XML printer system

• US 20060138227A1
• Filed: 02/10/2006
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Alleshouse, Bruce N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,407,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/432
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1298 Printer language recognition, e.g. programme control language, page description language
• 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 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1813 Page description language recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0011 characterised by a particular command or data flow, e.g. Page Description Language, configuration commands

Abstract

An XML processing system for use in a barcode printer apparatus includes a computer system operatively coupled to the barcode printer apparatus. The computer system further includes an XML processor configured to receive, parse, and process an XML input data stream and obtain schema identified in the XML data stream from a schema repository. The XML processor validates the XML data stream based upon the schema obtained. Also included is an XSLT processor configured to obtain a stylesheet identified in the XML data stream from a stylesheet repository. The XSLT processor transforms data in the XML input data stream into transformed XML data based upon the stylesheet obtained. Also, an XSLFO processor formats the transformed XML data into formatted XML data based upon XSLFO instructions contained in the stylesheet. A barcode rendering subsystem then receives the formatted XML data and generates a bit map representative of the bar code label. Alternatively, the system includes a SAX processor configured to receive and process the XML input data stream, a ZPL processor configured to receive and process a format template, a variable data integrator configured to develop an association between the XML data contained in the XML input data stream and the format template, a formatting engine configured to format the associated XML data according to a format governed by the format template, and a barcode rendering engine configured to receive the associated and formatted XML data and generate a bit map representative of the bar code label.

Claims

1. An XML printer system adapted for printing bar code labels, tags, tickets, cards or other media and/or for encoding of RFID devices associated with a media, based upon an extensible markup language (XML) input data stream, the XML printer system comprising:

a computer system having

a memory subsystem;

a communication interface;

an XML processor configured to receive the XML input data stream;

a formatting engine configured to format XML data in the XML input data stream according to a format governed by a format template; and

a rendering engine configured to receive the formatted XML data and generate a printable presentation of the bar code label, tag, ticket, card or other media and/or generate encoding information for the RFID device.

2. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a variable data integrator configured to associate XML data contained in the XML input data stream and the format template,

wherein said formatting engine formats the associated XML data received from the variable data integrator according to the format governed by the format template, and said rendering engine generates the printable representations and encoding information based on the associated and formatted data.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the formatting engine is configured to execute computer program instructions scripted in a proprietary programming language.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the format template is configured to govern formatting of data in accordance with a proprietary programming language.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the format template is a ZPL-based format template.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the format template is sent to the XML processor and saved for use with XML data downloaded at a subsequent time.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the XML processor is an SAX processor.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the XML processor generates one or more events based upon commands embedded in the format template.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein the events are selected from the group consisting of a set printer speed event, set quantity of labels to print event, select media event, select ribbon to use event, choose paper event, use 300 dpi printer event, use 600 dpi printer event, and variable data event.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the computer system reads data encoded in the RFID device.

11. The system according to claim 1 further including a host computer operatively coupled to the network

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein the data read from the RFID device is transmitted to a host computer.

13. The system according to claim 1 further including a printer operatively coupled to the computer system.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the printer is controlled according to a ZPL-based printer control language.

15. The system according to claim 13 wherein the printer is controlled according to a proprietary printer control language.

16. The system according to claim 1 wherein the rendering engine is further configured to process an in-stream foreign object.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the in-stream foreign object is a barcode-type object.

18. The system according to claim 16 wherein the in-stream foreign object is a RFID-type object.

19. A method for printing bar code labels, tags, tickets, cards or other media and/or for encoding of RFID devices associated with a media, based upon an extensible markup language (XML) input data stream, the method comprising:

receiving the XML input data stream;

formatting XML data in the XML input data stream according to a format governed by a format template; and

generating a printable presentation of the bar code label, tag, ticket, card or other media and/or generating encoding information for the RFID device.

20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising:

associating XML data contained in the XML input data stream and the format template; and

formatting the associated XML data received from the variable data integrator according to the format governed by the format template, and wherein said generating steps generate the printable representations and encoding information based on the associated and formatted data.

21. The method according to claim 19 wherein said formatting step formats the XML data in accordance with program instructions scripted in a proprietary programming language.

