Local Shipping Label Printing System

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In shipping facilities, the time taken to obtain and print shipping labels is delayed due to communication with remote computing devices, which reduces the overall throughput of the shipping process.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a computing device and a label printer that receives shipment database data from a remote device, stores it locally, and uses scan data from a scanning device to determine and print shipping labels independently of further communication with the remote device, thereby reducing the time needed to print labels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If shipping label printing requires communication with remote computing devices, then shipping information accuracy is ensured, but label printing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelabel printing timeVSAvoidshipping information accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-fetches and stores shipping database data locally at the shipping facility before it is actually needed for label printing. This preliminary action allows the system to have shipping information readily available when an object is scanned, eliminating the need for real-time communication with remote computing devices during the label printing process, thus reducing printing time while maintaining information accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a local computing device at the shipping facility that acts as an intermediary between the remote computing device and the label printer. This intermediary stores shipping database data locally and provides it to the label printer without requiring real-time communication with the remote device, thereby decoupling the label printing process from remote communication dependencies and reducing printing time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If real-time communication with remote computing devices is maintained for label printing, then shipping information accuracy is ensured, but shipping line throughput decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshipping line throughputVSAvoidcommunication delay time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Shipping database data is pre-fetched and stored locally at the shipping facility before the label printing process begins. This preliminary action eliminates communication delays during label printing, allowing the shipping line to operate at full speed without waiting for real-time data retrieval from remote computing devices, thereby increasing throughput

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The local computing device at the shipping facility serves itself by maintaining a local copy of the shipping database. When an object is scanned and requires a shipping label, the system retrieves the necessary information from its own local storage without needing to service a request to the remote computing device, thus eliminating communication delays and improving throughput

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Speed

If shipping labels are printed after object scanning, then label accuracy is ensured, but packaging and shipping process speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackaging and shipping speedVSAvoidsequential processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-fetching and storing shipping database data locally before objects arrive at the labeling stage. Additionally, the system is configured to retrieve shipping information instantly from local storage when objects are scanned, enabling label printing to occur concurrently with packaging operations rather than sequentially, thus increasing overall process speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables continuous operation of the shipping line by allowing label printing to occur concurrently with packaging processes. The local storage system ensures that shipping information is always available when needed, eliminating idle time and maintaining continuous useful action throughout the packaging and shipping process, thereby increasing speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS10732908B2Accelerated label printing

Publication Date: 2020.08.04 SEALED AIR U S

AI summary

A system of facilitating printing of shipping labels includes a computing device and a label printer. The computing device receive shipment database data from a remote computing device, store the shipment database data in a shipment database, receive scan data associated with an object from a scanning device, determine whether shipment data for the object is in the shipping database, determine shipping information for the object based on whether shipment data for the object is in the shipping database, and send shipping information to the label printer. The shipping information for the object is based on whether shipment data for the object is in the shipping database. The label printer prints a shipping label for the object based on the shipping information.