Medicine packaging apparatuses and methods for accurately determining a remaining sheet amount of a medicine packaging sheet are described. The apparatus includes: a roll support section to which a core tube of a medicine packaging sheet roll is attached; a sensor disposed in the roll support section for outputting a count value according to a rotation amount; a wireless reader-writer unit for writing information to a core tube IC tag and reading said information; an information generation section for generating information to be written to the core tube IC tag; a remaining sheet amount estimation section for estimating a current amount of remaining sheet based on the information and dimensional information of the core tube; and a controller which selectively performs an operation if a reference time-point count value is not yet written to the core tube IC tag and another operation if the count value is already written thereto.

A sheet processing apparatus for processing sheets each with a wireless tag, includes a roller, a wireless tag reader/writer, and a controller configured to control the roller to convey a first sheet with a first tag along a path, control the reader/writer to acquire first strengths of radio signals received from the first tag during the conveyance and second strengths of radio signals received from wireless tags of sheets not being conveyed, determine a threshold value of signal strength for distinguishing a wireless tag being conveyed from wireless tags not being conveyed based on the first and second strengths, and control the roller to convey a second sheet with a second tag and control the reader/writer to write to the second tag when a strength of a radio signal from the second tag is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

Medicine packaging apparatuses and methods for accurately determining a remaining sheet amount of a medicine packaging sheet are described. The apparatus includes: a roll support section to which a core tube of a medicine packaging sheet roll is attached; a sensor disposed in the roll support section for outputting a count value according to a rotation amount; a wireless reader-writer unit for writing information to a core tube IC tag and reading said information; an information generation section for generating information to be written to the core tube IC tag; a remaining sheet amount estimation section for estimating a current amount of remaining sheet based on the information and dimensional information of the core tube; and a controller which selectively performs an operation if a reference time-point count value is not yet written to the core tube IC tag and another operation if the count value is already written thereto.

According to an embodiment, a stack-of-sheets package includes: a stack of sheets; a conductive sheet; and a package material. The stack of sheets is obtained by stacking printing sheets, each of the printing sheets having a printable surface and including a wireless tag. The conductive sheet is disposed at an end portion of the stack of sheets in a stacking direction of the printing sheets. The conductive sheet has a conductive region that overlaps with the wireless tag as viewed from the stacking direction. The package material packages the stack of sheets.

A sheet conveyance device includes a roller by which a sheet having a wireless tag is conveyed along a path, a communication device configured to transmit a radio signal to the wireless tag and receive a response signal therefrom, and a processor configured to repeatedly perform a process of controlling the roller to convey a sheet along the path while controlling the communication device to transmit the radio signal to a wireless tag of the sheet using a transmission power that is different in each repeat, and acquire a strength of the response signal from the wireless tag, and specify a minimum strength of the response signal that has been acquired in the repeated process, the minimum strength being equal to or greater than a threshold, and set a transmission power that has been used when the minimum strength has been acquired as a reference strength of the radio signal.

A radio-frequency identification arrangement for a chain conveyor for piece goods having a driven linked chain is disclosed, comprising a support rail element 3 for guiding and supporting the linked chain 4 in the region of the radio-frequency identification arrangement and a radio-frequency reading device or radio-frequency writing/reading device 10 for performing contactless reading or reading/writing of information by means of a radio-frequency signal.

According to the invention, the radio-frequency reading device or radio-frequency writing/reading device 10 is disposed directly on a bottom 30 of the support rail element 3 and facing an underside of the linked chain 4. For this purpose, the latter may be accommodated in a recess or cavity of the support rail element 3.

By means of the radio-frequency identification arrangement, an RFID tag, which is mounted on a workpiece or workpiece carrier, can be read or read and written to through the linked chain of the chain conveyor. Furthermore, a relatively short distance between the radio-frequency reading device or radio-frequency writing/reading device and the RFID tag may be accomplished and thus an advantageously low power of the radio-frequency signal used for identification.

Provided is a container for transporting a consumable such as a medium on which an image is to be printed. The container includes a support surface and a reading component coupled to the support surface to read a computer-readable code accompanying the consumable. A relay interface is operatively connected to the reading component to receive a signal indicative of the computer-readable code read by the reading component, and communicate with a compatible reader provided to the receiving apparatus to convey information about the computer-readable code read by the reading component to the receiving apparatus. The relay interface can be coupled to the tray at a location remotely located from the reading component and having an orientation that is different from an orientation of the reading component.

A spool, presented herein, is comprising a proximal side including a central opening about a rotation axis thereof, a distal side including a central opening about the rotation axis thereof, the proximal side and the distal side being assembled together with alignment of the rotation axis thereof, an axial slot radially extending from the central opening and a recessed portion communicating with the central opening, the recessed portion extending between the axial slot and a locking member receiver. A method of using same and a mechanism to engage lock and actuate the spool is also presented therein.

A method for printing a web of packaging material for packages holding liquid food products is provided. The method comprises receiving a web of packaging material, identifying a first register mark using a first sensor, determining a first register mark position based on the first register mark, determining a second register mark position area based on the first register mark position, identifying a second register mark within the second register mark position area using a second sensor and determining a second register mark position for the second register mark, determining a second area position of the second area based on the second register mark position, adjusting the web in relation to printer bars in accordance with the second area position, determining a second area position of the second area based on the second register mark position, and printing the second area by using the printer bars.

A method for printing a web of packaging material for packages holding liquid food products is provided. The method comprises receiving a web of packaging material, identifying a first register mark using a first sensor, determining a first register mark position based on the first register mark, determining a second register mark position area based on the first register mark position, identifying a second register mark within the second register mark position area using a second sensor and determining a second register mark position for the second register mark, determining a second area position of the second area based on the second register mark position, adjusting the web in relation to printer bars in accordance with the second area position, determining a second area position of the second area based on the second register mark position, and printing the second area by using the printer bars.