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;
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 is configured to establish 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 wireless interface module is further configured, responsive to receiving a portal announcement, to cache one or more network addresses of devices having originated said portal announcement.
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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 wireless interface module can establish one or more wireless links with one or more 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
20 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;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 is configured to establish 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 wireless interface module is further configured, responsive to receiving a portal announcement, to cache one or more network addresses of devices having originated said portal announcement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. 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 is configured to establish 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 wireless interface module is further configured to implement at least one of;
an on-demand routing method, a proactive routing method, a hybrid routing method. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification