TRANSACTION CONTROL SYSTEM INCLUDING PORTABLE DATA TERMINAL AND MOBILE CUSTOMER SERVICE STATION
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer'"'"'s credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network. In another embodiment, the mobile service station comprises an access device which participates with a variety of peripherals at the station in a lower power communication LAN, while providing higher power communication to other network devices via a premises network with routing via a wireless spanning tree configuration.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1-17. -17. (canceled)
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18. A vehicle comprising:
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a power supply for supplying power to a first communication device, wherein the first communication device is operable to participate on a first wireless network; and a second wireless network for communicating within the vehicle between the first communication device and a second communication device; wherein the first communication device provides wireless access for the second communication device to the first wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for communicating within in a vehicle, the method comprising:
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supplying power from the vehicle to a first communication device, wherein the first communication device is operable to participate on a first wireless network; communicating from a second communication device to the first communication device, wherein the communication between the first communication device and the second communication device is on a second wireless network; and providing wireless access for the second communication device to the first wireless network through the first communication device. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification