Abstract: In one embodiment, a hammer bank for a line printer includes a back plate having a front surface, a back surface and a uniform thickness between the front and back surfaces. At least one hammer is disposed in front of the back plate. The at least one hammer is spring-biased for forward movement and away from the back plate and is releasably retained against such forward movement by a magnetic force acting rearwardly thereon. An elongated pole piece that is associated with the at least one hammer extends forwardly from the front surface of the back plate and is selectively operable to interrupt the magnetic force acting thereon.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for preventing hammer coils of a line printer hammer bank from overheating during printing includes establishing the maximum allowable temperature threshold of any given hammer coil, monitoring the temperature of all hammer coils during printing, keeping a moving average of dots printed per unit time on each hammer coil, and if one or more coils reach a temperature higher than the threshold, determining the current maximum dot-per-hammer density that the hot coils can print per stroke of the hammer bank that will enable them to cool down adequately from their current temperatures. The rate of printing is restricted to this current established maximum dot-per-hammer density on only those coils which have a temperature at or above the maximum allowable temperature, minus a suitable hysteresis.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an intelligent printer ribbon cartridge includes a microcontroller that monitors sensors related to the ribbon cartridge for use in a line matrix printer. The ribbon cartridge contains an impact printing ribbon in the form of either a simple loop, a mobius loop, or a long strip of ribbon connected to two spools, with one spool at each end of the cartridge. The ribbon cartridge is able to monitor at least one motion sensor, process the information, and perform a suitable action or communicate an action or information to the printer. This allows the ribbon cartridge to adapt or instruct the printer to adapt with any new types of ribbons, ribbon cartridges, formats, etc. so that the printing may occur with virtually any type of ribbon/cartridge.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a hammer bank for a line printer includes a back plate having a front surface, a back surface and a uniform thickness between the front and back surfaces. At least one hammer is disposed in front of the back plate. The at least one hammer is spring-biased for forward movement and away from the back plate and is releasably retained against such forward movement by a magnetic force acting rearwardly thereon. An elongated pole piece that is associated with the at least one hammer extends forwardly from the front surface of the back plate and is selectively operable to interrupt the magnetic force acting thereon.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for preventing hammer coils of a line printer hammer bank from overheating during printing includes establishing the maximum allowable temperature threshold of any given hammer coil, monitoring the temperature of all hammer coils during printing, keeping a moving average of dots printed per unit time on each hammer coil, and if one or more coils reach a temperature higher than the threshold, determining the current maximum dot-per-hammer density that the hot coils can print per stroke of the hammer bank that will enable them to cool down adequately from their current temperatures. The rate of printing is restricted to this current established maximum dot-per-hammer density on only those coils which have a temperature at or above the maximum allowable temperature, minus a suitable hysteresis.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a hammer bank for a line printer includes a back plate and a plurality of elongated pole pieces extending forwardly from a front surface thereof. Each of the pole pieces has an electrical coil disposed about a circumfery thereof. A permanent magnet has a back surface coupled to the front surface of the back plate, and a shunt fret defining a plurality of elongated, downwardly extending shunts has a back surface coupled to a font surface of the permanent magnet. A hammer fret defining a plurality of elongated, upwardly extending hammers has a back surface coupled to the front surface of the back plate. Each of the hammers is interdigitated between a pair of adjacent shunts. Each hammer includes an elongated spring portion having a hammer head disposed at an upper end thereof, and each hammer head has a forwardly projecting printing tip thereon.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a ribbon cassette includes two rows of spherical bumps extending between sidewalls of the cassette on both a floor and ceiling of the cassette and a pair of concentric arched retaining walls on both the floor and ceiling between an exit gate and the rows of bumps. In another embodiment, there is only one row of bumps and one retaining wall on the floor and ceiling. In another embodiment, the retaining walls are straight. The two rows and retaining walls, along with cassette sidewalls, form three distinct zones for densely packing the ribbon, unpacking the ribbon, and isolating the ribbon, resulting in less jamming with longer lengths of ribbon.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an intelligent printer ribbon cartridge includes a microcontroller that monitors sensors related to the ribbon cartridge for use in a line matrix printer. The ribbon cartridge contains an impact printing ribbon in the form of either a simple loop, a mobius loop, or a long strip of ribbon connected to two spools, with one spool at each end of the cartridge. The ribbon cartridge is able to monitor at least one motion sensor, process the information, and perform a suitable action or communicate an action or information to the printer. This allows the ribbon cartridge to adapt or instruct the printer to adapt with any new types of ribbons, ribbon cartridges, formats, etc. so that the printing may occur with virtually any type of ribbon/cartridge.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a ribbon cassette includes two rows of spherical bumps extending between sidewalls of the cassette on both a floor and ceiling of the cassette and a pair of concentric arched retaining walls on both the floor and ceiling between an exit gate and the rows of bumps. In another embodiment, there is only one row of bumps and one retaining wall on the floor and ceiling. In another embodiment, the retaining walls are straight. The two rows and retaining walls, along with cassette sidewalls, form three distinct zones for densely packing the ribbon, unpacking the ribbon, and isolating the ribbon, resulting in less jamming with longer lengths of ribbon.

