Modular, portable data processing terminal for use in a radio frequency communication network

• US 5,680,633 A
• Filed: 08/31/1993
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• 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: Mahany, Ronald L., West, Guy J., Kinney, Patrick W., Miller, Phillip, Koenck, Steven E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowler, Alyssa H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS JR, WALTER D
• Application Number:
  US08/114,872
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 364/DIG. 1, 455/11.1, 455/89, 455/90, 358/257, 340/712, 340/311.1, 235/472, 235/375, 370/85.2, 379/66
• US Class Current: 235/472.02
• 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 1/1656 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 1/1698 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 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• 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 1/2258 : used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 : with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 : used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 : with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 : Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• 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: H01Q 21/29 : Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0067 : with one or more circuit blocks in common for different bands
• 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 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 1/0025 : Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0032 : Without explicit signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0071 : Use of interleaving interleaving per se H03M13/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 : the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1685 : the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 : Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 : Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 : Modulator circuits; Transmitter 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 45/00 : Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 : Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/44 : Distributed routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 : Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 : Multichannel or multilink protocols
• 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 1/72403 : with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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 52/02 : Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Modular, portable data collection terminals are disclosed for use in mixed wireless and hard-wired RF communication networks, wherein various radio transmitter modules and associated antennas may be selectively added to a base terminal unit to solve networking problems associated with specific types of business environments. Modularity exists in both the hardware (splitting data collection and processing control circuitry from radio transceiver control circuitry) and software (splitting transceiver-specific, lower level communication protocol from generic, higher level communication protocol). The control circuitry, including associated microprocessors devices, interact to selectively activate communication circuits to perform necessary communication or data processing functions and enter and remain in a power-saving dormant state during other times. To support such dormant or "sleeping" states, a series of communication protocols provide for channel access to the communication network. The disclosed modular design also provides for automatic selection from a variety of available built-in and externally mounted antennas based on the particular type of radio transceiver(s) selected.

Claims

1. A portable data collection terminal comprising:

a base module comprising a first processing unit and a first storage element that stores base module communication software;

a selected one of a plurality of communication modules, each communication module comprising a second processing unit, a second storage element that stores communication module software, and at least one of a plurality of radio transceivers, each of the plurality of radio transceivers being communicatively incompatible with the other of the plurality of radio transceivers;

said base module receiving said selected one of the plurality of communication modules in an assembled position which communicatively couples the first and second processing units enabling said base module to communicate using said communication module; and

wherein the second processing unit, using the communication module software, enables time first processing unit, which uses the base module communication software, to communicate with at least one of the plurality of radio transceivers regardless of which of the plurality of communication modules is selected.

2. The portable data collection terminal of claim 1 further comprising:

a base connector, disposed on said base module, that is electrically connected to said first processing unit; and

a common communication connector disposed on the selected one of the plurality of communication modules and electrically connected to the second processing unit, said common communication connector matingly engaging the base connector when said base module receives said selected one of the plurality of communication modules in the assembled position.

3. The portable data collection terminal of claim 1 further comprising:

a predetermined plurality of antennas connected to said base module; and

means for selectively connecting at least one of said predetermined plurality of antennas to the selected one of the plurality of communication modules.

4. A portable data collection terminal comprising:

a base module operating per a first set of communication software routines;

a selected one of a plurality of radio transceiver modules, each of the plurality of radio transceiver modules being communicatively incompatibility with the other of the plurality of radio transceiver modules;

each of the plurality of radio transceiver modules having a processor which enables the base module to communicate via the selected one of the plurality of radio transceiver modules; and

the base module communicates, using the first set of communication software routines, via the selected one of the plurality of radio transceiver modules without having to know which of the radio transceiver modules has been selected.

5. The portable data collection terminal of claim 4 further comprising:

a plurality of antennas connected to said base module; and

means for selectively interconnecting at least one of said plurality of antennas to the selected one of the plurality of the radio transceiver modules.

6. The portable data collection terminal of claim 5 wherein the plurality of antennas are connected to said base module prior to selecting the selected one of the plurality of the radio transceiver modules.

7. The portable data collection terminal of claim 4 furor comprising:

a preinstalled antenna disposed on said base module;

an antenna connector disposed on said base module to couple to at least one of a variety of external antennas; and

means for selectively interconnecting the preinstalled antenna or the antenna connector to the selected one of the plurality of radio transceiver modules.

8. In a communication network having a first and second subnetwork a data collection terminal comprising:

a base processing unit operating per a first set of communication software routines;

a first selected one of a plurality of radio transceivers, each of the plurality of radio transceiver having different operating characteristics such that each of the plurality of radio transceivers are communicatively incompatible with the other of the plurality of radio transceivers;

a second selected one of the plurality of radio transceivers; and

a communication processor which enables the base processing unit to communicate via the first and second selected ones of the plurality of radio transceivers despite differences in the operating characteristics of the first and second selected ones of the plurality of radio transceivers.

9. The portable data collection terminal of claim 8 wherein the communication processor comprises:

a first processing unit permitting the base processing unit to communicate via the first selected one of the plurality of radio transceivers despite differences in operating characteristics between the first selected one of the plurality of radio transceivers and others of the plurality of radio transceivers; and

a second processing unit permitting the base processing unit to communicate via the second selected one of the plurality of radio transceivers despite differences in operating characteristics between the second selected one of the plurality of radio transceivers and others of the plurality of radio transceivers.

10. The portable data collection terminal of claim 8 further comprising comprising:

a base module containing the base processing unit; and

a communication module containing the communication processor and the first and second selected ones of the plurality of radio transceivers.