US 5,267,800 AGranted

Miniature, portable, interactive printer

AssigneeComtec Informations, Inc.

InventorsAlfred J. Petteruti, Steven F. Petteruti, Ralph Almonte, Majid Amani

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Abstract

An intelligent, portable printer having a microprocessor controller, a printing mechanism and a web feed mechanism is integrated into an assembly which, together with a battery pack, may weigh about 2 pounds and be about 80 cubic inches in volume. The web has removable, adhesively attached labels which may be printed with bar codes, graphics, text or lines. Because the printer is so small and light in weight, it may be used at any site where labels are required. By labels is meant any tickets, stickers, or other patches of the type which are removably attachable to a carrier (so-called "label-stock"). The controller includes a microprocessor which communicates interactively with a terminal, which may contain a host computer, and which supplies data representing the material to be printed. The controller in the printer converts such data into the bar codes, graphics, text (in various fonts) or lines for operating the printing mechanism. The state of the printer is communicated to the terminal and both operate interactively to produce the labels.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A printer responsive to data represensting information to be printed and control commands from a terminal said printer comprising a printer mechanism having printing elements, a spool for receiving a roll of web stock on which printing is carried out in successive lines by said printing elements of said printing mechanism, said printing mechanism having means for feeding said stock past said printing elements, an electronic controller responsive to said commands and data for operating said printing mechanism and having means for generating data representing the operating state of said printing mechanism and transmitting said state data to said terminal, and a housing containing said printing mechanism, said spool, and said controller, said housing, said printing mechanism, said spool and said controller comprising an integrated assembly having a weight not exceeding about 2 pounds and a volume not exceeding about 80 cubic inches, said housing having opposite side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, an opening in said front wall, said printer mechanism having a platen roller which extends across said opening in said front wall, means in said housing defining a path of travel for said web around said roller, said web having opposite surfaces one of which is disposed on said roller as said web travels around said roller along said path and the other of which has labels of web material releasably attached thereto which separate from said other surface as said web travels around said roller, a peeler bar having a surface and an edge, said bar extending across said opening with said edge adjacent to said roller having a gap through which said web passes while said labels are engaged by said bar along said edge and said surface thereof.

A printer having a housing containing a printing mechanism having printing elements and an electronic controller for receiving commands and data from a terminal for operating said printing mechanism, and means for holding a web of stocks for receiving printing, wherein said controller has a data input line from said terminal (TXD), a data output line from said terminal (RXD), said operating commands and said data for operating said printing mechanism being transmitted on said TXD line and said data representing the operating state of said machine being transmitted on said RXD line, said controller having means responsive to control commands selected from the group consisting of a print contrast command, a command to control printing effects, a serial number of the printer reporting command, a battery level reporting command, a web feed direction command, and a total length of web printed reporting command, and a total length of web printed reporting command, said controller having means for generating multi-bit data signals different bytes of which represent status data consisting of data representing the printing mechanism being busy in process of printing, the web being out of said printing mechanism, the printing elements being in position to print, the power to the controller having been turned off and the on again, the feed direction of said web, and the print contrast.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.