Portable printer with RFID read/write capability

• US 20040032443A1
• Filed: 08/16/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Paxar Corporation (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Inventors: Morrison, Donald A., Moylan, Peter Francis
• Granted Patent: US 7,180,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 11/0215 Labels being adhered to a web
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2210/0008 Optical scanners
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2210/001 Electromagnetical scanners
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2210/0018 permanent
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2210/0032 via RF
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/128 by electric registration, e.g. electrolytic, spark erosion recording apparatus for measuring instruments G01D15/06; information storage in general G11
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0025 the arrangement consisting of a wireless interrogation device in combination with a device for optically marking the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48

Abstract

A portable printer includes a number of input devices mounted in the printer housing including a barcode scanner, keypad, communication interface in a receive mode and an RFID read/write module in a read mode. The portable printer also includes a number of output devices including a printing system, the communication interface in a transmit mode and the RFID read/write module in a write mode for writing to an external RFID chip. A processor selects received data from one or more of the input devices, manipulates the data and/or combines it with other data for an output device wherein the data selected for one output device may be different then the data selected for another output device.

Claims

1. A portable printer comprising:

a portable housing;

a plurality of input devices mounted in the housing for receiving data including a barcode scanner, a plurality of keys actuable by a user to provide inputs, a communication interface receiving data downloaded to the portable printer, and a RFID read/write module in a read mode;

a plurality of output devices mounted in the housing, including a printing system having a printhead and a drive mechanism to drive a web of record members past the printhead for printing data thereon, the communication interface sending data out from the portable printer and the RFID read/write module in a write mode;

a processor mounted in the housing, the processor being operable to select data from a plurality of input sources for printing and coupling the selected print data to the printing system and the processor being operable to independently select data from one or more of the input devices for writing and coupling the selected write data to the RFID module for writing.

2. A portable printer as recited in claim 1 including a memory for storing an application program according to which the processor operates, the application program determining the data selected for printing and the data selected for writing by the RFID module.

7. A portable printer as recited in claim 1 including a memory for storing data received from a plurality of the input devices in association with a transaction in a transaction record;

the processor sending the transaction record to a host via the communication interface.

8. A portable printer as recited in claim 7 wherein the portable printer communicates with the host in real time.

9. A portable printer as recited in claim 7 wherein the memory stores a plurality of transaction records and the processor sends a plurality of the stored transaction records to a host together via the communication interface.

10. A portable printer as recited in claim 1 wherein the communication interface includes a radio frequency transceiver.

11. A portable printer as recited in claim 1 wherein the communication interface includes a RS232 port.

12. A portable printer as recited in claim 1 wherein the communication interface includes a parallel port.

13. A portable printer as recited in claim 1 wherein the communication interface includes a serial port.

18. A portable printer as recited in claim 1 wherein the processor controls the transceiver to provide real time communications between a host and the portable printer.

3. A portable printer as recited in claim 3 wherein at least one of the keys is actuable by a user to enter data to the portable printer.

4. A portable printer as recited in claim 3 wherein at least one of the keys is actuable by a user to provide an input to the barcode printer to initiate an operation of the portable printer.

5. A portable printer as recited in claim 3 including a display mounted on the portable housing.

6. A portable printer as recited in claim 5 wherein the processor controls the display to prompt a user to actuate a key to initiate an operation of the portable printer.

14. A portable printer comprising:

a portable housing;

a radio transceiver for receiving and transmitting data mounted in the housing;

a barcode scanner mounted in the housing for providing scanned barcode data;

a printing system mounted in the housing, the printer including a printhead and drive mechanism to drive a web of record members past the printhead for printing data on the record members;

a RFID read/write module mounted in the housing, the RFID module in accordance with a read operation providing data read from an external RFID chip and the RFID module in accordance with a write operation writing data to an external RFID chip;

a plurality of keys mounted on the housing to provide user inputs to the barcode printer;

a memory for storing an application program;

a processor operable in accordance with an application program to take data input from one or more of the radio transceiver, keys, barcode scanner and RFID module and to selectively couple data to the printing system for printing, the RFID module for writing to an external RFID chip and/or the transceiver for transmitting the data.

