Web-enabled system and method for designing and manufacturing bar code scanners

• US 6,540,140 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Knowles, Carl Harry, Dickson, Leroy, Amundsen, Thomas, Carullo, Thomas, Groot, John
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/571,263
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/472, 235/375, 235/380, 235/494, 235/454
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems
• 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 2207/1012 Special detection of object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1013 Multi-focal
• 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: G06Q 10/087 : Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 : Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 : Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• 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: G07G 1/0054 : with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 : Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

A Internet-enabled method and system for designing and manufacturing bar code scanners of modular design and construction using globally-based information networks, such as the Internet, supporting the World Wide Web (WWW).

Claims

1. An Internet-enabled method for designing and purchasing a bar code scanning system, comprising the steps:

(a) hosting on a programmed Internet information server, a Website capable of supporting an interactive procedure;

(b) using a client computer system having a Web browser program, to enable a prospective customer to transmit end-user bar code scanning system specifications for a particular bar code scanning system, to said Website during said interactive procedure;

(c) assigning a unique customer request number to said prospective customer;

(d) designing a bar code scanning system based on said transmitted end-user system specifications; and

(e) computing a price quotation based on a finalized bar code scanner design for said bar code scanning system.

2. The Internet-enabled method of claim 1, which further comprises:

(f) transmitting said price quotation to said prospective customer of said bar code scanning system.

3. The Internet-enabled method of claim 2, which further comprises:

using an electronic commerce server for supporting secured electronic commerce transactions and enabling said prospective customer to electronically transmit a purchase order on said finalized design for said bar code scanning system.

4. The Internet-enabled method of claim 3, which further comprises:

enabling said perspective customer to track the progress of said ordered bar code scanning system during its various stages of manufacture using said Website.

5. The Internet-enabled method of claim 1, wherein said end-user bar code scanning system specifications are satisfied by said finalized design comprising models of modularized subcomponents and subassemblies.

6. An Internet-based system for design and purchasing a bar code scanning system, comprising:

an Internet information server hosting a Website including a plurality of HTML forms for enabling an interactive procedure;

said interactive procedure enabling a prospective customer, using a client computer system with a Web browser program, to transmit end-user bar code scanning system specifications to said Website, and said Internet information server assigning a unique customer request number to said prospective customer;

a scanner design workstation for designing a bar code scanning system based on said transmitted end-user bar code scanning system specifications; and

an electronic commerce server for computing a price quotation based on a finalized design specification for said bar code scanning system, and transmitting said price quotation to said end-user or prospective customer of said bar code scanning system; and

said electronic commerce server allowing said prospective customer to electronically transmit a purchase order on said finalized design specification.

7. The Internet-based system of claim 6, which further comprises:

a database management system operably associated with said scanner design workstation and containing a library of design specifications for predesigned modules and subcomponents of one or more previously designed bar code scanning systems.

8. The Internet-based system of claim 6, wherein said electronic commerce server supports secured credit-card transactions for the purchasing of one or more of said bar code scanning system based on said finalized design specification and said price quotation.

9. An Internet-based method of designing a bar code scanning system comprising the steps:

(a) using a client computer system to access a manufacturer'"'"'s Website and providing to said manufacturer'"'"'s Website a specification of an end-user'"'"'s scanning requirements; and

(b) using said specification to generate a model of a designed bar code scanning system which satisfies said end-user'"'"'s scanning requirements, said model generation involving the use of a bar code scanner design workstation and database management system containing a library of design specifications for predesigned modules and subcomponents of one or more previously designed bar code scanning systems.

10. The Internet-based method of claim 9, which further comprises:

(c) using said generated model to compute a price quotation for a given quantity of said designed bar code scanning system, and transmitting said price quotation along with its terms and conditions to the prospective customer.

11. The Internet-based method of claim 9, which further comprises:

providing said prospective customer with an access code enabling the prospective customer to view a complete 3-D computer-graphic simulation of the designed bar code scanning system, generated from said manufacturer'"'"'s Website and viewable by the prospective customer using a Web browser program.

12. The Internet-based method of claim 11, which further comprises:

providing said prospective customer with a CD ROM disc whereon is recorded a computer-graphic simulation of said model of said designed bar code scanning system.

13. The Internet-enabled method of claim 10, which further comprises:

purchasing said designed bar code scanning system using an electronic commerce transaction process supported by an electronic commerce server.

14. An Internet-enabled system for designing a bar code scanning system comprising:

an Internet information server for hosting a Website; and

a client computer system for accessing said Website and providing thereto a specification of an end-user'"'"'s requirements for a bar code scanning system;

wherein said Internet information server uses said specification to generate a model of a bar code scanning system design which satisfies said end-user'"'"'s requirements.

15. The Internet-enabled system of claim 14, which further comprises:

a computer system for computing a price quote for a given quantity of product based on said bar code scanning system design, and using said Internet information server to transmit said price quote along with its terms and conditions to a prospective customer.

16. The Internet-enabled system of claim 14, wherein said Internet information server provides said prospective customer with an access code enabling the prospective customer to view a complete 3-D computer-graphic simulation of the bar code scanning system design, generated from said Website and viewable by the prospective customer using a Web browser program.

17. The Internet-enabled system of claim 14, which further comprises:

means for providing said prospective customer with a CD ROM disc whereon is recorded a computer-graphic simulation of said bar code scanning system design.

18. The Internet-based system of claim 15, which further comprises:

means for purchasing said product-based on said bar code scanning system design using an electronic commerce transaction supported by an electronic commerce server.