22. The method according to claim 19 wherein the format template is configured to govern formatting of data in accordance with a proprietary programming language.

23. The method according to claim 19 wherein the format template is a ZPL-based format template.

24. The method according to claim 19 wherein the formatting step uses an SAX processor.

25. The method according to claim 19 further comprising generating one or more events based upon commands embedded in the format template.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the events are selected from the group consisting of a set printer speed event, set quantity of labels to print event, select media event, select ribbon to use event, choose paper event, use 300 dpi printer event, use 600 dpi printer event, and variable data event.

27. The method according to claim 19 further comprising reading data encoded in the RFID device.

28. The method according to claim 19 further comprising connecting to a host computer.

29. The method according to claim 27 further comprising transmitting the data read from the RFID device to a host computer.

30. The method according to claim 19 further comprising printing the printable presentation on a printer.

31. The method according to claim 19 further comprising printing the printable presentation on a printer using a ZPL-based printer control language.

32. The method according to claim 19 further comprising printing the printable presentation on a printer using a proprietary printer control language.

33. The method according to claim 19 wherein said generating steps process an in-stream foreign object.

34. The method according to claim 33 wherein the in-stream foreign object is a barcode-type object.

35. The method according to claim 33 wherein the in-stream foreign object is a RFID-type object.

36. An XML system configured to facilitate printing of bar code labels, tags, tickets, cards, or other media, and encoding of RFID devices associated with a media, based upon an extensible markup language (XML) input data stream, the XML system comprising:

a computer system having

a memory subsystem;

a communication interface operatively coupled to a network;

an XML processor having access to the memory subsystem, the XML processor configured to receive the XML input data stream; and

a rendering subsystem configured to receive the XML input data stream, and/or generate a printable representation of the bar code label, tag, ticket, card, other media, and generate encoding information for an RFID device.

37. The system according to claim 36 wherein the computer system further includes an extensible stylesheet language transformation (XSLT) processor configured to obtain the stylesheet either from the XML data stream or a stylesheet repository based upon the data in the XML data stream, and further, to transform the data in the XML input data stream based upon the stylesheet.

38. The system according to claim 37 wherein the XML processor transforms data in the XML input data stream into transformed XML data based upon a stylesheet identified in the XML data stream.

39. The system according to claim 37 wherein the computer system further includes an extensible stylesheet language formatting object (XSLFO) processor configured to format the transformed XML data into formatted XML data based upon XSLFO instructions contained in the stylesheet, and

wherein said rendering subsystem receives the formatted XML data, and based in part upon the formatted XML data, generates a printable representation of the bar code label, tag, ticket, card, other media, and/or generate encoding information for an RFID device.

40. The system according to claim 37 wherein the XML processor is further configured to obtain a schema identified in the XML data stream.

41. The system according to claim 40 wherein the XML processor is further configured to validate at least a portion of the XML data stream based on the schema.

42. The system according to claim 41 wherein validation of a portion of the XML data stream is performed according to a Document Type Definition (DTD).

43. The system according to claim 40 wherein the schema is stored in a repository separate from the memory subsystem, and is obtained remotely via a communication network.

44. The system according to claim 40 wherein the schema is stored in the memory subsystem.

45. The system according to claim 37 further including a printer subsystem operatively coupled to the XML system, the printer subsystem configured to print the bar code labels, tags, tickets, cards, or other media.

46. The system according to claim 37 further including a printer/encoding subsystem operatively coupled to the XML system, the printer/encoding subsystem configured to print the bar code labels, tags, tickets, cards, or other media and/or configured to encode the RFID devices embedded in media.

47. The system according to claim 37 further including an encoding subsystem operatively coupled to the XML system, the encoding subsystem configured to encode the RFID devices associated with a media.

48. The system according to claim 37 wherein the printable representation and/or the encoding information is in a format selected from the group consisting of JPEG, PNG, SVG, and data file.

49. The system according to claim 37 wherein the computer system is configured to receive a request from an external source to generate a representation of the barcode label, tag, ticket, card or other media, and/or encoding instructions for an RFID device.

50. The system according to claim 37 wherein the memory subsystem facilitates transmission of the XML input data stream to the XML processor.

