Portable work station-type data collection system

• US 5,710,728 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 01/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Norand Corporation (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Danielson, Arvin D., Beard, Paul, Schultz, Darald R., Boatwright, Darrell L., Austin, Rickey G., Alt, Daniel E., Silva, Dennis, Friend, Steve Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Malzahn, David H.
• Application Number:
  US08/488,406
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 364/707, 364/708.1, 395/750, 361/683
• US Class Current: 713/321
• 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 1/1656 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 1/28 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 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• 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: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• 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: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 : comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0279 : Improving the user comfort or ergonomics
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A portable data collection terminal system has a housing having a display screen with coincident graphic data input and a keyboard on the frontal side thereof. An accessory pod, having a width less than the width of the display screen and a handgrip extension adapted to hold a selected accessory device, such as a laser scanner, is disposed on the housing, opposite said frontal side. The accessory pod has one or two activation, diaphragm-type switches disposed in a pod wall disposed transversely to the handgrip extension and extending outwardly from, opposite the frontal side, the housing. The switch or switches are connected in parallel, if more than one, and are disposed near an end of the pod wall such that they are operable by either a user'"'"'s thumb or finger.

Claims

1. Data terminal apparatus comprising:

(a) power means for operating said apparatus;

(b) a housing including, in the face thereof, a first portion having a display screen and a second portion having a keyboard having a plurality of keys, said housing further including an accessory panel having a handgrip portion, which has a width less than that of said first portion and which has a remote scanner adapted to read indicia disposed on a surface external and separate from said apparatus such that the apparatus does not contact the surface external and separate from said apparatus during scanning thereof;

(c) pen activated digitizing data input structure means, including an underlay disposed adjacent to said display screen; and

(d) circuit means including;

(1) means for shutting down said apparatus during periods of inactivity, said circuit means including non-volatile memory means and further including means for trapping input-output instructions of said apparatus and for storing said input-output instructions in said non-volatile memory means, and

(2) means for recognizing, after said shutting down, a first attempted input through any one of said plurality of keys as a command to resume operation instead of recognizing said first attempted input as an input of the function normally executed by the respective one of said plurality of keys.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further including a pen gripping holder having a substantially C-shaped cross-section;

said holder co-molded into an end of said housing.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said housing further includes a battery door having a co-molded seal and a locked position, and further including signal means for signaling movement of said battery door from said locked position.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said housing further includes co-molded means for forming a somewhat homogeneously linked boundary region between an earlier injection molded part and a subsequently molded part such that shock protection for the apparatus is provided thereby.

5. The data terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

(a) said display screen has a plurality of touch sensitive areas;

and

(b) said circuit means further includes means for recognizing, after said shutting down, a first attempted input through any one of said plurality of keys or any one of said plurality of touch sensitive areas as a command to resume operation instead of recognizing said first attempted input as an input of the function normally executed by the respective one of said plurality of keys or said plurality of touch sensitive areas.

6. The data terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

(a) said underlay has an array of planar coils;

(b) said display screen has a plurality of touch sensitive areas; and

(c) said circuit means further includes means for recognizing, after said shutting down, a first attempted input through any one of said plurality of keys, any one of said plurality of touch sensitive areas, or any one of said planar coils of said array as a command to resume operation instead of recognizing said first attempted input as an input of the function normally executed by the respective one of said plurality of keys, said plurality of touch sensitive areas, or said planar coils of said array.

7. The data terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

(a) said display screen has an array of planar coils;

and

(b) said circuit means further includes means for recognizing, after said shutting down, a first attempted input through any one of said plurality of keys or any one of said planar coils of said array as a command to resume operation instead of recognizing said first attempted input as an input of the function normally executed by the respective one of said plurality of keys or said planar coils of said array.

8. Data terminal apparatus comprising:

(a) power means for operating said apparatus;

(b) a housing including, in the face thereof, a first portion having a display screen, having a plurality of touch sensitive areas, and a second portion having a keyboard, said housing further including an accessory panel having a handgrip portion, which has a width less than that of said first portion and which operably contains a selected one of a plurality of detachable accessories;

(c) pen activated digitizing data input structure means, including an underlay disposed adjacent to said display screen; and

(d) circuit means including;

(1) means for shutting down said apparatus during periods of inactivity, said circuit means including non-volatile memory means and further including means for trapping input-output instructions of said apparatus and for storing said input-output instructions in said non-volatile memory means of said apparatus, and

(2) means for recognizing, after said shutting down, a first attempted input through any one of said plurality of touch sensitive areas as a command to resume operation instead of recognizing said first attempted input as an input of the function normally executed by the respective one of said plurality of touch sensitive areas.

