Printer and Scale for Handling RFID Labels

• US 20100328702A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Bowling, Kinred, Eberhardt, Mark E. JR., Redman, Randall L., Mills, Nigel G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,432,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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

Abstract

A label printer for handling labels with RFID tags includes one or more advantageous features such as locating an RF encoder unit antenna in position to read and/or write to label antennas after the label antennas have exited a label output slot of the printer, providing light elements to indicate status of a read and/or write operation to a label RFID tag or a voiding step to void labels when a read and/or write operation is unsuccessful.

Claims

1. A label printing mechanism for handling labels with associated RFID tags, the mechanism comprising:

a housing;

a label supply location within the housing;

a label path extending from the label supply location to a label output slot of the housing;

a print head located within the housing along the label path for printing indicia on labels passing thereby;

an RF unit for reading and/or writing from and/or to label RFID tags on labels, the RF unit including an antenna located in a position to be proximate to label RFID tag antennas that have exited the housing through the label exit slot; and

a control associated with the label printer and RF unit for operation thereof.

2. The label printing mechanism of claim 1 wherein the RF unit antenna is located external of the housing.

3. The label printing mechanism of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a generally planar portion extending outwardly along one side of the label exit slot, the RF unit antenna located within the housing and adjacent the generally planar portion.

4. The label printing mechanism of claim 1 wherein the RF unit antenna is located far enough from the label supply location within the housing to prevent inadvertent reading and/or writing to label RFID tags on labels within the housing.

5. The label printing mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

a label feed mechanism;

wherein the control is associated with the label feed mechanism and configured to effect partial feed out labels so as to place label RFID tag antennas proximate the RF unit antenna.

6. The label printing mechanism of claim 5 wherein the control is configured to effect completion of label feed out after a label read and/or write operation by the RF unit has been successfully completed.

7. The label printing mechanism of claim 5 wherein the RF unit includes at least one indicator light for communicating status of a label read and/or write operation.

8. The label printing mechanism of claim 7 wherein the RF unit includes a first indicator light for communicating a busy status of the RF unit, a second indicator light for communicating a label ready status upon successful completion of the label read and/or write operation and a third indicator light for communicating an error status when the label read and/or write operation has failed.

9. The label printing mechanism of claim 7 wherein the RF unit antenna is located within an antenna housing, the indicator light is also located within the antenna housing, the antenna housing configured to permit light from the indicator light to be visible from external the antenna housing structure.

10. The label printing mechanism of claim 2 wherein the RF unit antenna is located within an antenna housing, the RF unit antenna is located on an antenna board within the antenna housing, the antenna board adapted to be rotated between at least a first orientation for use in association with labels having one label antenna orientation and a second orientation for use in association with labels having a different label antenna orientation.

11. The label printing mechanism of claim 10 wherein the antenna board is square and the antenna housing includes a square receiving area for the antenna board.

12. The label printing mechanism of claim 2 wherein the RF unit antenna is located within an antenna housing that has a generally planar surface located parallel to an exit path of the given label, the RF unit antenna lying generally in a plane parallel to the generally planar surface.

13. The label printing mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

a corrugator mechanism located external of the label exit slot for placing a bend in the given label along a bend axis that is parallel to a travel direction of the given label as it exits so as to prevent curling of the label away from the RF unit antenna.

14. A scale incorporating the label printing mechanism of claim I and further comprising:

a weighing station located on the housing for receiving items to be weighed;

the control associated with the weighing station for receiving weight information therefrom;

the control configured to calculate price for a weighed item and to effect;

(i) printing of the price on a label by the label printer;

(ii) encoding, by the RF unit, of at least the price and/or a serial number to an RFID tag of the label.

15. The scale of claim 14 wherein a supply of labels is located at the label supply location, each label of the supply of labels has a label RFID tag located a set distance from a trailing edge of the label.

16. A method of labeling an item with a label carrying an RFID tag, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a label printer including a housing with a label output slot, a supply of labels within the housing, the labels including associated RFID tags attached thereto, a label path extending from the supply of labels to the label output slot, a print head located for printing indicia on labels passing thereby, an RF unit for reading and/or writing from and/or to label RFID tags on labels, the RF unit including an antenna located in position alongside an exit path of labels exiting the label output slot; and

(b) producing a pricing label including;

(1) moving a given label past the print head and printing product specific information thereon;

(2) moving the given label at least partially out of the label output slot and stopping the label to place an antenna of the RFID tag of the given label external of the label output slot and in field range of the antenna of the RF unit;

(3) after step (2), performing a read and/or write operation from and/or to the RFID tag of the given label using the antenna of the RF unit.

17. The method of claim 16 including:

upon successful completion of the reading and/or writing step, illuminating a first light element to indicate that the given label is ready;

or

upon unsuccessful completion of the reading and/or writing step, illuminating a second light element to indicate that the reading and/or writing step failed.

18. The method of claim 17 including:

upon successful completion of the reading and/or writing step, producing a first audible signal to indicate that the given label is ready;

or

upon unsuccessful completion of the reading and/or writing step, producing a second audible signal to indicate that the reading and/or writing step failed.

19. The method of claim 16 including:

upon unsuccessful completion of the reading and/or writing step, producing at least one of an audible signal or visual signal to indicate that the reading and/or writing step failed;

voiding the given label including printing a void indication on the given label;

subsequent to the voiding step, repeating steps (b)(1), (b)(2) and (b)(3) for another label.

21. The method of claim 16 including:

providing the RFID tags on the labels at a specified location relative to trailing edges of the labels.

22. The method of claim 16 including:

upon successful completion of the reading and/or writing step, removing the given label from the printer and applying it to a product.

23. The method of claim 16 including:

in step (b)(2) moving the given label only partially out of the label exit slot and stopping the label;

performing step (b)(3) after the given label has been stopped in step (b)(2);

upon successful completion of the read and/or write operation of step (b)(3), moving the given label further out of the label exit slot into a label retrieve position.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein a portion of the given label remains held between the print head and an adjacent pressure roller when the label has been stopped in step (b)(2).

20. The method of claim 20 wherein the voiding step includes moving the given label backward to the print head, printing the void indication and then outputting the given label.