15. A portable printer as recited in claim 14 including a display mounted on the portable housing.

16. A portable printer as recited in claim 15 wherein the processor controls the display to prompt a user to actuate a key to initiate an operation of the portable printer.

17. A portable printer as recited in claim 14 wherein at least one of the keys is operable by a user to provide an input to the barcode printer to initiate an operation of the portable printer.

19. A portable printer as recited in claim 14 including at least one communication port for receiving a cable to couple the portable printer to a peripheral device to receive data therefrom and/or to send data thereto.

20. A portable printer comprising:

a portable housing;

a plurality of input devices mounted in the housing for receiving inputs including a communication interface for receiving data;

a plurality of keys actuable by a user; and

a RFID read/write module in a read mode for reading data from an external RFID chip;

a plurality of data output devices mounted in the housing including a printing system having a printhead and a drive mechanism to drive a web of record members past the printhead for printing data on the record members, the communication interface for transmitting data and the RFID read/write module in a write mode for writing data to an external RFID chip;

a processor mounted in the housing and operable to select data from one or more of the plurality of input devices for printing and 15 coupling the selected print data to the printing system and the processor operable to select data from one or more of the plurality of input devices for writing and coupling the selected write data to the RFID read/write module for writing to an external RFID chip.

21. A portable printer as recited in claim 20 wherein the communication interface includes a radio transceiver.

22. A portable printer as recited in claim 20 wherein the communication interface includes a communication port.

23. A portable printer as recited in claim 22 wherein the communication port is a serial port.

24. A portable printer as recited in claim 22 wherein the communication port is a parallel port.

25. A portable printer as recited in claim 22 wherein the communication port is a RS232 port.

26. A portable printer as recited in claim 20 wherein the communication interface includes a radio transceiver and a communication port.

27. A portable printer as recited in claim 20 wherein at least one of the keys is actuable by a user to enter data to be printed or written.

28. A portable printer as recited in claim 20 wherein the plurality of keys are actuable by a user to select a plurality of operations of the portable printer.

29. A portable printer as recited in claim 20 wherein at least one of the keys is actuable by a user to initiate an operation of the portable printer.

30. A portable printer as recited in claim 20 including a memory for storing an application program according to which the processor operates, the application program determining the data selected for printing and the data selected for writing by the RFID module.

31. A portable printer as recited in claim 20 including a memory for storing information representing the data received, printed and/or written in association with a transaction in a transaction record.

32. A portable printer as recited in claim 31 wherein said memory stores a plurality of transaction records.

33. A portable printer comprising:

a portable housing;

a plurality of input devices mounted in the portable housing including a RFID read/write module in a read mode;

a plurality of output devices mounted in the portable housing including a read/write module in a write mode, a display and a printhead for printing;

a memory storing an application program; and

a processor for processing input data in accordance with the application program, the processor selectively coupling processed data to one or more of the output devices.

34. A portable printer as recited in claim 33 wherein said processing includes combining data read via the RFID module with stored data for printing.

35. A portable printer as recited in claim 33 wherein said processing includes converting data read via the RFID module to human readable information for display and/or printing.

36. A portable data tracking device comprising:

a portable housing with a handle;

a barcode scanner mounted in the housing;

a communication interface mounted in the housing to allow communications between the device and a host;

a RFID read/write module mounted in the housing for reading from and writing to an external RFID chip;

a display mounted in the housing;

a memory mounted in the housing storing an application program; and

a processor mounted in the housing for processing data received by the barcode scanner, communication interface and/or RFID read/write module and providing output data to the communication interface RFID read/write module and/or display in accordance with the stored application program.

37. A portable data tracking device as recited in claim 36 including a printing system with a printhead and a motor for driving a web of record members past the printhead, the processor providing output data to the printing system for printing.

38. A portable data tracking device as recited in claim 36 including a keypad to which the processor is responsive.