WO2003079295A2

WO2003079295A2 - Apparatus and method for printing labels

Info

Publication number: WO2003079295A2
Application number: PCT/GB2003/001012
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Counsell; Derek Bates; Ian Porter; Peter CHALLINOR
Original assignee: Brother International Europe Limited; CHALLINOR, Norman, Leo
Priority date: 2002-03-12
Filing date: 2003-03-11
Publication date: 2003-09-25
Also published as: GB0420067D0; GB0205753D0; AU2003214399A8; WO2003079295A3; AU2003214399A1; GB2402527A

Abstract

Apparatus for and a method of printing labels comprises a monitor (6) for displaying a diagram of a network comprising a number of components. The apparatus comprises a keyboard (10), mouse (12) or similar printing device for selecting a component on the diagram, a database for storing information relating to each component, processing means (4) for retrieving information relating to a selected component and for introducing the retrieved information into a label template. A printer (8) is provided for printing out a label containing the label template and retrieved information.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRINTING LABELS

The present invention relates to apparatus for and a method of

printing labels, and particularly but not exclusively apparatus for and a

method of printing labels which are compatible with a computer system

running a Computer Aided Design CAD.

Typically systems or networks are designed with CAD software

before they are installed. The various components to be installed such as

PCs and cables , in the case where a computer network is to be installed,

are tested and then labelled. This aids those installing the system or

network and allows those who may have to upgrade the network in future

years to easily identify components and cables which need to be replaced.

Typically a list of component and cable identification numbers are

generated during the design. The identification numbers are then manually

input to a computer and corresponding labels are created. The labels may

then be attached to the desired components. This process is time

consuming and leaves much opportunity for human error.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide

apparatus for and a method of printing appropriate identification labels

which is less error prone and less time consuming.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is

provided an apparatus for producing a label comprising a monitor for

displaying a diagram comprising one or more components, means for

selecting a component on the diagram, a database for storing information relating to the or each component, means for retrieving information from

the database relating to the selected component and for introducing the

retrieved information into a label template and means for printing out a

label containing the label template and retrieved information.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is

provided a method of producing a label including the steps of displaying a

diagram comprising one or more components on a monitor, selecting a

component on the diagram, retrieving stored information relating to the

component from a database, introducing the retrieved information into a

label template and printing a label containing the label template and the

retrieved information.

Preferably the monitor for displaying a diagram is part of a

computer system. Most preferably the computer system additionally

incorporates a printing means and at least one of a keyboard and a

pointing device which may be a mouse, trackerball, joystick, data tracker,

digitiser light pen or similar.

Preferably the means for displaying the diagram upon the monitor is

a computer aided design (CAD) software. In a preferred embodiment the

CAD software used is Microsoft (Registered Trade Mark) Visio (Registered

Trade Mark). In an alternative embodiment the preferred CAD software is

Autocad (Registered Trade Mark).

Preferably the diagram is representative of a design for a system or

network. Such systems or networks may be a computer network, an electrical power distribution circuit, a telecommunications network, a

heating and/or air-conditioning system or any similar network or system.

Preferably each component in the diagram is represented by an

icon, which is an object of the CAD software. Most preferably, each

icon, in addition to the standard properties of an object of the CAD

software has additional properties, preferably the additional properties are

a label template and an identification number. In a particularly preferred

embodiment the identification number is displayed adjacent to or partially

over the icon it refers to when the icon is displayed on the monitor.

Preferably a database corresponding to the diagram is created at

substantially the same time as the diagram is created, the database

containing information relating to the or each component in the diagram.

The information stored in the database preferably includes the

identification number and at least some of component description,

component serial number component closet number and component

location.

Preferably as the icons are objects a user may make an exact copy

of a selected component, system or subsystem by issuing a copy command in the CAD software. Preferably a user may also create and

store a stencil of a selected component, system or subsystem.

Preferably components which are similar or identical will be

represented by identical icons in the diagram. Most preferably identical

icons have identical label templates. Preferably a component is selected by using the pointing device or

the keyboard to select the appropriate icon. If a label to identify the

selected component is to be printed a print command can be issued using

the pointing device or the keyboard.

The print command may be issued by double clicking on the icon

with the pointing device, by pressing a particular combination of keys on

the keyboard or by selecting a print command from an appropriate menu.

Preferably when a print command has been issued the database

record relating to the selected components identification number is

retrieved and the information in the database record is merged with the

label template associated with the components icon. Most preferably the

merged label template and database information are then routed to the

printing means which prints a label containing the retrieved information

and the label template.

The printing means may be either a desktop printer or a specialised

label printer as desired.

In order that the present invention may be more clearly understood,

one embodiment thereof will now be described further, by way of

example only and with reference to the following drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a typical computer system which might

be used to carry out the invention.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a simple computer network which may

be provided with appropriate labels using the present invention. The particular embodiment of the present invention described herein

is carried out by a computer system 2 provided with suitably adapted

computer aided design (CAD) software. Examples of suitable CAD

software packages are Microsoft (Registered Trade Mark) Visio

(Registered Trade Mark), Autocad (Registered Trade Mark) or other similar

packages.

