Apparatus for printing on a medium

0001The present application relates to an apparatus for printing on a medium, and particularly to a device for printing on a medium transmitting a and / or receiving device comprising. In particular, concerns the present invention is directed to a device for printing a label, which is connected to a transponder unit is provided.

0002In the field of production of printed media, particularly of labels, a plurality of printer facilities known, which depends on predefined data labels produce, which with a user of a desired Printing are printed. is In such printers a label z. B. supplied to a printing unit in the form of a roll, which the desired information on the label imprints. Conventionally, the labels are separated by a formed two-layer material, wherein after printing the label can be removed from a carrier layer to be glued on corresponding products or the like.

0003The disadvantage of these known devices, which as a Label Printer (label printer) are known, is that imprinted by this only predetermined information may be appearing in plain text and no automatic recording of certain information concerning the product will be on which the label is attached, in machine-readable form.

0004To solve this problem is known in the prior art, provide so-called label printer which to additionally the label text called a bar code on the label Imprinting, the information in coded and machine-readable form contains. The disadvantage of this known system is that after printing of the label, no Changes to the data stored in the barcode Information are possible, and in addition, by a Such a label is not also enables information on the Label to change or store other information.

0005To solve this problem is known in the prior art, to use labels, which is provided with a transponder are connected via a respective read / write means can be written or read. So describes For example, EP 564 051 Al an identification card, wherein a transponder unit embedded in the plastic is, by means of an exchange of information between a carried out the read / write device and the chip on the card can be. From DE 196 01 358, for example, discloses a paper, in which is embedded an internal circuit is, which via a corresponding read / write device can be read or written.

0006The disadvantage of this known from the prior art solutions is that after the provision of the medium with the integrated transponder unit initially the label in a conventional manner in a conventional Printer, as described above, for example printed, becomes. After the completion of the label with the desired imprint it in a subsequent step require that labels a corresponding generated supplying device including a transponder reader / writer having to appropriate data or information of to read the label and store in this.

0007Thus, it is first necessary that finished already supplying labels to a further device, what the overall manufacturing process of the labels another adds time consuming step. Further to only the time at which the labels fed to the further device will be determined to what extent the use Transponders in the individual labels at all functional are such that only proves how many Labels are nachzufertigen may - and again are supplied to the read / write device.

0008Starting from this prior art, the present Invention seeks to provide a simplified device to provide for the printing of a medium in which in a simple manner an existing in the medium described transponder with the necessary information can be and can be detected simultaneously, whether the transponder and thus the produced label ever functional.

0009This object is achieved by a device according to claim 1 dissolved.

0010The present invention provides a device for printing a medium comprising a transmitting and / or receiving device has, with<ul><li>a printing unit, depending on the received print data the medium printed; and</li><li>a write and / or read apparatus provided with the Transmitting and / or receiving device communicates in the medium.</li></ul>

0011Compared to the known label printers described above from the prior art the present invention has the Advantage that a single device is provided which finished, directly usable labels outputs that no further progress needs to z. B. the necessary to and from the transponder to read information.

0012Furthermore, an advantage of the present invention is that can be automatically determined whether the transponder for a created label functional or not, what detected in a simple manner by the apparatus is, so that it is ensured that, without further intermediate operations of the user the correct number of desired Labels is generated.

0013According to a preferred embodiment of the present Invention, the write / read unit for the transponder between an output of the printing unit and a storage device, containing the medium to be printed, arranged to to determine if the transponder used functional are.

0014If this is not the case, eg, the printing unit can be controlled in order not functioning a printing of a to avoid transponder label. Thus, in a simple Fashion enables functioning of to distinguish non-functional labels, and same resources can be saved, which particularly in inkjet or laser printers and at a high number of labels to be produced is of particular Interest is because it is avoided in this case, that unnecessary ink or toner is consumed.

0015Preferred embodiments of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.

0016Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a preferred Embodiment of the present invention in more detail described. It shows:<dl tsize="6"><dt>Fig. 1</dt><dd>a schematic representation of the invention Device according to one preferred embodiment.</dd></dl>

0017Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention Device 100, a printing unit 102, and a write and / or read device 104 comprises a housing which in 106 of the device 100 are arranged. Further, according to the preferred embodiment, a storage device 108 is provided in the form of a roll on which the to printed medium is disposed 110th About appropriate, shown only schematically mechanical bearings and drive elements 112, 114 is carried out the required movement of Supply roll 108. As can be seen from the figure, the medium to be printed 110 of the supply roll 108 to the printing unit out 102 printed there and issued with the printing unit 102 is a so-called dispensing device 116 is assigned, which causes the medium 110, which two layers according to the preferred embodiment, is formed in a label 118 and a carrier material 120 splits, said in this regard, Label, for example by means of an adhesive layer on the Support material 120 is secured, and subtracted from this can be in order then to predetermined or products like to be applied. The medium 110 has a Transmitting and / or receiving device to which in the figure not shown, and which is, for example, embedded in the label layer transponder unit concerns. The write and / or read apparatus 104 of the invention Device 100 communicates with the transmitter and / or receiving device (transponder) in the medium 110th

