GB2464753A

GB2464753A - Mounting plate for RFID reader

Info

Publication number: GB2464753A
Application number: GB0819659A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Glen Stocker; Chris Waine; Barry Dodd
Original assignee: GSM PRIMOGRAPHIC
Current assignee: GSM PRIMOGRAPHIC
Priority date: 2008-10-28
Filing date: 2008-10-28
Publication date: 2010-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 2028-10-28
Also published as: GB0819659D0; GB2464753B

Abstract

A mounting plate 702 for retrofitting to a thermal printer that comprises at least one RFID reader 601, 602 arranged to read data from a RFID tag (501b, 502b, Figs. 5a & 5b) on a media or ribbon roll (501, 502, Figs. 5a & 5b) for use with the thermal printer, the data identifying one or more properties of the ribbon or media. The printer may also have a control system to inhibit operation of the printer if the data read from the RFID tag (501b, 502b, Figs. 5a & 5b) is incompatible with the printer.

Description

Label printing The present invention relates to label printing, and in particular, although not exclusively, to printing labels for automotive components.

Label printing is generally used in the automotive industry to convey information regarding the product to which the label is applied. For example, the label may have a brand label printed onto it, a barcode that can be electronically scanned to provide information to a computer, or technical information. There are various types of labels and printing processes that are selected according to the intended use. Furthermore, there are standards in place that dictate certain characteristics of the label. As such, all printed labels must be compliant with these standards.

"Standard" labels are labels that have information such as security details, the operating temperature of the automotive component and component identification details, e.g. part number. The component, might, for example, be a Vehicle Identification Plate (VIN). Standards specify that these labels be made of a material that is suitable for the automotive component and the operating conditions. For example, the label material should not deteriorate or disassociate itself from the component with the passage of time. This material can be either a SeIf-Destructing Material or a Tamper Evident material such as a Void Polyester.

Printed "tags" are labels that are more specifically used under the automobile bonnet the vehicles A, B or C frame or within a cockpit interior, for example, attached to the fuse box. These labels must provide clear and effective instructions that are easily noticed by the reader. Accordingly, the tags are printed to contain bright shading and/or a bold typeface. The tag material must therefore be suitable to absorb the shading and withstand the operating conditions to prevent discolouring.

Some countries have legal provisions that stipulate that all vehicles have a nameplate label that uniquely identifies the vehicle. For example, in the UK, all vehicles must have both a Vehicle Identification Nameplate (VIN) and a Visible Vehicle Identification Nameplate (VIS VIN). Although such nameplates have traditionally been produced by laser engraving or embossing metal plates, vehicle manufacturers have begun to use a comparatively cheaper process of printing known as thermal transfer.

Thermal transfer printing involves heating a printhead and then applying the heated printhead to a thermal ribbon. A thermal ribbon has a material applied to a surface of the ribbon that melts upon heating. The printhead, thermal ribbon and label are in contact with each other at the time of printing, and due to the printhead applying heat to the thermal ribbon, the material on the ribbon melts onto the label and quickly dries to leave a permanent print. In order to print over an extended surface, either the ribbon and label are moved under a printhead, or the ribbon and label are held stationary whilst the printhead moves across them. Of course, thermal transfer printing can be used to mark a product directly, as opposed to printing on a label and then fixing the printed label to the product. Thermal transfer printers are complex machines that have in built computer processors and computer memory to store and execute programs that control the printing process. For example, a single printer may have multiple programs stored upon it, with each program causing the printer to execute different print jobs.

In practice, automotive manufacturers purchase thermal transfer printers and the thermal ribbons and labels from one or several suppliers and install the printers at their manufacturing line. As the printing process is quite specialised, the manufacturers often seek technical advice from the supplier on the type of label and ribbon that should be used for a particular purpose. The labels and ribbons are each supplied on cylindrical rolls that load in the printers. The suppliers may also be involved in providing the code that tailors the printer operation to perform the intended task.

