INFORMATION GATHERING AND DECODING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USE

• US 20100257063A1
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datalogic USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Datalogic USA, Inc.
• Inventors: Webb, Michael John, Duggan, Paul, Robson, Jeff, Paris, Bruce, Clifford, Harold Clayton, Hewitt, Jonathan Paul, Tangerini, Daniela, Tibaldi, Gianfranco, McQueen, Alexander M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,569,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR

Abstract

An information gathering and decoding apparatus includes two information gathering devices that communicate with one another, preferably wirelessly. The two information gathering devices may be used substantially simultaneously to process one, or multiple, customer orders. Customer order information is sent from one information gathering device to the other, and only one of the information gathering devices communicates with a computer system to send information from both of the information gathering devices to the computer system as if the information originated from the one information gathering device. Communication between the two information gathering devices combined with a microprocessor in at least one of the information gathering devices may allow the information gathering and decoding apparatus to be used with existing computer systems, such as point of sale systems, preferably without modifying the computer system. One information gathering device may pre-qualify customers to purchase restricted items. The second information gathering device may access the pre-qualification from the first information gathering device to process sales of restricted items to customers.

Claims

1. A data reading system comprising:

a first information gathering device having a first housing, including;

a first data capture device in the first housing,

a first controller including a memory, the first controller and memory in the first housing and operatively connected to the first data capture device, and

a first communication device in the first housing, the first communication device operatively connected to the first controller, the first communication device configured to receive data from a second communication device; and

a second information gathering device having a second housing, including;

a second data capture device in the second housing,

a second controller, the second controller in the second housing and operatively connected to the second data capture device, and

the second communication device in the second housing, the second communication device operatively connected to the second controller and configured to transmit data to the first communication device;

wherein the first controller is configured to receive data originating from the first data capture device and the second data capture device, and the first controller is operatively connected to a computer system to transmit data originating from the first data capture device and the second data capture device to the computer system as if the data originated from the first data capture device.

2. The data reading system according to claim 1, further including a charging module in the first information gathering device housing, the charging module operatively connected to the first controller, the first power source also operatively connected to the charging module, and the second power source in the second housing configured to be recharged by the charging module.

3. The data reading system according to claim 1, wherein the first communication device is a wireless transceiver and the second communication device is a wireless transceiver, where the first and second communication devices are configured to send and receive data to and from one another.

4. The data reading system according to claim 1, further comprising:

the second controller configured to associate identifying information with the data originating from the second data capture device;

the first controller programmed to receive data originating from the first data capture device and data originating from the second data capture device at substantially the same time; and

the first controller programmed to transmit data originating from the first data capture device to the computer system and to store data originating from the second data capture device in the memory based on the identifying information.

5. The data reading system according to claim 4, further comprising the first controller programmed to transmit the data stored in the memory to the computer system when the first data capture device stops reading data.

6. The data reading system according to claim 4, further comprising the first controller programmed to transmit the data stored in the memory to the computer system in response to the identifying information being read by the first data capture device.

7. The data reading system according to claim 4, further comprising the first controller programmed to transmit the data stored in the memory to the computer system in response to the first controller receiving the identifying information from the computer system.

8. A method of data reading comprising the steps of:

reading data from a product identification source with a first information gathering device;

reading data from a product identification source with a second information gathering device at substantially the same time that data is read with the first information gathering device;

transmitting the data read by the first information gathering device to the second information gathering device;

processing the data from the first and second information gathering devices in the second information gathering device to generate processed data; and

transmitting the processed data from the second information gathering device to a computer system.

9. The method of data reading according to claim 8, wherein data from the first information gathering device is processed and transmitted before data from the second information gathering device is processed and transmitted.

10. The method of data reading according to claim 8, further comprising:

associating an identifier with the data read with the first information gathering device; and

receiving at the second information gathering device the identifier and the data associated with the identifier from the first information gathering device and storing the identifier and data associated with the identifier in a memory;

receiving at the second information gathering device data read with the second information gathering device; and

wherein transmitting the processed data from the second information gathering device to a computer system includes transmitting the data read with the second information gathering device to the computer system before transmitting the data associated with the identifier to the computer system.

11. The method of data reading according to claim 10, further comprising the step of reading a new identifier and new data associated with the new identifier by the first information gathering device;

and

wherein processing the data by the second information gathering device includes receiving the new identifier and the new data associated with the new identifier from the first information gathering device, storing the new identifier and new data associated with the new identifier in the memory, and receiving data read with the second information gathering device includes the new identifier; and

wherein transmitting the processed data to a computer system further includes transmitting the data associated with the new identifier from the memory to the computer system.

12. The method of data reading according to claim 8, wherein reading data with a first information gathering device includes associating an identifier with the data read with the first information gathering device and storing the identifier and data associated with the identifier in a memory;

and

wherein transmitting the data read by the first information gathering device to the second information gathering device includes receiving the identifier at the second information gathering device and retrieving the data associated with the identifier from the first information gathering device; and

wherein transmitting the processed data from the second information gathering device to a computer system comprises transmitting the data read with the second information gathering device to the computer system before transmitting the data read with the first information gathering device to the computer system.

13. The method of data reading according to claim 8, wherein transmitting the processed data to a computer system comprises transmitting the data read by the first and second information gathering devices to the computer system as the data is read by the first and second information gathering devices.

