Patents by Inventor William Shuff
William Shuff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20170193779Abstract: A mobile tag reader that may be configured to wirelessly communicate with a security tag is provided. The mobile tag reader may include processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may be configured to determine a position of the mobile tag reader in the monitoring environment. The processing circuitry may be further configured to determine a position of the security tag in the monitoring environment based on the mobile tag reader position. The processing circuitry may be further configured to in response to a loss of confidence in the mobile tag reader position, execute a location estimating routine to determine an estimated mobile tag reader position.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2015Publication date: July 6, 2017Inventors: Robert Joseph Langer, William Shuff
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Patent number: 9524460Abstract: Media rolls, support structures for the media rolls, and media processing systems are provided. A media roll may include an identification transponder having retrievable information regarding the media units and associated media unit transponders wound around a core of the media roll. A support structure may include a spindle for supporting a media roll and include an identification coupler for communicating with the identification transponder. In addition to the spindle having the identification coupler, the media processing systems may include a second coupler for encoding the media unit transponders and a printhead for printing indicia onto the media units. The information retrieved from the identification transponder may be used to adjust one or more encoding and/or printing settings of the systems.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2007Date of Patent: December 20, 2016Assignee: ZIH Corp.Inventors: Boris Y. Tsirline, Karl Torchalski, Martin Andreas Karl Schwan, Steven Kovanko, Anthony Brown, Chris Aiello, Daniel F. Donato, Robert Gawelczyk, Tom Zwier, William Shuff
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Patent number: 8870478Abstract: Media rolls, support structures for the media rolls, and media processing systems are provided. A media roll may include an identification transponder having retrievable information regarding the media units and associated media unit transponders wound around a core of the media roll. A support structure may include a spindle for supporting a media roll and include an identification coupler for communicating with the identification transponder. In addition to the spindle having the identification coupler, the media processing systems may include a second coupler for encoding the media unit transponders and a printhead for printing indicia onto the media units. The information retrieved from the identification transponder may be used to adjust one or more encoding and/or printing settings of the systems.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2007Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: ZIH Corp.Inventors: Boris Y. Tsirline, Karl Torchalski, Martin Andreas Karl Schwan, Steven Kovanko, Anthony Brown, Chris Aiello, Robert Gawelczyk, Tom Zwier, William Shuff
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Patent number: 7498942Abstract: A printer controller system for controlling printing on media (e.g., a strip of labels) supporting a series of RFID transponders and for communicating detection of void RFID transponders to downstream devices. The printer controller system includes a void detection system for detecting void RFID transponders, a printing system for controlling printing to the media and a void communication system for communicating detection of the void RFID transponder to downstream devices. This allows the downstream device, such as a label peeler, to anticipate the void RFID transponder and deal with it accordingly. The printer controller may include a media advancement system that is configured to continue advancing the media and RFID transponders past the print head even when the RFID transponder is detected and avoid slowing the printing process. The printer controller system may be configured to submit void indicia to a print head and recommunicate a formatted image when a RFID transponder has been voided.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2006Date of Patent: March 3, 2009Assignee: ZIH CorporationInventors: Karl Torchalski, William Shuff, Anthony Brown, Daniel F. Donato, Martin Schwan
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Patent number: 7489243Abstract: A calibration apparatus for determining a location of a transponder supported by a printer media. The calibration apparatus uses a transceiver to attempt to read, write or otherwise communicate with the transponder. Controller logic of the calibration apparatus uses successful and unsuccessful attempts to communicate to determine the location of the transponder. For example, the controller may be configured to move the media in increments, each of the increments associated with a successful or unsuccessful attempt to communicate with the transponder. The successful attempts, and their relative media positions, are correlated with the position of the transponder. Also, the controller may be configured to use different power levels for the transceiver and its one or more couplers to determine which power levels are required to successfully communicate with the transponder.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2006Date of Patent: February 10, 2009Assignee: ZIH Corp.Inventors: Anthony R. Brown, Karl Torchalski, William Shuff, Matt Ream, Eugene Borisov
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Publication number: 20080298822Abstract: Media rolls, support structures for the media rolls, and media processing systems are provided. A media roll may include an identification transponder having retrievable information regarding the media units and associated media unit transponders wound around a core of the media roll. A support structure may include a spindle for supporting a media roll and include an identification coupler for communicating with the identification transponder. In addition to the spindle having the identification coupler, the media processing systems may include a second coupler for encoding the media unit transponders and a printhead for printing indicia onto the media units. The information retrieved from the identification transponder may be used to adjust one or more encoding and/or printing settings of the systems.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2007Publication date: December 4, 2008Inventors: Boris Y. Tsirline, Karl Torchalski, Martin Andreas Karl Schwan, Steven Kovanko, Anthony Brown, Chris Aiello, Daniel F. Donato, Robert Gawelczyk, Tom Zwier, William Shuff