Furthermore, due to the high cost involved in purchasing the printers, a manufacturer typically uses a single printer for more than one task. Hence, the printer operator must routinely change the thermal ribbon andlor label according to the particular print job at hand. After the label is printed, the labels are collected and separately applied to the component.

The printer operator may not be a specialised technician in the operation of the printer.

As a result, it is not uncommon for an operator to use an incorrect label material and/or ribbon. Should either of these be unsuitable, the ribbon may print an ill defined image, the label may not accept the material from the ribbon or the image may not fit the label size. The resultant label, although aesthetically correct, may not be compliant with industry standards if the wrong label and/or ribbon material has been used. The print operation is extremely fast, and means that a large amount of labels and ribbon can be wasted if the operator does not quickly spot the error and stop the operation. This loss is compounded by the printing process having to be stopped whilst the faulty labels are identified and disposed of. Furthermore, although the printed label may appear to have printed correctly, the label can suffer degradation in time and it is not possible to spot this at the time of printing.

Perhaps the most significant issue is that a ribbon and label that are incompatible with each other may be loaded into the thermal printer and create faulty labels and/or damage the ribbon.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a mounting plate for retrofitting to a thermal printer. The mounting plate includes at least one RFID reader arranged to read data from a RFID tag on a ribbon or media roll for use with the thermal printer, where the data identifies one or more properties of the ribbon or media.

This enables the ribbon and/or media loaded in the thermal printer to be identified. In particular, it makes it possible to identify the fact that a pair of ribbon or media rolls that are incompatible with each other have been loaded.

The one or more properties of the ribbon or media, may, for example include physical properties of the ribbon or media, and/or a field that denotes the ribbon or media type.

The mounting plate may include a control system that operates, and receives data from, the at least one RFID reader. By providing the mounting plate with the control system, there is minimal technical skill required to install and operate the RFID reader.

The control system may include a processor that receives the data from the at least one RFID reader. The processor determines the one or more properties of the ribbon or media type from the data, and inhibits the thermal printer from printing if the determined properties are not permitted or if no data is received from the at least one RFID reader.

The control system, by preventing printing should the ribbon and media be incompatible with each other, or have non-permitted properties, protects against faulty or non-compliant labels being printed. Furthermore, by not allowing printing to occur if no data is received from the RFID reader, it prevents a user from bypassing the RFID system by using non-RFID enabled ribbon or media rolls.

The at least one RFID reader may be a ribbon RFID reader that is a ferrite coil antenna and which may be fixed so that it is displaced apart from the surface of the mounting plate. This reduces the effects of interference from any metal in the mounting plate and/or thermal printer.

The mounting plate can be provided with a hole and the ribbon RFID reader fixed around the perimeter of the hole to enable the mounting plate to fit over a ribbon spindle of the thermal printer onto which the ribbon roll is loaded.

The at least one RFID reader may be a media RFID reader that is a cylindrical ferrite antenna. The media RFID reader could be arranged on the mounting plate such that, when the media roll has been loaded in the thermal printer, the media RFID reader is situated within an interior space defined by the media roll. The media RFID reader may also be mounted at an end of a protruding member extending substantially perpendicular to the surface of the mounting plate such that, in use, the media RFID reader is adjacent to the media tag to be scanned.

In use, the cylindrical antenna therefore fits within the core of the media roll to read the data on the media RFID tag. This allows for an easier retrofitting and enables a larger read range because the antenna is based at the centre of the media roll.

The displacement of the media RFID reader with respect to the mounting plate may be adjustable. The mounting plate can therefore be used with a variety of printers that have different widths or with media rolls that are of different widths.

A thermal printer may be provided that is fitted with the mounting plate. The thermal printer being arranged not to print if one or more properties of the ribbon or media are determined as being different to one or more permitted ribbon or media properties, or the ribbon and media are incompatible with each other.

