WIRELESS MESH POINT PORTABLE DATA TERMINAL

• US 20150312780A1
• Filed: 06/18/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• 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., Havens, William H., Qu, Huyu
• Granted Patent: US 10,327,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0203 in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable data terminal (PDT) adapted to participate in a wireless mesh network including a plurality of peer PDTs can comprise: a PDT module including an encoded information reading (EIR) device, and a mesh point (MP) module communicatively coupled to the PDT module. The MP module can include a microcontroller and at least one wireless communication interface and can be configured to perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery, and IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association. The MP module can be further configured, responsive to receiving a MAC frame addressed to a recipient inside the wireless mesh network, to deliver the MAC frame using the distribution service.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

a routing table;

a mesh point module comprising a microcontroller and at least one wireless communication interface;

wherein the mesh point module is configured to provide distribution services and integration services over a wireless mesh network; and

wherein the mesh point module is configured to update the routing table automatically to connect to the wireless mesh network via the wireless communication interface.

2. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication interface is configured to communicate with a network gateway to provide the integration services over the wireless mesh network.

3. A terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a data collection device in communication with a terminal module configured to send outgoing frames of data from the data collection device to the mesh point module for transmission over the wireless network.

4. A terminal according to claim 3, wherein the data collection device is an encoded information reading device.

5. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the mesh point module is configured to receive routing table updates from remote locations.

6. A terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a radio transceiver in communication with the mesh point module.

7. A terminal according to claim 1, further configured for receiving a Media Access Control frame bearing payload data from a peer device on the mesh network and transmitting the frame to an access point connected to the network.

8. A terminal according to claim 7, wherein the terminal is mobile and configured to provide a re-association service with an updated access point for providing integration services with other networks upon moving.

9. A terminal comprising:

a microcontroller;

at least one wireless communications interface;

a transceiver

a mesh point module in communication with the transceiver and configured to transmit frames of data over a wireless mesh network,

wherein the frames of data include a header with a frame control field, the frame control field comprising power management data, and

wherein the power management data in the frame control field transitions the terminal from a sleep state to an awake state.

10. A terminal according to claim 9 wherein the mesh point module is configured to process the power management data such that the terminal is awake only for the portion of time required for receiving the data.

11. A terminal according to claim 9, further comprising a data collection device and a terminal module configured to send outgoing frames of data from the data collection device to the mesh point module for transmission over the wireless network.

12. A terminal according to claim 11, wherein the data collection device is an encoded information reading device.

13. A terminal according to claim 9, further comprising a routing table, wherein the mesh point module is configured to receive routing table updates from remote locations.

14. A terminal according to claim 9, wherein the wireless communications interface is configured to communicate with an access point to allow for integration services programmed into the terminal to transmit data to another external network.

15. A terminal according to claim 9, wherein the terminal is mobile and configured to provide a re-association service with an updated access point for providing integration services with other networks upon moving.

16. A terminal according to claim 9, further comprising a portable data terminal module that transitions the terminal into a sleep state when the terminal has no job to process.

17. A terminal according to claim 16, wherein the mesh point module of the terminal remains operational when the terminal is in a sleep state.

18. A system for transmitting data across a network, the system comprising;

a plurality of peer data terminals in communication with each other and forming a wireless mesh network, wherein each peer data terminal comprises;

a microcontroller;

at least one wireless communications interface;

a transceiver; and

a mesh point module in communication with the transceiver and configured to transmit frames of the data over the wireless mesh network;

an access point connected to at least one of the peer data terminals on the network and providing a gateway for transmitting the frames of data to an external network,

wherein said at least one of the peer data terminals is configured to transition to a sleep state for a period of inactivity, and

wherein the mesh point module of said at least one peer data terminal remains operational during the sleep state to receive data for transmitting to either another peer data terminal or the access point.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the data includes a frame control field to transition the terminal from a sleep state to an awake state for transmitting data with the transceiver.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein at least two of the peer data terminals each comprise respective routing tables, and the peer data terminals are configured to update the routing tables automatically to transmit data to either another peer data terminal or the access point