, the space required to store gas containers in the warehouses increases, as does the total number of containers in the entire manufacture and distribution cycle. Also, such a system of custom labeling exacerbates the difficulty in easily identifing a particular gas by its container labeling. Further, in the case of gases which must comply with stringent quality control standards, such as for use in semiconductor manufacturing, product labels can dictate the content and manufacturing requirements for the gas. As such, the product labels can also serve as an instructional guide and an analysis table for filling the containers with the proper gas.  
           [0007]    Following the filling and labeling of the gas containers at a point of collection or manufacture, the pressurized, gas-filled containers are typically routed to a warehouse for storage and ultimate distribution to end-user customers. Upon being purchased by a customer, the gas-filled container(s) must be located in the warehouse, pulled from the warehouse shelves, and shipped to the customer. If the product is not found to be available in a particular warehouse, other warehouses must be searched to locate the ordered product for shipment. In the event that no warehouse has sufficient product for delivery to the customer, then additional containers of the gas must be filled at the place of manufacture and shipped directly to the customer or, alternatively, shipped first to the warehouse and then to the customer.  
           [0008]    To efficiently and timely provide gas-filled containers to the customers upon order, it is necessary to accurately keep track of the particular gases and containers stocked at each warehouse. However, this task is rendered exponentially complex because of the multiple product labels used on the containers and the multiple locations for stocking the containers. To the knowledge of the inventor, no system is available to automatically track and maintain the myriad of gas-filled containers that are stocked in present day warehouses or to produce the myriad of product labels required to satisfy the requirements for custom labeling of gas-filled containers.  
           [0009]    These and other drawbacks, problems, and limitations of conventional products are overcome according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The present invention is directed toward a container and product information management system for the inventory, identification, and distribution of containers filled with compressed and/or liquified gas. The inventive system is effected through a distributed system of processors, displays, input devices, output devices, and communication devices whereby gas product and customer information is maintained at a central location and is distributed to and is available by a plurality of remote locations, each remote location preferably located proximate to a storage facility for gas-filled containers. Upon the filling of each container with a compressed gas, a product label is affixed to the container identifying, at a minimum, the gas and the container. The filled containers are routed to one or more warehouses to await ultimate shipment to an end user, or customer. Upon receiving a customer order for gas at a warehouse, the containers satisfying the customer order are identified through the inventive system. Additional product labels are printed at the warehouse based on information input at the warehouse and gleaned from data stored centrally and are affixed to the containers prior to shipment to the customer.  
           [0011]    In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a system and method are directed toward managing the labeling of gas-filled containers, including inputting container-related information; inputting user-related information; inputting user order information on a terminal side; selecting gas-filled containers satisfying the input user order; transmitting to a host side information identifying the selected containers and information identifying the user submitting the order; composing container labels on the host side based on the transmitted information; and printing container labels for each of the selected containers from the composed container labels.  
           [0012]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a system and method are directed toward managing the labeling of gas-filled containers, including inputting container-related information; inputting user-related information; inputting user order information on a terminal side; selecting gas-filled containers satisfying the input user order; composing container labels on the terminal side based on the input container-related information, the user-related information, and the user order information; and printing container labels for each of the selected containers from the composed container labels. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals have been used to designate like elements, and wherein:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 shows a component diagram of the management system configured in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 shows a block flow chart of an embodiment of the present invention including an exemplary method for managing gas-filled containers through the creation of product labels;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 shows a block flow chart of an embodiment of the present invention including another exemplary method for managing gas-filled containers through the creation of product labels;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 shows a block flow chart of an embodiment of the present invention including yet another exemplary method for managing gas-filled containers through the creation of product labels; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 shows two exemplary product labels composed and output by a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]    In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known methods, devices, and circuits are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention.  
         [0020]    Referring initially to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a component diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. The management system according an embodiment of the present invention comprises an information processing unit  110  on a host side  100  and an information processing unit  152  on each of one or more terminal sides  150 . Communication devices  120 - 126  are in place within the inventive management system that are capable of transmitting and receiving information between the information processing unit  110  on the host side  100  and the plurality of information processing units  152  on the terminal sides  150 .  
