Multiple-interface selection system for computer peripherals

• US 6,612,495 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PSC Scanning, Inc. (Datalogic ADC Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PSC Scanning, Inc. (Datalogic ADC Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shepard, Phillip W., Williams, Jon Paul Charles, Reddersen, Brad R., Moch, Rockie D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US09/964,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20020130181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.13, 235/462.15, 235/462.07, 439/59, 439/65, 439/68, 439/502, 439/620
• US Class Current: 235/462.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/18 Packaging or power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1017 Programmable
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7076 for connection between PCB and component, e.g. display
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/465 Identification means, e.g. labels, tags, markings H01R9/2475, H01R9/2683 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/64 Means for preventing incorrect coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

An interface selection and configuration system for a computer peripheral in which configuration for the peripheral and/or the host interface is at least in part accomplished by the interface connector cable. In a preferred embodiment, the computer peripheral is equipped with one or more hardware interfaces. The interface connector cable has a first end connector for attaching to the computer peripheral. The first end connector of the interface connector cable is typically a multiple pin connector constructed and arranged to be properly physically and electrically connectable only to a specific computer peripheral or class of computer peripherals, the first end connector including at least one electrical connection between two pins for completing a circuit within the computer peripheral thereby enabling the computer peripheral. Where the peripheral is a data reading device such as a laser scanner or RFID reader, alternate or additional configuration may be obtained, with data reading device, from the label on the interconnect cable. The label, which may for example be a bar code or RFID tag, contains information or instructions by which the data reading device (and/or the host) is configured.

Claims

1. A data reading system comprising:

a handheld terminal;

a translator module plugged into the terminal;

a cable plugged into the translator module;

a handheld data reader connected to the translator module via the cable,

wherein the translator module interfaces the data reader to the handheld terminal.

2. A data reading system according to claim 1 further comprising

a central processing unit;

a communications link for providing communication between the handheld terminal and the central processing unit.

3. A data reading system according to claim 1 wherein the data reader is selected from the group consisting of:

a bar code scanner, a CCD reader, and an RFID tag reader.

4. A data reading system according to claim 1 wherein the cable comprises a printed circuit board equipped with switches which may be set for changing operation of the cable.

5. A portable data reading system comprising:

a handheld terminal having a housing including an externally accessible connector;

a translator module removably plugged into the connector on the handheld terminal;

a handheld data reader connected to the handheld terminal via the translator module, the data reader reading an optical code and generating an electrical signal corresponding thereto for transmitting to the handheld terminal,

wherein the translator module converts the signal transmitted from the data reader into a signal of the same form as that produced by the handheld terminal.

6. A portable data reading system according to claim 5 wherein the data reader is selected from the group consisting of:

a bar code scanner, a CCD reader, and an RFID tag reader.

7. A portable data reading system according to claim 5 further comprising a cable for connecting the data reader to the handheld terminal.

8. A portable data reading system according to claim 5 wherein the cable has a first end plugged into the translator module and a second end plugged into the data reader.

9. A portable data reading system according to claim 5 further comprising a bar code label containing configuration data, wherein the data reader is laser bar code scanner, wherein scanner obtains the configuration data by scanning the bar code label and uses the configuration data to change a function of the scanner.

10. A method of data reading comprising the steps of:

providing a handheld terminal with an externally accessible connector;

plugging a translator module into the connector on the handheld terminal;

connecting a portable data reader to the translator module, the translator module converting a signal from the data reader into a form accepted by the handheld terminal.

11. A method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of interfacing the data reader to the handheld terminal via the translator module.

12. A method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of

activating the data reader and the handheld terminal;

obtaining the data from the label with the data reader;

setting a function of the data reading system on the basis of the data obtained from the label.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the label comprises a bar code label and the data reader comprises a barcode reader.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein the label comprises a radio frequency identification tag and the data reader comprises a radio frequency identification reader.

15. A method according to claim 10 wherein the data reader comprises a handheld laser scanner.

16. A method according to claim 10 further comprising connecting the data reader to the translator module via a cable.