Engineered Data Products, Inc.

Daniel A Benade

Mack E Johnson

Edward S Folga

The label generation apparatus of this invention enables the user to define a label of various sizes, shapes and characteristics, wherein each label in a series of labels includes unique indicia that individually identify each label according to any predefined sequence. These labels also contain template fields that vary according to the indicia printed thereon or any other predefined ordering. The label generation apparatus includes a template generation capability that enables the user to define a label format having one or more writable indicia fields. These one or more writable indicia fields can be used to provide each label with individual identifying indicia according to any predetermined sequence. The label generation apparatus also includes an indicia generation capability that produces the individual identification according to various characteristics that are specified by the user of this apparatus.

Label generation apparatus

The present invention provides a label having multiple information fields. The label includes two substantially parallel vertical columns. Each of the vertical columns is divided into at least two cells. The upper and lower cells of the first vertical column each have several blocks of optical character recognition alphanumeric characters to identify unique information in regard to the information to be stored in the media, the media, the label itself or the site in which the media is to be stored. The characters and/or the cell background can be color-coded to provide additional information. The lower cell of the second vertical column includes a single block having a string of alphanumeric characters with a color-coded background to correlate to the latter two characters of the string. This information is provided to identify the storage site of the media. The upper cell of the second vertical column includes a machine-readable indicia, such as a bar code. The information in the machine-readable indicia correlates to all or part of the information of the other three information fields.

Multiple information field label

Disclosed is a human and machine readable label which is divided into three areas. The top portion of the label, which is typically half the length of the label, is divided into two columns. One of these columns contains a bar code with a quiet zone at each end of the bar code. This bar code contains the entire message of the label in a machine readable bar code format. The other column of the top portion of the label contains the first few characters of the human readable portion of the message. The bottom portion of the label contains the remainder of the human readable message and is printed throughout the entire width of the label, thus allowing the characters to be a much larger size that the human readable characters contained in the top portion of the label. The label is of a size that allows it to be placed on one end of a 3480 style tape cartridge, as well as allowing it to be placed on other types of media such a file folders. The human readable characters contained on the label have a background color which is different for each letter or digit of the human readable message. Since the background color is different for each letter or number, out of sequence cartridges are very easy to spot on a shelf. Furthermore, because the lower portion of the label contains much larger letters than the upper portion of the label, it is much easier to discern the message on the label at a longer distance. Also, the larger letters of the bottom portion have a larger colored background area which further aids in distinguishing out-of-sequence cartridges.

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Lakewood, CO, United States of America

Daniel A Benade