Abstract: A printer and a process for correlating printed subject matter with subject matter that is meant to be printed by a printer with a printing mechanism or print engine such as a thermal printer including a print head, a platen, a media upon which labels are printed and a printer controller for imparting print data to the print head. An imager sends printed data as imaged to a read after print (RAP) controller for comparing the data received from the imager to data imparted to the print head or other printing mechanism. A tap, taps the data imparted from the print head and correlates it with the imaged data to determine the media speed, the image alignment, label analysis, weighing of blemishes, the gaps printed on a label, and other criteria.

Abstract: A printer and a process for correlating printed subject matter with subject matter that is meant to be printed by a printer with a printing mechanism or print engine such as a thermal printer including a print head, a platen, a media upon which labels are printed and a printer controller for imparting print data to the print head. An imager sends printed data as imaged to a read after print (RAP) controller for comparing the data received from the imager to data imparted to the print head or other printing mechanism. A tap, taps the data imparted from the print head and correlates it with the imaged data to determine the media speed, the image alignment, label analysis, weighing of blemishes, the gaps printed on a label, and other criteria.

Abstract: A shaped conductive pattern is located very-close to the top and bottom edges of a print ribbon, e.g., 0.18? or less, where the conductive pattern is sewn using a partially conductive thread, such as 20% steel and 80% polyester. A two-piece clamp used to sew the conductive feature has shaped opening in both pieces, a peripheral groove surrounding the shaped opening and vertical grooves outside peripheral groove in one piece, and a peripheral tongue surrounding the shaped opening and vertical tongues outside the peripheral tongue in the other piece, where the width of the vertical grooves is larger than the width of the peripheral groove.

Abstract: A method and system for enhancing the accuracy of RFID tag reading is disclosed. An imaging device is used to facilitate aiming of the RFID tag in a manner that mitigates the likelihood of inadvertently reading a nearby RFID tag instead of the desired tag. In this manner, the utility of the RFID reader is substantially enhanced.

Abstract: An RFID verifier is configured to vary a slope for a ramp-modulated interrogating signal to determine the slope at which an interrogated RFID tag no longer responds to the interrogating signal. In this fashion, the RFID verifier may obtain a measure of quality for the interrogated RFID tag with respect to the tag's ability to decode ramp-modulated signals.

Abstract: A method of remotely controlling a client device is provided within a network having a network server coupled to a first side of a firewall from a web server coupled to a second side of the firewall. The network server initiates a service request for the client device through the transmission of an HTTP request through a conventional TCP/IP socket in the firewall to the web server. The web server dynamically alters content that in turn may be accessed by a user, which may either be a human user or an automated user. In response to downloading the altered content, the user transmits an HTTP request to the web server, which causes the web server to alter content that may then be downloaded by the network server. The network server interprets this altered content so as to control the device accordingly.

Abstract: An RFID verifier includes a transmit signal strength indicator (TSSI) and a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI). Using the TSSI, the RFID verifier may determine the amount of power an interrogated RFID tag is illuminated with. Similarly, using the RSSI, the RFID verifier may determine the amount of power returned to the RFID verifier by the RFID tag. By processing the returned power and the illuminating power with a transfer function, the RFID verifier may provide an absolute indicia of quality for the interrogated RFID tag.

Abstract: A ribbon identification system detects a digitally encoded tract comprised of radially printed bands of dark and light areas positioned on a ribbon spool that fits on a media printing device. Each type and length of ribbon to be used is associated with a specific and unique digitally encoded tract. When the ribbon spool is positioned correctly on the printing device, the digitally encoded tract is detected, and the control program of the printing device sets the parameters associated with that ribbon automatically ensuring proper printing. Through the digitally encoded tract, the ribbon spool is uniquely identified so that once it has been determined by the printing device's control program that the ribbon has been depleted, that ribbon spool, if reinstalled on the same printing device at a later time, will be recognized as a depleted ribbon, and the printing device will not function.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system is provided that includes: a laser source is provided that producing a laser beam that diverges in a first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; a lens positioned to receive the laser beam from the laser source and provide a magnified laser beam; and an opaque screen having an elongated aperture having a longitudinal axis aligned substantially parallel to the first direction, the aperture being positioned to intercept the magnified laser beam such that a projected laser beam from the aperture is focused into an elongated illumination spot, the elongated illumination spot having a longitudinal axis aligned substantially parallel to the second direction.

Abstract: A ribbon identification system detects a digitally encoded tract comprised of radially printed bands of dark and light areas positioned on a ribbon spool that fits on a media printing device. Each type and length of ribbon to be used is associated with a specific and unique digitally encoded tract. When the ribbon spool is positioned correctly on the printing device, the digitally encoded tract is detected, and the control program of the printing device sets the parameters associated with that ribbon automatically ensuring proper printing. Through the digitally encoded tract, the ribbon spool is uniquely identified so that once it has been determined by the printing device's control program that the ribbon has been depleted, that ribbon spool, if reinstalled on the same printing device at a later time, will be recognized as a depleted ribbon, and the printing device will not function.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a capacitive encoding system is provided that includes a pair of capacitive elements formed from an arrangement of stripline conductors.