公开(公告)号：US06411397B1

公开(公告)日：2002-06-25

申请号：US09632550

申请日：2000-08-04

申请人： Steven F. Petteruti ,  Majid Amani ,  Raymond P. Violette

发明人： Steven F. Petteruti ,  Majid Amani ,  Raymond P. Violette

IPC分类号： G06F1500

CPC分类号： G06K15/00 ,  G06F3/1293 ,  G06K2215/0002 ,  G06K2215/0097

摘要： A printer has a computer system which stores and uses multiple application programs. The printer may be a label printer which includes a printing mechanism, and a computer for controlling the printer mechanism and the advancement of label stock for the printer mechanism to print labels on the label stock. Coupled to the printer may be a barcode scanner controllable by the computer. The system includes a memory accessible by the computer which stores a plurality of application programs. Each of the application programs contains instructions which are executable by the computer to operate the printer. An application program can be selected by a user, or a host computer interfaced to the printer, or automatically by the printer, for execution by the computer. Utility files are also stored in the memory separate from the application programs which may include data and programs utilized by the selected application program. Such utility files include programs for barcode decoding, barcode encoding, and character rendering. The barcode decoding program utilizes Direct Memory Access (DMA) of the computer to capture values of a timer in the computer upon each transition in a scan data signal from the barcode scanner. The captured values are stored and then decoded to provide barcode data representing one or two-dimensional barcodes. The character rendering program provides for scaling of characters, defined in font files, to desired sizes. A graphical user interface may be used on the host computer interfaced to the printer to select various parameters of printer operation.

摘要翻译： 打印机具有存储和使用多个应用程序的计算机系统。 打印机可以是标签打印机，其包括打印机构，以及用于控制打印机机构的计算机，以及用于打印机机构的标签纸的推进，以在标签纸上打印标签。 耦合到打印机可以是可由计算机控制的条形码扫描器。 该系统包括可由存储多个应用程序的计算机访问的存储器。 每个应用程序都包含可由计算机执行以操作打印机的指令。 应用程序可以由用户或与打印机连接的主机或由打印机自动选择，以供计算机执行。 实用程序文件也与应用程序分开存储在存储器中，应用程序可能包括所选应用程序使用的数据和程序。 这样的实用程序文件包括用于条形码解码，条形码编码和字符渲染的程序。 条形码解码程序利用计算机的直接存储器访问（DMA）在来自条形码扫描器的扫描数据信号中每次转换时捕获计算机中的计时器的值。 捕获的值被存储然后被解码以提供表示一维或二维条形码的条形码数据。 字符渲染程序提供将字体文件中定义的字符缩放到所需的大小。 可以在与打印机连接的主机上使用图形用户界面来选择打印机操作的各种参数。

公开(公告)号：US6147767A

公开(公告)日：2000-11-14

申请号：US926305

申请日：1997-09-05

申请人： Steven F. Petteruti ,  Majid Amani ,  Raymond P. Violette

发明人： Steven F. Petteruti ,  Majid Amani ,  Raymond P. Violette

IPC分类号： G06F3/12 ,  G06K15/00 ,  B41B15/00 ,  B41J15/00 ,  G06F15/00

CPC分类号： G06K15/00 ,  G06F3/1293 ,  G06K2215/0002 ,  G06K2215/0097

摘要： A printer has a computer system which stores and uses multiple application programs. The printer may be a label printer which includes a printing mechanism, and a computer for controlling the printer mechanism and the advancement of label stock for the printer mechanism to print labels on the label stock. Coupled to the printer may be a barcode scanner controllable by the computer. The system includes a memory accessible by the computer which stores a plurality of application programs. Each of the application programs contains instructions which are executable by the computer to operate the printer. An application program can be selected by a user, or a host computer interfaced to the printer, or automatically by the printer, for execution by the computer. Utility files are also stored in the memory separate from the application programs which may include data and programs utilized by the selected application program. Such utility files include programs for barcode decoding, barcode encoding, and character rendering. The barcode decoding program utilizes Direct Memory Access (DMA) of the computer to capture values of a timer in the computer upon each transition in a scan data signal from the barcode scanner. The captured values are stored and then decoded to provide barcode data representing one or two-dimensional barcodes. The character rendering program provides for scaling of characters, defined in font files, to desired sizes. A graphical user interface may be used on the host computer interfaced to the printer to select various parameters of printer operation.