Apparatus and methods for monitoring one or more portable data terminals

• US 10,019,334 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Caballero, Aldo M., French, Daniel Brant, Hinson, Douglas M., Kosecki, James C., Mangicaro, David, Reynolds, Scott, Yeakley, Daniel Duane
• Primary Examiner(s): Savusdiphol, Paultep
• Application Number:
  US14/725,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20150261643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 235435, 235438, 23546245, 23546246, 235440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0742 in a data processing system embedded in a mobile device, e.g. mobile phones, handheld devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3093 Configuration details thereof, e.g. installation, enabling, spatial arrangement of the probes

Abstract

A portable data terminal generally includes a housing supporting: a data collection device: a keypad: and a touch screen. One or more PDTs are provided with a monitoring system that records occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal. The record of occurrences may be analyzed to identify errors and/or failure prone parts of the PDT along with behaviors likely to lead to errors or failures. Additionally, the record of events may be analyzed to predict errors and/or failures for any given PDT.

Claims

1. A portable data terminal, comprising:

a data collection device for reading bar codes, RF encoded data from a passive RFID tag, and/or data from a card;

a body configured to receive a battery;

a switch configured to output a signal indicating battery insertion and/or battery removal;

a first processor configured to execute operations pertaining to reading bar codes, RF encoded data from a passive RFID tag, and/or data from a card; and

a monitoring system, comprising an auxiliary processor and monitoring software that, when executed by the auxiliary processor, monitors occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal during a sleep state, the occurrences comprising the signal indicating battery insertion and/or battery removal, and the sleep state comprising certain functionalities of the first processor having been shut down.

2. The portable data terminal of claim 1, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal.

3. The portable data terminal of claim 1, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, summarizes the occurrences.

4. The portable data terminal of claim 1, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal, wherein the occurrence data comprises a list of events generated by a component of the portable data terminal based upon the occurrences.

5. The portable data terminal of claim 1, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal, wherein the occurrence data comprises a list of occurrences that have associated values that exceed a user defined threshold for that occurrence.

6. The portable data terminal of claim 1, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal, wherein the monitoring system records the occurrence data into a circular buffer.

7. A portable data terminal, comprising:

a data collection device for reading bar codes, RF encoded data from a passive RFID tag, and/or data from a card;

a body configured to receive a battery;

a power input configured to receive power for charging the battery;

a first switch configured to output a first signal indicating battery insertion and/or battery removal;

a second switch configured to output a second signal indicating power supplied to the power input and/or power disconnected from the power input;

a first processor configured to execute operations pertaining to reading bar codes, RF encoded data from a passive RFID tag, and/or data from a card; and

a monitoring system, comprising an auxiliary processor and monitoring software that, when executed by the auxiliary processor, monitors occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal during a sleep state, the occurrences comprising one or more of;

the first signal indicating battery insertion and/or battery removal; and

the second signal indicating power supplied to the power input and/or power disconnected from the power input, and the sleep state comprising certain functionalities of the first processor having been shut down.

8. The portable data terminal of claim 7, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal.

9. The portable data terminal of claim 7, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, summarizes the occurrences.

10. The portable data terminal of claim 7, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal, wherein the occurrence data comprises a list of events generated by a component of the portable data terminal based upon the occurrences.

11. The portable data terminal of claim 7, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal, wherein the occurrence data comprises a list of occurrences that have associated values that exceed a user defined threshold for that occurrence.

12. The portable data terminal of claim 7, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal, wherein the occurrence data comprises a list of changes over time in values associated with occurrences.

13. The portable data terminal of claim 7, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal, wherein the monitoring system records the occurrence data into a circular buffer.

14. A portable data terminal, comprising:

a data collection device for reading bar codes, RF encoded data from a passive RFID tag, and/or data from a card;

a body comprising a battery compartment configured to receive a battery;

a power input configured to receive power for charging the battery;

an access panel corresponding to the battery compartment;

a first switch configured to output a first signal indicating battery insertion and/or battery removal;

a second switch configured to output a second signal indicating power supplied to the power input and/or power disconnected from the power input;

a third switch configured to output a third signal indicating the access panel opened and/or the access panel closed;

a first processor configured to execute operations pertaining to reading bar codes, RF encoded data from a passive RFID tag, and/or data from a card; and

a monitoring system, comprising an auxiliary processor and monitoring software that, when executed by the auxiliary processor, monitors occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal during a sleep state, the occurrences comprising one or more of;

the first signal indicating battery insertion and/or battery removal;

the second signal indicating power supplied to the power input and/or power disconnected from the power input; and

/or the third signal indicating the access panel opened and/or the access panel closed, and the sleep state comprising certain functionalities of the first processor having been shut down.

15. The portable data terminal of claim 14, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal.

16. The portable data terminal of claim 14, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, summarizes the occurrences.

17. The portable data terminal of claim 14, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal, wherein the occurrence data comprises a list of events generated by a component of the portable data terminal based upon the occurrences.

18. The portable data terminal of claim 14, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal, wherein the occurrence data comprises a list of occurrences that have associated values that exceed a user defined threshold for that occurrence.

19. The portable data terminal of claim 14, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal, wherein the occurrence data comprises a list of changes over time in values associated with occurrences.

20. The portable data terminal of claim 14, wherein the monitoring software, when executed by the auxiliary processor, records occurrence data describing the monitored occurrences experienced by the portable data terminal, wherein the monitoring system records the occurrence data into a circular buffer.