XML printer system with RFID capability

• US 9,418,322 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Alleshouse, Bruce N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US14/445,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20140355028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/462.08, 235/462.15, 235/462.19, 235/375
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 system is configured to encode RFID devices embedded in media, based upon an extensible markup language (XML) input data stream. The computer system further includes an XML processor configured to receive and process a format template, associate 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/or generate encoding information for an RFID device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors configured to at least;

receive an input data stream, wherein the input data stream comprises data encoded according to one of a first language and a second language, the second language being different than the first language;

select one of the first language and the second language for formatting the data

process formatting instructions encoded according to the selected one of the first and second languages;

transform the data based upon the formatting instructions; and

generate at least one of encoding information for an RFID device or a printable representation of at least a portion of a media using the transformed data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the first and second languages is at least one of extensible mark-up language or hypertext mark-up language.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is an XML printer system.

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

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured to process a stylesheet, wherein the stylesheet includes an extensible style sheet language formatting object (XSLFO) for formatting the data within the input data stream and wherein the stylesheet further includes an RFID-type instream foreign object defining communication with an RFID apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured to process a stylesheet, wherein the stylesheet includes extensible stylesheet language transformation (XSLT) instructions for transforming the data in the input data stream.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured to process a stylesheet, wherein the stylesheet is contained in the input data stream or the stylesheet is retrieved from a stylesheet repository based upon content of the input data stream.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured to implement an XML processor module, the XML processor module to obtain a schema identified in the input data stream, the schema being defined to facilitate validation of a portion of the input data stream.

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

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors comprise at least one SAX processor module.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the first and second languages is Zebra Programming Language (ZPL).

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to process a ZPL format template, wherein the ZPL format template includes instructions for formatting the data within the input data stream and wherein the ZPL format template further includes a caret instruction.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to process a ZPL format template, wherein the ZPL format template is retrieved from a memory of the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to process at least one tilde command.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at an apparatus, an input data stream, wherein the input data stream comprises data encoded according to one of a first language and a second language different than the first language, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive formatting instructions encoded according to the first language or according to the second language;

selecting one of the first language and the second language for formatting the data;

processing formatting instructions encoded according to the selected one of the first language and the second language;

transforming, by a processor, the data based upon the formatting instructions; and

generating at least one of encoding information for an RFID device or a printable representation of at least a portion of a media using the transformed data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected one of the first and second languages is at least one of extensible mark-up language or hypertext mark-up language.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising processing a stylesheet, wherein the stylesheet includes an extensible stylesheet language formatting object (XSLFO) for formatting the data within the input data stream and wherein the stylesheet further includes an RFID-type instream foreign object defining communication with an RFID apparatus.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising processing a stylesheet, wherein the stylesheet includes extensible stylesheet language transformation (XSLT) instructions for transforming the data in the input data stream.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising processing a stylesheet, wherein the stylesheet is contained in the input data stream or the stylesheet is retrieved from a stylesheet repository based upon content of the input data stream.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising implementing an XML processor module to obtain a schema identified in the input data stream, the schema being defined to facilitate validation of a portion of the input data stream.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising validating at least a portion of the data according to a Document Type Definition (DTD).

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected one of the first and second languages is Zebra Programming Language (ZPL).

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising configuring the processor to process a ZPL format template, wherein the ZPL format template includes instructions for formatting the data within the input data stream and wherein the ZPL format template further includes a caret instruction.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising configuring the processor to process a ZPL format template, and retrieving the ZPL format template from a memory of the apparatus.

25. 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 an input data stream, wherein the input data stream comprises data encoded according to one of a first language and a second language, the second language being different than the first language;

select one of the first language and the second language for formatting the data;

process formatting instructions encoded according to the selected one of the first and second languages;

transform the data based upon the formatting instructions; and

generate at least one of encoding information for an RFID device or a printable representation of at least a portion of a media using the transformed data.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the selected one of the first and second languages is at least one of extensible mark-up language or hypertext mark-up language.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the program code is configured to, when executed, cause the apparatus to process a stylesheet, wherein the stylesheet includes an extensible stylesheet language formatting object (XSLFO) for formatting the data within the input data stream and wherein the stylesheet further includes an RFID-type instream foreign object defining communication with an RFID apparatus.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the program code is configured to, when executed, cause the apparatus to process a stylesheet, wherein the stylesheet includes extensible stylesheet language transformation (XSLT) instructions for transforming the data in the input data stream.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the program code is configured to, when executed, cause the apparatus to process a stylesheet, wherein the stylesheet is contained in the input data stream or the stylesheet is retrieved from a stylesheet repository based upon content of the input data stream.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the program code is configured to, when executed, cause the apparatus to implement an XML processor module to obtain a schema identified in the input data stream, the schema being defined to facilitate validation of a portion of the input data stream.

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

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the selected one of the first and second languages is ZPL.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the program code is configured to, when executed, cause the machine to process a ZPL format template, wherein the ZPL format template includes instructions for formatting the first data within the input data stream, and wherein the ZPL format template further includes a caret instruction.