Portable data collection system

• US 6,811,088 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2001
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Alistair, Jenkins, Ian, Lanzaro, Michael, Salvato, Dominick H., McKinney, D. Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US09/772,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20020000470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/462.11, 235/462.24, 235/462.31, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/383, 235/462.44, 235/462.45, 235/462.46
• US Class Current: 235/462.46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2007/10534 Scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

A portable data collection device has a display; manual data entry circuitry; a processor for receiving entered data and for controlling the display; a first wireless communication circuit for receiving data using a first protocol over short range from at least one data transmitting unit and a second wireless communication circuit using a second protocol for transmitting and receiving data over a long range from a host.

Claims

1. A data collection system comprising:

at least one data transmitting unit for scanning bar codes and for producing a decode signal representative of a scanned bar code and having communication circuitry for the wireless transmission of the decode signal over a short range using a first protocol; and

a portable data collection device comprising a display, manual data entry circuitry, a processor for receiving entered data and for controlling the display, a first communication circuit for receiving data from the at least one data transmitting unit using the first protocol over a short range and a second communication circuit using a second protocol for wireless transmitting and receiving of data over a long range from a host;

the processor being configured to controls the display to depict a keypad array of discrete keypad areas, each representing at least one of alphanumerics and icons on the display and corresponding to data to be entered by actuating same and wherein the processor reconfigures the array of alphanumerics and icons for different operations, the depicted keypad array including at least one start scan key to initiate scanning on the at least one data transmitting unit, the processor reconfiguring a position of the start scan key on the display to depict a start scan key for a right handed user and for a left handed user.

2. The data collection system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one data transmitting unit comprises a light source, a scan element, a scan motor for moving the scan element, a photodetector, signal processing circuitry for receiving a signal from the photodetector, triggering circuitry for initiating a scan, and power management circuitry for controlling the light source, scan motor and signal processing circuitry to stagger the activation thereof upon the initiating of a scan by the triggering circuitry.

3. The data collection system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one data transmitting unit further comprises decode circuitry for decoding the signal received from the photodetector.

4. The data collection system according to claim 1, further comprising a headset receptive of a voice input for producing voice signals and having communication circuitry for the wireless transmission of the voice signals over a short range using the first protocol.

5. The data collection system according to claim 1, wherein the processor monitors the distance of the at least one data transmitting unit from the portable data collection device to indicate when the distance exceeds a given distance.

6. The data collection system according to claim 1, wherein the portable data collection device has a cradle for docking at least one data transmitting unit.

7. The data collection system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one data transmitting unit is associated with the portable data collection device and wherein the device communicates with each unit to lower the transmit power thereof.

8. A data collection system comprising:

at least one data transmitting unit for reading data indicia and for producing a decode symbol representative of a read data indicia and having communication circuitry for the wireless transmission of the decode signal over a short range using a first protocol; and

a portable data collection device comprising a display, manual data entry circuitry, a processor for receiving entered data and for controlling the display, a first communication circuit for receiving data from the at least one data transmitting unit using the first protocol over a short range and a second communication circuit using a second protocol for wireless transmitting and receiving of data over a long range from a host;

wherein the at least one data transmitting unit is associated with the portable data collection device and where the data collection device communicates with the at least one data transmitting unit to detect the remaining available power in the at least one data transmitting unit to indicate the respective power status to the user.

9. The data collection system of claim 8, wherein the data indicia comprise bar codes.

10. The data collection system of claim 9, wherein the data-transmitting unit comprises a laser beam scanner.

11. The data collection system of claim 9, wherein the data-transmitting unit comprises a solid state imaging device.

12. The data collection system of claim 8, wherein the data indicia comprise radio frequency tags.

13. A portable data collection device comprising:

a display;

manual data entry circuitry;

a processor for receiving entered data and for controlling the display;

a first wireless communication circuit for receiving data using a first protocol over short range from at least one data transmitting unit;

a second wireless communication circuit using a second protocol for transmitting and receiving data over a long range from a host; and

a housing for the display, manual entry circuitry, processor and communication circuits, wherein the housing has two separate sections having bosses for connecting the sections together and wherein the bosses are overmolded with shock resistant material to provide a shock mount for components in the housing.