Optionally, a user can control the permitted ribbon or media properties. It is therefore possible to change the ribbon or media properties that are to be permitted according to the needs of a print job.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a RFID reader for retrofitting to a thermal printer. The RFID reader is arranged in use to read identification data from a ribbon or media roll loaded in the thermal printer.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a ribbon or media roll for use with a thermal printer. The roll comprises a body for receiving a ribbon or media, and a RFID tag coupled to the body. The RFID tag is arranged for the storage of data that identifies one or more properties of the ribbon or media.

The RFID tag may be located such that ribbon or media is wound over the top of it. In other words, the tag may be an integral part of the roll, rather than added after the roll is wound onto the body. The RFID tag may be a coil situated at an end of the body so that, on loading into the thermal printer, it is adjacent to a RFID reader mounted in the thermal printer.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit for retrofitting to a thermal printer. The kit includes at least one RFID reader that is arranged to read data from a RFID tag on a ribbon or media roll that identifies one or more properties of the ribbon or media. The kit also comprises a control system for operating the RFID reader, where the control system is arranged to cause the thermal printer not to print if one or more properties of the ribbon or media are incompatible with each other. The kit may include a mounting plate that receives the at least one RFID reader and control system. Optionally, the kit may include a ribbon RFID reader and a media RFID reader.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a control system for operating a thermal printer. The control system includes a processor arranged to instruct at least one RFID reader of the thermal printer to read data from a RFID tag on a ribbon or media roll that identifies one or properties of the ribbon or media. The processor is further arranged to receive the data read by the at least one RFID reader and determine, from the received data, if one or more properties of the ribbon or media are different to permitted properties or if the rolls are incompatible with each other. The processor is arranged to inhibit the thermal printer from printing if it is determined that one or more properties of the ribbon or media are different to permitted properties or are incompatible with each other.

The permitted ribbon or media properties and/or compatibility data may be stored on the control system and could, for example, be changed according to the requirements of a print job to be performed by the thermal printer.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a computer program for operating a thermal printer. The computer program includes instructions for instructing at least one RFID reader of the thermal printer to read data from a RFID tag on a ribbon or media roll; where the data identifies one or properties of the ribbon or media. The computer program further receives the data read by the at least one RFID reader and determines from the received data, if one or more properties of the ribbon or media are different to permitted ribbon or media properties or are incompatible with each other. The computer program inhibits the thermal printer from printing if it is determined that one or more properties of the ribbon or media are different to permitted ribbon or media properties or are incompatible with each other.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a thermal printer comprising at least one RFID reader arranged to read identification data from a RFID tag on a ribbon and/or media roll that identifies the type of ribbon or media. The thermal printer is arranged not to print if the identified ribbon or media type are incompatible with each other.

The invention also provides a method of operating a printer. A ribbon RFID reader reads ribbon identification data from a ribbon RFID tag associated with a ribbon roll loaded in the printer. A media RFID reader reads media identification data from a media RFID tag associated with a media roll loaded in the printer. The ribbon identification data and media identification data are used to determine whether the ribbon and media are compatible with each other. The printer prints onto the media only if the ribbon and media are compatible with each other.

Some preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the inside of the thermal printer that has not been loaded with ribbon or media rolls; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the inside of the thermal printer that has been loaded with ribbon or media rolls; Figure 4a is a perspective view of a typical blank media roll for use with the thermal printer; Figure 4b is a perspective view of a typical ribbon roll for use with the thermal printer; Figure 5a is a perspective view of a RFID media core; Figure 5b is a perspective view of a RFID ribbon core; Figure 6a is a perspective view of a media RFID reader; Figure 6b is a perspective view of a ribbon RFID reader; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a mounting plate for retrofitting to the thermal printer shown in Figures 1 to 3; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the inside of a thermal printer fitted with the mounting plate and not loaded media and ribbon rolls; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of the inside of a thermal printer fitted with the mounting plate and loaded with media and ribbon rolls.

In order to describe embodiments of the present invention, it is necessary to provide a brief description and explanation of how currently known thermal printers operate.

