Encoded information reading terminal with wireless path selection capability
First Claim
1. A portable encoded information reading (EIR) terminal for incorporation in a data collection system having a plurality of peer EIR terminals, said plurality of peer EIR terminal collectively forming a wireless network, said wireless network being an OSI layer 2 network, said wireless network comprising zero or more wireless access points, said wireless network further comprising zero or more portals, each portal routing MAC frames between said wireless network and at least one OSI layer 2 network, said EIR terminal comprising:
- a terminal module including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and an encoded information reading (EIR) device selected from the group consisting of a bar code reading device, an RFID reading device, and a card reading device, said EIR device configured to perform one of;
outputting raw message data containing an encoded message, outputting decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message; and
a wireless interface module communicatively coupled to said terminal module via a wired interface, said wireless interface module including a microcontroller, a memory, and at least one wireless communication interface;
wherein said wireless interface module establishes one or more wireless links with one or more EIR terminals of said plurality of peer EIR terminals, to join said wireless network;
wherein said wireless interface module performs at least one of;
receiving beacons, transmitting beacons, said beacons containing at least an identifier of a path selection protocol, said path selection protocol being used for unicast, multicast and broadcast frame transmission within said wireless network;
wherein said wireless interface module, responsive to receiving one or more data packets from said terminal module, incorporates said one or more data packets into one or more MAC frames and forwards said one or more MAC frames, according to said path selection protocol, to one of;
a peer EIR terminal, a wireless access point, one or more of said portals; and
wherein said wireless interface module, responsive to receiving one or more MAC frames, said one or more MAC frames containing one or more data packet addressed to said terminal module, transmits said one or more data packets to said terminal module.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable encoded information reading (EIR) terminal for incorporation in a data collection system can comprise a terminal module communicatively coupled to a wireless interface module via a wired interface. The terminal module can include a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and an encoded information reading (EIR) device. The wireless interface module can include a microcontroller, a memory, and at least one wireless communication interface. The wireless interface module can establish one or more wireless links with one or more peer EIR terminals, to join a wireless network which is collectively formed by the peer EIR terminals. The wireless interface module can receive or transmit beacons containing at least an identifier of a path selection protocol which is used for unicast, multicast and broadcast frame transmission within the wireless network. The wireless interface module, responsive to receiving a MAC frame from the terminal module, can forward the MAC frame, according to the path selection protocol, to a peer EIR terminal or to a portal which is capable of routing MAC frames between the wireless network and one or more OSI layer 2 networks.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A portable encoded information reading (EIR) terminal for incorporation in a data collection system having a plurality of peer EIR terminals, said plurality of peer EIR terminal collectively forming a wireless network, said wireless network being an OSI layer 2 network, said wireless network comprising zero or more wireless access points, said wireless network further comprising zero or more portals, each portal routing MAC frames between said wireless network and at least one OSI layer 2 network, said EIR terminal comprising:
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a terminal module including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and an encoded information reading (EIR) device selected from the group consisting of a bar code reading device, an RFID reading device, and a card reading device, said EIR device configured to perform one of;
outputting raw message data containing an encoded message, outputting decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message; anda wireless interface module communicatively coupled to said terminal module via a wired interface, said wireless interface module including a microcontroller, a memory, and at least one wireless communication interface; wherein said wireless interface module establishes one or more wireless links with one or more EIR terminals of said plurality of peer EIR terminals, to join said wireless network; wherein said wireless interface module performs at least one of;
receiving beacons, transmitting beacons, said beacons containing at least an identifier of a path selection protocol, said path selection protocol being used for unicast, multicast and broadcast frame transmission within said wireless network;wherein said wireless interface module, responsive to receiving one or more data packets from said terminal module, incorporates said one or more data packets into one or more MAC frames and forwards said one or more MAC frames, according to said path selection protocol, to one of;
a peer EIR terminal, a wireless access point, one or more of said portals; andwherein said wireless interface module, responsive to receiving one or more MAC frames, said one or more MAC frames containing one or more data packet addressed to said terminal module, transmits said one or more data packets to said terminal module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A portable encoded information reading (EIR) terminal for incorporation in a data collection system having a plurality of peer EIR terminals, said plurality of peer EIR terminal collectively forming a wireless network, said wireless network being an OSI layer 2 network, said wireless network comprising zero or more wireless access points, said wireless network further comprising zero or more portals, each portal routing MAC frames between said wireless network and at least one OSI layer 2 network, said EIR terminal comprising:
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a terminal module including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and an encoded information reading (EIR) device selected from the group consisting of a bar code reading device, an RFID reading device, and a card reading device, said EIR device configured to perform one of;