         [0021]    The host side  100  is typically located at the point of processing, or the filling location, for the gas canisters. Alternatively, the host side  100  can be represented at the headquarters location for the business entity responsible for the filling of the canisters with compressed and/or liquified gas. Each of the information processing units  152  on the terminal sides  150  are given a unique terminal ID or address by which communications can be uniquely established between the host&#39;s information processing unit  110  and each terminal&#39;s information processing unit  152 . The information processing unit  110  on the host side  100  is comprised of a processor, such as a personal computer, a display, an input device  111 , an output device  118 , memory or storage devices  112 - 116 , and a communication port  120 . Correspondingly, each information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  is comprised of a processor, such as a personal computer, a display, an input device  154 , an output device  158 , a memory or storage device  156 , and a communication port  126 .  
         [0022]    Each information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  is located proximate to a warehouse where the gas-filled containers are stocked or stored after having been filled or “manufactured.” The communication devices  120 - 126  that provide information communication between the host&#39;s information processing unit  110  and the terminals&#39; information processing units  152  are comprised of typical and known components for inter-processor communications, whether land-based or wireless, including communication ports  120  &amp;  126 , modems, telephone lines, intranets, Internet, and local area networks. One of any number of known communication control programs is used to effect and facilitate the communication between the respective information processing units  110  &amp;  152 ; and in the case where an analog line is used, a modulator or the like can be used. The communication devices  120 - 126  enable information to be transmitted, received, and retrieved between the information processing units  110  &amp;  152  on demand of either the host side  100  or the terminal side  152  to the extent of the authority permitted within the present inventive management system. The communicated information comprises container-related information and user-related information, as discussed more thoroughly below. In particular, the communication devices  120 - 126  are designed to transmit container-related information stored in the memory device  112  on the host side  100  to the terminal side  150  on the basis of predetermined values corresponding to elapsed time, manufacture of a new batch of filled containers, a new customer order, or the like, thereby over-writing at any time the container-related information stored in the memory device  156  on the terminal side  150 . The various memory devices  112 ,  114 ,  116 , and  156  can be resident within the respective information processing units  110  and  152  or can be separate devices connected electronically to the processing units  110  and  152 . Additionally, the memory devices for storing data and information relevant to the present inventive management system can be organized as simple files, sequential databases, hierarchical databases, and the like without detracting from the inventive features of the present invention.  
         [0023]    The information processing unit  110  on the host side  100  is configured to permit the input of information relating to the myriad of containers or canisters that are available at the manufacturing site to be filled with gas (hereinafter referred to as “container information”), information relating to each of the plurality of gases that can be utilized to fill each and any of the containers (hereinafter referred to as “gas information”), and information related to the physical location or destination of each gas-filled containers (hereinafter referred to as “location information”). Each of these three categories of information is input through a typical input device  111  and is stored as container-related information in the memory device  112  of the host&#39;s information processing unit  110  after being processed by the processor for accuracy, integrity, and proper fields of information.  
         [0024]    The container information is information relating to the containers that are available on the manufacturing site to be filled with a gas. This information includes a unique container code or ID for each container, the type of valve on the container, the specifications of the container (size, composition material, and treatment of the inner surface), and container product name. Since container code is convenient for identifying a container, this information field is usually used to identify and refer to a particular container. Within the gas industry, container code is typically composed of combination of the container size and the container number.  
         [0025]    The gas information is information relating to the gas used to fill a container. This information includes gas kind, manufacturing (the date the container was filled with the gas), and content data (filling pressure, gas purity, content of impurities, etc.) which are required for product labeling. The gas kind information is typically the chemical designation for the gas, such as O 2  for oxygen, CO 2  for carbon dioxide, and N for liquid nitrogen. Alternatively, the gas kind can be any recognized uniform coding so as ease the identification and picking of the gas container from a warehouse location. Although the application of product labels to gas-filled containers is required for special gases such as gases for use in the manufacture of semiconductors, the present invention is applicable to not only these special gases, but also to general purpose gases (including liquefied gases).  
         [0026]    The location information of containers is information indicative of the place where each of containers exists or is being shipped, including the location and/or code of the manufacturing site and the warehouse where the canister is stocked or is destined to be stored. This information can also include the name and/or code of the user ordering the gas.  
         [0027]    The input device  111  is further configured to permit the input of user information, user-specific product label form information, and user-specific container information. All of this information is stored as user-related information in the memory device  112  of the host&#39;s information processing unit  110  after being processed and verified by the processor for accuracy, integrity, and proper fields of information. Additionally, once verified by the processor, the user-related information is also transmitted to the information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  via the communication devices  120 - 126  for storage in the memory device  156 . Further, as user-related information is input to the information processing unit  110  on the host side  100  in the form of updated or new information, the information is also transmitted to the terminal sides&#39; information processing unit  152  to keep the user-related information stored on the memory device  156  up to date. Alternatively, container-related and user-related information can be input to the information processing unit  110  on the host side  100  from an exterior source (not shown) via the communication devices  122  and  120 . Correspondingly, the user-related information can be received by the information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  from an external source (not shown) via the communication devices  124  and  126 .  
