Modular system for inventory control

• US 5,335,170 A
• Filed: 09/04/1992
• Issued: 08/02/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comtec Information Systems, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comtec Information Systems, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Bouthillier, Robert J., Petteruti, Robert A., Petteruti, Steven F., Petteruti, Alfred J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., Roy N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUNG TRANS, XUONG MY
• Application Number:
  US07/940,428
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 364/407, 364/403, 235/472, 235/432
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A modular and portable system adapted to provide inventory control functions comprises a programmable master module including a display, a keypad, and processing electronics, and a scanning module for reading bar code symbols, where the master module is interconnectable with the scanning module to form a portable scanner for reading and analyzing bar code symbols, and the master module is adapted to interconnect to a plurality of other modules such as a printer module, an interface module, and a suitcase module.

Claims

1. A modular and portable system for inventory control, comprising:

a hand-holdable scanning module comprising;

(i) a head portion including;

a scanner for projecting light at an object, detecting light reflected from the object, and generating an electrical signal representative of the object,

programmable decode electronics coupled to said scanner for receiving the electrical signal and decoding it to interpret the object, and

a first interconnector coupled to said programmable decode electronics; and

a handle portion formed integrally with said head portion and including;

activating means for causing said scanner to generate the electrical signal, and

a battery for supplying power to said scanner and said programmable decode electronics in said head portion; and

(b) a programmable master module releasably coupled to said scanning module to form a potable scanner device capable of reading and analyzing objects and storing information related thereto, said master module comprising;

(i) a display,

(ii) a keypad,

(iii) memory,

(iv) programmable processing electronics coupled to the display, keypad, and memory, and

(v) a second interconnector, coupled to the processing electronics, for interconnecting with said first interconnector of said scanning module to form said portable scanner device,

wherein said master module also is releasably couplable with any one of a plurality of non-scanning modules when released from said scanning module.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of non-scanning modules include a printer module, an interface module, and a suitcase module.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said programmable master module further includes a radio-frequency antenna and radio-frequency communication electronics.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said radio-frequency communication electronics perform real-time communication with a database maintained on a cellular network.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said scanner in the head portion of said scanning module comprises a laser scanner.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said scanner in the head portion of said scanning module comprises a charge-coupled device scanner.

7. A method of performing inventor control functions, comprising:

providing a modular and portable system comprising;

(A) a light-weight, hand-holdable scanning module comprising;

(i) a head portion including;

a scanner for projecting light at a bar code symbol, detecting light reflected from the symbol, and generating an electrical signal representative of the symbol,

programmable decode electronics coupled to said scanner for receiving the electrical signal and decoding it to interpret the symbol, and

a first interconnector coupled to said programmable decode electronics; and

(ii) a handle portion formed integrally with said head portion and including;

activating means for causing said scanner to generate the electrical signal, and

a battery for supplying power to said scanner and said programmable decode electronics in said head portion; and

(B) a light-weight, programmable master module releasably coupled to said scanning module to form a portable and programmable scanner device, said master module comprising;

(i) a display,

(ii) a keypad,

(iii) memory,

(iv) programmable processing electronics coupled to the display, keypad, and memory, and

(v) a second interconnector, coupled to the processing electronics, for interconnecting with said first interconnector of said scanning module to form said portable and programmable scanner device,

wherein said master module also is releasably couplable with any one of a plurality of non-scanning modules when released from said scanning module;

decoupling said scanning module from said master module and using said scanning module to read and decode bar code symbols; and

coupling said scanning module to said master module to form said portable and programmable scanner device and using said device to read and analyze bar code symbols and to store information related thereto.