A known thermal printer 101 is illustrated in Figure 1. This printer may, for example, be one of the widely available models ZebraRTM 90, 110 or 170 Xilll. A typical set of dimensions of such a printer is 300mm in width, 500mm in depth and 400mm in height.

However, the width of the printer can be larger or smaller to allow for larger width of labels to be printed. The thermal printer 101 has a control panel 102 for the operator to enter instructions and a removable side 104 that allows access to the inside of the thermal printer 101 50 that it can be serviced without the need to open the thermal printer 101. A media roll 103 is loaded in the printer and can be seen in the figure.

Figures 2 and 3 show the inside of the thermal printer 101, in unloaded and loaded states respectively. The main components involved in the printing process are mounted to a sidewall 201 of the printer, which will be referred to as the chassis side 201 for the rest of this description. A media supply guide 202 is situated at the chassis side 201 of the thermal printer 101. The media supply guide 202 has an elongate portion 206 that has a curved outer surface and two hanger arms 207, 208. The blank media is provided as a media roll 103 and the roll is hung onto the media supply guide 202. The two hanger arms hold the roll in place. Ribbon is also provided on a ribbon roll 306 that is loaded on a ribbon supply spindle 203, whilst a ribbon take-up spindle 204 receives the ribbon from the ribbon supply spindle 203. The media supply guide 202, ribbon supply spindle 203 and ribbon take-up spindle 204 are connected to circuits that can control the components to vary the speed at which printing takes place. The ribbon take-up spindle 204 feeds the ribbon to a print arm 205 that has a print head located at the top of the print arm 205. The print arm 205 consists of various other components that are not described in detail here.

Figure 4a shows a typical blank media roll 103. The media roll 103 has a plastic or cardboard core 401 onto which the media is wound. In this case the media roll 103 is a label roll and the roll has a back fixing portion onto which a series of labels 402 are adhesively coupled, by glue, for example. The labels 402 shown in the figure are of a rectangular shape, but can be a different shape if required. Once the labels have been printed upon, they can be peeled off the back fixing portion and fixed onto a product/component.

Figure 4b shows a typical ribbon roll 306. The ribbon is typically wound around a core 403.

An operator would typically be responsible for loading the correct ribbon and media rolls onto the ribbon supply spindle 203 and media supply guide 202. The operator would also feed the free end of the ribbon to the ribbon take-up spindle 204 and onto the top end of the print arm 205. The print arm 205 has a ribbon guiding portion (not shown) that grips and guides the ribbon under the print head of the print arm 205.

Similarly, the operator also feeds the free end of the media roll 103 under the ribbon supply guide and ribbon take-up spindle 204, as shown in Figure 3, through to a media guiding portion on the print arm 205 that grips and guides the label under the ribbon and print head. In order to gain access to these components, the operator must detach the removable side cover 104 of the thermal printer 101 and reattach it after the printer has been loaded.

Operation of the thermal printer 101 will now be briefly described.

Once loaded, the operator enters instructions using the control panel 102 in order to initiate printing. The print arm 205 is connected to control circuits that cause the ribbon and label guiding portions to pull the ribbon and label under the print head, whilst also controlling the print head to move down and press onto the ribbon and label simultaneously so as to create a mark at predetermined locations on the label area to create a desired image. The resultant image can be very complicated and the print head has individual printing elements that are controlled independently to print to a high resolution. The media guiding portion continues to pull on the label and causes the printed portion of the label to exit through a slot in the front wall of the printer.

As mentioned earlier, the type of ribbon and media must be carefully chosen. If the wrong ribbon or media is used, the printer, as well as the ribbon and/or media, may become damaged. In particular, the ribbon and media may be incompatible with each other which can cause faulty labels to be printed or damage the ribbon/media. It is expensive to replace or repair the printer, whilst the ribbon and media are also relatively expensive, and such errors can be costly.

