Hand-held data capture system with interchangeable modules

• US 5,331,136 A
• Filed: 06/04/1993
• Issued: 07/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Norand Corporation (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Hanson, George E., Miller, Phillip, Koenck, Steven E., Krunnfusz, Jeffrey S., Schultz, Darald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Willis, Davis L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRECH, KARL D
• Application Number:
  US08/071,555
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708, 364/709.1, 364/709.12, 235/375, 235/462, 235/472
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10574 Multiple sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10702 Particularities of propagating elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors G06K7/10831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 Focalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10841 Particularities of the light-sensitive elements semiconductor devices H01L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1098 the scanning arrangement having a modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 : by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 : with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 : specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 : by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 : used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 : Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 : Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 : Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 : by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 : Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0029 : Reduction of the amount of signalling, e.g. retention of useful signalling or differential signalling power control H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 : the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1685 : the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 : Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 : Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/14 : Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/156 : with demodulation using temporal properties of the received signal, e.g. detecting pulse width
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 : Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 : Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 : in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 : in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 : in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 : comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 : switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable hand-held data terminal of modular structure includes a base module with a keyboard and a display screen. A data and communications module may be selected from a number of different data and communications modules, each having different types of data communications transceivers, or including in addition data collection devices, such as shelf label readers or bar code readers. The base module includes a microprocessor-controlled data communications and control interface having a predetermined protocol. To adapt the various types of data and communications modules for selection of any one thereof to become attached to the base module and function therewith, each of the data and communications modules includes a microprocessor operable to function as an emulator to interact with the microprocessor of the base module and communicate with the microprocessor of the base module in accordance with the protocol of the data communications and control interface of the base module.

Claims

1. A hand-held data collection terminal unit comprising:

a base module having a housing including a user input and output means, the base module including a first microprocessor circuit for controlling the functions of the base module, and for communicating data and control signals to and from the base module according to a predetermined operational mode of the first microprocessor circuit of the base module;

means, forming part of the base module, for receiving and for mounting and electrically and communicatively coupling a data and communication module to the base module; and

a data and communication module comprising a second microprocessor circuit and an interface circuit, the second microprocessor circuit being coupled to the interface circuit and coupled between the interface circuit and the first microprocessor circuit of the base module, the second microprocessor circuit in combination with the interface circuit capable of emulating data communication between the first and second microprocessor circuits according to the predetermined operational mode of the first microprocessor.

2. The hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 1, comprising a hand strap having first and second ends, one end of the hand strap being attached to an underside of the data collection terminal unit, the data collection terminal unit comprising means for slidably receiving the other end of the hand strap to retain the handstrap along the underside of the data collection terminal unit under tension upon insertion of said other end of the hand strap into the means for slidably receiving the other end of the hand strap.

3. The hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 1, the data and communication module comprising a pretuned frequency modulated radio transceiver module, the transceiver module being coupled to the interface circuit, and a scanning unit, the scanning unit being coupled to the second microprocessor circuit, both the scanning unit and the transceiver module being communicatively coupled to the base unit to communicate with the first microprocessor circuit according to the predetermined operational mode of the first microprocessor circuit of the base module.

4. The hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 1, wherein the data and communication module comprises a spread spectrum radio transceiver module, the transceiver module being coupled to the interface circuit, the interface circuit and the second microprocessor circuit interacting to transfer data between the base terminal and the data and communication module according to the predetermined operational mode of the first microprocessor circuit communicating data emulating data communicated data via a pretuned frequency modulated radio transceiver module.

5. A hand-held data collection terminal unit comprising:

a base module including a user input and output means, an interface for communicating data, and a first microprocessor operable pursuant to a predetermined first data communication procedure for controlling data applied to and received from said interface; and

a data and communication module including means for communicating data externally of the data collection terminal unit, such data being communicated in a signal pattern pursuant to a second data communication procedure, the data and communication module further comprising a communications interface and a second microprocessor communicatively coupled to the communications interface and coupled to the first microprocessor of the base module, the second microprocessor of the data and communication module having means for emulating data communications pursuant to said first data communication procedure to communicate data between the means for communicating data externally of the data collection terminal unit and the first microprocessor of the base module.

6. The hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 5, wherein the means for communicating data externally of the data collection terminal unit is a data communication transceiver.

7. The hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 6, wherein the data communication transceiver is a spread spectrum radio transceiver.