Hand-held data capture system with interchangeable modules

• US 5,218,187 A
• Filed: 02/25/1991
• Issued: 06/08/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Norand Corporation (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Hanson, George E., Miller, Phillip, Koenck, Steven E., Krunnfusz, Jeffrey S., Schultz, Darald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITTS, HAROLD I
• Application Number:
  US07/660,615
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/470, 235/472, 235/375
• US Class Current: 235/375
• 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: 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 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• 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
• 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 7/1098 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: 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 1/007 : specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 : used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 : Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 : Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 : Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 : Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/14 : Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/156 : with demodulation using temporal properties of the received signal, e.g. detecting pulse width
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 : Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 : Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 : in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 : in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 : in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 : comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A portable, hand-held data terminal of modular structure includes a base module with a keyboard and a display screen. A data and communications module may be selected from a number of different data and communications modules, each having different types of data communications transceivers, or including in addition data collection devices, such as shelf label readers or bar code readers. The base module includes a microprocessor-controlled data communications and control interface having a predetermined protocol. To adapt the various types of data and communications modules for selection of any one thereof to become attached to the base module and function therewith, each of the data and communications modules includes a microprocessor operable to function as an emulator to interact with the microprocessor of the base module and communicate with the microprocessor of the base module in accordance with the protocol of the data communications and control interface of the base module.

Claims

1. A hand-held data collection terminal unit comprising:

a base module including a keyboard, a display, means for storing a control program and data, an interface for communicating data and a first microprocessor having a predetermined data communication procedure for controlling data applied to and received from said interface in accordance with the control program; and

a data and communications module including a selected one of a plurality of data communication transceivers each having unique transceiver operation signal patterns, the data and communications module further comprising a communications interface and a second microprocessor communicatively coupled to the communications interface of the data and communications module and coupled to the first microprocessor of the base module, the second microprocessor of the data and communications module having means for emulating data communication controlled to communicate data to the first microprocessor of the base module in accordance with the control program of the first microprocessor of the base module.

2. The hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 1, wherein the data and communications module further comprises a data collection means having a data transfer link coupled to the second microprocessor of the data and communications module, the second microprocessor having means for emulating the predetermined data communication procedure of data to be communicated between the data collection means and the base module, for controlling the data communications between said data collection means and the base module in accordance with the control program of the first microprocessor of the base module.

3. The hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 1, wherein the data and communications module further comprises a code reader, the code reader having a data transfer link coupled to be controlled by the second microprocessor of the data and communications module for transferring data between the data and communications module and the base module in accordance with the control program of the second microprocessor of the base module.

4. The hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 3, wherein the code reader is a CCD bar code scanner, wherein the selected communications transceiver is a radio frequency transceiver, the data and communications module having transceiver antenna extending away from the data and communications module and the data collection terminal, the antenna being pivotally mounted, having an outer dielectric pivot mount and an inner RF conductive swivel means, shielded by the outer pivot mount from direct operator contact, the outer pivot mount and inner swivel means permitting pivotal movement of the antenna to pivot away from a scanning direction of the CCD bar code scanner permitting the CCD bar code scanner to become positioned in proximity of a bar code label to be read.

5. The hand-held data collection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the data and communications module is attached to the base module by a plurality of engaging latch hooks and corresponding latch seats for retaining the data and communications module upon the data and communications module being moved into engaging position with the base module, means for electrically and communicatively coupling the base module and the data and communications module disposed respectively with the base module and the data and communications module to electrically and communicatively couple the modules upon the data communications module being moved into such engaging position with the base module, and means for maintaining the engaging position of the latch hooks with respect to the latch seats.

6. A hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 1, the terminal unit having an elongate housing and an elastic hand strap attached to the underside of the housing, the hand strap being attached longitudinally of the housing to an underside of the terminal unit, one end of the terminal unit comprising means for slidably receiving one end of the hand strap, the hand strap being slidably held at such one end of the terminal unit under tension of the elastic hand-strap, the hand strap being slidably removable from the receiving meass for exchange of one data and communications module for another one of the plurality of data and communications modules.

7. The hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 6, including a belt clip attached to the strap and supported by the strap, the belt clip adapted to attach the terminal unit to the belt of an operator.

9. The hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 6, wherein the data and communications module comprises a pretuned frequency modulated radio transceiver module, the transceiver module being coupled to the interface circuit and a scanning unit, the scanning unit being coupled to the second microprocessor circuit, both the scanning unit and the transceiver module being communicatively coupled to the base unit to communicate with the first microprocessor circuit according to the predetermined operational mode of the first microprocessor circuit of the base module.

10. The hand-held data collection terminal unit according to claim 6, wherein the data and communications module comprises a spread spectrum radio transceiver module, the transceiver module being coupled to the interface circuit, the interface circuit and the second microprocessor circuit interacting to transfer data between the base terminal and the data and communications module according to the predetermined operational mode of the first microprocessor circuit adapted to communicated data via a pretuned frequency modulated radio transceiver module.

8. A hand-held data collection terminal unit comprising:

a base module having a housing including a user-accessible keyboard and display screen, the base module including a first microprocessor circuit for controlling the functions of the base module, and for communicating data and control signals to and from the base module according to a predetermined operational mode of the first microprocessor circuit of the base module;

means, forming part of the base module, for receiving and for mounting and electrically and communicatively coupling a data and communication module to the base module; and

a selected one of a plurality of data and communications modules, each data and communications module of the plurality of data and communications modules having a selectable combination of data communication elements, the selected data and communication module comprising a second microprocessor circuit and an interface circuit, the second microprocessor circuit being coupled to the interface circuit and coupled between the interface circuit and the first microprocessor circuit of the base module, the second microprocessor circuit in combination with the interface circuit capable of emulating data communication between the first and second microprocessor circuits according to the predetermined operational mode of the first microprocessor.