Printer for printing labels, tags or the like

• US 9,454,335 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2006
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaufman, Jeffrey R., Salmons, Victor, King, Steven P., Alleshouse, Bruce N., Anno, Bret M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LETT, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US11/429,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20060279779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,798 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.13, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.17, 715/700, 715/735, 270/52.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers
• 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: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device

Abstract

A printer which is configured to automatically transmit data, such as critical and non-critical printer data, and route that data through at least one of a plurality of communication channels and services, such as via e-mail or mobile wireless equipment (e.g. an Internet-ready pager, a Personal Communications Service (PCS) phone or a wireless Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)). Preferably, the printer is configured such that it can be programmed and controlled from a remote location. Preferably, the printer is configured such that new label formats can be added from a remote location, and label formats stored in the printer can be viewed and modified from a remote location. Preferably, the printer is also configured such that barcode rendering algorithms can be downloaded to the printer from a remote location, and such that printer settings can be viewed and modified from a remote location, and thereafter can be downloaded to the printer and/or to other printers in a network to facilitate cloning.

Claims

1. A printer comprising:

a port configured to receive a data stream according to a first format, the data stream comprising a set of commands representing a bitmap; and

at least one processor configured to convert the data stream from the first format to a second format and to generate the bitmap based on the data stream being in the second format, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit a graphical representation of the bitmap generated based on the data stream being in the second format to a remote location, and wherein the graphical representation is formatted by the at least one processor for subsequent display on a handheld device.

2. A system comprising:

a first printer and a second printer, the first printer comprising;

a port configured to receive a data stream according to a first format, the data stream comprising a set of commands representing a bitmap;

at least one processor configured to convert the data stream from the first format to a second format and to generate the bitmap based on the data stream being in the second format; and

a memory element storing a program accessible by the at least one processor and storing the bitmap generated based on the data stream being in the second format;

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to modify the bitmap according to one or more instructions transmitted by the second printer.

3. The first printer according to claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit the bitmap as a data stream according to a third format.

4. The first printer according to claim 3, wherein the third format is in either a XML or HTML format.

5. The first printer according to claim 2 further comprising one or more printer mechanics configured to print a label and wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the printer mechanics to print the label according to the bitmap.

6. A printer comprising:

a port configured to receive a data stream according to a first format, the data stream comprising a set of commands representing a bitmap; and

at least one processor configured to convert the data stream from the first format to a second format and to generate the bitmap based on the data stream being in the second format;

wherein the data stream according to the first format includes variable data and the at least one processor is further configured to;

identify the variable data of the data stream in the first format;

correlate the variable data with one or more fields of variable data according to the second format; and

transmit the bitmap as a webpage.

7. The printer according to claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit the bitmap as a data stream according to a third format.

8. The printer according to claim 7, wherein the third format is in either a XML or HTML format.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a printer, a data stream in a first format, the data stream comprising a set of commands representing a bit map;

converting, by a printer, the data stream from the first format to a second format, including identifying variable data of the data stream in the first format, and correlating the variable data with one or more fields of variable data according to the second format;

generating, by a printer, a bit map according to the data stream in the second format; and

sending, by the printer, a graphical representation of the bit map generated according to the data stream in the second format to a remote location.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the sending of the graphical representation including sending the graphical representation as a part of a web page.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising receiving, by the printer, one or more instructions to modify the bit map generated according to the data stream in the second format from the remote location and modifying the bit map according to the one or more instructions.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the sending of the graphical representation including sending the graphical representation as a data stream according to a third format.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising printing, by the printer, a label according to the bit map.