Electronic device with auxiliary interfaces

• US 20050194446A1
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Inventors: Wiklof, Christopher A., Gibson, Gregory T., Ellerthorpe, Scott A., Millet, Edward M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,377,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.46
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers

Abstract

A portable end device, such- as a bar code scanner, may be equipped with auxiliary interfaces. The auxiliary interfaces may be easily added to the end device as a replaceable cover, such as a replaceable battery door. A signal path conducts signals to and from the replaceable cover. One auxiliary interface is a Bluetooth radio. Data integrity protocols may be selected to guarantee delivery and guarantee no duplicate deliveries. Host pairing algorithms may provide standard or strong pairing with a host computer. Ergonomic interface features allow a user to control and monitor the operation of the end device and the data link with minimal hardware cost and battery life impact. Host software programs provide data routing, automatic reestablishment of the data link, and other functions. The system is adaptable to a wide array of use environments through the selection of timer parameters in the end device.

Claims

1. A portable electronic data collector, comprising:

a body having a power source compartment;

a data collection engine in the body and operable to collect data from a portable data carrier and transmit a first signal representative of data received from the portable data carrier;

an electronic controller in the body electronically coupled to the data collection engine;

an interface in the body electronically coupled to the controller and operable to transmit data corresponding to the first signal; and

a signal path operable to transmit data between the interface and the interior of the power source compartment.

2. The portable electronic data collector of claim 1, further comprising:

a switch on the body, operable to commence data collection;

the switch being coupled to the controller and accessible to a user.

3. The portable electronic data collector of claim 2, wherein the switch is a trigger.

4. The portable electronic data collector of claim 2, wherein the switch is a button.

5. The portable electronic data collector of claim 1, wherein the data collection engine is a radio frequency tag interrogator.

6. The portable electronic data collector of claim 1, wherein the data collection engine is a bar code scan engine.

7. The portable electronic data collector of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source compartment door over the power source compartment; and

an auxiliary interface apparatus mounted on the power source compartment door, the auxiliary interface apparatus being operable to communicate with the interface via signals carried by the signal path to the power source compartment.

8. The portable electronic data collector of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary interface apparatus is operable to receive from the signal path data representing information captured by the data collection engine.

9. The portable electronic data collector of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary interface apparatus includes a wireless interface.

10. The portable electronic data collector of claim 9, wherein the wireless interface includes a spread spectrum radio.

11. The portable electronic data collector of claim 10, wherein the wireless interface includes a spread spectrum radio selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth radio, an IEEE 802.11a radio, an IEEE 802.11b radio, and an IEEE 802.11g radio.

12. The portable electronic data collector of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary interface apparatus includes memory.

13. The portable electronic data collector of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary interface apparatus includes a display.

14. The portable electronic data collector of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary interface apparatus includes a keypad.

15. The portable electronic data collector of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to apply or remove power from the auxiliary interface apparatus.

16. The portable electronic data collector of claim 15, wherein the controller is operable to remove power from the auxiliary interface apparatus when there is no data to transmit.

17. The portable electronic data collector of claim 15, wherein the controller is operable to apply power to the auxiliary interface apparatus when the controller receives an input associated with receiving data to transmit.

18. The portable electronic data collector of claim 17, wherein the input associated with receiving data to transmit includes receiving a first signal.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 17, further comprising:

a switch on the body, operable to commence data collection;

the switch being coupled to the controller and accessible to a user; and

wherein the input associated with receiving data to transmit includes receiving a switch activation.

20. A portable bar code scanner, comprising:

a housing;

a scan engine having a laser diode operable to scan a laser beam across a field of view, the scan engine being disposed in the housing;

an activator on the surface of the housing for activating the scan engine;

a radio interface in the housing, operable to transmit data sensed by the scan engine to a base station; and

a beam modulator in the housing, operatively coupled to the laser diode to cyclically modulate the intensity of the laser beam upon the decoding of a bar code in the field of view.

21. The portable bar code scanner of claim 20, further comprising:

a bar code decoder in the housing, the bar code decoder being operatively coupled to receive a signal representative of a bar code symbol in the field of view from the scan engine, and operable to decode the signal to determine data encoded by the bar code symbol,

the bar code decoder being further operatively coupled to the beam modulator and operable to provide an instruction to modulate the beam.

22. The portable bar code scanner of claim 21, wherein the radio interface is operable to receive from the decoder a first signal representative of decoded data from a bar code symbol in the field of view,

transmit a second signal representation of the first signal to a host computer,

receive from the host computer a third signal indicating that the bar code symbol corresponding to said first and second signals has been received, and

issue to the beam modulator a signal to cyclically modulate the power of the laser beam.

23. The portable bar code scanner of claim 20, wherein the radio interface is operable to receive from the scan engine a first signal representative of a bar code symbol in the field of view,

transmit a second signal representation of the first signal to a host computer,

receive from the host computer a third signal indicating that the bar code symbol corresponding to the first and second signals has been decoded, and

issue to the beam modulator a signal to cyclically modulate the power of the laser beam.

24. The portable bar code scanner of claim 20, wherein the activator is a trigger accessible to a user holding said housing.

25. The portable bar code scanner of claim 20, further comprising a visible indicator on the housing, visible to a user, the indicator performing the functions of indicating a good decode to the user and indicating radio link status to the user.

26. The portable bar code scanner of claim 25, wherein the visible indicator comprises an LED.

27. The portable bar code scanner of claim 25, wherein the visible indicator blinks once to indicate good decode and blinks cyclically in a low duty cycle single blink pattern to indicate the radio link is in a sniff mode.

28. The portable bar code scanner of claim 27, wherein the visible indicator further blinks cyclically in a low duty cycle double blink pattern to indicate the radio link is in a discoverable mode.

29. The portable bar code scanner of claim 27, wherein the visible indicator further blinks cyclically in a high duty cycle pattern to indicate the radio link is in an active mode.

30. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

an electronic controller disposed in the housing;

a radio in the housing, operable to transmit data from the electronic controller to a base station, the radio being operable in a sniff mode and in a discoverable mode; and

a visible indicator on the housing, the visible indicator being operable to blink cyclically in a low duty cycle single blink pattern to indicate the radio is in the sniff mode, and further operable to blink cyclically in a low duty cycle double blink pattern to indicate the radio is in the discoverable mode.

31. The portable electronic device of claim 30, wherein the visible indicator is an LED.

32. The portable electronic device of claim 30, further comprising;

a data collection engine disposed in the housing and electronically coupled to the electronic controller.

33. The portable electronic device of claim 32, wherein the visible indicator is operable to blink once upon a successful transaction of the data collection engine.

34. The portable electronic device of claim 32, wherein:

the radio is operable to transmit, to a base station, data representative of a portable data carrier read by the data collection engine;

the radio is further operable to receive from the base station data indicating validity of the data representative of the portable data carrier; and

the visible indicator is operable to blink to indicate receipt by the radio the data indicating validity from the base station.

35. The portable electronic device of claim 30, wherein the radio is further operable in an active mode, and

wherein the visible indicator is further operable to blink cyclically in a high duty cycle pattern to indicate the radio is in the active mode.