Vehicle lan with adapters for coupling portable data terminals

• US 5,289,378 A
• Filed: 03/01/1993
• Issued: 02/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Norand Corporation (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Kubler, Joseph J., Cargin, Keith K. Jr., Hanson, George E., Miller, Phillip, Koenck, Steven E., Davis, Patrick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/024,892
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 364/403, 364/464.03, 364/483, 364/424.01, 364/424.03, 364/424.04, 364/550, 364/405, 364/709.04, 364/424.05, 235/375, 235/462, 235/472, 235/454, 235/487, 235/485, 340/825.52, 340/825.03-825.08, 455/89
• US Class Current: 701/35
• 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: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• 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 1/1632 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 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 : Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 : Current supply arrangements
• 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: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A vehicle for transport, fork lift or delivery route operations, for example, includes on-board peripherals which are coupled through a Local Area Network (LAN) into a data system. A LAN data bus provides selective access to the peripherals or data devices such as, for example, a large area display, a keyboard, a printer and a data terminal. The data system controls or provides data on tasks executed by or in connection with the operation of the vehicle. To increase the versatility of the vehicle, the data terminal, multiple data terminals, or any of the other data devices may be removably coupled to the LAN to be operable externally of the vehicle. A mobile mount adapter provides a secure electrical connection of a respective data terminal to the LAN to removably incorporate the data terminal into the data system. The data terminal includes base contact areas which are contacted by spring contacts of the adapter. An "open face" of a disclosed adapter allows a cable for a scanner or other data link to extend from adjacent the base contact areas without a need to remove the extending cable, thereby enabling a cable-connected scanner to be moved and used while the data terminal is disposed in the adapter.

Claims

1. A vehicle data system comprising

vehicle data bus means for conveying data to respective different data processing locations of the vehicle,

coupling means disposed at each of the different data processing locations of the vehicle for selectively coupling a data device at the data processing locations, the coupling means having an inactive state with respect to said vehicle data bus means upon having an open connection and upon an inactive data device being coupled thereby to said data bus means,

vehicle power means for supplying operating power to the vehicle data bus means, and

mobile mount adapter means coupled with said vehicle data bus means by at least one of said coupling means, said mobile mount adapter means having receptacle means for receiving and retaining a portable data device for data interchange via the vehicle data bus means.

2. A vehicle data system according to claim 1, with printer means having a coupling with said vehicle power means and with a respective one of said coupling means at one of said data processing locations for coupling said printer means removably to said vehicle data bus means.

3. A vehicle data system comprising

vehicle data path means for conveying data to a data processing location of the vehicle,

coupling means coupled with the data processing location of the vehicle via the data path means and for selectively coupling a data device to the data processing location via the data path means, the coupling means having an inactive state with respect to said vehicle data path means upon having an open connection and upon an inactive data device being coupled thereby to said data path means,

vehicle power means for supplying operating power to the vehicle data path means, and

mobile mount adapter means coupled with said vehicle data path means by said coupling means, said mobile mount adapter means having receptacle means for receiving and retaining a portable data device for data interchange with the data processing location via the vehicle data path means.

4. A vehicle data system according to claim 3, with printer means at the data processing location having a coupling with said vehicle power means and with said vehicle data path means.