Hand-held data capture system with interchangeable modules

• US 5,418,684 A
• Filed: 02/04/1994
• Issued: 05/23/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Norand Corporation (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Cargin, Keith K. Jr., Mahany, Ronald L., Danielson, Arvin D., Geers, Robert G., Hanson, George E., Miller, Phillip, Koenck, Steven E., Durbin, Dennis A., Kelly, Stephen J., Schultz, Darald R., Boatwright, Darrell L., Gibbs, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US08/192,525
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 235/10, 235/145 R, 235/146, 235/432, 235/462, 235/472, 364/708.1, 364/709.1, 364/709.12, 361/679-681, 361/683, 361/728-731
• US Class Current: 235/472.02
• 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 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• 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: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0216 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0283 for data storage and retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• 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 7/1093 : sensing, after transfer of the image of the data-field to an intermediate store, e.g. storage with cathode ray tube
• 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 10/08 : Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 : Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• 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: H02J 9/005 : using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 : Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/0085 : using test signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 : Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 : Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0032 : Without explicit signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 : with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0206 : Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 : Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 : Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 : including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 : including more than one keyboard unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable, hand-held data collection terminal unit is of modular structure including among other modules a display screen module, a keyboard module and a base module, each of which may be chosen from a plurality of modules available for assembly into the terminal unit. Consequently, a wide combination of terminal units may be assembled from a comparatively limited number of modular choices, such that the cost of assembly of a terminal unit with specific functions may be minimized. A particular selected module is a scanning module including a pivotable scanning head to permit a user to adjust the scanning head to a convenient position for operating the scanning module without sacrifice of visual access to a display screen of the display screen module. The display screen module may be selected from modules of standard width equal to the width of the terminal unit, of extended width extending when assembled to a selected keyboard module beyond either or both lateral edges of the terminal unit. The selected display screen module may include one of different sized screens, function keys and alphabetical keys.

Claims

1. A hand-held data collection terminal comprising:

(a) a data collection terminal unit having an elongate body forming a hand-grip portion for use of the data collection terminal unit in a hand-held operating position;

(b) said data collection terminal unit having a manually operated key arrangement comprising numerical keys and function keys, and a display screen;

(c) said data collection terminal unit having a first side and a second side disposed laterally to each other;

(d) said numerical keys and display screen being supported at the first side of the terminal unit;

wherein;

(e) at least one of the function keys is disposed on said second side of the terminal unit; and

(f) a scanner module is selectively mounted to the terminal unit;

(g) said at least one of said function keys being capable of operation as a scanner operation control key when the terminal unit is equipped with said scanner module.

2. The data collection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the key arrangement comprises a row of function keys disposed adjacent the display screen along a longitudinal axis of the terminal unit.

3. The data collection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the key arrangement comprises an array of said numerical keys, the function keys, other than said at least one of the function keys which is disposed on the second side of the terminal unit being disposed between the display screen and the array of numerical keys.

4. The data collection terminal according to claim 1, the key arrangement, with the exception of the at least one of the function keys which is disposed on the second side of the terminal unit, comprising an array of said numerical keys, an array of said function keys and a cursor control key cluster.

5. The data collection terminal according to claim 1, the data collection terminal unit comprising an exchangeable battery.

6. The data collection terminal according to claim 1, further comprising shock absorbing means mounted externally of the data collection terminal unit and extending peripherally of the terminal unit for protecting the data collection terminal unit.

7. The data collection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the data collection terminal unit further comprises a radio frequency communications system.

8. The data collection terminal according to claim 1, wherein said scanner module comprises a laser scanner.

9. The data collection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the scanner module is supported by the terminal unit adjacent the display screen.

10. The data collection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the scanner module is attached to an outer end of the data collection terminal unit.

11. The data collection terminal according to claim 10, wherein the scanner module includes a pivotable scanning head.

12. The data collection terminal according to claim 11, wherein the scanning head is pivotable through at least 180 degrees between two opposite end positions.

13. A hand-held data collection terminal comprising:

(a) a data collection terminal unit having a first side and a second side disposed laterally to each other;

(b) a display screen area at the first side of the terminal unit having a display screen located therein;

(c) said data collection terminal unit having an elongate body forming a hand-grip portion for use of the data collection terminal unit in a hand-held operating position, and having a function key disposed at the second side and adjacent an outer end of the hand-grip portion;

(d) a keyboard disposed at the first side of the terminal unit; and

(e) said function key at said second side of said terminal unit being capable of operation as a scanner operation control key when the terminal unit is equipped with a scanner module.

14. The data collection terminal according to claim 13, wherein the keyboard comprises an array of said numerical keys and further function keys, the further function keys being arranged between the numerical keys and the display screen.

15. (Amended) The data collection terminal according to claim 13, further comprising shock absorbing material mounted peripherally about the data collection terminal unit to protect the data collection terminal unit from damage.

16. The data collection terminal according to claim 13, further comprising means for mounting a scanner module at an end of said terminal unit so as to be controllable by said function key.

17. The data collection terminal according to claim 13, wherein the data collection terminal unit further comprises a radio frequency communications system.

18. The data collection terminal according to claim 13 wherein the data collection terminal unit further comprises a scanner module controllable by said function key.

19. The data collection terminal according to claim 18, wherein the scanner module includes a pivotable scanning head.

20. The data collection terminal according to claim 19, wherein the scanning head is pivotable through at least 180 degrees between two opposite end positions.

21. The data collection terminal according to claim 13, wherein in addition to the function key disposed on the second side, another function key is disposed on a side opposite the second side such that when a scanning head is assembled with the terminal unit, the scanning head is selectively activated by manual activation of a respective one of the function keys.