Printer with a device for the driving of transponder chips

• US 6,327,972 B2
• Filed: 10/07/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sato
• Original Assignee: Meto International GmbH (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Robson, David, Heredia, Miguel, Schneider, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilten, John S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Jr., Charles H.
• Application Number:
  US09/413,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 400/103, 400/70, 400/76, 400/61, 101/35
• US Class Current: 101/35
• 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 17/0025 the arrangement consisting of a wireless interrogation device in combination with a device for optically marking the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a printer having a device for printing a data carrier. It is proposed providing the data carrier with at least one transponder chip and equipping the printer with a device for driving the transponder chip. This makes it possible to print the data carrier simultaneously or sequentially and to write data into, or read data out of, the transponder chip.

Claims

1. A printer for printing on a data carrier having at least one transponder chip therein, including:

a device for printing the data onto said data carrier;

a device for driving the transponder chip;

an interface; and

a card, wherein;

said device for driving the transponder chip comprises an antenna and a control unit to control said antenna;

said control unit is connected to said interface via said card;

said transponder chip is configured to read a serial number and to transmit the serial number data read to a computer;

said control circuit establishes the printing speed as a function of the time required for programming said transponder chip and as a function of feed of said data carrier over which driving of a printed transponder chip by said antenna is possible; and

said device for printing the data onto said data carrier includes a printing head, said carrier is a label strip which defines a trailing edge, and the printing speed is selected to enable said trailing edge to remain beneath said printing head after the data is written and read.

2. The printer as defined in claim 1, wherein said data carrier is a label strip, and wherein said transponder chip on each label strip is integrated therein.

3. The printer as defined in claim 1, wherein said device for printing the data onto said data carrier is one of:

a thermal print head and an ink-jet printed head.

4. The printer as defined in claim 1, further including:

a control circuit for driving said device for printing the data onto said data carrier and for driving said transponder chip.

5. The printer as defined in claim 4, wherein said control circuit comprises a microprocessor.

6. The printer as defined in claim 1, wherein said device for driving said transponder chip writes data into said transponder chip and/or reads data out of said transponder chip.

7. The printer as defined in claim 6, wherein the data to be output onto said transponder chip is transmitted to the printer from a data source as an additional field of data defining a printed data carrier.

8. The printer as defined in claim 6, wherein the transponder data is transmitted separately from a data source to the printer.

9. The printer as defined in claim 1, wherein said device for driving the transponder chip is configured to test the function of the transponder chip by writing in and reading out data and comparing the read data with the written data.

10. The printer as defined in claim 9, wherein any one of said transponder chips that has not passed a function test is identified as useless.

11. The printer as defined in claim 1, wherein the data carrier defines a feed direction, and wherein said device for driving the transponder chip is arranged downstream from said device for printing the data onto said data carrier relative to said feed direction.

12. The printer as defined in claim 1, wherein said device for driving the transponder chip is arranged to interact with the transponder chip of a data carrier being printed by said device for printing on a data carrier.

13. The printer as defined in claim 4, further including:

an interface, said interface being connected to said control circuit and to said device for driving the transponder chip.

14. The printer as defined in claim 1, wherein said card provides one of:

a serial and a parallel interface to which said control unit is connected.

15. The printer as defined in claim 1, wherein the protocol used for driving said transponder chip is selected from a plurality of different protocols.

16. The printer as defined in claim 1, wherein said antenna extends across the maximum possible width of said data carrier.

17. The printer as defined in claim 1, wherein said antenna is equipped with a metal shield on its side facing away from said data carrier.