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Publication number: 20080298870Abstract: Media rolls, support structures for the media rolls, and media processing systems are provided. A media roll may include an identification transponder having retrievable information regarding the media units and associated media unit transponders wound around a core of the media roll. A support structure may include a spindle for supporting a media roll and include an identification coupler for communicating with the identification transponder. In addition to the spindle having the identification coupler, the media processing systems may include a second coupler for encoding the media unit transponders and a printhead for printing indicia onto the media units. The information retrieved from the identification transponder may be used to adjust one or more encoding and/or printing settings of the systems.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2007Publication date: December 4, 2008Inventors: Boris Y. Tsirline, Karl Torchalski, Martin Andreas Karl Schwan, Steven Kovanko, Anthony Brown, Chris Aiello, Robert Gawelczyk, Tom Zwier, William Shuff
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Publication number: 20070176781Abstract: A calibration apparatus for determining a location of a transponder supported by a printer media. The calibration apparatus uses a transceiver to attempt to read, write or otherwise communicate with the transponder. Controller logic of the calibration apparatus uses successful and unsuccessful attempts to communicate to determine the location of the transponder. For example, the controller may be configured to move the media in increments, each of the increments associated with a successful or unsuccessful attempt to communicate with the transponder. The successful attempts, and their relative media positions, are correlated with the position of the transponder. Also, the controller may be configured to use different power levels for the transceiver and its one or more couplers to determine which power levels are required to successfully communicate with the transponder.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2006Publication date: August 2, 2007Inventors: Anthony Brown, Karl Torchalski, William Shuff, Matt Ream, Eugene Borisov
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Patent number: 7190270Abstract: A calibration apparatus for determining a location of a transponder supported by a printer media. The calibration apparatus uses a transceiver to attempt to read, write or otherwise communicate with the transponder. Controller logic of the calibration apparatus uses successful and unsuccessful attempts to communicate to determine the location of the transponder. For example, the controller may be configured to move the media in increments, each of the increments associated with a successful or unsuccessful attempt to communicate with the transponder. The successful attempts, and their relative media positions, are correlated with the position of the transponder. Also, the controller may be configured to use different power levels for the transceiver and its one or more couplers to determine which power levels are required to successfully communicate with the transponder.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2004Date of Patent: March 13, 2007Assignee: ZIH Corp.Inventors: Anthony R. Brown, Karl Torchalski, William Shuff, Matt Ream, Eugene Borisov
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Publication number: 20060232411Abstract: A printer controller system for controlling printing on media (e.g., a strip of labels) supporting a series of RFID transponders and for communicating detection of void RFID transponders to downstream devices. The printer controller system includes a void detection system for detecting void RFID transponders, a printing system for controlling printing to the media and a void communication system for communicating detection of the void RFID transponder to downstream devices. This allows the downstream device, such as a label peeler, to anticipate the void RFID transponder and deal with it accordingly. The printer controller may include a media advancement system that is configured to continue advancing the media and RFID transponders past the print head even when the RFID transponder is detected and avoid slowing the printing process. The printer controller system may be configured to submit void indicia to a print head and re-communicate a formatted image when a RFID transponder has been voided.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2006Publication date: October 19, 2006Applicant: ZIH Corp.Inventors: Karl Torchalski, William Shuff, Anthony Brown, Daniel Donato, Martin Schwan
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Publication number: 20060109496Abstract: A calibration apparatus for determining a location of a transponder supported by a printer media. The calibration apparatus uses a transceiver to attempt to read, write or otherwise communicate with the transponder. Controller logic of the calibration apparatus uses successful and unsuccessful attempts to communicate to determine the location of the transponder. For example, the controller may be configured to move the media in increments, each of the increments associated with a successful or unsuccessful attempt to communicate with the transponder. The successful attempts, and their relative media positions, are correlated with the position of the transponder. Also, the controller may be configured to use different power levels for the transceiver and its one or more couplers to determine which power levels are required to successfully communicate with the transponder.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2004Publication date: May 25, 2006Inventors: Anthony Brown, Karl Torchalski, William Shuff, Matt Ream, Eugene Borisov