Figures 5a and Sb show the cores of a RFID adapted media and ribbon roll 501, 502 respectively, for use with a thermal printer 101 to prevent printing with an incorrect ribbon or media, or ribbon and media that are incompatible with each other. Both rolls have a cylindrical plastic core SOla, 502b and a RFID tag SOib, 502b (also known as a "transponder") wound around the outer surface of the plastic core SOla, 502a, and the ribbon/media is wound onto the outer surface of the plastic core SOla, 502a, i.e. the ribbon/media is wound over the RFID tag SOib, 502b. The RFID tag SOib, 502b has a number of turns of thin copper wire that form a coil, which is connected to an integrated circuit (IC) (not shown). Both RFID tags SOib, 502b are passive, which means that each RFID tag SOib, 502b has no power source of its own and generates the power to emit a signal from incident radio waves generated by RFID reader antennas.

Each RFID tag 501b, 502b stores identification data that identifies various properties of the ribbon or media wound on the core 501a, 502a. The properties may include physical details and/or a field that indicates the type of ribbon or media. The amount of data that can be stored in the IC can be between 32bits to 2O48bits depending on the type of RFID tag used. The identification details can be written onto the RFID tag using a special encoder and it can take place prior to the tag being attached to the roll core, or after the RFID tag has been attached and the ribbon/media wound around the roll core. However, once the identification details have been stored onto the RFID tag, the encoder programs the RFID tag to be read-only and to operate in Transponder Talks First (TTF) mode. This prevents the data being altered by, for example, the RFID readers installed in the thermal printer 101 or by other RFID writing devices.

A HitagRTM RFID tag may be used as the ribbon and/or media RFID tag 501b, 502b.

Such RFID tags are particularly useful since each RFID tag is provided with a 32-bit Unique Identification Number (UID) and a 8 bit Product Identification Number (PID).

In this embodiment, the RFID tag is situated at the end of the roll that will be closest to a respective RFID reader (as described below) of the thermal printer 101 when the respective roll is loaded on the thermal printer 101 and thereby decreases the separation between the RFID reader and the RFID tag. Therefore, in the case of the media roll 103, the RFID tag 501b is situated furthest away from the chassis side 201, whilst for the ribbon roll 306, the RFID tag 502b is situated closest towards the chassis side 201.

Typical RFID tags 501b, 502b function at a frequency of 125kHz. Other embodiments may involve the use of a higher frequency such as 13.56 MHz.

Figures 6a and 6b show a media RFID reader 601 and a ribbon RFID reader 602 for reading the data stored on the media and ribbon RFID rolls 501, 502 respectively. This data is then processed and depending on whether the media and ribbon is incorrect and/or incompatible, the thermal printer 101 is prohibited from printing. The design of the RFID readers 601, 602 may be specific to the arrangement of the media and ribbon RFID rolls 501, 502 and how these rolls are situated in the thermal printer 101. In this embodiment, the media RFID reader 601 has a cylindrical antenna formed by winding insulated copper wire 601a around a plastic core 601b, whereas the ribbon RFID reader 602 has a coil antenna 602a formed by multiple turns of insulated copper wire.

Figure 7 shows a mounting plate 701 that is designed to retro-fit onto a thermal printer 101. The mounting plate 701 fits onto the chassis side 201 of the thermal printer 101 and is designed to fit over the existing thermal printer 101 components. The mounting plate 701 includes the media and ribbon RFID readers 601, 602 to read from the ribbon and media RFID rolls 501, 502 and is arranged to prevent the thermal printer 101 from printing onto an incorrect ribbon and/or media type or if the ribbon and media are incompatible with each other.

Figures 8 and 9 show the mounting plate 701 fitted to the thermal printer 101 with the media and ribbon rolls unloaded and loaded respectively. The mounting plate 701 is made of a suitable metal or hard plastic and is mounted onto the chassis side 201 of the thermal printer 101 with suitable adhesive and/or suitable screw fittings. The mounting plate 701 is designed to fit into the thermal printer 101 without interfering with the internal components of the printer.

