System and method for using portable device with bar-code scanner

• US 6,766,956 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: DeWeese, Toby, Tomlins, Jeff, Ellis, Michael D., Boylan, Peter C. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIK, STEVEN SANGYUL
• Application Number:
  US09/878,050
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.45, 235/462.46, 235/462.49, 235/472.01, 235/383, 235/472.03, 707/3
• US Class Current: 235/462.45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A portable device having code scanning features is provided. Information associated with scanned codes may be communicated to the portable device. This information may be communicated from a remote site, a docking station or another portable device. Information associated with scanned codes may be stored at a storage device at the portable device. Information associated with codes may be presented to the user via an output device at the portable device. In another suitable embodiment, information associated with scanned codes may be acquired by a docking station. Information acquired by the docking station may be presented to the user via an output device at the docking station. The docking station and portable device may have suitable communications circuitry such that portable device may interface with the docking station.

Claims

1. A method for using a portable scanning device for acquiring information associated with codes comprising:

scanning a code using a portable device wherein the portable device comprises code scanning equipment;

acquiring information associated with the scanned code, wherein the acquired information comprises an upcoming schedule of use of equipment associated with the code; and

scheduling the use of the equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the acquired information to a user at a docking station via an output device at the docking station.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the acquired information to a user at the portable device via an output device at the portable device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is acquired via a wireless path.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the wireless path is an infrared path.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the wireless path is a radio frequency path.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the wireless path is an IEEE standard 802.11(b) path.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the wireless path is a Bluetooth standard path.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is acquired via wired means.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the wired means is a hardware interface.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the wired means is a FireWire link.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising verifying a specific user of the equipment based on which portable device was used to scan the code.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the user to specify a time range for the use of the equipment.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the code is scanned from printed material.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the code is scanned from another portable scanning device.

16. A system for using a portable scanning device for allowing a user to acquire information associated with codes, the system configured to:

scan a code using a portable device wherein the portable device comprises code scanning equipment;

acquire information associated with the scanned code, wherein the acquired information comprises an upcoming schedule of use of equipment associated with the code; and

schedule the use of the equipment.

17. The system of claim 16 further configured to present the acquired information to the user at a docking station via an output device at the docking station.

18. The system of claim 16 further configured to present the acquired information to the user at the portable device via an output device at the portable device.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the information is communicated via a wireless path.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the wireless path is an infrared path.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the wireless path is a radio frequency path.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the wireless path is an IEEE standard 802.11(b) path.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the wireless path is a Bluetooth standard path.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the information is communicated via wired means.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the wired means is a hardware interface.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the wired means is a FireWire link.

27. The system of claim 16 further configured to verify a specific user of the equipment based on which portable device was used to scan the code.

28. The system of claim 16 further configured to allow the user to specify a time range for the use of the equipment.

29. The system of claim 16 wherein the code is scanned from printed material.

30. The system of claim 16 wherein the code is scanned from another portable scanning device.

31. A method for using a portable scanning device for acquiring information associated with codes comprising:

scanning a code using a portable device wherein the portable device comprises code scanning equipment;

acquiring information associated with the scanned code; and

scheduling the use of a facility associated with the code.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising presenting the acquired information to a user at a docking station via an output device at the docking station.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising presenting the acquired information to a user at the portable device via an output device at the portable device.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the information is acquired via a wireless path.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the wireless path is an infrared path.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the wireless path is a radio frequency path.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the wireless path is an IEEE standard 802.11(b) path.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein the wireless path is a Bluetooth standard path.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein the information is acquired via wired means.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the wired means is a hardware interface.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein the wired means is a FireWire link.

42. The method of claim 31 further comprising verifying a specific user of the facility based on which portable device was used to scan the code.

43. The method of claim 31 further comprising allowing the user to specify a time range for the use of the facility.

44. The method of claim 31 wherein the code is scanned from printed material.

45. The method of claim 31 wherein the code is scanned from another portable scanning device.

46. A system for using a portable scanning device for allowing a user to acquire information associated with codes, the system configured to:

scan a code using a portable device wherein the portable device comprises code scanning equipment;

acquire information associated with the scanned code; and

schedule the use of a facility associated with the code.

47. The system of claim 46 further configured to present the acquired information to the user at the docking station via an output device at a docking station.

48. The system of claim 46 further configured to present the acquired information to the user at the portable device via an output device at the portable device.

49. The system of claim 46 wherein the information is communicated via a wireless path.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein the wireless path is an infrared path.

51. The system of claim 49 wherein the wireless path is a radio frequency path.

52. The system of claim 49 wherein the wireless path is an IEEE standard 802.11(b) path.

53. The system of claim 49 wherein the wireless path is a Bluetooth standard path.

54. The system of claim 46 wherein the information is communicated via wired means.

55. The system of claim 54 wherein the wired means is a hardware interface.

56. The system of claim 54 wherein the wired means is a FireWire link.

57. The system of claim 46 further configured to verify a specific user of the facility based on which portable device was used to scan the code.

58. The system of claim 46 further configured to allow the user to specify a time range for the use of the facility.

59. The system of claim 46 wherein the code is scanned from printed material.

60. The system of claim 46 wherein the code is scanned from another portable scanning device.