0018According to the present invention, for example, an antenna 122 the transmitting and / or receiving device 104 between a Output of the printing unit 102, at which for example the dispensing device 116 is arranged, and arranged the supply roll 108th

0019In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is the Antenna 122 adjacent the media 110 is disposed so as to the appropriate communication between the antenna 122 and the to ensure transponder in the medium 110th The antenna 122 between the reservoir 108 and the printing unit 102 arranged so as to ensure that before the Printing the medium 110 can be determined whether the embedded therein transponder is functional, wherein depending on the result of detection of a printing Medium 110 is carried out or not.

0020According to a further, not illustrated embodiment, of the present invention is the antenna 122 between the output of the printing unit 102 and a print head of the Printing unit 102 arranged for example between the dispensing device 118 and the print head of the printing unit 102. This arrangement has the advantage that with a single label printing no flaws, so exuberant tags, arise. The printing unit 102 is nevertheless capable of a defective Transponder in the medium with a corresponding address to print, since the product can be withdrawn as long as the label is not completely detached from the carrier is. By an appropriate, accurate tuning of Printer control and the writing and / or reading device is This process is controlled.

0021In addition to the elements described above, the apparatus 100 further includes a printer controller 124, which in the Embodiment both the printing unit shown 102 as well as with the write and / or read device 104 communicating, as indicated by the corresponding arrows is indicated between the elements 102, 104 and 124th These interfaces occurs a data exchange between the printer controller 124 and the printing unit 102 and between the printer controller 124 and the device 104, which in the illustrated embodiment, a flow of information allows in two directions, but using depending on the desired configuration, it also sufficiently may only exchange data in a allow direction.

0022The printer controller 124 further comprises a printer data interface 126, which receives data and / or accessing information, wherein through the interface 126 and the printer controller 124 print data is received, the relayed to the printing unit be, which depending on the received the Print data printed medium.

0023In addition to the reception of the print data through the printer data interface 126 the required data between replace a main unit and the device 104th

0024In a further, not illustrated embodiment, instead of the common interface 126 another be provided interface, which means 104 is assigned, and in directly with an external device Connection is established, so that in this case via the interface 126 only data relating to the printer controller to run, and the necessary data or the data exchange between the device 104 and an external device via the means 104 assigned interface.

0025Via the interfaces, regardless of whether only one or multiple interfaces are provided, carried out the required Data exchange between an external device and of the inventive device, wherein on the one hand the required Print data for printing the label the Printing unit 102 are supplied via the interfaces, and secondly, for example the required data should be read in the transponder are received. Also, for example, certain error signals or other receive control signals from the device 100 or issued to them, so that, for example, by the Outputting a corresponding signal displayed to the external device can be, how many faulty transponder available were, and at the same time in this context, Total number of error-free labels can be displayed.

0026With regard to the medium 110 is to be noted that the representation shown in FIG. 1 only schematically In nature, and that the medium 110 in the form of a The endless belt is arranged, wherein the medium 110 into sections is divided, which define a label, and these sections are each provided with an embedded transponder provided.

0027The antenna 122, for example, as a separate component in be disposed of tape guide, which the medium of 110 the roller 108 to the printing unit 102 performs. The antenna surface the antenna 122 is selected so that they dimensions of the embedded in the medium 110 transponder has, or is even made smaller, so that during a write operation the required unambiguous assignment of antenna is added to the transponder.

0028As has already been described above, it is preferred the antenna 122 to be arranged in front of the printing unit 102, thereby quality control of the transponder label before printing provide. Defective labels can, for example, are marked with an appropriate expression, or be totally blank.

0029To ensure proper operation, has the Transponder tag individually during the encoding process in Effective area of ​​the antenna are present, and for the case that such an antenna order because small installation space in the tape guide is not possible, with appropriate Shielding ensures such a separation will.

0030According to the present invention, with respect to the electronics the transponder reader / writer 104, 122, in the simplest Case be implemented as a single board, the power supply required by the existing in the printer Power supply is provided.

0031In a further preferred embodiment, the Antenna 122 designed as a flexible flat member to to facilitate their integration even on curved tape guides.

0032The data for writing (encoding) of the transponder can on the usual printer interface 126 of a host computer (PC) are read into the printing device, and the printer controller 124 outputs this data to the device 104.. Since the data for encoding of the transponder not necessarily be printed, in accordance with another embodiment, the ESC sequence (ESC = ESCAPE) protocols expanding the printer driver to make a selection of to be printed and be able to carry data to be encoded.

0033For the above-described case in which the printer controller 124 distributing print data and data for the transponder does not accept, the transponder can be read / write-device be designed such that it is capable of the Data necessary even from the data stream of the printer interface 126 filter out.