The mounting plate 701 has a bracket portion 702 extending from it and a media RFID reader 601 is attached to the end of the bracket portion 702 such that the media RFID reader 601 is situated below the media supply guide 202 when the plate is fitted to the thermal printer 101. When the media RFID roll 501 is loaded onto the media supply guide 202, the media RFID reader 601 will extend through the core of the media roll 501 and end up close enough to read the data on the media RFID tag 501b. The plastic core 601b of the media RFID reader 601 fits through a hole at the end of the bracket portion 702 and has a thread along its outer surface that engages with a nut (not shown) such that the position of the media RFID reader 601 can be adjusted with respect to the media supply guide 202 by rotation of the nut. This enables the mounting plate 701 to be used with thermal printer lOis of different widths. The media RFID reader 601 can also be easily removed and replaced.

The mounting plate 701 has a hole 703 through it at a position that corresponds to the location of the ribbon supply spindle 203. This allows the ribbon supply spindle 203 to fit through the hole 703 and enable the mounting plate 701 to be fixed to the chassis side 201 of the thermal printer 101. The ribbon RFID reader 602, in the form of the coil antenna, is mounted around the perimeter of the hole 703 and is also mounted such that the ribbon RFID reader 602 is slightly displaced from the surface of the mounting plate 701 in order to avoid interference from the metal mounting plate 701.

Both the RFID readers 601, 602 are connected to a control system 704. The control system 704 is mounted at the bottom end of the mounting plate 701. The control system 704 provides power and control to operate the RFID readers 601, 602. The signals generated by the RFID readers 601, 602 are also received at the control system 704. The control system 704 is connected to a computer through a RS485 interface and a converter is provided to convert the output signals from the box for sending the output signals to the computer. In this example, the converter converts the RS485 signals for sending through a USB lead. The computer has software installed on it that operates the control system 704 and receives the signals generated by the RFID readers 601, 602. The computer is also connected to the thermal printer 101 such that it can allow the thermal printer 101 to print or prevent the thermal printer 101 from printing. The computer can identify the ribbon and/or media from the data read by the RFID readers 601, 602 and determine whether the ribbon and/or media are permitted or incompatible for printing. The computer will not allow the thermal printer 101 to print if the ribbon and/or media are not permitted or are incompatible with each other, or if no data is retrieved, so as to prevent non-RFID rolls being used with the printer. Alternatively, the instructions for operating the RFID readers 601, 602 and the thermal printer 101 may be encoded in the control system so that no external computer is required.

In order to prevent the operator from bypassing the RFID system, a magnetic sensor and magnet are fitted to the control system 704 and the chassis side 201 cover respectively. The magnetic sensor is connected to the control system 704 and the sensor senses the magnetic field from the magnet, and therefore, if the control system 704 has been removed, the magnetic sensor does not return a positive output to the control system. Consequently, the control system 704 disables power to the RFID readers, regardless of any commands from the computer, and thus returns no signal or information to the computer.

Operation of the thermal printer 101 will now be described.

The computer software may be configured according to the type of print job to be performed. For example, this may involve entering a short code that identifies the print job or choosing an option from a list of print jobs. The operator does not have to specify the type of media or ribbon required for the print job as this information is preloaded onto the software. An operator therefore does not need to know which media or ribbon roll is required beforehand, i.e. the operator does not need specialist knowledge.

The operator removes the side cover of the printer and installs the media RFID roll and ribbon RFID roll 501, 502 in the same way as with a standard thermal printer 101. The operator must then reattach the side cover to the printer 101.

The antenna of the ribbon RFID reader 602 receives the generated radio signal from the ribbon RFID roll 306 and converts it into an electric current, and the media RFID reader 601, situated inside the core of the media RFID roll 501, similarly receives the generated signal from the media RFID roll 501. The generated currents pass to the control system 704 where they are processed and provided to the computer via the USB lead connection. The computer software retrieves the identification data and, depending on whether or not the data correctly matches the specified ribbon and media rolls, suspends or allows printing to occur. The computer software will also suspend printing if no tag is identified on either or both of the rolls, i.e. it will prevent non-RFID rolls being used. The event data can be recorded locally at the computer for future reference. If printing is suspended, the computer may generate a warning in the form of a message on the computer and/or audio signal. In this way, it is not possible to print with an incorrect or incompatible media or ribbon and thereby prevents possible damage to the thermal printer 101 and wastage of the media and/or ribbon.

