Encoded information reading terminal with wireless path selection capability

• US 20090121021A1
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ynjiun P., Qu, Huyu
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/439
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/26 for hybrid routing by combining proactive and reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 for reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/30 for proactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

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.

Claims

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.

2. The EIR terminal of claim 1, wherein said receiving beacons and transmitting beacons is performed according to one of:

IEEE 802.11 Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) mode of operation, IEEE 802.11 infrastructure mode of operation.

3. The EIR terminal of claim 1, wherein said wireless interface module performs IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery;

and

wherein said wireless interface module further performs IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association;

4. The EIR terminal of claim 1, 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.

5. The EIR terminal of claim 1, 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 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.

6. The EIR terminal of claim 1, 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 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.

7. The EIR terminal of claim 1, wherein said terminal module includes a first battery;

wherein said wireless interface module includes a second battery; 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.

8. The EIR terminal of claim 1, wherein said path selection protocol is the only path selection protocol being used for unicast, multicast and broadcast frame transmission within said wireless network.

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:

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.

10. The EIR terminal of claim 9, 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.

11. The EIR terminal of claim 9, 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 to one of:

a peer EIR terminal, a wireless access point, one or more of said portals.

12. The EIR terminal of claim 9, 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.

13. The EIR terminal of claim 9, wherein said wireless interface module performs IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery;

and

wherein said wireless interface module further performs IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association.

14. The EIR terminal of claim 9, wherein said wireless interface module continuously operates in said wireless interface module awake state.

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:

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.

16. The EIR terminal of claim 15, 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.

17. The EIR terminal of claim 15, 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 to one of:

a peer EIR terminal, a wireless access point, one or more of said portals.

18. The EIR terminal of claim 15, 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.

19. The EIR terminal of claim 15, wherein said wireless interface module performs IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery;

and

wherein said wireless interface module further performs IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association.

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:

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.

21. The EIR terminal of claim 20, wherein said wireless interface is electrically coupled to a switching means;

wherein in a normal operation, said switching means electrically couple said wireless interface module to said second battery; and

wherein said switching means conditionally, upon depletion of said second battery, electrically couple said wireless interface module to said first battery.

22. The EIR terminal of claim 20, wherein said wireless interface is electrically coupled to a switching means;

wherein in a normal operation, said switching means electrically couple said terminal module to said first battery; and

wherein said switching means conditionally, upon depletion of said first battery, electrically couple said terminal module to said second battery.

23. The EIR terminal of claim 20, 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.

24. The EIR terminal of claim 20, wherein said wireless interface module performs IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery;

and

wherein said wireless interface module further performs IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association.

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.

26. The data collection system of claim 25, wherein said wireless interface modules of said at least three EIR terminals of said plurality of EIR terminals perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery;

and

wherein said wireless interface modules of said at least three EIR terminals of said plurality of EIR terminals further perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association.

27. The data collection system of claim 25, wherein wireless interface module performs IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery;

and

wherein said wireless interface module further performs IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association.

28. The data collection system of claim 25, wherein at least one said wireless access point is collocated with at least one said portal.

29. The data collection system of claim 25, wherein a first EIR terminal further comprises an Ethernet network interface, said first EIR terminal connecting to a local area network (LAN) over said Ethernet network interface;

and

wherein said 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 to said LAN via said Ethernet network interface.

30. The data collection system of claim 25, wherein said path selection protocol is the only path selection protocol being used for unicast, multicast and broadcast frame transmission within said wireless network.