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.

In a system for building labels, such as adhesive-backed labels or tags produced on rolls or sheets for printing, an image or graphic of an arrangement of labels is displayed to a user and continuously updated in real time as parameters relating to construction of the labels are provided by the user in order to provide real time feedback. In one aspect, a user can be guided by the system to make various selections and/or inputs, such as selecting between rolls or sheets, types of material, size/measurements, shape(s), color(s), and the like, in progressing stages of a customized label build, with a displayed graphic of a corresponding arrangement of labels being continuously updated instantly at each stage to visually reflect the user's input. Upon completion, the system can communicate with an industrial machine to build the labels for the user consistent with the input as depicted by the graphic.

This disclosure describes methods and apparatus for hygiene monitoring in chain restaurants and grocery superstores. Four sub-systems are introduced to take care of different aspects of hygiene in restaurants. One sub-system uses contactless and in-contact temperature sensors installed on appliances to constantly monitor the temperature of working appliances to be in pre-defined range and use an Internet of Things gateways to transmit the data to remote control unit. The system generate an alert or report if the temperature of the appliances falls beyond the predefined range for more than a specific period of time. Another sub-system use a combination of temperature, humidity, UV and gas detectors to monitor the environment to be unsuitable for growth of fungus and bacteria and alert in case of exposure to harmful material and sun radiation. This sub-system also use an Internet of Things gateways to transmit the data to remote control unit. The third sub-system use a combination of radio frequency tags attached to the staff, RF tag readers and infrared/proximity/motion/microphone/touch sensors installed over the faucet and dispenser to monitor if the staff wash their hands properly after going to the restroom. The forth sub-system automatically generate food expiring label for opened cans and food container based on RF tag worn by the staff. The system generate and print the label whenever the staff gesture their RF tags in front of them and potentially scan the container bar code or select it from a drop-down menu on its touch screen. The last sub-system can also monitor the inventory of opened cans of food in the refrigerator and provide a report or alert when they the time gets close to expiration date.

Systems, methods, and machine readable media are provided for relabeling items. A computing device is communicatively coupled to a scanning device, a printing device, and an inventory system. The computing device identifies at least one of the items as missing an expected label type, the expected label indicating a location where the item should be stocked. The system scans the item via the scanning device, queries the inventory system to determine a location for the item. The system prints, via the printing device, a label indicating a location where the item should be stocked in the retail facility, applies the label to the item and sorts the item, via the sorting apparatus, to transport the item to one of the outlets based on the location indicated on the label.

In an embodiment, the present invention provides a weighing and labeling conveyor for labeling articles, the articles including a first application point at a same point on the article, the conveyor including: a weighing conveyor for determining the weight of the articles; a transport apparatus for transporting the articles; and a labeling system for labeling the articles, the labeling system including three labelers, each labeler including an applicator, each applicator being suitable for applying a label to the first application point on an article while the article is being transported on the transport apparatus. Of the three labelers, during normal operation two labelers are in an active operating state and one labeler is in a passive operating state. During normal operation, the two labelers that are in the active operating state alternately label the first application point of successive articles.

A robotic labeling system includes a package locating system, a package identification system having a scanning device configured to scan an identification tag on the package to identify an orientation of the package in the labeling station, and a label application system including a label printer and a label applicator. The label printer prints at least one label for the package. The label applicator includes a multi-axis robot having an arm movable in three-dimensional space. The label applicator has a portrait end effector coupled to the arm configured to transport the label from the label printer to the package in a portrait orientation. The label applicator has a landscape end effector coupled to the arm configured to transport the label from the label printer to the package in a landscape orientation. The label applicator is operated based on the orientation of the package in the labeling station as determined by the scanning device.

This disclosure describes four sub-systems for hygiene monitoring. The first one constantly monitors the temperature of working appliances to be in predefined range. The second one uses a combination of temperature, humidity, UV and gas detectors to monitor the environment. The third sub-system uses a combination of RF tags, RF tag readers and infrared/proximity/motion/microphone/touch sensors to monitor if the staff wash their hands properly. The fourth sub-system automatically generates food expiring label for opened food containers. The system generates and print the label whenever a staff wearing an RF tag gestures her/his tag or scans the container bar code or selects container food type from a drop-down menu on its touch screen. The fourth sub-system can also monitor the inventory of opened cans of food in the refrigerator and provide a report or alert when they the time gets close to expiration date.

A robotic labeling system includes a package locating system and a package identification station identifying a package orientation. The robotic labeling system includes a label application station having first and second label printers and first and second label applicators. The label printers are both capable of printing a shipping label and a customer specific label. The first label applicator applies a first label (either the shipping label or the customer specific label) to a first side of the package while the second label applicator applies a second label (other of the shipping label or the customer specific label) to a second side of the package different than the first side. The printing and application of the labels is based on the orientation of the package.

A control module for a labelling apparatus, including: an input configured to receive a label generation request indicating a food item to be labelled; an output configured to provide a print signal to a label printing device; and a processor configured to: identify a set of ingredients of the indicated food item in response to receipt of the label generation request; and verify that the identified set of ingredients of the food item is a most recent set of ingredients of the food item. If the identified set of ingredients of the food item is verified as the most recent, the print signal is output to cause the label printing device to print an information label indicating the set of ingredients of the food item. If the identified set of ingredients cannot be verified as the most recent set of ingredients, provision of the print signal is prevented.

This disclosure describes four sub-systems for hygiene monitoring. The first one constantly monitors the temperature of working appliances to be in predefined range. The second one uses a combination of temperature, humidity, UV and gas detectors to monitor the environment. The third sub-system uses a combination of RF tags, RF tag readers and infrared/proximity/motion/microphone/touch sensors to monitor if the staff wash their hands properly. The fourth sub-system automatically generates food expiring label for opened food containers. The system generates and print the label whenever a staff wearing an RF tag gestures her/his tag or scans the container bar code or selects container food type from a drop-down menu on its touch screen. The fourth sub-system can also monitor the inventory of opened cans of food in the refrigerator and provide a report or alert when they the time gets close to expiration date.