PCMCIA card providing base unit for one-way RF signal reception and acoustic acknowledgment signal generation

• US 5,811,786 A
• Filed: 07/09/1997
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Colavito, Stephen J., Rockstein, George B., Knowles, Carl Harry, Wilz, David M., German, Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hoanganh T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Thien Minh
• Application Number:
  US08/890,198
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/454, 235/375, 235/382, 235/472, 235/470
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/106 having diffraction gratings as scanning elements, e.g. holographic scanners holographic optical elements G02B5/32, holography G03H
• 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 2007/10534 Scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1012 Special detection of object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1016 Motor control or optical moving unit control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1017 Programmable
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1018 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10594 Beam path
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10603 Basic scanning using moving elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10663 using hologram
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10673 Parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10702 Particularities of propagating elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors G06K7/10831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10801 Multidistance reading
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 Focalisation
• 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 7/10861 : sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10871 : randomly oriented data-fields, code-marks therefore, e.g. concentric circles-code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 : constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10891 : the scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/109 : adaptations to make the hand-held scanner useable as a fixed scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 : using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 : locating of the code in an image

Abstract

A fully automatic bar code symbol reading system having at least one automatic portable bar code reading device, and an associated base unit positioned within the data transmission range thereof without a physical wiring connection thereto. In a preferred embodiment, the scanned bar code data is synthesized, packaged prior to transmitting to the base unit. The base unit generates an acoustical acknowledgment signal that is perceptible to the user of the bar code symbol reading device and the indicates that the transmitted symbol character data has been successfully received. The base unit comprises a card-like structure, a carrier signal receiving unit, a carrier signal demodulating unit, and an acoustical acknowledgment signal generating unit.

Claims

1. A base unit for insertion into a matching port installed aboard a computer system, for receiving a carrier signal of electromagnetic nature modulated by a group of data packets and transmitted from a portable bar code symbol reading device over a predetermined range within which said computer system is located, said base unit comprising:

a card-like support structure insertable into a matching port installed aboard a computer system;

carrier signal receiving means, realized on said card-like structure, for receiving a modulated carrier signal transmitted from said portable bar code symbol reading device;

carrier signal demodulating means, realized on said card-like structure, for demodulating said modulated carrier signal and recovering symbol character data therefrom; and

acoustical acknowledgment signal generating means, realized on said card-like structure, for producing an audible acoustical acknowledgment signal upon recovering said symbol character data from said carrier signal demodulating means.

2. The base unit of claim 1, wherein said card-like support structure comprises a PCMCIA card for insertion into a matching PCMCIA port installed aboard said computer system.

3. The base unit of claim 1, wherein said carrier signal has a carrier frequency within the radio frequency band of the electromagnetic spectrum.