Systems and apparatus for writing data to multiple RF tags contained on print media

• US 7,646,284 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Marowski, Raymond Michael, Underwood, Mark Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown; Vernal U
• Application Number:
  US10/991,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20060104689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.51, 340/10.6, 340/572.1, 340/10.3, 235/449, 235/432, 235/451, 400/88, 400/76, 400/70
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/44 Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms having dual functions or combined with, or coupled to, apparatus performing other functions
• 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

Print media (28) having a plurality of radio frequency data storage devices (88) passes through a print media pathway (110) of a printer assembly (14). The devices (88) can be programmed using groups (142, 144) of antennas which are arranged about the print media pathway (110) such the simultaneous programming of multiple devices (88) can be achieved. A data programming device (94) consisting of multiple reader/programmers (94a, 94b, 94c) can be utilized in combination with one or more RF multiplexers (152, 154) to reduce the time necessary to program the devices (88) separately.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a printer assembly with a print media pathway configured to receive print media comprising a plurality of radio frequency storage devices arranged in at least two columns arrayed across a width and down a length of said print media;

at least one controller;

two or more radio frequency antennas; and

at least one data programmer for transmitting radio frequency signals via said radio frequency antennas, the at least one data programmer being controlled by the at least one controller;

wherein said radio frequency antennas are arranged into at least two groups of antennas along an axis perpendicular to a print media direction of travel, each group of antennas being in communication with the at least one data programmer and controlled by the at least one controller such that a first group of the antenna groups communicates with print media having radio frequency storage devices arranged in N columns across the width of the print media, and a second group of antennas communicates with print media having radio frequency storage devices arranged in M columns across the width of the print media, wherein N and M are each greater than one and not equal to each other.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first of said groups contains two radio frequency antennas and the second of said groups contains three radio frequency antennas.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is operably coupled to said two groups of radio frequency antennas and configured to arbitrate which antenna group writes data to a particular radio frequency storage devices.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said data programmer comprises separate reader/programmers for each of said one or more radio frequency antennas.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one data programmer is coupled to an antenna from the first group and an antenna from the second group.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one radio frequency multiplexer coupled between the at least one data programmer and an antenna from the first group and between the at least one data programmer and an antenna from the second group.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna group has a number of antennas which is not equal to a number of antennas in the second antenna group.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first group of antennas substantially simultaneously communicates with radio frequency storage devices arranged in a row on a print media.

5. A radio frequency label printing system comprising:

a printer assembly having a print media pathway configured to receive print media comprising a plurality of radio frequency tags arranged in at least two columns arrayed across a width and down the length of said print media;

at least two radio frequency programmers having antennas arranged in at least two groups for writing data to said radio frequency tags;

a controller operably coupled to said at least two radio frequency programmers for determining which group of antennas is to be used to write data to said radio frequency tags;

wherein said controller is configured to cause said radio frequency programmers to simultaneously write data to radio frequency tags in a group;

wherein each group of antennas is disposed across the print media pathway in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto and is used for substantially simultaneously writing data to print media having a distinct number of columns of radio frequency tags relative to a number of columns of radio frequency tags to which another antenna group is used for substantially simultaneously writing data.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein at least one of said radio frequency programmers is associated with each group of antennas, and each group of antennas is configured to route data to print media having a distinct number of columns of tags across a width thereof, relative to a number of columns of tags of print media to which another group of antennas is configured to route data.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said radio frequency antennas are arranged into at least two groups of antennas, and wherein only one of said groups is configured to be activated at a time for writing data depending on the arrangement of said radio frequency tags on said media.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein each group comprises at least two antennas.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein at least one of said groups has at least three antennas.

10. The system of claim 5 further comprising a multiplexer coupled between the radio frequency programmers and the groups of antennas for selecting an appropriate antenna group.

19. The system of claim 5, wherein each antenna group has a distinct number of antennas relative to a number of antennas in another antenna group.

20. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the at least two radio frequency programmers is coupled to an antenna from each antenna group.

11. Apparatus for writing data to radio frequency tags on print media comprising a plurality of radio frequency tags arranged in at least two columns arrayed across a width and down a length of said print media, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency antennas arranged in at least two groups;

a plurality of radio frequency programmers associated with said antennas, at least one radio frequency programmer being coupled to an antenna in each group; and

a controller configured to cause said radio frequency programmers to write data to said radio frequency tags contained on print media being fed through a print media pathway within a printer assembly, said data being substantially simultaneously written to said radio frequency tags in a row thereof;

wherein each antenna group is used to write data to said radio frequency tags in a row disposed across the print media in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction of travel thereof, wherein each group of antennas has a different number of antennas such that each group is used to substantially simultaneously write data onto print media with a distinct number of columns of radio frequency tags appearing across the substantially orthogonal direction.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said radio frequency antennas comprises first and second groups of antennas, and wherein only one of said groups is configured to be activated at a time for writing data depending on the arrangement of said radio frequency tags on said media.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein first and second ones of said plurality of radio frequency programmers utilize said first and second groups of antennas, respectively.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising at least one multiplexer between said first radio frequency programmer and antennas in the first and second antenna groups.

21. A system, comprising:

a printer assembly having a print media pathway configured to receive print media comprising a plurality of radio frequency tags arranged in at least two columns arrayed across a width and down the length of the print media;

at least two radio frequency communication modules having antennas arranged in at least two groups for communicating data with the radio frequency tags;

at least one multiplexer disposed between at least one of the radio frequency communication modules and an antenna in each of the at least two antenna groups; and

a controller operably coupled to the at least two radio frequency communication modules for determining which group of antennas is to be used to communicate data with the radio frequency tags, wherein the controller is configured to cause the radio frequency communication modules to substantially simultaneously communicate data with radio frequency tags on the print media, the at least one of the radio frequency communication modules being used to communicate data regardless of the antenna group used.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one multiplexer comprises a plurality of multiplexers and the at least one radio frequency communication modules comprises a plurality of radio frequency communication modules, each multiplexer being coupled between a distinct radio frequency communication module and an antenna from the at least two antenna groups.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein each group of antennas is disposed across the print media pathway in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto and is used to substantially simultaneously communicate data with print media having a distinct number of columns of radio frequency tags relative to a number of columns of radio frequency tags to which another antenna group is used to substantially simultaneously communicate data.