Data capture apparatus with handwritten data receiving component

• US 20030081860A1
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1986
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Danielson, Arvin D., Hacker, David C., Durbin, Dennis A., Walter, Jerry L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,120,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/313
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/027 four
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1635 Stackable modules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10574 Multiple sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10702 Particularities of propagating elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors G06K7/10831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 : Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 : Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 : Focalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10841 : Particularities of the light-sensitive elements semiconductor devices H01L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 : Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 : constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1093 : sensing, after transfer of the image of the data-field to an intermediate store, e.g. storage with cathode ray tube
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1098 : the scanning arrangement having a modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 : using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 : Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/30 : Writer recognition; Reading and verifying signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/376 : Acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 : by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 : with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 : used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 : specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 : Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A data capturing module combined with a portable data terminal of the hand-held type to record handwritten data. Using a digitized pad, the module can provide for direct input of handwritten data into the system, or a peripheral digital scanner can be employed to provide for data entry. Depending upon the particular application, the module therefore provides for data entry of handwritten text or graphics using the data terminal and other components of a portable data system to enter, display, print or otherwise communicate the handwritten data.

Claims

1. Apparatus for capturing handwritten data, comprising a hand-held self-contained portable handwritten data capture assembly capable of receiving normally generated handwritten material, said assembly comprising;

an integral combination of a portable data terminal for processing data;

a removable handwritten data receiving module removably connected to the data terminal and having a longitudinally extensive receiving surface for receiving a spacially extended sequence of information conveying handwritten data while the module is connected with the data terminal;

means in said module for reading the spacially extended sequence of information conveying handwritten data as applied to said receiving surface and entering the data into the data terminal; and

means for locking the receiving module into engagement with the data terminal.

2. The data capturing apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for reading the handwritten data is an optical digital scanner operatively connected with said portable data terminal and operative for optical reading of handwritten data on the receiving surface.

3. The data capturing apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for reading the handwritten data includes a digitizing pad operatively associated with said longitudinally extensive receiving surface.

4. The data capturing apparatus of claim 1 in which the data terminal is a hand-held unit.

5. The data capturing apparatus of claim 4 in which the module providing for entry of the handwritten data is quickly removable as a unit from the hand-held data terminal, the data terminal being fully operational for reading and processing data while separate from said module.

6. The data capturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein means for locking includes a snap-on mechanical connection between the module and the data terminal such that the module is readily attached to and detached from the data terminal.

7. The data capturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the data capture assembly is constructed to receive and store cursive handwritten data such as signatures.

8. The data capturing apparatus of claim 6 wherein the module includes a case having a bottom surface connecting a front and rear wall, a depending hinge formed along the bottom surface of the case below the front wall, a lug extending along the depending hinge, and a cable plug disposed on the bottom surface near the rear wall;

wherein the data terminal includes a housing having a top surface, a shoulder formed along the top surface disposed to receive the lug, and a receptacle disposed in the top surface to receive the cable plug; and

wherein the snap-on mechanical connection comprises the sequential engagement of the lug and the shoulder followed by the engagement of the receptacle and the cable plug.

9. The data capturing apparatus of claim 8 wherein force applied to the receiving module biases the module toward a locked position on the data terminal.

10. The data capturing apparatus of claim 8 wherein the module is rotated forwardly to disengage the module from the data terminal.

11. Apparatus for capturing handwritten data, comprising a hand-held self-contained portable handwritten data capture assembly capable of receiving normally generated handwritten material, said assembly comprising

an integral combination of a portable data terminal for processing data, the data terminal including a display surface;

a removable handwritten data receiving module removably connected to the data terminal and having a longitudinally extensive receiving surface for receiving a spacially extended sequence of information conveying handwritten data while the module is connected with the data terminal;

means in said module for reading the spacially extended sequence of information conveying handwritten data as applied to said receiving surface and entering the data into the data terminal; and

means for displaying the handwritten data on the display surface of the data terminal as it is entered on the receiving surface.

12. The data capturing apparatus of claim 11 in which the means for reading the handwritten data is an optical digital scanner operatively connected with said portable data terminal and operative for optical reading of handwritten data on the receiving surface.

13. The data capturing apparatus of claim 11 in which the means for reading the handwritten data includes a digitizing pad operatively associated with said longitudinally extensive receiving surface.

14. The data capturing apparatus of claim 11 in which the data terminal is a hand-held unit.

15. The data capturing apparatus of claim 14 in which the module providing for entry of the handwritten data is quickly removable as a unit from the hand-held data terminal, the data terminal being fully operational for reading and processing data while separate from said module.

16. The data capturing apparatus of claim 11 wherein the module has a snap-on mechanical connection with the data terminal such that the module is readily attached to and detached from the data terminal.

17. The data capturing apparatus of claim 11 wherein the data capture assembly is constructed to receive and store cursive handwritten data such as signatures.

18. The data capturing apparatus of claim 11 wherein stored handwritten data is displayed on the display surface of the data terminal adjacent to the handwritten data entered on the receiving surface and subsequently displayed on the display surface such that the stored handwritten data and entered handwritten data may be easily compared.

19. The data capturing apparatus of claim 18 wherein the stored handwritten data is displayed directly above the entered handwritten data.

20. The data capturing apparatus of claim 19 wherein an indication of validity appears on the display surface after the comparison of the stored handwritten data and the entered handwritten data.