Multi-functional mobile computing device utilizing a removable processor module

• US 7,959,084 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Wulff, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELLIS, SUEZU Y
• Application Number:
  US12/179,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20100001076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 23546201-46249, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/439, 455/569.1, 455/575.2, 455/41.2, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/557, 455/90.3, 455/349, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/566, 381/370, 381/376, 381/362, 381/367, D14/223
• US Class Current: 235/472.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L

Abstract

A system for reading product indicia includes a mobile computing headset and a wearable data-capture accessory. The mobile computing headset preferably includes a removable processing module shaped and sized to be attachable to the wearable data-capture accessory and one or more communication modules to communicate information between the data-capture accessory and existing infrastructure devices. The data-capture accessory includes a product indicia reader and a communication module for transmitting information to and from the mobile headset.

Claims

1. A system for reading product indicia comprising:

a data-capture accessory comprising a product indicia reader and a first communication module capable of receiving and sending radio communications;

a support device; and

a processing module shaped and sized for removable attachment to the data-capture accessory and the support device, the processing module including voice recognition software to translate voice commands that are inputted using the support device when the processing module is attached to the support device, into electronic instructions for execution by the data-capture accessory when the processing module is attached to the data-capture accessory, the processing module including a second communication module capable of receiving and sending radio communications to said first communication module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing module includes all the necessary software required to operate the data-capture accessory upon attachment of the processing module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing module includes a processor, an input-output module, memory, a transmitter-receiver 46, and input/output connections, all of which are under control of the processor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the support device is a mobile headset.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data-capture accessory comprises a user interface and wherein the processing module includes an operating system that can be transported to and execute on the data-capture device to operate that specific user interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processing module upon attachment to the to the data-capture accessory changes features of the user interface of the data-capture accessory.