Device for scanning and printing barcodes

• US 20040108381A1
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership, Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Wolff, Gregory J., Barrus, John W., Elliott, Ame
• Granted Patent: US 7,344,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/14 by transferring data from a similar or dissimilar record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/18 by transferring data from one type of record carrier on to another type of record carrier, e.g. from magnetic tape to punched card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for scanning and/or printing barcodes is described. In one embodiment, the method includes scanning a barcode at a first location with a device, storing the scanned barcode in a memory in the device, and printing the barcode at a second location with the device, where the second location and first location are not the same.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

scanning a barcode at a first location with a device;

storing the scanned barcode in a memory in the device; and

printing the barcode at a second location with the device, wherein the second location and first location are not the same.

2. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising, prior to printing the barcode at the second location, checking the second location for a readable barcode and only printing the barcode at the second location if a readable barcode is not detected.

3. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising validating the barcode printed at the second location by reading the barcode.

4. The method defined in claim 3 further comprising reapplying the barcode to the second location if the newly printed barcode is not readable.

5. The method defined in claim 3 further comprising replacing the barcode printed at the second location with the barcode on a sticker if the barcode printed at the second location is unreadable.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the device is a hand-held device.

7. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising displaying information encoded in the barcode on a display in the device.

8. The method defined in claim 7 further comprising displaying additional information on the display.

9. The method defined in claim 1 wherein scanning the barcode occurs in response to operation of a switch.

10. The method defined in claim 1 where printing the barcode occurs in response to operation of a switch.

11. A method comprising:

storing a plurality of barcodes in a memory in a portable device;

selecting one of the plurality of barcodes to be printed; and

printing the one selected barcode on a media.

12. A method comprising:

detecting a page has been inserted in a device;

scanning a location on the page; and

printing a barcode on the location of the page if scanning determines that no barcode is present on the location.

13. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising validating that the barcode has been printed correctly.

14. A device comprising:

a barcode reader;

a memory coupled to the barcode reader to store barcodes that are read by the barcode reader;

a printer coupled to the memory to print one or more barcodes stored in the memory; and

a controller coupled to the barcode reader, the memory and the printer to cause the barcode reader to read a barcode at first location and then print the barcode at a second location different than the first location.

15. The device defined in claim 14 wherein the controller causes the barcode reader to determine if a valid barcode exists at the second location prior to printing the barcode at the second location and only prints the barcode at the second location if no readable barcode is detected at the second location prior to printing.

16. The device defined in claim 14 further comprising a container to house the barcode reader, the memory, the printer, the controller, and a platen, the container having a hinged section to prevent the printer to move laterally across from the platen during printing of a barcode.

17. The device defined in claim 16 wherein the printer comprises a print head that is activated when pressure is applied on back of the print head.

18. The device defined in claim 14 further comprising a sticker dispenser to dispense a sticker to cover an area on which the barcode will be printed.

19. The device defined in claim 14 further comprising communication functionality to generate communications.