Arrangement for and method of establishing a logical relationship among peripherals in a wireless local area network

• US 20020030094A1
• Filed: 04/17/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Oppenheim, Ellen, Bridgelall, Raj, Wild, Robert, Willins, Bruce A., Hamilton, Alistair R., Curry, Daniel, Ryder, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 6,814,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/00 Time-pieces combined with other articles which do not interfere with the running or the time-keeping of the time-piece clockwork cases for special purposes G04B37/12; clocks with magnifying glass built in the face G04B39/00; time-pieces in which parts or cases produce special effects, e.g. aesthetic effects, G04B45/00, particularly with inscriptions or pictures moved by hand G04B45/003, with specially shaped cases or parts G04B45/0069; combination of writing or drawing implements with devices for indicating time B43K29/087; combined with cameras, projectors, or photographic printing apparatus G03B29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10653 using flexible or piezoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/109 adaptations to make the hand-held scanner useable as a fixed scanner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A logical relationship is established among peripherals in a wireless local area network managed by a system manager. A readable identifier is associated with each peripheral. A reader for reading the identifiers is respectively associated with selected peripherals during a set-up mode of system operation. A transceiver is in wireless communication with the system manager for identifying the reader and the selected peripherals to advise the system manager of the establishment of the logical relationship.

Claims

1. An arrangement for establishing a logical relationship among peripherals in a wireless local area network managed by a system manager, comprising:

a) a readable identifier associated with each peripheral; and

b) a reader for reading the identifiers respectively associated with selected peripherals during a set-up mode of system operation, and having a transceiver in wireless communication with the system manager for identifying the reader and the selected peripherals to advise the system manager of the establishment of the logical relationship.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the reader includes a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting the identifiers at radio frequency to the system manager.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the identifiers are indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, and wherein the reader includes a scanner for electro-optically reading the indicia.

4. The arrangement of claim 3, wherein the identifier includes a tag bearing an electro-optically readable indicium.

5. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein the tag is an adhesive label on each peripheral, and wherein the indicium is a bar code symbol.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the peripherals are supported on and by a user at discrete locations spaced apart from each other.

7. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein the reader includes a housing supported on a finger of a hand of the user.

8. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein the reader includes an actuator for controlling reading and transmission by the reader.

9. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the actuator includes a microphone for controlling reading and transmission by voice activation.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the system manager is operative for generating an acknowledgment signal upon receipt of the identifiers transmitted by the reader;

and wherein one of the peripherals is an auditory annunciator spaced from the reader, and being in wireless communication with the system manager, for receiving the acknowledgment signal and, upon receipt thereof, for producing an acknowledgment sound audible to a user and indicative that the system manager received the identifies transmitted by the reader.

11. A method of establishing a logical relationship among peripherals of a local area network managed by a system manager, comprising the steps of:

a) associating a readable identifier with each peripheral; and

b) reading the identifiers respectively associated with selected peripherals with a reader during a set-up mode of system operation, and identifying the reader and the selected peripherals by wireless communication to the system manager to advise the system manager of the establishment of the logical relationship.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication is performed at radio frequency.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifier is an electro-optically readable indicium, and wherein the reading step is performed by an electro-optical reader.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the indicium is a bar code symbol, and wherein the associating step is performed by placing the symbol on each peripheral.

15. The method of claim 11;

and further comprising the step of supporting the peripherals on a user at different locations spaced apart from each other.

16. The method of claim 11;

and further comprising the step of generating an acknowledgment signal upon receipt by the system manager of the identifiers transmitted by the reader, and the step of receiving the acknowledgment signal by an annunciator unit and producing an acknowledgment sound audible to a user and indicative that the system manager received the identifiers transmitted by the reader.

18. The arrangement of claim 17, wherein the controller is a first microphone, and wherein the detector is a second microphone supported on the user away from the first microphone;

and wherein the processor includes a comparator for subtracting the noise signal from the composite signal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the biometric sensor is a fingerprint detector associated with the trigger so that a fingerprint impression is registered when the user presses a surface of the trigger with a finger of the user.

17. An arrangement for preventing unwanted environmental noise from interfering with a voice command in a voice-controlled, data collection system supported by a user, comprising:

a) a terminal for collecting data;

b) a voice controller proximally located near the user'"'"'s mouth and operative for converting the voice command uttered by the user into an electrical command signal for controlling the terminal;

c) a background detector spaced away from the voice controller, for converting the noise into an electrical noise signal; and

d) a processor for receiving both signals as a composite signal, and for removing the noise signal from the composite signal to obtain the command signal for controlling the terminal.

19. A system for electro-optically reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, comprising:

a) an actuatable scanner for scanning the indicia;

b) a trigger operable by a user, for actuating the scanner to initiate the scanning; and

c) a biometric sensor for authenticating the user.