9. Data terminal apparatus comprising:

(a) power means for operating said apparatus;

(b) a housing including, in the face thereof, a first portion having a display screen and a second portion having a keyboard, said housing further including an accessory panel having a handgrip portion, which has a width less than that of said first portion and which operably contains a selected one of a plurality of detachable accessories;

(c) pen activated digitizing data input structure means, including an underlay disposed adjacent to said display screen, said underlay having an array of planar coils; and

(d) circuit means including;

(1) means for shutting down said apparatus during periods of inactivity, said circuit means including non-volatile memory means and further including means for trapping input-output instructions of said apparatus and for storing said input-output instructions in said non-volatile memory means and

(2) means for recognizing, after said shutting down, a first attempted input through any one of said planar coils of said array as a command to resume operation instead of recognizing said first attempted input as an input of the function normally executed by the respective one of said planar coils of said array.

10. A portable data collection terminal comprising:

(a) a housing including a display screen having a screen area and a keyboard disposed in a frontal side of said housing;

said housing further including a non-volatile memory and at least two microprocessor devices, at least one of remains inactive;

which is a management microprocessor device and at least another one of which is an applications microprocessor device;

said display screen including graphic data input means disposed coincident with said screen area;

said housing further including an accessory pod including a handgrip extension pod for holding a selected one of a plurality of accessory devices, said handgrip extension pod having a width that is less than a width of said data collection terminal and being disposed on an underside of said data collection terminal and beneath said frontal side of said data collection terminal, whereby said display screen is protected from accidental contact by a user holding said data collection terminal by said handgrip extension pod;

(b) a power management circuit including means for saving electrical states wherein input and output device states are saved to said non-volatile memory of said housing;

said power management circuit further including means for efficiently distributing and controlling of operations between said at least two microprocessor devices;

(c) a communications interface circuit configured to operably provide shared bus communications and access between at least two of said at least two microprocessor devices;

(d) operation control means for controlling said data collection terminal by said management microprocessor device as said applications microprocessor device remains inactive;

(e) means for operably activating said applications microprocessor device; and

(f) means for operably deactivating said applications microprocessor device such that control of said data collection terminal is operably returned to said management microprocessor device.

11. The portable data collection terminal according to claim 10, wherein said means for saving electrical input and output states to said non-volatile memory includes means for trapping input-output instructions and to shadow write said trapped input-output instructions to said non-volatile memory during normal operations of said portable data collection terminal.

12. The portable data collection terminal according to claim 10, wherein said means for distribution and control of operations between said at least two microprocessor devices includes means for said at least two microprocessor devices to indicate when data is being made available by one of said at least two microprocessor devices and read by another one of said at least two microprocessor devices including means for shared management, implementation and control of system functions and including means for shared access to the system buses.

13. The portable data collection terminal according to claim 10, wherein said selected accessory device is a scanner that is adapted to read indicia disposed on a surface external and spaced apart from the portable data collection terminal such that the portable data collection terminal does not operably contact said surface.

14. The portable data collection terminal of claim 10 wherein said accessory pod includes a radio frequency transceiver.

15. The portable data collection terminal according to claim 10, further including a recessed pen gripping holder molded into an end of said data collection terminal wherein said pen gripping holder comprises a pair of opposing stylus clips in combination with a stylus cavity.

16. The portable data collection terminal according to claim 10, further including a memory card door having a seal and means for signaling the power management circuit means as to movement of said memory card door from a locked position.

17. The portable data collection terminal according to claim 10, further including co-molded shock protection that provides a somewhat homogeneously linked boundary region between an earlier injected molded part and a subsequently molded part.

18. The portable data collection terminal according to claim 10, wherein said keyboard operates in parallel with said graphic data input means whereby said keyboard and said graphic data input means operate independently of each other with separate interrupt signals such that operation may be instantaneously switchable from one to the other.

19. The portable data collection terminal according to claim 18, wherein said graphic data input means includes a touch sensitive screen.

