WIRELESS MESH POINT PORTABLE DATA TERMINAL

• US 20080294766A1
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Havens, William H., Qu, Huyu, WANG, Ynjiun P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,638,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0203 in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable data terminal (PDT) adapted to participate in a wireless mesh network including a plurality of peer PDTs can comprise: a PDT module including an encoded information reading (EIR) device, and a mesh point (MP) module communicatively coupled to the PDT module. The MP module can include a microcontroller and at least one wireless communication interface and can be configured to perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery, and IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association. The MP module can be further configured, responsive to receiving a MAC frame addressed to a recipient inside the wireless mesh network, to deliver the MAC frame using the distribution service. The MP module can be further configured, responsive to receiving a MAC frame addressed to a recipient outside of the wireless mesh network, to deliver the MAC frame using the integration service. The MP module can be further configured to route an incoming MAC frame according to its destination address and the frame control field. The MP module can be further configured to cause the PDT module to exit said sleeping state responsive to receiving a mobile management software (MMS) wake-up command.

Claims

1. A portable data terminal adapted to participate in a wireless mesh network including a plurality of peer portable data terminals, said portable data terminal comprising:

a portable data terminal module including a central processing unit, a memory, and at least one encoded information reading device configured to output a decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message; and

a mesh point module communicatively coupled to said portable data terminal module, said mesh point module including a microcontroller and at least one wireless communication interface;

wherein said mesh point module is configured to perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services, and IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including distribution and integration;

wherein said mesh point module is further configured, responsive to receiving a Media Access Control frame addressed to a recipient inside said mesh network, to deliver said Media Access Control frame using said distribution service; and

wherein said mesh point module is further configured, responsive to receiving a Media Access Control frame addressed to a recipient outside of said mesh network, to deliver said Media Access Control frame using said integration service.

2. The portable data terminal of claim 1, wherein said portable data terminal module employs a power management scheme for controlling power management states of said portable data terminal module at least between an awake state and a sleeping state;

and

wherein said mesh point module is configured to cause said portable data terminal module to exit said portable data terminal module sleeping state by transmitting at least one frame to said portable data terminal module.

3. The portable data terminal of claim 1, wherein said portable data terminal module includes a first battery;

wherein said mesh point module includes a second battery; and

wherein said first battery is used to power said mesh point module responsive to said second battery depletion, thus providing for uninterrupted operation of said mesh point module.

4. The portable data terminal of claim 1, wherein said wireless network comprises one or more portals, each portal routing frames between said wireless network and at least one external network.

5. The portable data terminal of claim 1, wherein said mesh point module is configured to transmit beacons only at Delivery Traffic Indication Time intervals.

6. A portable data terminal adapted to participate in a wireless mesh network including a plurality of peer portable data terminals, said portable data terminal comprising:

a portable data terminal module including a central processing unit, a memory, and at least one encoded information reading device configured to output a decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message; and

a mesh point module communicatively coupled to said portable data terminal module, said mesh point module including a microcontroller and at least one wireless communication interface;

wherein said mesh point module is configured to perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services, and IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services;

wherein said mesh point module is further configured, responsive to receiving a Media Access Control frame having a header including a destination address and a frame control field, to route said Media Access Control frame according to said destination address and said frame control field.

7. The portable data terminal of claim 6, wherein said portable data terminal module employs a power management scheme for controlling power management states of said portable data terminal module at least between an awake state and a sleeping state;

and

wherein said mesh point module is configured to cause said portable data terminal module to exit said portable data terminal module sleeping state by transmitting at least one frame to said portable data terminal module.

8. The portable data terminal of claim 6, wherein said portable data terminal module includes a first battery;

wherein said mesh point module includes a second battery; and

wherein said first battery is used to power said mesh point module responsive to said second battery depletion, thus providing for uninterrupted operation of said mesh point module.

9. The portable data terminal of claim 6, wherein said wireless network comprises one or more portals, each portal routing frames between said wireless network and at least one external network.

10. The portable data terminal of claim 6, wherein said mesh point module is configured to transmit beacons only at Delivery Traffic Indication Time intervals.

11. A portable data terminal adapted to participate in a wireless mesh network including a plurality of peer portable data terminals, said portable data terminal comprising:

a portable data terminal module including a central processing unit, a memory, and at least one encoded information reading device configured to output a decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message; and

a mesh point module communicatively coupled to said portable data terminal module, said mesh point module including a microcontroller and at least one wireless communication interface;

wherein said portable data terminal module is configured to control power management states of said portable data terminal module at least between an awake state and a sleeping state; and

wherein said mesh point module is configured to cause said portable data terminal module to exit said sleeping state responsive to receiving a mobile management software wake-up command.

12. The portable data terminal of claim 11, wherein said mesh point module is configured to perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and Media Access Control service data unit delivery, and IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association.

13. The portable data terminal of claim 11, wherein said portable data terminal module includes a first battery;

wherein said mesh point module includes a second battery; and

wherein said first battery is used to power said mesh point module responsive to said second battery depletion, thus providing for uninterrupted operation of said mesh point module.

14. The portable data terminal of claim 11, wherein said wireless network comprises one or more portals, each portal routing frames between said wireless network and at least one external network.

15. The portable data terminal of claim 11, wherein said mesh point module is configured to transmit beacons only at Delivery Traffic Indication Time intervals.

16. A dynamic deployable mesh point adapted to participate in a wireless mesh network including a plurality of portable data terminals, said dynamic deployable mesh point comprising:

a microcontroller; and

at least one wireless communication interface;

wherein said dynamic deployable mesh point is configured to perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and Media Access Control service data unit delivery, and IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association;

wherein said dynamic deployable mesh point is further configured, responsive to receiving a Media Access Control frame addressed to a recipient inside said mesh network, to deliver said Media Access Control frame using said distribution service;

wherein said dynamic deployable mesh point is further configured, responsive to receiving a Media Access Control frame addressed to a recipient outside of said mesh network, to deliver said Media Access Control frame using said integration service; and

wherein said dynamic deployable mesh point is substantially devoid of any functionality other than routing Media Access Control frames.

17. The dynamic deployable mesh point of claim 16 further comprising a battery.

18. The dynamic deployable mesh point of claim 16, wherein said dynamic deployable mesh point is configured to be plugged in an electrical outlet.

19. The dynamic deployable mesh point of claim 16 further comprising a routing table;

wherein said dynamic deployable mesh point is configured, responsive to being powered up, to automatically update said routing table.

20. The dynamic deployable mesh point of claim 16, wherein said dynamic deployable mesh point is remotely configurable over a network.