Cartridge reader that accepts data cartridges both in and out of data cartridge cases

A system comprising:

• a data cartridge comprising a bar code and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag storing cartridge memory (CM) data;
• a cartridge reader comprising:
• an RFID unit that reads the CM data from the RFID tag of the data cartridge;
• a bar code unit that reads bar code data from the bar code of the data cartridge;
• and
• a housing that encloses the RFID unit and the bar code unit, wherein the housing defines a first receiving area and a second receiving area,
• wherein the first receiving area is configured to accept the data cartridge when the data cartridge is enclosed in a case and enables the bar code unit to read the bar code data from the bar code of the data cartridge when the data cartridge is enclosed in the case, and
• wherein the second receiving area is configured to accept the data cartridge when the data cartridge is not enclosed in the case and enables the bar code unit to read the bar code data from the bar code of the data cartridge when the data cartridge is not enclosed in the case;
• and
• a computing device coupled to the cartridge reader, wherein the computing device causes the cartridge reader to retrieve the bar code data and the CM data from the data cartridge, and wherein the computing device receives the bar code data and the CM data from the cartridge reader.

A device comprising:

• means for reading cartridge memory (CM) data from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag of a data cartridge;
• means for reading bar code data from a bar code of the data cartridge;
• and
• housing means for enclosing the means for reading CM data and the means for reading bar code data,
• wherein the housing means comprises means for accepting the data cartridge when the data cartridge is enclosed in a case that enables the means for reading the bar code data to read the bar code data from the bar code of the data cartridge when the data cartridge is enclosed in the case, and
• wherein the housing means comprises means for accepting the data cartridge when the data cartridge is not enclosed in the case that enables the means for reading the bar code data to read the bar code data from the bar code of the data cartridge when the data cartridge is not enclosed in the case.