Method and apparatus for uniquely associating a bar code reading terminal to a cash register in a retail store network
First Claim
1. A bar code reading terminal for use in a retail store network having a plurality of cash registers external to said bar code reading terminal, the bar code reading terminal comprising:
- a bar code reader unit;
a manual trigger;
a hand held housing devoid of a display encapsulating at least one component of said bar code reader unit, the housing being configured so that a user can actuate said manual trigger when grasping said housing, the bar code reading terminal being configured so that when said manual trigger is actuated said bar code reader unit produces a decoded bar code data message;
a radio transceiver encapsulated by said housing;
wherein said bar code reading terminal is configured to wait for a cash register address to be wirelessly received from one cash register of said plurality of cash registers and to automatically enter a unique association mode of operation subsequent to receiving said cash register address, wherein said one cash register has a certain cash register address and wherein said unique association mode of operation is characterized by the bar code reading terminal for the time that said bar code reading terminal remains in said unique association mode utilizing only said certain cash register address when initiating a network connection for the transmission of decoded out bar code message data to an external device.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is provided herein an encoded information reading terminal such as may be provided for by a bar code reading terminal for operation in a network such as a retail store network that is configured in one embodiment to automatically enter a unique association mode of operation subsequent to wirelessly receiving a radio address from one computer of a plurality of computers, e.g., a cash register address from one cash register out of a plurality of cash registers. In one embodiment a bar code reading terminal can be configured to wait for a cash register address to be wirelessly received as part of a connection request initiated from one cash register out of a plurality of cash registers. A bar code reading terminal can be configured so that when operating in a unique association mode, a bar code reading terminal transmits all decoded bar code messages output by the bar code reading terminal to an external device to the one cash register sending its cash register address.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A bar code reading terminal for use in a retail store network having a plurality of cash registers external to said bar code reading terminal, the bar code reading terminal comprising:
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a bar code reader unit; a manual trigger; a hand held housing devoid of a display encapsulating at least one component of said bar code reader unit, the housing being configured so that a user can actuate said manual trigger when grasping said housing, the bar code reading terminal being configured so that when said manual trigger is actuated said bar code reader unit produces a decoded bar code data message; a radio transceiver encapsulated by said housing; wherein said bar code reading terminal is configured to wait for a cash register address to be wirelessly received from one cash register of said plurality of cash registers and to automatically enter a unique association mode of operation subsequent to receiving said cash register address, wherein said one cash register has a certain cash register address and wherein said unique association mode of operation is characterized by the bar code reading terminal for the time that said bar code reading terminal remains in said unique association mode utilizing only said certain cash register address when initiating a network connection for the transmission of decoded out bar code message data to an external device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for operating a retail store network that includes at least first and second radio-equipped cash registers and a plurality of bar code reading terminals, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) displaying on a display of said first cash register a designator for said bar code reading terminal and additional designators designating additional bar code reading terminals in range of said first cash register; (b) selecting said designator for said bar code reading terminal at said first cash register; (c) wirelessly sending an address of said first cash register to a bar code reading terminal identified by said selected designator selected at step (b); (d) saving said address at said bar code reading terminal corresponding to the selected designator; and (e) automatically initiating communication between said reading terminal and said cash register, said initiating step including the step of sending said address saved at step (d) to said cash register. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A bar code reading terminal operating in a retail store network including a cash register, said bar code reading terminal comprising:
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an imaging assembly including at least one of (a) an image sensor in combination with optics focusing an image onto the image sensor or (b) a laser scan engine; a manual trigger for initiating bar code reading; a radio transceiver; wherein said bar code reading terminal is configured to wait for said cash register to wirelessly send a cash register address, the bar code reading terminal being configured to automatically enter a unique association mode when subsequent to receiving said cash register address, the bar code reading terminal on entering said unique association mode automatically attempts to initiate a connection to said cash register utilizing said cash register address.
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19. A system comprising:
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a bar code reading terminal having bar code reader unit, a manual trigger, a hand held housing devoid of a display encapsulating at least one component of said bar code reader unit, the housing being configured so that a user can actuate said manual trigger when grasping said housing, the bar code reading terminal being configured so that when said manual trigger is actuated said bar code reader unit produces a decoded bar code data message and a radio transceiver encapsulated by said housing, wherein said bar code reading terminal is configured to wait for a cash register address to be wirelessly received from one cash register of a plurality of cash registers and to automatically enter a unique association mode of operation subsequent to receiving said cash register address; and a programming bar code complementarily configured with said bar code reading terminal, the bar code reading terminal and the programming bar code being complementarily configured so that that said bar code reading terminal on reading said programming bar code exits said unique association mode if said unique association mode is active when said bar code reading terminal reads said programming bar code.
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20. A system comprising:
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a plurality of cash registers, each having a display; a bar code reading terminal having bar code reader unit, a manual trigger, a hand held housing devoid of a display encapsulating at least one component of said bar code reader unit, the housing being configured so that a user can actuate said manual trigger when grasping said housing, the bar code reading terminal being configured so that when said manual trigger is actuated said bar code reader unit produces a decoded bar code data message, the bar code reading terminal further including a radio transceiver encapsulated by said housing, wherein said bar code reading terminal is configured to wait for a cash register address to be wirelessly received from one cash register of a plurality of cash registers and to automatically enter a unique association mode of operation subsequent to receiving said cash register address; wherein said system is configured so that said cash register address waited for by said bar code reading terminal can be sent from said one cash register by commanding said one cash register to (i) display on said display designators for radio equipped devices in range of it so that one of the designators can be selected, the plurality of designators including a designator for said bar code reading terminal; and
(ii) send a cash register address of said one cash register to said bar code reading terminal.
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21. A hand held encoded information reading terminal for use in a network having a plurality of computers external to said encoded information reading terminal, the encoded information reading terminal comprising:
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an encoded information reading unit selected from the group consisting of a bar code reader unit, an RFID reader unit, and a card reader unit; a manual trigger; a hand held housing devoid of a display encapsulating at least one component of said encoded information reader unit, the hand held encoded information reading terminal being configured so that said encoded information reader unit can produce decoded data messages; a radio transceiver encapsulated by said hand held housing; wherein said encoded reading terminal is configured to wait for a radio address to be wirelessly received by said radio transceiver from one computer of said plurality of computers and to automatically enter a unique association mode of operation subsequent to receiving said radio address, wherein said one computer has a certain radio address and wherein said unique association mode of operation is characterized by the encoded information reading terminal, for the time that said encoded information reading terminal remains in said unique association mode, being incapable of initiating a communication using said radio transceiver with an external device other than said one computer. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification