Mobile computing device including an ergonomic handle and thumb accessible display while the handle is gripped

• US 9,704,009 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Jaeho, Tsiopanos, Konstantinos D., Jenkins, Ian R., Martin, Richard M., Nair, Chandra M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US13/705,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20140014726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 23546247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/015 Aligning or centering of the sensing device with respect to the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10554 Moving beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1091 means to wake up the scanner from a sleep mode, e.g. using an acceleration sensor indicating that the scanner is being picked up by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/11 Supports for sets, e.g. incorporating armrests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A mobile device is described. The mobile device includes a handle for gripping the mobile device with fingers of one hand. A display is oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of the handle such that a thumb of the one hand is capable of touching at least a portion of the display when the fingers of the one hand grip the handle of the mobile device. A data acquisition device is positioned so as to capture product information from an object located on an opposite side of the display.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a handle for gripping the mobile device with fingers of one hand;

a display oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of the handle such that a thumb of the one hand is capable of touching at least a portion of the display when the fingers of the one hand grip the handle of the mobile device;

a trigger switch located on the handle such that the trigger switch is accessible by an index finger of the one hand when the thumb of the one hand is touching the portion of the display; and

a data acquisition device positioned so as to capture information from an object located on an opposite side of the display, the data acquisition device being configured to activate to capture the information responsive to;

(i) a selection, by the thumb of the one hand, of a data capture function presented on the portion of the display; and

(ii) following the selection, an initiation of the data capture function by one of at least two independent activation modes including;

(a) a trigger switch activation mode initiated by depressing the trigger switch with one or more fingers of the one hand that grips the handle, and

(b) a thumb activation mode initiated by selecting a data capture trigger presented on the portion of the display via the thumb of the one hand.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising a battery positioned in a recess of the handle.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least two independent activation modes further include:

a control switch activation mode initiated by depressing a control switch proximate to the display via the thumb of the one hand.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the data acquisition device comprises an imager.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the data acquisition device comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) module.

6. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the data capture trigger presented on the portion of the display is a trigger icon.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the data acquisition device comprises a module that removably couples to a housing of the mobile device.

8. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the handle is removably coupled to a housing of the mobile device.

9. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising a rotary control switch for controlling a volume of the mobile device.

10. A housing of a mobile device comprising:

a handle configured for gripping the mobile device with fingers of one hand;

a top portion coupled to the handle for housing a display device and a data acquisition device, the display device disposed above the handle of the mobile device such that at least a portion of the display device is accessible to a thumb of the one hand when the fingers of the one hand grip the handle of the mobile device;

a trigger switch located on the handle such that the trigger switch is accessible by an index finger of the one hand when the thumb of the one hand is touching the portion of the display; and

the data acquisition device disposed on an opposite side of the display device, and configured to capture information from an object located on the opposite side of the display device responsive to;

(i) a selection, by the thumb of the one hand, of a data capture function presented on the portion of the display; and

(ii) following the selection, an initiation of the data capture function by one of at least two independent activation modes including;

(a) a trigger switch activation mode initiated by depressing the trigger switch with one or more fingers of the one hand that grips the handle; and

(b) a thumb activation mode initiated by selecting a data capture trigger presented on the portion of the display via the thumb of the one hand.

11. The housing of claim 10 wherein the at least two independent activation modes further include:

a control switch activation mode initiated by depressing a control switch proximate to the display via the thumb of the one hand.

12. The housing of claim 10;

wherein the function comprises a software application executing on a processor of the mobile device.

13. The housing of claim 10, wherein the data acquisition device comprises an imager.

14. The housing of claim 10, wherein the data acquisition device comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) module.

15. The housing of claim 10;

wherein the data capture trigger presented on the portion of the display is a trigger icon.

16. The housing of claim 10, wherein the data acquisition device comprises a module that removably couples to the housing of the mobile device.

17. The housing of claim 10;

further comprising a rotary control switch for controlling a volume of the mobile device.

18. A mobile device comprising:

a handle for gripping the mobile device with fingers of one hand;

a display oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of the handle such that a thumb of the one hand is capable of touching at least a portion of the display when the fingers of the one hand grip the handle of the mobile device;

a trigger switch located on the handle such that the trigger switch is accessible by an index finger of the one hand when the thumb of the one hand is touching the portion of the display; and

means for capturing information from an object located on an opposite side of the display responsive to;

(i) a selection, by the thumb of the one hand, of a data capture function presented on the portion of the display; and

(ii) following the selection, an initiation of the data capture function by one of at least two independent activation modes including;

(a) a trigger switch activation mode initiated by depressing the trigger switch with one or more fingers of the one hand that grips the handle, and

(b) a thumb activation mode initiated by selecting a data capture trigger presented on the portion of the display via the thumb of the one hand.

19. The mobile device of claim 18 wherein the data capture trigger presented on the portion of the display is a trigger icon.

20. The mobile device of claim 19 wherein the data acquisition device comprises at least one of an imager, a laser scanner, and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) module.