Referring to figure 1 the computer system 2 comprises a main body

4, which incorporates processing and memory means, a monitor 6 or

other suitable display unit, a keyboard 1 0, mouse 1 2 or other suitable

pointing device and printing means 8 which may be a standard desktop

printer or a dedicated label printer.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram of a simple network which may be

designed and installed with the help of the present invention. It

comprises personal computers 14-20, printers 22 and 24, all connected

to a server 26 by cables 104-1 14.

Whilst the particular example shown in figure 2 is a computer

network the invention is applicable to other engineering systems or

networks, a non-exhaustive list of which may include electrical power

distribution circuitry, telecommunications networks, heating and/or air-

conditional systems

When designing a network using the CAD software installed on

computer system 2 the computers 14-20, the printers 22, 24 and the

server 26 will be represented by appropriate icons. Each icon includes an

identification number 1 4a-26a. The connecting cables 104-1 14 will typically be represented by lines each incorporating an identification

number 104a-1 14a.

A user of the invention will design the network in a conventional

manner and generate identification numbers in the normal manner. A

database of the components will also be created by the user. The records

in the database will include the identification numbers and other relevant

information about the various cable and components of the network.

Typical examples of information to be stored includes identification

number, component description, component serial number, component

asset number and component location.

When a user wishes to print a label for a particular component or

cable they first select the appropriate icon for the component and then

issue a print command. This can be done directly by double clicking the

pointing device 1 2 or by using a keyboard shortcut 10. On issuance of a

print command labelling information relating to the component selected is

retrieved and automatically merged with a label template and the merged

information and template routed to the printer to print the label.

Alternatively, in a modification, on selection the user is provided

with a menu from which a printer command can be chosen. The choice

may include the conventional cut, copy and paste commands as well as

commands for printing a diagram for the whole system, the selected

subsystem or the selected component or simply a label for the whole

system, the selected subsystem or the selected component. Each icon displayed on screen is an object of the CAD software.

Each icon has in the present invention, in addition to their standard

properties two extra properties an identification number which is the

same as the identification number displayed 14a-26a, 104a- 1 1 6a on the

icons.

The computer system 2 uses the identification number of the icon

to search the database for the record corresponding to the selected icon.

The information contained in the database record is then retrieved and

merged with the label template associated with the icon. The merged

label template and database information are then routed to the printing

means 8 and a label of the desired form is printed.

The label solution is object oriented and allows the user to make a

copy of a component, system or sub-system solution by simply selecting

copy in the CAD workspace. This is an exact copy and all information in

the fields for the label will be the same as the original and would have to

be edited. However, a copy can be made and stored as a stencil and the

fields apart from the correct label template will be blank for the user to fill

in. The stored stencils form a library of label solutions.

In normal operation icons which have the same image, i.e. icons

which represent similar components will have a common label template.

This is because components which are identical or similar will need to

have similar information printed on their identification labels.

Laminated tapes consisting of six layers of materials, provide a thin,

yet extremely strong label. Characters formed with thermal transfer ink are actually printed onto the underside of the laminate, sandwiched

between two layers of PET ( polyester film) creating characters that are

virtually indestructible. Tests have shown that the tapes can withstand

temperatures from -50 and up to 21 2 degrees Celsius. It has been

proven that the tapes withstand heavy abrasion, are electrically resistant

and withstand lengthy exposure to both chemicals and water.

In certain circumstances, for instance labelling cables, non-

laminated flexible tape provides a letter labelling solution. Such tape is

typically backed with adhesive and attached either along the length of the

cable or around the circumference of the cable to form a flag.

It should be understood that the term label includes not only a

separate item attached to the component in question, but also a stamp attached to the component, for example with an adhesive, or the direct

printing of the information on the component.

It is of course to be understood that the above detailed embodiment

is described by way of example only and that many variations are possible without departing from the invention.

Claims

1 . Apparatus for producing a label comprising a monitor (6) for

displaying a diagram comprising one or more components, means

( 1 0, 1 2) for selecting a component on the diagram, a database for

storing information relating to the or each component, means for

retrieving information from the database relating to the selected

component and for introducing the retrieved information into a label

template and means (8) for printing out a label containing the label

template and retrieved information.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , in which the monitor (6) is part of

a computer system (2).

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which printing means (8)

are provided.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , 2 or 3, in which an input device is

provided.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , in which the input device

comprises a keyboard ( 10), mouse ( 1 2), trackerball, joystick or digitiser light pen.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which means for

displaying the diagram on the monitor (6) comprises computer aided design (CAD) software.

7. A method of producing a label including the steps of displaying a

diagram comprising one or more components on a monitor (6), selecting a component on the diagram, retrieving stored information

relating to the component from a database, introducing the

retrieved information into a label template and printing a label

containing the label template and the retrieved information.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, in which the diagram is

representative of a design for a system or network (2).

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, in which the system or network is

a computer network (2), an electrical power distribution circuit, a

telecommunication network or a heating and/or air-conditioning

system.

1 0. A method as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9, in which each

component in the diagram is represented by an icon.

1 1 . A method as claimed in claim 10, in which each icon comprises

additional properties.

1 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 1 , in which the additional properties

are a label template and an identification number.

1 3. A method as claimed in any of claims 7 to 1 2, in which a database

containing information relating to the or each component in the

diagram is created at substantially the same time as the diagram is

created.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, in which, when a print command

has issued, . a record relating to a selected components identification

number is retrieved and the information in the database record is merged with the label template of the associated components icon.