System for RF communication between a host and a portable printer

A system for RF communication between a host device provided by a computer system or terminal, and a portable printer, said system comprising:

• at least one host device having means for communication by RF signals;
• at least one portable printer having printing means, means for communicating with said host device by RF signals to said communication means of said host device, and means for controlling said printing means and said communication means of said printer;
• and
• means for linking said host device with said portable printer to enable RF communication there between via said communication means of said host and said communication means of said printer in which said controlling means of the printer is capable of operating responsive to communications received from said linked host device until another one of said host device links with said printer, wherein said portable printer is associated with a unique identifier and address, said portable printer has a housing having thereupon a barcode representing said identifier, and said linking means of said host device further comprises an optical barcode scanner for reading said barcode, and means for identifying the address of the printer by association of said identifier of said read barcode with the address of said printer.

A system for RF communication between a host device provided by a computer system or terminal, and a portable printer, said system comprising:

• at least one host device having means for communication by RF signals;
• at least one portable printer having printing means, means for communicating with said host device by RF signals to said communication means of said host device, and means for controlling said printing means and said communication means of said printer;
• and
• means for linking said host device with said portable printer to enable RF communication there between via said communication means of said host and said communication means of said printer in which said controlling means of the printer is capable of operating responsive to communications received from said linked host device until another one of said host device links with said printer, wherein said portable printer is associated with a unique identifier and address, said portable printer has a housing having an RFID tag coupled to said housing having at least said unique identifier, and said linking means of said host device further comprises a RFID tag reader for reading said RFID tag, and means for identifying the address of the printer by association of said identifier of said read RFID tag with the address of said printer.

A system for RF communication between a host device provided by a computer system or terminal, and a portable printer, said system comprising:

• at least one host device having means for communication by RF signals;
• at least one portable printer having printing means, means for communicating with said host device by RF signals to said communication means of said host device, and means for controlling said printing means and said communication means of said printer;
• and
• means for linking said host device with said portable printer to enable RF communication there between via said communication means of said host and said communication means of said printer in which said controlling means of the printer is capable of operating responsive to communications received from said linked host device, wherein linking means comprises means for said printer to broadcast at least one link request packet to at least one of said host device in proximity, in which said one of said host device responds to said link request packet to enable said host device to be linked to said printer.

A method for RF communication between a host device provided by a computer system or terminal, having an RF communication means and a portable printer having an RF communication means, said method comprising the steps of:

• linking said host device with said portable printer to enable RF communication there between via said communication means of said host and said communication means of said printer;
• operating said printer responsive to RF communications received from said linked host device until another one of said host device links with said printer;
• and
• identifying the address of the printer by association of an identifier one of a read barcode and RFID tag associated with said printer representative of the address of said printer.

A method for RF communication between a host device provided by a computer system or terminal, having an RF communication means and a portable printer having an RF communication means, said method comprising the steps of:

• linking said host device with said portable printer to enable RF communication there between via said communication means of said host and said communication means of said printer;
• operating said printer responsive to RF communications received from said linked host device until another one of said host device links with said printer;
• and
• broadcasting from said printer a link request to one or more hosts, in which one of said hosts responds to said link request to enable said host to be linked to said printer.

A system for RF communication between a host terminal or computer system and a portable printer comprising:

• at least one host having means for communication by RF signals;
• at least one portable printer having printing means, means for communicating with said host by RF signals to said communication means of said host, and means for controlling said printing means and said communication means of said printer;
• and
• means for linking said host with said portable printer to enable RF communication there between via said communication means of said host and said communication means of said printer in which said controlling means of the printer is capable of operating responsive to communications received from said linked host, in which said linking means enables an identifier representative of said printer to be manually inputted at said host to enable said host to address said printer in RF communication.