WIRELESS BAR CODE SYMBOL READING SYSTEM EMPLOYING A BASE STATION WITH A CRADLE HAVING A HINGED SUPPORT HOOKS FOR ENABLING VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL INSTALLATIONS

• US 20050274810A1
• Filed: 07/03/2003
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Ming, Wang, Lin, Shi, Shamei, Hu, Meng, Zhu, Xiaoxun, Knowles, C. Harry, Au, Ka Man, Giordano, Patrick, Schmidt, Mark, Wilz, David M. Sr., Colavito, Stephen J., Xu, Congwei, Hudrick, Donald T., Russell, Garrett, Jin, Hongjian, Byun, Sung, Blake, Robert, Bonanno, John, Rockstein, George, Ji, MingQing
• Granted Patent: US 7,048,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.430
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1012 Special detection of object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10594 Beam path
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10603 Basic scanning using moving elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10663 using hologram
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10673 Parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10702 Particularities of propagating elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors G06K7/10831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10801 Multidistance reading
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 Focalisation
• 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 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10871 randomly oriented data-fields, code-marks therefore, e.g. concentric circles-code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10891 the scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 : using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence

Abstract

A wireless bar code symbol reading system for use in both vertical and horizontal orientations in a work environment. The system comprises a wireless hand-supportable bar code symbol reading device in two-way RF communication with a base station that is installable within a work environment and includes a base station housing having a cradle portion provided with a pair of hinged support hooks for supporting the hand-supportable housing of the reading device in both vertical and horizontal orientations. The pair of hinged support hooks are arrangeable in a protracted position within the cradle portion so as to support the hand-supportable housing in the cradle portion mounted in a vertical orientation. The pair of hinged support hooks are arrangeable in a retracted position within the cradle portion so as to support the hand-supportable housing in the cradle portion mounted in a horizontal orientation.

Claims

1-92. -92. (canceled)

93. An wireless bar code symbol reading system for use both vertical and horizontal orientations in a work environment, said system comprising:

(A) a wireless hand-supportable bar code symbol reading device in two-way RF communication with a base station operably connected to a host system, by way of an RF-based wireless data communication link over which two-way communication of data packets can occur, said wireless hand-supportable bar code reading device including a hand-supportable housing; and

(B) said base station installable within a work environment and including a base station housing having a cradle portion provided with a pair of hinged support hooks for supporting said hand-supportable housing of said reading device in both vertical and horizontal orientations in said work environment;

wherein said pair of hinged support hooks are arrangeable in a protracted position within said cradle portion so as to support said hand-supportable housing in said cradle portion mounted in a vertical orientation in said work environment; and

wherein said pair of hinged support hooks are arrangeable in a retracted position within said cradle portion so as to support said hand-supportable housing in said cradle portion mounted in a horizontal orientation in said work environment.

94. The wireless bar code symbol reading system of claim 93, wherein said wireless hand-supportable bar code reading device further includes:

a bar code symbol reading mechanism, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for optically scanning and reading a bar code symbol on an object, and producing a symbol character data string representative of said read bar code symbol;

a first RF-based transceiver circuit, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for transmitting to said base station, a group of data packets associated with said produced symbol character data strings; and

a device controller, disposed within said hand-supportable housing, for controlling the operation of said wireless hand-supportable bar code symbol reading device.

95. The wireless bar code symbol reading system of claim 94, wherein said base station further includes:

a second RF-based transceiver circuit, disposed within said base station housing, for receiving said group of data packets transmitted from said first RF-based transceiver circuit, and

a base station controller mounted in said base station housing, for controlling the operation of said base station;

wherein said first and second RF-based transceiver circuits enable said RF-based wireless data communication link between said wireless hand-supportable bar code reading device and said base station; and

wherein said first and second RF-based transceiver circuits cooperate to enable the communication of data packets between said wireless hand-supportable bar code symbol reading device and said base station, over said RF-based wireless data communication link.

96. The wireless bar code symbol reading system of claim 93, wherein said cradle portion includes a radio antenna.

97. The wireless bar code symbol reading system of claim 96, wherein said first RF-based transceiver circuit and said device controller are realized as first RF-based chipset disposed within said hand-supportable housing.

98. The wireless bar code symbol reading system of claim 96, wherein said second RF-based transceiver circuit and said base station controller are realized as second RF-based chipset disposed within said base station housing.