         [0028]    The user information is information relating to users or customers who are the end purchasers or users of the gas-filled containers. This information includes the name of the user, user code, user address, guaranteed life requirements for a filled gas, and required gas product quality values.  
         [0029]    The user-specific product label information is user-specified information that is to be printed on the product label to be affixed to each container purchased by a particular user and includes such information as the name of a user, product quality values, product description, and purchase order. The user-specific container information is user-specified criteria for the type and size of container to be utilized for filling with gas and for fulfilling a particular user order.  
         [0030]    A primary management process of the present invention is the creation and printing of custom product labels to be affixed to the gas-filled containers just prior to the shipment of the containers to a user. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, management of the location of each container; management of the distribution route of the containers; management of the kinds of containers used, stored, and shipped; management of filling gases for the containers; management of each user&#39;s container consumption frequency; and management of empty containers can be performed in combination with the wealth of user, container, gas, location, and label information available to the inventive system. By virtue of the memory devices  112 ,  114 , and  156  available to the system and the communication devices  120 - 126  connecting the host side  100  and the terminals sides  150 , various information controls, displays, and output devices can be executed on the host side  100  or on the terminal side  150 , with proper authorization controls implemented through the management system programs and software directing the information processing units  110  and  152 .  
         [0031]    At the host side  100 , containers are filled with gas, either in direct response to user orders or to maintain an inventory of gas-filled containers in anticipation of customer orders. Based on the information maintained as container-related information in memory device  112  and user-related information in memory device  114 , a product label is printed on the host side  100  via the output device  118  for each container filled with gas and affixed to the container before, during, or at the end of the filling process. Each gas-filled container is so labeled to identify the container, its contents, and its owner. Alternatively, each pallet or grouping of containers can be so labeled instead of individual containers. After filling and labeling, the containers are routed to the respective warehouses for storage until shipment to users.  
         [0032]    After the container-related information in memory device  112  and the user-related information in memory device  114  are read out in accordance with the management system software, as mentioned above, for processing information controls and are subjected to various kinds of arithmetic operations and outputting (i.e. displaying and printing out), the information can be stored, as need requires, as secondary information in the memory device  116  of the information processing unit  110  on the host side  100 . Additionally, this secondary information is accessible by the information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  100  via the communication devices  120 - 126 .  
         [0033]    The components of FIG. 1 are intended to be exemplary rather than limiting regarding the devices and data or communication pathways that can be utilized in the present inventive system. Each of the information processing units  110  and  152  can contain one or multiple processors to effect the specific features of the present invention. Correspondingly, the various memory and storage devices  112 ,  114 ,  116 , and  156  can be expanded to multiple devices or, in the case of memory devices  112 - 116 , can be consolidated into a single device without detracting from the inventive features of the present management system. In the same vein, the input devices  111  and  154  and the output devices  118  and  158  can comprise multiple first, second, third, etc. input and output devices within the inventive features of the present system.  
         [0034]    Referring now to FIG. 2, a preferred embodiment of the present inventive management system will be described. This embodiment provides for processing primarily executed on the terminal side  150  and partially executed on the host side  100 , and for utilizing information which has been previously received from the host&#39;s information processing unit  110  by the terminal&#39;s information processing unit  152  and stored in the memory device  156 . In this embodiment, gas-filled containers stocked at the terminal side  150  are retrieved from a warehouse, container product labels are composed on the host side  100  by utilizing the information which has been previously received by and stored at the information processing unit  110  on the host side  100 , and the container product labels are output on the terminal side  150 .  
         [0035]    At step  200 , information for identifying a gas which a user demands or has ordered is input through the input device  154  on the terminal side  150 , wherein the kind of gas and a gas code corresponding thereto are typically input. The quantity of the gas which a user demands is input at step  202  in the form of the number of containers, the gas weight, the gas volume, etc. In the present invention, it is not always necessary to input the quantity of gas where the user may have a required quantity of a gas already input as user information and stored as user-related information on memory device  114 . Furthermore, the inventive system is designed to select a proper number of containers from the retrieved containers in accordance with the required quantity of gas.  
