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Bar code symbol reading system having one-way RF signal-receiving keyboard wedge interface

  • US 5,979,766 A
  • Filed: 06/13/1997
  • Issued: 11/09/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A system for reading code symbols comprising:

  • (A) a code symbol reading device including(1) a first housing supportable by a user of said code symbols reading device, and having a light transmission aperture through which visible light can exit from and enter into said first housing,(2) light producing means, disposed in said first housing, for producing light within said first housing,(3) light projecting means, disposed in said first housing, for projecting said light into a scan field defined external to said first housing and onto a code symbol on an object located in at least a portion of said scan field,(4) light detecting means, disposed in said first housing, for detecting the intensity of light reflected off said code symbol and passing through said light transmission aperture as said light is projected onto said code symbol presented in said scan field, and for automatically producing scan data indicative of said detected light intensity,(5) scan data processing means for processing produced scan data in order to detect and decode said code symbol when said code is present in said scan field and automatically produce symbol character data in a form representative of said decoded code symbol,(6) control means for automatically controlling the operation of said code symbol reading device,(7) data packet synthesizing means for synthesizing a data packet using said symbol character data;

    (8) carrier signal generation means for generating a carrier signal of electromagnetic nature,(9) carrier signal modulation means for modulating said carrier signal using said data packet, and(10) carrier signal transmitting means for transmitting said modulated carrier signal over a predetermined data transmission range in free space; and

    (B) a base unit positionable within the predetermined transmission range of said code symbol reading device, and including(1) a carrier signal receiving means for receiving said modulated carrier signal transmitted from said carrier signal transmitting means,(2) carrier signal demodulation means for demodulating said modulated carrier signal so as to recover the data packet from said received modulated carrier signal,(3) data packet analyzing means for analyzing said recovered data packet,(4) data interface circuitry for interfacing the data output port of a computer keyboard with the data input port of a computer system,(5) data format conversion means for converting the data format of said symbol character data recovered at said base unit, into a data format which is substantially identical to the data format of data produced from the output of said computer keyboard,(6) data transmission means for transmitting said converted data from said data format conversion means through said data interface circuitry to the keyboard data input port of said host computer;

    (7) acknowledgment signal producing means for automatically producing an acknowledgement signal perceptible to the user thereof when said user is situated within said predetermined data transmission range, so as to inform said user that said symbol character data transmitted from said code symbol reading device has been received and recovered at said base unit and successfully transmitted to the keyboard data input port of said host computer system; and

    (8) control circuitry for enabling said acknowledgment producing means to produce said acknowledgment signal upon transmission of said converted symbol chamber data by said data transmission means to the keyboard data input port of said host device.

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