Encoded information reading terminal with wireless path selection capability

• US 9,049,640 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2014
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ynjiun P., Qu, Huyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Marshall, Christle I
• Application Number:
  US14/460,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20140357195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 235/439
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/26 for hybrid routing by combining proactive and reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 for reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/30 for proactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable encoded information reading (EIR) terminal for incorporation in a data collection system can comprise a terminal module communicatively coupled to a wireless interface module via a wired interface. The terminal module can include a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and an encoded information reading (EIR) device. The wireless interface module can include a microcontroller, a memory, and at least one wireless communication interface. The wireless interface module can establish one or more wireless links with one or more peer EIR terminals, to join a wireless network which is collectively formed by the peer EIR terminals. The wireless interface module can receive or transmit beacons containing at least an identifier of a path selection protocol which is used for unicast, multicast and broadcast frame transmission within the wireless network.

Claims

1. An encoded information reading (EIR) terminal, comprising:

a terminal module including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and an encoded information reading (EIR) device selected from the group consisting of a bar code reading device, an RFID reading device, and a card reading device, the EIR device configured to output raw message data;

a wireless interface module communicatively coupled to the terminal module via a wired interface, the wireless interface module including a microcontroller, a memory, and at least one wireless communication interface;

wherein the wireless interface module is configured to establish one or more wireless links with one or more peer EIR terminals to join a wireless network of peer EIR terminals; and

wherein the wireless interface module is configured, responsive to receiving a portal announcement, to cache one or more network addresses of devices having originated the portal announcement.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface module is configured, responsive to receiving one or more data packets from the terminal module, to incorporate the one or more data packets into one or more MAC frames and forward the one or more MAC frames to a peer EIR terminal, a wireless access point, or one or more portals.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface module is configured, responsive to receiving one or more MAC frames containing one or more data packets addressed to the terminal module, to transmit the one or more data packets to the terminal module.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface module is configured to periodically transmit a route request message to the one or more network addresses.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless interface module is configured to;

periodically transmit a route request message to the one or more network addresses; and

responsive to establishing that a connection to at least one address of the one or more network addresses is lost, to transmit a notification to a portal having originated the portal announcement.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface module is configured, responsive to receiving a portal announcement including a link metric, to re-broadcast the portal announcement.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface module performs;

IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services comprising authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery; and

IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services comprising association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface module is configured to perform at least one of receiving beacons and transmitting beacons, the beacons containing at least an identifier of a path selection protocol, the path selection protocol being used for unicast, multicast, and broadcast frame transmission within the wireless network.

9. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the path selection protocol is the only path selection protocol being used for unicast, multicast and broadcast frame transmission within the wireless network.

10. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the receiving of beacons and transmitting of beacons is performed according to IEEE 802.11 Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) mode of operation or IEEE 802.11 infrastructure mode of operation.

11. An encoded information reading (EIR) terminal, comprising:

a terminal module including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and an encoded information reading (EIR) device selected from the group consisting of a bar code reading device, an RFID reading device, and a card reading device, the EIR device configured to output raw message data;

a wireless interface module communicatively coupled to the terminal module via a wired interface, the wireless interface module including a microcontroller, a memory, and at least one wireless communication interface;

wherein the wireless interface module is configured to establish one or more wireless links with one or more peer EIR terminals to join a wireless network of peer EIR terminals; and

wherein the wireless interface module is configured to implement an on-demand routing method, a proactive routing method, and/or a hybrid routing method.

12. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the wireless interface module is configured to implement the on-demand routing method by transmitting, responsive to receiving from the terminal module one or more data packets addressed to an external device having a network address, one or more route request messages to determine one or more routes to the network address based on one or more route reply messages received.

13. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the wireless interface module is configured to compare the one or more routes based on a pre-defined link metric.

14. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the wireless interface module is configured to implement the proactive routing method by caching one or more network addresses of devices having originated a portal announcement.

15. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the wireless interface module is configured, responsive to receiving one or more data packets from the terminal module, to incorporate the one or more data packets into one or more MAC frames and forward the one or more MAC frames to a peer EIR terminal, a wireless access point, or one or more portals.

16. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the wireless interface module is configured, responsive to receiving one or more MAC frames containing one or more data packets addressed to the terminal module, to transmit the one or more data packets to the terminal module.

17. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the wireless interface module performs;

IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services comprising authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery; and

IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services comprising association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association.

18. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the wireless interface module is configured to perform at least one of receiving beacons and transmitting beacons, the beacons containing at least an identifier of a path selection protocol, the path selection protocol being used for unicast, multicast, and broadcast frame transmission within the wireless network.

19. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the path selection protocol is the only path selection protocol being used for unicast, multicast and broadcast frame transmission within the wireless network.

20. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the receiving of beacons and transmitting of beacons is performed according to IEEE 802.11 Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) mode of operation or IEEE 802.11 infrastructure mode of operation.