It will be appreciated that variations from the above described embodiments may still fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, the thermal printer may be manufactured to include the RFID technology and arranged to perform the RFID functionality as well as the other process steps without the need for a separate control system or external computer. There may also be embodiments in which only one RFID reader is provided. Such embodiments may be suitable for thermal printers and print jobs that have a ribbon that can be used in conjunction with a certain set of media or vice versa, i.e. media that is compatible with more than one type of ribbon.

Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the RFID readers described are exemplary and other arrangements may be envisaged. One such arrangement could include the ribbon RFID reader being provided in the form of a cylindrical antenna that is arranged on the mounting plate so that, in use, the antenna is situated to the side of the ribbon roll.

In other arrangements the computer is more passive and will not require the operator to specify the print job before printing commences. Instead, the computer is arranged to prevent printing automatically if an incorrect and/or incompatible ribbon or media is identified.

In a further arrangement, the computer or control circuit to do not specify to the user what media and ribbon roll should be loaded into the thermal printer. In this case, the computer simply reads the data stored on the media and/or ribbon RFID rolls in order to determine if the media and ribbon are compatible with each other or are suitable for use and prevents printing from occurring if they are not.

In a further variation, the ribbon and/or media RFID tags contain data that identifies which respective media and/or media is compatible. For example, the RFID tag of a ribbon does not identify the ribbon itself, but merely the types of media compatible with that ribbon.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A mounting plate for retrofitting to a thermal printer, the mounting plate comprising: at least one RFID reader arranged to read data from a RFID tag on a ribbon or media roll for use with the thermal printer, the data identifying one or more properties of the ribbon or media.
2. A mounting plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more properties comprise physical properties of the ribbon or media.
3. A mounting plate as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more properties comprise a field that denotes the ribbon or media type.
4. A mounting plate as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a control system for operating, and receiving data from, the at least one RFID reader.
5. A mounting plate as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control system is arranged to prevent the thermal printer from printing if the ribbon and media are incompatible with each other.
6. A mounting plate as claimed in claim 4, or claim 5 when appended to claim 4, wherein the control system includes a processor arranged to receive the data from the at least one RFID reader, determine the one or more properties of the ribbon or media type from the data, and inhibit the thermal printer from printing if the determined properties are not permitted or if no data is received from the at least one RFID reader.
7. A mounting plate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one RFID reader comprises a ribbon RFID reader, the ribbon RFID reader comprising a ferrite coil antenna.
8. A mounting plate as claimed in claim 7, wherein the ribbon RFID reader is fixed in a position such that the ribbon RFID reader is displaced apart from the surface of the mounting plate.
9. A mounting plate as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the mounting plate has a hole and the ribbon RFID reader is fixed around the perimeter of the hole to enable the mounting plate to fit over a ribbon spindle of the thermal printer onto which the ribbon roll is loaded.
10. A mounting plate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one RFID reader comprises a media RFID reader, the media RFID reader comprising a cylindrical ferrite antenna.
11. A mounting plate as claimed in claim 10, wherein the media RFID reader is arranged on the mounting plate such that, when the media roll has been loaded in the thermal printer, the media RFID reader is situated within an interior space defined by the media roll.
12. A mounting plate as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the media RFID reader is mounted at an end of a protruding member extending substantially perpendicular to the surface of the mounting plate such that, in use, the media RFID reader is adjacent to the media tag to be scanned.
13. A mounting plate as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein the displacement of the media RFID reader with respect to the mounting plate is adjustable.
14. A thermal printer fitted with the mounting plate as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the thermal printer being arranged not to print if one or more properties of the ribbon or media are determined as being different to one or more permitted ribbon or media properties.
15. A thermal printer as claimed in claim 14, wherein the permitted ribbon or media properties can be controlled by a user.
