XML printer system

• US 8,544,746 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US13/160,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20110303753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 23546201-46245, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/375, 717/115, 717/143
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1243 Variable data printing, e.g. document forms, templates, labels, coupons, advertisements, logos, watermarks, transactional printing, fixed content versioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1246 by handling markup languages, e.g. XSL, XML, HTML
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation

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. 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 apparatus comprising:

one or more processors configured to at least;

receive and parse, by an extensible markup language (XML) processor module, an XML input data stream, wherein the XML processor module comprises a SAX processor module that is further configured to create events based on the XML input data stream;

associate XML data contained in the XML input data stream with a format template;

format the associated XML data according to a format governed by the format template; and

generate a printable representation of at least a portion of a media based on the formatted XML data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to validate at least a portion of the XML data according to a Document Type Definition (DTD).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the events include a variable data event for dots-per-inch printing on the media.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the events include an event that is related to a barcode field.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are configured to implement the SAX processor module to generate one or more of:

a SAX event, a variable data SAX event, a begin label SAX event, a process event, a set printer speed event, a set quantity of labels to print event, a select media event, a ribbon event, a choose paper event, a use 300 dpi printer event, a use 600 dpi printer event, or a variable data event.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an XML printer system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a network server.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive the format template from a network server.

9. A method comprising:

receiving and parsing, by an extensible markup language (XML) processor module, an XML input data stream, wherein the XML processor module comprises a SAX processor module;

associating XML data contained in the XML input data stream with a format template;

formatting, by one or more processors, the associated XML data according to a format governed by the format template; and

generating a printable representation of at least a portion of a media based on the formatted XML data.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising validating at least a portion of the XML data according to a Document Type Definition (DTD).

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising creating an event based on the XML input data stream, wherein the event is created by the SAX processor module.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the event includes a variable data event for dots-per-inch printing on the media.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the event includes an event that is related to a barcode field.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the event includes a begin label SAX event.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the event includes a SAX event.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the event includes a process event.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the event includes a set printer speed event.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the event includes a set quantity of labels to print event.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the event includes a select media event.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the event includes a ribbon event.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein the one or more processors are configured to implement the SAX processor module to generate a choose paper event.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the event includes a use 300 dpi printer event.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein the event includes a use 600 dpi printer event.

24. The method of claim 11 wherein the event includes a variable data event.

25. The method of claim 9, wherein associating the XML data includes associating the XML data contained in the XML input data stream with the format template, the format template being a ZPL-based format template.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, the program code being configured to, when executed, cause an apparatus to at least:

receive and parse an extensible markup language (XML) input data stream by an XML processor module, wherein the XML processor module comprises a SAX processor module;

associate XML data contained in the XML input data stream with a format template;

format the associated XML data according to a format governed by the format template; and

generate a printable representation of at least a portion of a media based on the formatted XML data.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the program code is further configured to cause the apparatus to validate at least a portion of the XML data according to a Document Type Definition (DTD).

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the program code is further configured to cause the apparatus to create an event based on the XML input data stream, wherein the event is created by the SAX processor module.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the event includes a variable data event for dots-per-inch printing on the media.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the event includes an event that is related to a barcode field.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the program code configured to cause the apparatus to implement the SAX processor module to create the event includes being configured to cause the apparatus to implement the SAX processor module to create one or more of a SAX event, a variable data SAX event, a begin label SAX event, a process event, a set printer speed event, a set quantity of labels to print event, a select media event, a select ribbon to use event, a choose paper event, a use 300 dpi printer event, a use 600 dpi printer event, or a variable data event.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the program code configured to cause the apparatus to associate the XML data includes being configured to cause the apparatus to associate the XML data contained in the XML input data stream with the format template, the format template being a ZPL-based format template.