20. A portable data collection system, comprising:

(a) a data terminal having;

(1) a housing including a display screen having a screen area and a keyboard disposed in a frontal side of said housing;

said housing further including a non-volatile memory, at least two microprocessor devices including a lower-power-consuming management microprocessor device and a higher-power applications microprocessor device, and an internal power source;

said display screen including graphic data input means disposed coincident with said screen area;

said housing further including an accessory pod including a handgrip extension pod for holding a selected one of a plurality of accessory devices, said handgrip extension pod having a width that is less than a width of said data collection terminal and being disposed on an underside of said data collection terminal and beneath said frontal side of said data collection terminal, whereby said display screen is protected from accidental contact by a user holding said data collection terminal by said handgrip extension pod;

(2) a power management circuit including means for saving electrical states whereby input and output device states are saved to said nonvolatile memory of said housing;

said power management circuit further including means for efficiently distributing and controlling operations between said at two microprocessor devices;

(3) a communications interface circuit configured to operably provide shared bus communications and access between at least two of said at least two microprocessor devices;

(4) operation control means configured such that said data terminally controlled by said lower-power-consuming management microprocessor device as said higher-power applications microprocessor device remains inactive;

(5) means for operably deactivating said applications microprocessor device; and

(6) means for operably deactivating said applications microprocessor device such that control of said data collection terminal is operably returned to said management microprocessor device; and

(b) a docking device with at least one docking cavity for receiving and removably retaining said data terminal during storage, data transfer and battery charging operations of said data terminal.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein each of said at least one docking cavity includes offset interposed electrical contact springs for transferring data between said data terminal and said docking device.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein each of said at least one docking cavity includes offset interposed electrical contact springs for battery charging operations of said data terminal.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein each of said at least one docking cavity includes means for securely retaining said data terminal within a respective one of said at least one docking cavity.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein said docking device includes means for remote electronic data transfer.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said means for remote electronic data transfer includes means for infrared data transmission.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein said means for remote electronic data transfer includes means for radio frequency transmission.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein said means for remote electronic data transfer includes means for communications on a local area network.

28. The system of claim 20 wherein said docking device includes means for recharging said internal power source of said data terminal.

29. The system of claim 20 wherein said at least one docking cavity includes means for securely retaining said data terminal remains in continuous contact with said contact springs while said data terminal is docked within said cavity.

30. A data collection terminal comprising:

(a) a housing sized to provide hand-held portability during use of the data collection terminal;

said housing including an accessory, pod having a handgrip extension pod for holding a selected one of a plurality of accessory devices, said handgrip extension pod having a width that is less than a width of said data collection terminal and being disposed on an underside of said data collection terminal;

(b) a battery power source, disposed in said housing and configured to provide operating power for the data collection terminal;

(c) a first central processor that is configured to operably execute an application program for collecting data;

(d) a second central processor configured to communicatively interconnect with said first central processor, to monitor operations of said data collection terminal; and

to selectively control said battery power source such that operating power is removed from and delivered to said first central processor; and

(e) a non-volatile storage device, responsive to said second central processor, that is configured to store data and state information of the data collection terminal while power is being delivered to said first central processor; and

(f) wherein said second central processor, when reestablishing delivery of operating power to said first central processor, is further configured to utilize said non-volatile storage device to restore the data and state information of the data collection terminal so that execution of the application program is resumable by said first central processor.

31. The data collection terminal of claim 30 wherein said first central processor, having a first level of power consumption, exhibits periods of activity and inactivity and said second central processor, having a second level of power consumption lower than said first level of power consumption, controls said battery power source to remove operating power to said first central processor during periods of inactivity.

32. The data collection terminal of claim 30 wherein said second central processor controls said battery power source to remove operating power from said first central processor and from itself.

33. The data collection terminal of claim 30 further comprising a plurality of input-output devices responsive to control signals received from said second central processor.

34. The data collection terminal of claim 30 wherein said non-volatile storage device stores input-output instructions generated by said first central processor.

35. The data collection terminal of claim 34 further comprising means for trapping input-output instructions generated by said first central processor and storing such instructions in said non-volatile storage device.