         [0036]    In succession, the input of information for identifying a user is performed at step  204 , wherein the name of user or a user code is provided. A user code is required for the retrieval of specific containers in response to a user order because the specifications of the containers and the types of valve, for example, differ depending on the user. From the user name or user code input therein, accordingly, container information corresponding to the user is displayed and/or printed out to be utilized in subsequent container retrieval processing from the warehouse.  
         [0037]    Since the information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  transmits a terminal ID or the like for identifying itself (automatically or as input information) when the container-related information is previously received from the host side  100 , the information processing unit  152  selectively receives and stores only information relating to containers existing in the warehouse where it is disposed. Although the information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  may receive and store information relating to containers existing at other warehouses, it is designed to be capable of discriminating, from the stored information, information relating to its own warehouse on the basis of the terminal ID associated therewith. Accordingly, it can select containers at step  206  existing in its correlated warehouse, based on input or derived quantity, gas-identified, and user-identified information. In addition, the order of said input is optional.  
         [0038]    On the basis of the container code and other information related thereto, the results of the container selection are displayed in a display section of the terminal side&#39;s information processing unit  152 , wherein all containers selected to fulfill the user order are displayed. In a case where the number of the selected containers is larger than the demanded quantity, the system performs a selection operation to pick only the demanded quantity from the retrieved containers. The input device  154  can be used to either confirm the pick selection or can effect a manual selection of available qualified containers. In that case where the number of the selected containers is smaller than the demanded quantity, all the selected containers become immediately an object for shipment and the lack thereof will become an object for shipment after the needed containers are received from a manufacturer or another warehouse in the future. Clearly, where the number of selected containers match the quantity of gas ordered, no selection or additional ordering is necessary.  
         [0039]    Upon selecting the specific containers from the warehouse stock to fulfill the user order, the information identifying each selected container and information identifying the user are transmitted at step  208  via the communications devices  120 - 126  to the information processing unit  110  on the host side  100 , where a container code of each selected container and a user code for the user are preferably used together for the user order.  
         [0040]    On the host side  100 , the user-identified information and the container-identified information is received at step  210 . Gas information is retrieved in step  212  from the container-related information in the memory device  112  on the basis of each container code. Additionally, at step  214 , user-specific product label information is retrieved from the user-related information maintained in memory device  114 , on the basis of each container code.  
         [0041]    On the basis of this retrieved gas information and user-specific product label information, product labels for each container are composed at step  216 . Information included for the product labels comprise the gas kind, manufacturing date, content data contained in the gas information and the issuing date, user name, and user code. The user name may be retrieved by utilizing the received user code, and further the guaranteed period of a filled gas or the required quality values may be produced on the basis of the retrieved user information. As to the number of particular product labels composed, typically at least one label is produced for each container retrieved in response to the customer order. Alternatively, one label is produced for each group or pallet of containers. In either event, the product label is preferably caused to include a container code corresponding to each container to be labeled or to be included in a grouping of containers.  
         [0042]    After composition of the product labels, the product label information is both stored on the host side  100  in the memory device  116  at step  218  and transmitted to the terminal side  150  at step  222 . The product labels are also available for printing via the output device  118  on the host side  100  at step  220 .  
         [0043]    On the terminal side  150 , the transmitted product label information is received at step  224 , and the received product label information is stored in the memory device  156  at step  226 . Next, the product labels are output by the output device  158  at step  228 . The output labels are then affixed to the retrieved gas-filled containers and shipped to the user in fulfillment of the user&#39;s order.  
         [0044]    The product label information is received on the terminal side  150  from the host in protected or encrypted form to preclude its modification on the terminal side  150 . This feature protects the integrity of the product labeling of the gas-filled containers. The processing software on the terminal side  150  is featured to decrypt the product label information for printing purposes only. Alternatively, an editing feature can be included on the terminal side  150  that can be invoked only by entry of a proper password for temporary modification of the received product label information for printing or display only and not for saving onto the received product label information.  
