Method and system for printing graphical content onto a plurality of memory devices and for providing a visually distinguishable memory device

Abstract

A method and system for printing graphical content onto a plurality of memory devices and for providing a visually distinguishable memory device are provided. In one embodiment, graphical content to be printed onto a plurality of memory devices is identified. A graphical image is then created from the identified graphical content, wherein the graphical image comprises a plurality of sub-areas, wherein each sub-area contains graphical content and corresponds to at least one memory device of the plurality of memory devices. The graphical image is then printed onto the plurality of memory devices, wherein the plurality of memory devices are positioned to substantially correspond with positions of the plurality of sub-areas in the graphical image. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for printing graphical content onto a plurality of memory devices, the method comprising:
 identifying graphical content to be printed onto a plurality of memory devices; 
 creating a graphical image from the identified graphical content, wherein the graphical image comprises a plurality of sub-areas, wherein each sub-area contains graphical content and corresponds to at least one memory device of the plurality of memory devices; and 
 printing the graphical image onto the plurality of memory devices, wherein the plurality of memory devices are positioned to substantially correspond with positions of the plurality of sub-areas in the graphical image; 
 wherein each memory device comprises an identifier, and wherein the graphical content to be printed onto a given memory device is indexed by the identifier. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each sub-area is exclusively associated with a particular one of the plurality of memory devices such that there are at least as many sub-areas as there are memory devices. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each sub-area is exclusive and contains non-overlapping graphical content relative to another sub-area. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each memory device in the plurality of memory devices is identified with the same graphical content. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein an identifier of at least one memory device comprises one or more of the following: a bar code, a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag, a color, a removable sticker, printed information, and stored data. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one identifier identifies an internal characteristic of a respective memory device. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the internal characteristic comprises one or more of the following: stored digital content, digital content to be stored, storage capacity, processing capability, and hardware configuration. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of memory devices are arranged in a tray. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the tray comprises a reusable tray. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the tray comprises a Joint Electronic Devices Engineering Council (JEDEC) tray. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of memory devices are arranged in two dimensions in the tray. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical image is printed using an ink jet printer. 
     
     
       13. A memory device with a printed surface, wherein the surface is printed using the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       14. A method for printing graphical content onto a plurality of memory devices, the method comprising:
 identifying graphical content to be printed onto a plurality of memory devices; 
 creating a graphical image from the identified graphical content, wherein the graphical image comprises a plurality of sub-areas, wherein each sub-area contains graphical content and corresponds to at least one memory device of the plurality of memory devices; and 
 printing the graphical image onto the plurality of memory devices, wherein the plurality of memory devices are positioned to substantially correspond with positions of the plurality of sub-areas in the graphical image; 
 wherein the plurality of memory devices are arranged in a tray, and wherein graphical content to be printed onto a given memory device is designated according to that given memory device's position in the tray. 
 
     
     
       15. A memory device with a printed surface, wherein the surface is printed using the method of  claim 14 . 
     
     
       16. A method for printing graphical content onto a plurality of memory devices, the method comprising:
 identifying graphical content to be printed onto a plurality of memory devices; 
 creating a graphical image from the identified graphical content, wherein the graphical image comprises a plurality of sub-areas, wherein each sub-area contains graphical content and corresponds to at least one memory device of the plurality of memory devices; 
 printing a white layer onto the plurality of memory devices; and 
 printing the graphical image onto the plurality of memory devices, wherein the plurality of memory devices are positioned to substantially correspond with positions of the plurality of sub-areas in the graphical image. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  further comprising printing an identifier onto the white layer of at least one memory device. 
     
     
       18. A memory device with a printed surface, wherein the surface is printed using the method of  claim 16 . 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining the identifiers of the memory devices, each of the obtained identifiers including information about a memory device to which it corresponds, wherein the information includes one or more indicia of characteristics and/or a manufacturer of the memory device. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 14 further comprising obtaining identifiers of the memory devices, each of the obtained identifiers including information about a memory device to which it corresponds, wherein the information includes one or more indicia of characteristics and/or a manufacturer of the memory device. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 16 further comprising obtaining identifiers of the memory devices, each of the obtained identifiers including information about a memory device to which it corresponds, wherein the information includes one or more indicia of characteristics and/or a manufacturer of the memory device. 
     
     
       22. A method for printing graphical content onto a memory device, the method comprising:
 obtaining an identifier of a memory device, the identifier including information about the memory device, wherein the information includes one or more indicia of characteristics and/or a manufacturer of the memory device;   identifying graphical content to be printed onto the memory device by selecting graphical content associated with the identifier of the memory device;   creating a graphical image from the identified graphical content, wherein the graphical image comprises at least one sub-area that contains the identified graphical content, wherein the memory device is positioned to substantially align with a position of the sub-area in the graphical image; and   printing the graphical image, wherein the identified graphical content is printed onto the memory device.   
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the at least one sub-area contains a distinct graphical content, each distinct graphical content being indexed by a corresponding identifier. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 22, wherein the graphical image is created with multiple distinct graphical contents or multiple similar graphical contents or with both similar and distinct graphical contents, with each graphical content being associated with a corresponding memory device. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 22, wherein the graphical image is configured to be batch printed onto multiple memory devices in a mass production facility. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 22 further comprising printing the graphical image in batch onto multiple memory devices. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 26, wherein each memory device has a position while the graphical image is printed in batch, and wherein each position corresponds with a position of a sub-area in the graphical image. 
     
     
       28. A memory device with a printed surface, wherein the surface is printed using the method of claim 22. 
     
     
       29. A method for printing graphical content onto a plurality of memory devices, the method comprising:
 obtaining one or more identifiers, each identifier includes information about a memory device, of a plurality of memory devices, to which it corresponds, wherein the information includes one or more indicia of characteristics and/or a manufacturer of the memory device;   identifying graphical content to be printed onto the plurality of memory devices, wherein the graphical content to be printed onto each of the plurality of memory devices is indexed by the one or more identifiers;   creating a graphical image from the identified graphical content, wherein the graphical image comprises a plurality of sub-areas, wherein each sub-area contains graphical content and corresponds to at least one memory device of the plurality of memory devices; and   printing the graphical image onto the plurality of memory devices, wherein the plurality of memory devices are positioned to substantially correspond with positions of the plurality of sub-areas in the graphical image.   
     
     
       30. A memory device with a printed surface, wherein the surface is printed using the method of claim 29. 
     
     
       31. A method for printing graphical content onto a plurality of memory devices, the method comprising:
 obtaining one or more identifiers, each identifier includes information about a memory device, of a plurality of memory devices, to which it corresponds, wherein the information includes one or more indicia of characteristics and/or a manufacturer of the memory device;   identifying graphical content to be printed onto the plurality of memory devices, wherein the graphical content to be printed onto each of the plurality of memory devices is indexed by the one or more identifiers;   creating a graphical image from the identified graphical content, wherein the graphical image comprises a plurality of sub-areas, wherein each sub-area contains graphical content and corresponds to at least one memory device of the plurality of memory devices; and   printing the graphical image onto the plurality of memory devices, wherein the plurality of memory devices are positioned to substantially correspond with positions of the plurality of sub-areas in the graphical image,   wherein the plurality of memory devices are arranged in a tray, and wherein graphical content to be printed onto a given memory device is selected according to that given memory device's position in the tray.   
     
     
       32. A memory device with a printed surface, wherein the surface is printed using the method of claim 31.