36. The data collection terminal of claim 30 further comprising means for signaling an anticipated removal of said battery power source from the data collection terminal, and wherein said second central processor directs the storing of state information in said non-volatile memory, and said second central processor directing said battery power source to remove operating power to said first central processor in response to said signaling of such anticipated removal.

37. A portable data terminal used to execute application programs and having a display screen and a user input device, the portable data terminal comprising:

(a) a battery power supply flint selectively delivers operating power to the portable data terminal;

(b) storage means for providing storage of information regardless of whether said battery power supply is delivering operating power to the portable data terminal;

(c) processor means for executing application programs, and, during such execution, said processor means exhibiting periods of activity and inactivity;

(d) input-output interface circuitry having a present operating condition;

(e) trapping means for detecting input-output instructions generated by said processor means that are being delivered to said input-output interface circuitry, said trapping means causing said detected input-output instructions to be stored in said storage means;

(f) control means for detecting periods of inactivity of said processor means, and, in response to such detection, said control means causing said battery power supply to terminate delivery of power to the portable data terminal;

(g) upon redelivery by said battery power supply of operating power to the portable data terminal, said input-output instructions stored in said storage means being used to restore said input-output interface circuitry to said present operating condition which existed immediately prior to said termination of power to the portable data terminal;

(h) a housing including an accessory pod having a handgrip extension pod for holding a selected one of a plurality of accessory devices configured to interact with said processor means, said handgrip extension pod having a width that is less than a width of said data collection terminal and being disposed on an underside of said data collection terminal.

38. The portable data terminal of claim 37 wherein said processor means exhibits a level of power consumption and an operating speed, said control means exhibits a level of power consumption which is lower than said level of power consumption of said processor means, and said control means also exhibits an operating speed which is slower than that of said processor means.

39. The portable data terminal of claim 37 further comprising means for signaling an anticipated removal of said battery power supply from the portable data terminal, and wherein said control means causes said battery power supply to terminate delivery of said power to the portable data terminal in response to said signaling of such anticipated removal.

40. A data terminal used to execute an application program and having a display screen and a user input device, the data terminal comprising:

(a) processing means for executing an application program, said processing means having registers for storing processing status information;

(b) volatile memory, communicatively interconnected with said processing means and configured to cooperatively assist said processing means in executing the application program by storing application program data;

(c) a power source contained within the data terminal wherein said power source is removable from the data terminal;

(d) storage means for storing information and maintaining information even though operating power to the data terminal may have been terminated;

(e) control means;

(1) for controlling the power source such that operating power to the data terminal may be selectively delivered or terminated;

(2) for monitoring said processing means during execution of the application program;

(3) for using said storage means to store copies of the application program data stored in said volatile memory and to store copies of the processing status information of said processing means while power is being delivered to the data terminal; and

(4) after causing said power source to redeliver operating power to the data terminal, for causing the copying of the application program data stored in said storage means to said volatile memory and causing the copying of the processing status information contained in said storage means to said processing means; and

(f) a housing including an accessory pod having a handgrip extension pod for holding a selected one of a plurality of accessory devices configured to interact with said processing means, said handgrip extension pod having a width that is less than a width of said data collection terminal and being disposed on an underside of said data collection terminal.

41. The data terminal of claim 40 wherein said processing means exhibits a first level of power consumption and first operating speed, said control means exhibits a second level of power consumption which is lower than said first level of power consumption of said processing means, and said control means also exhibits a second operating speed which is slower than that of said processing means.

42. The data terminal of claim 41 further wherein said control means controls said power source in order to terminate delivery of operating power to the data terminal after detecting a selected condition under which termination of delivery of operating power is warranted.

43. The data terminal of claim 42 wherein, while executing the application program, said processing means exhibits active and inactive operating states, and wherein said selected condition warranting termination of delivery of operating power comprises said processing means exhibiting an inactive operating state for a predetermined period of time.

44. The data terminal of claim 43 wherein said selected condition warranting termination of delivery of operating power includes an attempted removal of said power source from the data terminal.

45. The data terminal of claim 40 further comprising:

(a) interface circuitry having a present operating state, said interface circuitry responsive to input-output commands received from said processing means, said storage means used for storing said input-output commands generated by said processing means, and said stored input-output commands of said storage means being retrieved upon redelivery of power to the data terminal for reestablishing the present operating state of said interface circuitry which existed immediately prior to said termination of delivery of power to the data terminal.