51. The system according to claim 37 wherein the memory subsystem comprises memory storage selected from the group consisting of RAM, EPROM, flash memory, dynamic memory, static memory, FIFO (first-in first-out) memory, LIFO (last-in first-out) memory, circular memory, semiconductor memory, bubble memory, buffer memory, disk memory, optical memory, and cache memory.

52. For use in a printer and/or RFID apparatus, an XML processing system comprising:

a computer system operatively coupled to the printer or RFID apparatus, the computer system further including;

an XML processor configured to receive and process an XML input data stream based in part upon a stylesheet comprising at least;

a barcode-type or RFID-type instream foreign object defining communication with the printer or RFID apparatus; and

a rendering subsystem configured to receive data resulting from the XML input data stream processed by the XML processor, and use the data to generate a printable bit map representation of bar code label, tag, ticket, card, or other media, and/or generate encoding information for an RFID device.

53. The system according to claim 52, wherein the stylesheet further comprises an extensible stylesheet language formatting object (XSLFO) for formatting data in the XML input data stream.

54. The system according to claim 52, wherein the stylesheet further comprises extensible stylesheet language transformation (XSLT) instructions for transforming the data in the XML input data stream.

55. The system according to claim 52, wherein the stylesheet is contained in the XML input data stream or can be retrieved from a stylesheet repository based upon the XML input data stream.

56. The system according to claim 52, wherein the XML processor is further configured to obtain a schema identified in the XML data stream and to validate a portion of the XML data stream based on the schema.

57. A method for generating a bar code label, tag, ticket, card, and/or encoding RFID devices associated with a media, in an XML system adapted based upon an extensible markup language (XML) input data stream, the method comprising:

receiving the XML input data stream;

generating, based in part upon the transformed XML data, a printable representation of the bar code label, tag, ticket, card, other media; and

generating encoding information for an RFID device.

58. The method according to claim 57 further comprising transforming data in the XML input data stream into transformed XML data, and wherein said generating steps used the transformed XML data to generate printable representations and generate encoding information for an RFID device.

59. The method according to claim 58 wherein said transforming step uses an extensible stylesheet language transformation (XSLT) processor configured to obtain a stylesheet either from the XML data stream or a stylesheet repository based upon the data in the XML data stream.

60. The method according to claim 58 wherein said transforming step transforms data in the XML input data stream into transformed XML data based upon a stylesheet identified in the XML data stream.

61. The method according to claim 58 further including the step of formatting the transformed XML data, wherein said formatting step uses an extensible stylesheet language formatting object (XSLFO) processor configured to format the transformed XML data into formatted XML data based upon XSLFO instructions contained in the stylesheet.

62. The method according to claim 57 further including the step of validating at least a portion of the XML input data stream.

63. A method for generating a bar code label, tag, ticket, card, and/or encoding RFID devices associated with a media, in an XML system adapted based upon an extensible markup language (XML) input data stream, the method comprising:

processing a stylesheet that either is contained in the XML input data stream or can be retrieved from a stylesheet repository or other external source;

identifying from the stylesheet extensible stylesheet language transformation (XSLT) instructions to transform data in the XML input data stream into transformed XML data;

identifying from the stylessheet a -printer-type or RFID-type instream foreign object for determining whether to generate a printable representation of the bar code label, tag, ticket, card or other media, or to generate encoding information for an RFID device;

transforming and formatting the data in the XML input data stream to generate the formatted XML data based upon the stylesheet; and

based upon the formatted XML data, printing or transmitting for printing, the printable representation of the bar code label, tag, ticket, card or other media and/or transmitting the encoding instructions to the RFID device.

64. The method according to claim 63 further comprising identifying from the stylesheet an extensible stylesheet language formatting object (XSLFO) for formatting the transformed XML data into formatted XML data.

65. The method according to claim 63, wherein the stylesheet is identified from the XML input data stream.

66. The method according to claim 63 wherein the stylesheet further comprises extensible stylesheet language transformation (XSLT) instructions for transforming the data in the XML input data stream.

67. The method according to claim 63 wherein the stylesheet is contained in the XML input data stream or can be retrieved from a stylesheet repository based upon the XML input data stream.

68. The method according to claim 63 further comprising validating at least a portion of the XML data stream.