14. The method of data reading according to claim 8, wherein transmitting the processed data to a computer system comprises transmitting the data read by the first and second information gathering devices to the computer system after the data has been read by the first and second information gathering devices.

15. The method of data reading according to claim 8, wherein the product identification source is selected from the group consisting of:

a barcode, a radio frequency identification tag, and an electronic article surveillance tag.

16. A method of operating a data reading system comprising the steps of:

transmitting programming data between a computer system and a first information gathering device, the programming data pertaining to the first information gathering device and to a second information gathering device; and

updating the first and second information gathering devices based on the transmitted programming data.

17. The method of operating a data reading system according to claim 16, wherein the programming data comprises software for the first information gathering device and for the second information gathering device;

and

updating comprises the first information gathering device loading to itself software pertinent to the first information gathering device, and the first information gathering device loading to the second information gathering device software pertinent to the second information gathering device via a communication link between the first and second information gathering devices.

18. The method of operating a data reading system according to claim 17, wherein:

the software pertinent to the first information gathering device contains instructions that enable the first information gathering device to;

(1) read data from a product identification source, and (2) transmit the read data to the second information gathering device; and

the software pertinent to the second information gathering device contains instructions that enable the second information gathering device to;

(1) read data from a product identification source at substantially the same time that data is read with the first information gathering device, (2) process the read data from the first and second information gathering devices to generate processed data, and (3) transmit the processed data to the computer system.

19. The method of operating a data reading system according to claim 17, wherein loading to the second information gathering device comprises wirelessly transmitting the software pertinent to the second information gathering device from the first information gathering device to the second information gathering device.

20. The method of operating a data reading system according to claim 17, wherein the programming data further comprises maintenance information for the first information gathering device and for the second information gathering device;

and

updating further comprises the second information gathering device transmitting maintenance information to the first information gathering device and the first information gathering device loading the maintenance information for the first and second information gathering devices on the computer system.

21. The method of operating a data reading system according to claim 16, wherein the programming data comprises maintenance information for the first information gathering device and for the second information gathering device;

and

updating further comprises the second information gathering device transmitting maintenance information to the first information gathering device and the first information gathering device loading the maintenance information for the first and second information gathering devices on the computer system.

22. A method of data reading at a point of sale system, comprising the steps:

receiving, at a first information gathering device, identifying information and qualifying information from a customer;

associating the customer'"'"'s qualifying information with the customer'"'"'s identifying information by the first information gathering device;

transmitting the associated qualifying and identifying information to a processing system;

receiving, at a second information gathering device, identifying information from the customer;

receiving, at the second information gathering device, information identifying a restricted item the customer desires to purchase;

correlating the customer'"'"'s identifying information received at the second information gathering device with the customer'"'"'s identifying information associated with the customer'"'"'s qualifying information; and

determining whether the customer may purchase the restricted item based on the customer'"'"'s qualifying information and the restricted item identifying information.

23. A method of data reading at a point of sale system according to claim 22, further comprising permitting or preventing the customer'"'"'s purchase of the restricted item based on the determination of whether the customer may purchase the restricted item.

24. A method of data reading at a point of sale system according to claim 22, wherein transmitting the associated qualifying and identifying information to a processing system includes transmitting to a point of sale system;

and further including

transmitting the identifying information and the restricted item identifying information from the second information gathering device to the point of sale system prior to matching the customer'"'"'s identifying information received at the second information gathering device with the customer'"'"'s identifying information associated with the customer'"'"'s qualifying information.

25. A method of data reading at a point of sale system according to claim 22, wherein transmitting the associated qualifying and identifying information to a processing system includes transmitting to an attendant station;

and further including

transmitting the identifying information and the restricted item identifying information from the second information gathering device to the attendant station prior to matching the customer'"'"'s identifying information received at the second information gathering device with the customer'"'"'s identifying information associated with the customer'"'"'s qualifying information.

26. A method data reading at a point of sale system according to claim 22, wherein transmitting the associated qualifying and identifying information to a processing system includes transmitting to the second information gathering device.

27. A system for facilitating a customer transaction at a point of sale, comprising:

a first information gathering device configured to capture customer identifying information and customer qualifying information and to associate the customer identifying information with the customer qualifying information, the first information gathering device operatively connected to a processing system for transmitting the associated customer identifying information and qualifying information to the processing system;

a second information gathering device configured to capture customer identifying information and item identifying information and to associate the customer identifying information with the item identifying information, the second information gathering device operatively connected to the processing system for transmitting the associated customer identifying information and item identifying information to the processing system; and

wherein the processing system is operative to recognize when the item identifying information relates to a restricted item, and, when restricted items are recognized, is further configured to match the transmitted associated customer identifying information and item identifying information with the transmitted associated customer identifying information and qualifying information, to compare the qualifying information against the item identifying information, and to indicate to the second information gathering device whether the restricted item may be purchased by the customer based on comparing the qualifying information against the item identifying information.

28. A system for facilitating customer transaction according to claim 27, wherein

the processing system includes a point of sale system.

29. A system for facilitating customer transaction according to claim 27, wherein the processing system includes an attendant station.

30. A system for facilitating customer transaction according to claim 27, wherein the processing system includes the second information gathering device.