Apparatus and method for collection of handwritten data

• US 7,336,853 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Danielson, Arvin D., Hacker, David C., Durbin, Dennis A., Walter, Jerry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US11/352,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20060291752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/101, 382/112, 382/113, 382/116, 382/119, 382/137, 382/168, 382/175, 382181-189, 382/193, 382/231, 382/237, 382/286, 382/303, 382/305, 382/306, 382/313, 382/321, 178/18.01, 235/462.25, 235/441, 345/163, 345/166, 345/169, 358/473, 358/474, 348/164
• US Class Current: 382/313
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/027 four
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1635 Stackable modules
• 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: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions 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 7/10574 Multiple sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10702 Particularities of propagating elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors G06K7/10831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 : Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 : Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 : Focalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10841 : Particularities of the light-sensitive elements semiconductor devices H01L
• 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 7/10881 : constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1093 : sensing, after transfer of the image of the data-field to an intermediate store, e.g. storage with cathode ray tube
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1098 : the scanning arrangement having a modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 : using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 : Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/30 : Writer recognition; Reading and verifying signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/376 : Acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 : by keys or other credit registering devices
• 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: H01Q 1/2258 : used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 : specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 : Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A data capturing module combined with a portable data terminal of the hand-held type to record handwritten data. Using a digitized pad, the module can provide for direct input of handwritten data into the system, or a peripheral digital scanner can be employed to provide for data entry. Depending upon the particular application, the module therefore provides for data entry of handwritten text or graphics using the data terminal and other components of a portable data system to enter, display, print or otherwise communicate the handwritten data.

Claims

1. A data collection apparatus, comprising:

a user-supportable housing comprising a handwriting receiving component removably coupled therewith and a keyboard positioned adjacent said handwriting receiving component;

an optical reader; and

a computerized processing system, located in said user-supportable housing, communicatively coupled with said optical reader;

wherein said optical reader is operable to read handwritten data placed on said handwriting receiving component when coupled with said user-supportable housing and wherein said computerized processing system is operable to store said handwritten data read by said optical reader.

2. The data collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical reader is operable to read handwritten data such as a human signature and wherein said computerized processing system is operable to store handwritten data such as a human signature read by said optical reader.

3. The data collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical reader is operable to read handwritten data such as human-generated text and wherein said computerized processing system is operable to store handwritten data such as human-generated text read by said optical reader.

4. The data collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical reader is operable to read handwritten data such as human-generated graphics and wherein said computerized processing system is operable to store handwritten data such as human-generated graphics read by said optical reader.

5. The data collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said user-supportable housing comprises a handgrip section, said handgrip section having a cross-section of a size capable of being held in one hand with fingers and opposing thumb embracing opposite sides said handgrip section.

6. The data collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said removable handwriting receiving component can be removed from said user-supportable housing by a user.

7. The data collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user-interface, said user-interface supported by said user-supportable housing, and wherein said user-interface is communicatively coupled with said computerized processing system.

8. The data collection, apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical reader is a digital optical reader, said digital optical reader being capable of communicating read handwritten data to said computerized processing system as digitized data.

9. A method of reading handwritten information with a data collection apparatus having a removably coupled handwriting receiving component, comprising the steps of:

aiming an optical reader of the handwriting receiving component at handwritten information, the optical reader communicatively coupled with a computerized processing system of a user-supportable data collection apparatus wherein the computerized processing system is a data terminal or a computer terminal;

imaging the handwritten information at which the optical reader is aimed;

digitizing the imaged handwritten information; and

storing the digitized handwritten information in the user-supportable data collection apparatus by the computerized processing system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said aiming step comprises aiming an optical reader at handwritten information including a signature.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of verifying a stored signature.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said storing step stores a signature for future verification.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said aiming step comprises aiming an optical reader at handwritten information including human-written text.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said aiming step comprises aiming an optical reader at handwritten information including human-drawn graphics.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

writing handwritten information on the removably coupled handwriting receiving component.

16. A data collection apparatus, comprising:

means for providing a user-supportable housing;

means for providing a user-removable handwriting receiving component, physically coupled with said means for providing a user-supportable housing;

means for optically reading handwritten information; and

means for computerized processing of read handwritten information, located in said means for providing a user-supportable housing, communicatively coupled with said means for optically reading.

17. The data collection apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for optically reading is operable to read handwritten data such as a human signature and wherein said means for computerized processing is operable to store handwritten data such as a human signature read by said means for optically reading.

18. The data collection apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for optically reading is operable to read handwritten data such as human-generated text, wherein said means for computerized processing is operable to store handwritten data such as human-generated text read by said means for optically reading, and wherein said means for computerized processing occurs in a data terminal or a computer terminal.

19. The data collection apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for optically reading is operable to read handwritten data such as human-generated graphics and wherein said means for computerized processing is operable to store handwritten data such as human-generated graphics read by said means for optically reading.

20. The data collection apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for providing a user-supportable housing comprises means for providing a handgrip, said means for providing a handgrip having a cross-section of a size capable of being held in one hand with fingers and opposing thumb embracing opposite sides of said means for providing a handgrip.

21. The data collection apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for receiving handwritten information.

22. The data collection apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for interfacing with a user, supported by said means for providing a user-supportable housing, and wherein said means for interfacing with a user is communicatively coupled with said means for computerized processing.

23. The data collection apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for optically reading comprises means for digitally optically reading, said means for digitally optically reading communicating read handwritten data to said means for computerized processing as digitized data.