Method and apparatus for associating on demand certain selected media and value-adding elements
First Claim
1. A media processing system for use in an environment in which selected objects require a “
- smart”
media sample having printed material and an RFID transponder with an electronic circuit, memory, and antenna capable of responding to an RF interrogation signal, and in which environment other objects require only a conventional (“
dumb”
) media sample having printed material but lacking an RFID transponder, the media processing system creating on demand both smart and conventional dumb media samples in response to programmed instructions from a host processor, the system comprising;
an on-demand print device configured to receive a series of labels, tickets, tags, cards, or other media samples, said print device printing on media samples in response to programmed instructions individualized for each media sample in the series of media samples which instruct the print device to print or not to print a conductive antenna on said media sample; and
an on-demand value adding mechanism configured to receive said series of media samples and a series of RFID system components in the form of RFID circuitry or antenna mounting pad components, said value adding mechanism in response to programmed instructions individualized for each media sample, either applying to the media sample an RFID circuitry or antenna mounting pad component if a conductive antenna has been printed, or not applying an RFID circuitry or mounting pad component to the media sample, said RFID circuitry or antenna mounting pad component being operatively coupled to a conductive antenna printed on the media sample by the print device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermal transfer media printer is disclosed. In one embodiment, the printer selectively programs RFID transponders, and then embeds them into conventional on-demand printed media between the adhesive layer and the release liner. Selective configuration of each printed media sample by addition of value-adding elements may be performed independently for each media sample, under software control during processing of each media sample format print control program. An add-on mechanism is disclosed that can be operatively attached to a conventional media printer. This allows RFID transponder labels to be selectively applied at precise locations on the printed surface of on-demand printed media in connection with existing printers.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A media processing system for use in an environment in which selected objects require a “
- smart”
media sample having printed material and an RFID transponder with an electronic circuit, memory, and antenna capable of responding to an RF interrogation signal, and in which environment other objects require only a conventional (“
dumb”
) media sample having printed material but lacking an RFID transponder, the media processing system creating on demand both smart and conventional dumb media samples in response to programmed instructions from a host processor, the system comprising;an on-demand print device configured to receive a series of labels, tickets, tags, cards, or other media samples, said print device printing on media samples in response to programmed instructions individualized for each media sample in the series of media samples which instruct the print device to print or not to print a conductive antenna on said media sample; and
an on-demand value adding mechanism configured to receive said series of media samples and a series of RFID system components in the form of RFID circuitry or antenna mounting pad components, said value adding mechanism in response to programmed instructions individualized for each media sample, either applying to the media sample an RFID circuitry or antenna mounting pad component if a conductive antenna has been printed, or not applying an RFID circuitry or mounting pad component to the media sample, said RFID circuitry or antenna mounting pad component being operatively coupled to a conductive antenna printed on the media sample by the print device.
- smart”
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2. A media processing system for use in an environment in which selected objects require a “
- smart”
media sample having printed material and an RFID transponder with an electronic circuit, memory, and antenna capable of responding to an RF interrogation signal, and in which environment other objects require only a conventional (“
dumb”
) media sample having printed material but lacking an RFID transponder, the media processing system creating on demand both smart and conventional dumb media samples in response to programmed instructions from a host processor, the system comprising;an on-demand print device configured to receive a series of labels, tickets, tags, cards, or other media samples, said print device printing on media samples in response to programmed instructions individualized for each media sample which instruct the print device to print or not to print a conductive antenna on said media sample; and
an on-demand value adding mechanism configured to receive said series of media samples and a series of RFID system components, said value adding mechanism in response to programmed instructions individualized for each media sample, either applying to the media sample an RFID system component in association with the printed conductive antenna, or not applying an RFID system component to the media sample. - View Dependent Claims (3)
- smart”
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4. A media processing system for use in an environment in which selected objects require a “
- smart”
media sample having printed material and an RFID transponder with an electronic circuit, memory, and antenna capable of responding to an RF interrogation signal, and in which environment other objects require only a conventional (“
dumb”
) media sample having printed material but lacking an RFID transponder, the media processing system creating on demand both smart and conventional dumb media samples in response to programmed instructions from a host processor, the system comprising;an on-demand print device configured to receive a series of labels, tickets, tags, cards, or other media samples, said print device printing on media samples in response to programmed format and content print instructions individualized for each media sample in the series of media samples which instruct the print device regarding what and where to print on the media sample; and
an on-demand value adding mechanism configured to receive said series of media samples and a series of RFID system components in the form of RFID circuitry or antenna mounting pad components, said value adding mechanism in response to programmed instructions individualized for each media sample, either applying to the media sample an RFID circuitry or antenna mounting pad component, or not applying an RFID circuitry or mounting pad component to the media sample. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- smart”
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16. A method comprising:
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receiving a series of labels, tickets, tags, cards, or other media samples, and on demand printing on said media samples in response to programmed print instructions individualized for each media sample in the series of media samples which instruct a print device to print or not to print a conductive antenna on the media sample; and
on demand in response to programmed instructions individualized for each media sample, either applying to the media sample an RFID system component in the form of RFID circuitry or mounting pad components, or not applying such an RFID system component to the media sample, the RFID circuitry or antenna mounting pad component being operatively coupled to a conductive antenna printed on the media sample. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification