Systems and methods for establishing communication between an identification tag reader and a computing device

• US 20050156022A1
• Filed: 01/21/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Code Corporation (Brady Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Code Corporation (Brady Corporation)
• Inventors: Fillingim, Jeremy, Hepworth, Paul, Powell, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,240,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer

Abstract

Systems and methods for using machine-readable identification tags to provide data to a computing device are disclosed. An exemplary method involves reading a first identification tag. The first identification tag includes an instruction to form a logical connection with a computing device. Address information associated with the computing device is used to form the logical connection with the computing device in accordance with the instruction. Data is obtained. The data is transmitted to the computing device via the logical connection.

Claims

1. In an identification tag reader, a method comprising:

reading a first identification tag that comprises an instruction to form a logical connection with a computing device;

using address information associated with the computing device to form the logical connection with the computing device in accordance with the instruction;

obtaining data; and

transmitting the data to the computing device via the logical connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification tag comprises the address information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification tag comprises a reference to the address information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the data comprises reading a second identification tag that comprises the data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the data comprises reading a second identification tag that comprises a reference to the data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification tag comprises the data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification tag comprises a reference to the data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a program is executing on the computing device, wherein the data is transmitted to the program, and wherein the address information comprises a port associated with the program.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification tag reader and the computing device are part of a computer network, and wherein the address information comprises a network address associated with the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification tag is selected from the group consisting of a graphical code, a radio frequency identification tag, and a magnetic stripe, and wherein the identification tag reader is selected from the group consisting of a graphical code reader, a radio frequency identification tag reader, and a magnetic stripe reader.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical connection with the computing device is formed in accordance with a Bluetooth standard.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the address information comprises a computing device transceiver address, and wherein using the address information to form the logical connection with the computing device comprises transmitting a page identification packet to the computing device, the page identification packet comprising a device access code that is derived from a lower address part of the computing device transceiver address.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the address information comprises a computing device transceiver address, and wherein using the address information to form the logical connection with the computing device comprises transmitting a traffic packet to the computing device, the traffic packet comprising a channel access code that is derived from a lower address part of the computing device transceiver address.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical connection with the computing device is formed in accordance with a protocol selected from the group consisting of TCP/IP and UDP/IP.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the address information comprises an IP address associated with the computing device and a port associated with a program that is executing on the computing device, and wherein using the address information to form the logical connection with the computing device comprises preparing an IP packet that comprises the IP address and the port.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the logical connection with the computing device exists over a wireless network.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising, on subsequent power up, attempting to form a new logical connection with a same computing device to which the identification tag reader was most recently connected.

18. An identification tag reader, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to implement a method comprising;

reading a first identification tag that comprises an instruction to form a logical connection with a computing device;

using address information associated with the computing device to form the logical connection with the computing device in accordance with the instruction;

obtaining data; and

transmitting the data to the computing device via the logical connection.

19. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein the first identification tag comprises the address information.

20. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein the first identification tag comprises a reference to the address information.

21. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein obtaining the data comprises reading a second identification tag that comprises the data.

22. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein obtaining the data comprises reading a second identification tag that comprises a reference to the data.

23. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein the first identification tag comprises the data.

24. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein the first identification tag comprises a reference to the data.

25. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein a program is executing on the computing device, wherein the data is transmitted to the program, and wherein the address information comprises a port associated with the program.

26. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein the identification tag reader and the computing device are part of a computer network, and wherein the address information comprises a network address associated with the computing device.

27. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein the first identification tag is selected from the group consisting of a graphical code, a radio frequency identification tag, and a magnetic stripe, and wherein the identification tag reader is selected from the group consisting of a graphical code reader, a radio frequency identification tag reader, and a magnetic stripe reader.

28. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein the logical connection with the computing device is formed in accordance with a Bluetooth standard.

29. The identification tag reader of claim 28, wherein the address information comprises a computing device transceiver address, and wherein using the address information to form the logical connection with the computing device comprises transmitting a page identification packet to the computing device, the page identification packet comprising a device access code that is derived from a lower address part of the computing device transceiver address.

30. The identification tag reader of claim 28, wherein the address information comprises a computing device transceiver address, and wherein using the address information to form the logical connection with the computing device comprises transmitting a traffic packet to the computing device, the traffic packet comprising a channel access code that is derived from a lower address part of the computing device transceiver address.

31. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein the logical connection with the computing device is formed in accordance with a protocol selected from the group consisting of TCP/IP and UDP/IP.

32. The identification tag reader of claim 31, wherein the address information comprises an IP address associated with the computing device and a port associated with a program that is executing on the computing device, and wherein using the address information to form the logical connection with the computing device comprises preparing an IP packet that comprises the IP address and the port.

33. The identification tag reader of claim 32, wherein the logical connection with the computing device exists over a wireless network.

34. The identification tag reader of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises, on subsequent power up, attempting to form a new logical connection with a same computing device to which the identification tag reader was most recently connected.

35. In an identification tag reader, a method comprising:

reading a first identification tag that comprises an instruction to form a logical connection with a computing device and to send subsequently read data to the computing device via the logical connection, wherein the first identification tag also comprises address information associated with the computing device;

using the address information to form the logical connection with the computing device in accordance with the instruction;

reading a second identification tag that comprises data; and

transmitting the data to the computing device via the logical connection.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein a program is executing on the computing device, wherein the data is transmitted to the program, and wherein the address information comprises a port associated with the program.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the identification tag reader and the computing device are part of a computer network, and wherein the address information comprises a network address associated with the computing device.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the logical connection with the computing device is formed in accordance with a Bluetooth standard.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the logical connection with the computing device is formed in accordance with a protocol selected from the group consisting of TCP/IP and UDP/IP.

40. An identification tag reader, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to implement a method comprising;

reading an identification tag that comprises an instruction to form a logical connection with a computing device;

determining whether a link key database includes a link key associated with the computing device;

if the link key database includes the link key, establishing a logical connection with the computing device using address information associated with the computing device and the link key;

if the link key database does not include the link key;

establishing a logical connection with the computing device using address information associated with the computing device, wherein the computing device enters a PIN for authentication, and wherein the link key is generated; and

storing the link key in the link key database;

obtaining data; and

transmitting the data to the computing device via the logical connection.

41. The identification tag reader of claim 40, wherein the link key is generated according to a Bluetooth standard.

42. The identification tag reader of claim 40, wherein the identification tag reader is the master, and wherein the computing device is the slave.

43. The identification tag reader of claim 40, wherein the PIN comprises a serial number of the identification tag reader.

44. The identification tag reader of claim 40, wherein the method further comprises generating the link key.

45. The identification tag reader of claim 40, wherein the computing device generates the link key.

46. In an identification tag reader, a method comprising:

reading an identification tag that comprises an instruction to form a logical connection with a computing device;

determining whether a link key database includes a link key associated with the computing device;

if the link key database includes the link key, establishing a logical connection with the computing device using address information associated with the computing device and the link key;

if the link key database does not include the link key;

establishing a logical connection with the computing device using address information associated with the computing device, wherein the computing device enters a PIN for authentication, and wherein the link key is generated; and

storing the link key in the link key database;

obtaining data; and

transmitting the data to the computing device via the logical connection.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the link key is generated according to a Bluetooth standard.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the identification tag reader is the master, and wherein the computing device is the slave.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein the PIN comprises a serial number of the identification tag reader.

50. The method of claim 46, further comprising generating the link key.

51. The method of claim 46, wherein the computing device generates the link key.