         [0045]    Referring now to FIG. 3, there will be described an alternative embodiment of the present inventive management system. As described above, the container-related information from memory device  112  and the user-related information from memory device  114  is transmitted to the information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  and stored on the memory device  156 ; and, further, this host-supplied information is maintained with transmissions across the communication devices  120 - 126  from the host side  100 . Therefore, the processing shown in FIG. 2 to compose and print the container product labels can be modified within the present invention as follows. Instead of performing the selection of qualifying containers based solely on information available on the terminal side  150 , the information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  transmits a request at step  206  of FIG. 3 for container-related information and user-related information maintained on the host side in memory devices  112  and  114 , respectively. In response, the information processing unit  110  on the host side  100  transmits across the communication devices  120 - 126  to the terminal side  150  the container-related information and the user-related information. Based on the received information, the information processing unit  152  selects at step  206  of FIG. 3 those containers stocked at the warehouse proximate to the information processing unit  152  that satisfy the user&#39;s order. At steps  300  and  302  of FIG. 3, the information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  requests of and receives from the host side  100  gas information and product label information. The information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  then composes the product labels for the retrieved containers at step  304 . At step  306 , the composed product label information is transmitted to the information processing unit  110  on the host side  100  for storage on memory device  116  at step  218 . The product labels are printed on the output device  158  on the terminal side  150  based on the composed product label information, which is then stored on memory device  156 .  
         [0046]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention, and still relying on the process flow shown in FIG. 3, the present management system can utilize information on the terminal side  150  and omit the need to obtain information from the host side  100 . In particular, steps  206  and  302  of FIG. 3 need not transmit an information request to the information processing unit  110  on the host side  100  to obtain user-related information from the memory device  114  since this information has already been transmitted across the communication devices  120 - 126  to the terminal side  150  and stored on the memory device  156 . Therefore, the information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  can utilize user-related information from its own memory device  156  to compose the container product labels.  
         [0047]    Similarly, in still another embodiment of the present invention, the information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  can obtain container-related information from its own memory device  156 , thereby avoiding the need in steps  216  and  300  of FIG. 3 to transmit an information request across the communication devices  120 - 126  to obtain container-related information from the memory device  112  on the host side  100 .  
         [0048]    Referring now to FIG. 4, another embodiment of the present inventive management method is shown. This embodiment provides for processing partially executed on the terminal side  150  and primarily executed on the host side  100 , and for utilizing gas and product label information from memory storage  112  and  114  on the information processing unit  110  on the host side  100 . In this embodiment, gas-filled containers stocked at the terminal side  150  are selected from a warehouse based on information transmitted from the host side  100 , container product labels are composed on the host side  100  by utilizing information which has been input on the terminal side  150  and also information which has been input on the host side  100 , and the container product labels are output on the terminal side  150 .  
         [0049]    At step  200  of FIG. 4, information for identifying a gas which a user demands or has ordered is input through the input device  154  on the terminal side  150 , wherein the kind of gas and a gas code corresponding thereto are typically input. The quantity of the gas which a user demands is input at step  202  in the form of the number of containers, the gas weight, the gas volume, etc.  
         [0050]    The input of information for identifying a user is performed at step  204 , wherein the name of user or a user code is provided. The input gas-identified information, quantity information, and user-identification information is then transmitted at step  400  to the information processing unit  110  on the host side  100  across the communication devices  120 - 126 . Based on the information received from the terminal side  150  at step  402 , the information processing unit  110  selects the gas-filled containers at step  404  that satisfy the user&#39;s order. In this embodiment, since the host side  100  is remote from the warehouse where the containers are stocked, selection in this aspect means electronically selecting qualifying containers from the information transmitted from the terminal side  150  at step  400  and received on the host side at step  402 .  
         [0051]    At step  212 , gas information is retrieved from the container-related information on memory device  112 ; and at step  214 , user-specific product label information is retrieved from the user-related information on memory device  114 . At step  216 , the container product labels are composed based on the retrieved gas and user-specific product label information and are stored in the memory device  116  at step  218 . Optionally, the product labels can be printed on the output device  118  on the host side  100  at step  220 . The composed product labels are transmitted at step  222  to the information processing unit  152  on the terminal side  150  across the communication devices  120 - 126 . On the terminal side  150 , at step  224 , the transmitted product labels are received and are stored at step  226  in the memory device  156 . At step  228 , the container product labels are printed via the output device  158 . The appropriate gas-filled containers are pulled from the warehouse based on the product labels received from the host side  100 , the printed product labels are then affixed to the containers, and the properly-labeled containers are then shipped to the user in fulfillment of the user&#39;s order.  
         [0052]    Referring now to FIG. 5, there is show two exemplary gas-filled container product labels produced by a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the product labels contain gas, container, and filling information that is critical to the management of the gas-filled containers and the information associated therewith.  
         [0053]    Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principle and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.