Multi-level hierarchical radio-frequency communication system
First Claim
1. A multi-level digital data communication system including:
- at least one data communication device comprising means, responsive to instructional codes, for processing digital data messages having address codes and data codes and for routing said data messages,means for storing digital data messages coupled to said processing means,first means for communicating said data messages as first radio frequency transmission signals, andsecond means for communicating said data messages as second radio frequency transmission signals,said first and second radio frequency communication means being communicatively coupled to said processing means for selectively transmitting and receiving data messages to and from each of said first and second radio frequency communication means;
at least one first data terminal device comprisingfirst communication means for communicating said data messages as said first radio frequency transmission signals, and means, coupled to said first communication means of said data terminal device, for transducing data signals of data messages of communication between said at least one data communication device and said at least one first data terminal device; and
at least one data communication interface device comprisingsecond means for communicating said data messages at said second radio frequency transmission signals, andthird means for communicating said data messages to a data station.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Portable measuring devices which communicate by low power transceivers through a communication controller with a printer device collect weight and size data on articles to be shipped. The collected weight and size data are combined with origin and destination data, and labels are printed bearing pertinent shipping and routing information in machine readable format. The labels are attached to the articles to be shipped and accompany the articles to their respective destinations. At transfer points the labels are read by scanner devices which also communicate by low power transceiver links with the communication controller. The wireless linking of the scanner devices promotes human safety by the absence of cords which could cause entanglement of an operator in mechanized conveying equipment. The communication controllers at each stage of the shipping process have the capability of transferring received and updated status information on the shipped articles to a central data station.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A multi-level digital data communication system including:
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at least one data communication device comprising means, responsive to instructional codes, for processing digital data messages having address codes and data codes and for routing said data messages, means for storing digital data messages coupled to said processing means, first means for communicating said data messages as first radio frequency transmission signals, and second means for communicating said data messages as second radio frequency transmission signals, said first and second radio frequency communication means being communicatively coupled to said processing means for selectively transmitting and receiving data messages to and from each of said first and second radio frequency communication means; at least one first data terminal device comprising first communication means for communicating said data messages as said first radio frequency transmission signals, and means, coupled to said first communication means of said data terminal device, for transducing data signals of data messages of communication between said at least one data communication device and said at least one first data terminal device; and at least one data communication interface device comprising second means for communicating said data messages at said second radio frequency transmission signals, and third means for communicating said data messages to a data station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A data communication system comprising the combination of:
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at least one first data terminal device including first means for communicating digital data messages having address codes and data codes at first radio frequency transmission signals, and means, coupled to said first radio frequency communication means of said data terminal device, for transducing data signals; and a data communication device including first means for communicating data messages at said first radio frequency transmission signals, said first radio frequency communication means of said data communication device and said first radio frequency communication means of said at least one data terminal device constituting a radio frequency communication link between said at least one data terminal device and said data communication device, means, communicatively coupled to said first radio frequency communication means of said communication device, for processing data messages and including, means responsive to instructional codes and to predetermined ones of the address codes for routing data messages to said first radio frequency communication means of said communication device for communication over said link to said at least one data terminal device, means, coupled to said processing means, for storing digital data including processed digital data and digital data messages, and second means for communicating data messages at second radio frequency transmission signals, said second radio frequency communication means being communicatively coupled to said processing means. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of communicating digital data messages between devices of a communication system, the devices of the system having transceivers capable of sending and receiving data messages, thereby rendering each device capable of becoming a data message originating device and a data message destination device of the communication system, the communication system of such devices including at least a plurality of first data terminal devices, at least one first communication device, a second data communication interface device and a data processing device communicatively coupled to said second data communication interface device, the method comprising:
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generating data message for communication from an originating device of said communication system to a destination device of said communication system; communicating any data messages generated by said first data terminal devices at a first communication level to said at least one first data communication device; communicating any data message originating from said data processing device through said data communication interface device and at a second communication level to said at least one first data communication device; re-addressing data messages received by said at least one first data communication device to the respective destination device; and communicating re-addressed data messages from said first data communication device at said first communication level to the respective destination data terminal device, and at said second communication level through said data communication interface device to the destination data processing device.
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21. A multi-level digital data conununication system comprising:
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at least one data communication device comprising a microprocessor responsive to instructional codes arranged to process digital data messages having address codes and data codes and to route said data messages, a memory arranged to store digital data messages coupled to said microprocessor, a first transceiver arranged to communicate said data messages as first radio frequency transmission signals, and a second transceiver arranged to communicate said data messages as second radio frequency transmission signals, said first and second transceivers being communicatively coupled to said microprocessor for selectively transmitting and receiving data messages to and from each of said first and second transceivers; at least one first data terminal device comprising a third transceiver arranged to communicate said data messages as said first radio frequency transmission signals, the microprocessor processing data signals of data messages of communication between said at least one data communication device and said at least one first data terminal device; and at least one data communication interface device comprising a fourth transceiver arranged to communicate said data messages at said second radio frequency transmission signals, and a link arranged to communicate said data messages to a data station. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A data communication system comprising the combination of:
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at least one first data terminal device including a first transceiver arranged to communicate digital data messages having address codes and data codes as first radio frequency transmission signals, and a first microprocessor coupled to said first transceiver arranged to transduce data signals; and a data communication device including a second transceiver arranged to communicate data messages as said first radio frequency transmission signals, said first and second transceivers comprising a radio frequency communication link between said at least one data terminal device and said data communication device, a second microprocessor communicatively coupled to said second transceiver arranged to process data messages, the second microprocessor being responsive to instructional codes and to predetermined ones of the address codes for routing data messages to said first transceiver over said link, and a memory coupled to said second microprocessor arranged to store digital data including processed digital data and digital messages; and a third transceiver arranged to communicate data messages at second radio frequency transmission signals, said third transceiver being communicatively coupled to said second microprocessor. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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Specification