16. A RFID reader for retrofitting to a thermal printer, the RFID reader being arranged in use to read identification data from a ribbon or media roll loaded in the thermal printer.
17. A ribbon or media roll for use with a thermal printer, the ribbon or media roll comprising: a body for receiving a ribbon or media; and a RFID tag coupled to the body; wherein the RFID tag is arranged for the storage of data that identifies one or more properties of the ribbon or media.
18. A ribbon or media roll as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a ribbon or media wound over the RFID tag.
19. A ribbon or media roll as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein the RFID tag contains data that identifies one or more properties of the ribbon or media.
20. A ribbon or media roll as claimed in claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein the RFID tag comprises a coil that is situated at an end of the ribbon or media roll body that, on loading into the thermal printer, is adjacent to a ribbon or media RFID reader mounted in the thermal printer.
21. A kit for retrofitting to a thermal printer, the kit comprising: at least one RFID reader arranged to read data from a RFID tag on a ribbon or media roll that identifies one or more properties of the ribbon or media; and a control system for operating the RFID reader; wherein the control system is arranged to cause the thermal printer not to print if one or more properties of the ribbon or media are incompatible with each other.
22. A kit as claimed in claim 21, the kit further comprising a mounting plate arranged to receive the at least one RFID reader and control system.
23. A kit as claimed in claim 23 or 24, the kit comprising a ribbon RFID reader and a media RFID reader.
24. A control system for operating a thermal printer, the control system comprising a processor arranged to: instruct at least one RFID reader of the thermal printer to read data from a RFID tag on a ribbon or media roll that identifies one or properties of the ribbon or media; receive the data read by the at least one RFID reader; determine, from the received data, if one or more properties of the ribbon and/or media are different to permitted properties or are incompatible with each other; and inhibit the thermal printer from printing if it is determined that one or more properties of the ribbon or media are different to permitted properties or are incompatible with each other.
25. A control system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the permitted ribbon or media properties and/or compatibility data are stored on the control system.
26. A control system as claimed in claim 24 or 25, wherein the permitted ribbon or media properties can be changed according to the requirements of a print job to be performed by the thermal printer.
27. A computer program for operating a thermal printer, the computer program comprising instructions for: instructing at least one RFID reader of the thermal printer to read data from a RFID tag on a ribbon or media roll that identifies one or properties of the ribbon or media; receiving the data read by the at least one RFID reader; determining, from the received data, if one or more properties of the ribbon or media are different to permitted ribbon or media properties or are incompatible with each other; and inhibiting the thermal printer from printing if it is determined that one or more properties of the ribbon or media are different to permitted ribbon or media properties or are incompatible with each other.
28. A processor arranged to execute the computer program as claimed in claim 27.
29. A thermal printer comprising: at least one RFID reader arranged to read identification data from a RFID tag on a ribbon or media roll that identifies the type of ribbon or media; wherein the thermal printer is arranged not to print if the identified ribbon or media type are incompatible with each other.
30. A mounting plate for retrofitting to a thermal printer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4a to 9.
31. A RFID reader for retrofitting to a thermal printer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4a to 9.
32. A ribbon or media roll for use with a thermal printer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4a to 9.
33. A method of operating a printer, comprising: operating a ribbon RFID reader to read ribbon identification data from a ribbon RFID tag associated with a ribbon roll loaded in the printer; operating a media RFID reader to read media identification data from a media RFID tag associated with a media roll loaded in the printer; identifying, from the ribbon identification data and media identification data, whether the ribbon and media are compatible with each other; and printing onto the media only if the ribbon and media are compatible with each other.
34. A kit for retrofitting to a thermal printer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4a to 9.
35. A control system for operating a thermal printer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4a to 9.
36. A computer program for operating a thermal printer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4a to 9.
37. A thermal printer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4a to 9.