outputting raw message data containing an encoded message, outputting decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message;a wireless interface module communicatively coupled to said terminal module via a wired interface, said wireless interface module including a microcontroller, a memory, and at least one wireless communication interface; wherein said wireless interface module establishes one or more wireless links with one or more EIR terminals of said plurality of peer EIR terminals, to join said wireless network; wherein said wireless interface module employs a power management scheme for controlling power management states of said wireless interface module at least between a wireless interface module awake state and a wireless interface module sleeping state; wherein said terminal module employs a power management scheme for controlling power management states of said terminal module at least between a terminal module awake state and a terminal module sleeping state; and wherein said EIR terminal is capable of operating in a mode in which said terminal module is in said terminal module sleeping state and said wireless interface module is in said wireless interface module awake state in such manner that power is conserved by said EIR terminal without disrupting participation of said wireless interface module in said mesh network. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A portable encoded information reading (EIR) terminal for incorporation in a data collection system having a plurality of peer EIR terminals, said plurality of peer EIR terminal collectively forming a wireless network, said wireless network being an OSI layer 2 network, said wireless network comprising zero or more wireless access points, said wireless network further comprising zero or more portals, each portal routing MAC frames between said wireless network and at least one OSI layer 2 network, said EIR terminal comprising:
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a terminal module including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and an encoded information reading (EIR) device selected from the group consisting of a bar code reading device, an RFID reading device, and a card reading device, said EIR device configured to perform one of;
outputting raw message data containing an encoded message, outputting decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message;a wireless interface module communicatively coupled to said terminal module via a wired interface, said wireless interface module including a microcontroller, a memory, and at least one wireless communication interface; wherein said wireless interface module establishes one or more wireless links with one or more EIR terminals of said plurality of peer EIR terminals, to join said wireless network; wherein said wireless interface module employs a power management scheme for controlling power management states of said wireless interface module at least between a wireless interface module awake state and a wireless interface module sleeping state; wherein said terminal module employs a power management scheme for controlling power management states of said terminal module at least between a terminal module awake state and a terminal module sleeping state; wherein said wireless interface module causes said terminal module to exit said terminal module sleeping state by transmitting at least one data packet to said terminal module; and wherein said terminal module causes said wireless interface module to exit said wireless interface module sleeping state by transmitting at least one data packet to said wireless interface module. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A portable encoded information reading (EIR) terminal for incorporation in a data collection system having a plurality of peer EIR terminals, said plurality of peer EIR terminal collectively forming a wireless network, said wireless network being an OSI layer 2 network, said wireless network comprising zero or more wireless access points, said wireless network further comprising zero or more portals, each portal routing MAC frames between said wireless network and at least one OSI layer 2 network, said EIR terminal comprising:
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a terminal module including a first battery, a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and an encoded information reading (EIR) device selected from the group consisting of a bar code reading device, an RFID reading device, and a card reading device, said EIR device configured to perform one of;
outputting raw message data containing an encoded message, outputting decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message;a wireless interface module communicatively coupled to said terminal module via a wired interface, said wireless interface module including a second battery, a microcontroller, a memory, and at least one wireless communication interface; wherein said wireless interface module establishes one or more wireless links with one or more EIR terminals of said plurality of peer EIR terminals, to join said wireless network; and wherein said first battery is used to power said wireless interface module responsive to said second battery depletion, thus providing for uninterrupted operation of said wireless interface module. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A data collection system comprising a plurality of encoded information reading (EIR) terminals, each of said EIR terminals comprising a terminal module including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and an encoded information reading (EIR) device selected from the group consisting of a bar code reading device, an RFID reading device, and a card reading device, said EIR device configured to perform one of:
- outputting raw message data containing an encoded message, outputting decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message;
each of said EIR terminals further comprising a wireless interface module communicatively coupled to said terminal module via a wired interface, said wireless interface module including a CPU, a memory, and at least one wireless communication interface;wherein said plurality of EIR terminals collectively form a wireless network in which each EIR terminal is directly connected via a wireless link to one or more peer EIR terminals, said wireless network being an OSI layer 2 network, said wireless network comprising zero or more wireless access points, said wireless network further comprising zero or more portals, each portal routing MAC frames between said wireless network and at least one OSI layer 2 network; wherein said wireless interface modules of at least three EIR terminals of said plurality of EIR terminals performs at least one of;
receiving beacons, transmitting beacons, said beacons containing at least an identifier of a path selection protocol, said path selection protocol being used for unicast, multicast and broadcast frame transmission within said wireless network;wherein a wireless interface module of a first EIR terminal, responsive to receiving one or more MAC frames from a wireless interface module of a second EIR terminal, said one or more MAC frames containing one or more data packet addressed to said terminal module of said first EIR terminal, transmits said one or more data packets to said terminal module of said first EIR terminal; and wherein a wireless interface module of a first EIR terminal, responsive to receiving one or more MAC frames from a wireless interface module of a second EIR terminal, said one or more MAC frames not addressed to said wireless interface module or said terminal module of said first EIR terminal, forwards said one or more MAC frames, according to said path selection protocol, to one of;
a wireless interface module of a third EIR terminal, a wireless access point, one or more of said portals. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
- outputting raw message data containing an encoded message, outputting decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message;
Specification