Methods and apparatus to change a feature set on data collection devices

• US 10,242,017 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Berthiaume, Guy H., Caballero, Aldo M., Cairns, James A., Havens, William H., Koziol, Thomas J., Stewart, James W., Wang, Ynjiun P., Yeakley, Daniel D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Tae K
• Application Number:
  US14/158,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20140217166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 709229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/17 Details of further file system functions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for modifying the feature set of data collection devices are disclosed. Requests are receiving at a computer system different from the data collection device for a new configuration of the data collection device, the request including an identifier for the data collection device, identification of one or more features, and for each identified feature, an indication to modify the operation of a feature. The identifier may comprise an identifier that is unique for a particular data collection device or an indication of a group of devices, e.g. a model number. Prior to authorizing the new configuration, a determination may be made as to whether the identified data collection device(s) are suitable for the new configuration by consulting a configuration database. To implement the new configuration, an encoded authorization file is generated based on the requested configuration and the identifier of the data collection device(s). The encoded authorization file is transmitted to one or more data collection devices. Each data collection device that receives an encoded authorization file attempts to decode of the license using its identifier(s). If the authorization file is successfully decoded, a license key on that device is updated to implement the new configuration.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of updating a data collection device comprising:

receiving a request for a feature change of the data collection device, wherein the request comprises an identifier for the data collection device and identification of one or more features to be changed;

in response to receiving the request for the feature change of the data collection device, generating, at a computer system different from the data collection device, a barcode comprising information identifying a server and the name of a file to download to facilitate implementation of the feature change to re-configure, in whole or in part, the data collection device;

decoding the barcode to obtain the identity of the server and the name of the file, the barcode decoded by scanning the barcode with the same data collection device to be updated;

initiating communication between the server and the data collection device using the information in the barcode;

transferring the file from the server to the data collection device; and

updating the data collection device with the file to implement the requested feature change comprising a change in an ability of the data collection device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the barcode comprises information indicating a time to initiate communication between the server identified in the barcode and the data collection device; and

initiating communication between the server identified in the barcode and the data collection device at or near the indicated time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the barcode further comprises an authorization string for updating a license key on the data collection device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the barcode comprises information identifying a backup server; and

the method comprises, if initiating communication between the server identified in the barcode and the data collection device fails, initiating communication between the backup server identified in the barcode and the data collection device.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying the barcode on an electronic display communicatively connected to the data collection device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature change comprises an ability of the data collection device to read a new type of machine-readable symbol.

7. A computer-implemented method of updating a data collection device comprising:

receiving a request for a feature change of the data collection device, wherein the request comprises an identifier for the data collection device and identification of one or more features to be enabled, disabled, activated, or deactivated;

in response to receiving the request for the feature change of the data collection device, generating, at a computer system different from the data collection device, a barcode comprising information identifying a server and the name of a file to download to facilitate implementation of the feature change to re-configure, in whole or in part, the data collection device;

decoding the barcode to obtain the identity of the server and the name of the file, the barcode decoded by scanning the barcode with the same data collection device to be updated;

initiating communication between the server and the data collection device using the information in the barcode;

transferring the file from the server to the data collection device;

updating the data collection device with the file to implement the requested feature change comprising a change in an ability of the data collection device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the barcode comprises information indicating a time to initiate communication between the server identified in the barcode and the data collection device; and

initiating communication between the server identified in the barcode and the data collection device at or near the indicated time.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the barcode further comprises an authorization string for updating a license key on the data collection device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the barcode comprises information identifying a backup server; and

the method comprises, if initiating communication between the server identified in the barcode and the data collection device fails, initiating communication between the backup server identified in the barcode and the data collection device.

11. The method of claim 7, comprising displaying the barcode on an electronic display communicatively connected to the data collection device.

12. A computer-implemented method of updating a data collection device comprising:

receiving a request for a feature change of the data collection device, wherein the request comprises an identifier for the data collection device and identification of one or more features to be changed;

in response to receiving the request for the feature change of the data collection device, generating, at a computer system different from the data collection device, a data bearing device comprising information identifying a server and the name of a file to download to facilitate implementation of the feature change to re-configure, in whole or in part, the data collection device for changing an ability thereof;

in response to a user scanning the data bearing device with the data collection device to obtain the identity of the server and the name of the file, initiating communication between the server and the data collection device using the information in the data bearing device; and

transferring the file from the server to the data collection device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the data bearing device comprises information indicating a time to initiate communication between the server identified in the data bearing device and the data collection device; and

initiating communication between the server identified in the data bearing device and the data collection device at or near the indicated time.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the data bearing device further comprises an authorization string for updating a license key on the data collection device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the data bearing device comprises information identifying a backup server; and

the method comprises, if initiating communication between the server identified in the data bearing device and the data collection device fails, initiating communication between the backup server identified in the data bearing device and the data collection device.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising displaying the data bearing device on an electronic display communicatively connected to the data collection device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the data bearing device is a dataform.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the data bearing device is a magnetic stripe.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the data bearing device is an RFID tag.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the data collection device comprises an imager subsystem, a laser scanner subsystem, an RFID scanner subsystem, and/or a magnetic media scanner subsystem.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the data collection device comprises an imager subsystem and an RFID scanner subsystem.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the feature change comprises an ability of the data collection device to read a new type of machine-readable symbol.