Multilevel data communication system including local and host systems

• US 5,805,807 A
• Filed: 05/23/1995
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1990
• 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., Danielson, Arvin D., Bunte, Alan G., West, Guy J., Hanson, George E., Salvay, Steven H., Miller, Phillip, Koenck, Steven E., Cargin, Keith K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US08/448,237
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.09, 364/403, 364/708.01, 370/32, 375/220
• US Class Current: 370/340
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0075 using a containment or docking space
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0078 Quick-disconnect two-parts mounting means
• 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 1/1698 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 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in 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 7/12 : using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 : used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 : by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 : Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0032 : Without explicit signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 : 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: 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 88/00 : Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• 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: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A computerized system for managing freight or the like which is picked up at various points and delivered to other various destinations, and more particularly to such a system which utilizes hand-held terminals, scanners and printers which are linked together by a micro link radio to each other and by a wide area network radio link to a main area station which can receive and transmit information to a plurality of sets of terminals, printers and the like for managing an overall freight system.

Claims

1. A data communication system comprising:

(a) a plurality of remote, mobile data systems comprising;

(i) a battery powered terminal;

(ii) a battery powered code reader;

(iii) a battery powered printer;

(iv) each of the battery powered terminal, code reader and printer having a wireless transceiver, and wherein communication occurs via lower power transmissions between the portable terminal and the code reader, and between the portable terminal and the printer; and

(v) a dock that engagingly receives the battery powered terminal;

(b) a local wireless transceiver; and

(c) a local host computer system communicatively coupled to the local wireless transceiver, wherein communication occurs between the battery powered printers in the plurality of remote, mobile data systems and the host computer system via higher power transmissions through the local wireless transceiver.

2. The data communication system of claim 1, wherein the battery powered printers in the plurality of remote, mobile data systems further comprise the dock.

3. The data communication system of claim 1, wherein the host computer system further comprises means for docking a plurality of the terminals to effect communication therebetween.

4. The data communication system of claim 1, wherein the printer further includes releasable input means for utilizing a vehicle power source.

5. The data communication system of claim 4, wherein the releasable input means comprises cigarette lighter input means for utilizing a vehicle power source.

6. A data communication system comprising:

(a) a plurality of mobile systems comprising;

(i) a battery powered, portable terminal, including microlink radio means for transmitting and receiving information;

(ii) a battery powered code reader integrated with the battery powered, portable terminal;

(iii) a battery powered data processing system, including microlink radio means for transmitting and receiving information, and wide area network radio means for transmitting and receiving information;

(iv) a dock that engagingly receives the battery powered, portable terminal; and

(v) wherein communication selectively occurs between the portable terminal and the data processing system via either the dock or the microlink radio means associated with the portable terminal and the data processing system; and

(b) a host computer system, including wide area network radio means for transmitting and receiving information, wherein communication occurs between the printers in the plurality of mobile systems and the host computer system, via the wide area network radio means associated with the printers in the plurality of mobile systems and associated with the host computer system.

7. The data communication system of claim 6, wherein the host computer system further comprises means for docking a plurality of the portable terminals to effect communication therebetween.

8. The data communication system of claim 6, wherein the data processing system comprises a printer that includes releasable input means for utilizing a vehicle power source.

9. The data communication system of claim 8, wherein the releasable input means comprises cigarette lighter input means for utilizing a vehicle power source.

10. In a data communication system, a mobile data collection system comprising:

(a) a portable terminal, including battery means for powering the portable terminal and microlink radio means for transmitting and receiving information;

(b) a code reader, including means for communicating with the portable terminal;

(c) a printer, including microlink radio means for transmitting and receiving information, and wide area network radio means for transmitting and receiving information outside of the local system;

(d) a dock that engagingly receives the portable terminal to charge the battery means, and that provides a communication link to the portable terminal; and

(e) wherein communication occurs between the portable terminal and the code reader according to the means for communicating associated with the code reader, and between the portable terminal and the printer via the microlink radio means associated with the portable terminal and printer.

11. The local system of claim 10, wherein the means for communicating with the portable terminal included in the code reader comprises microlink radio means, and the communication between the portable terminal and code reader occurs via the microlink radio means associated with the portable terminal and code reader.

12. The local system of claim 10, wherein the code reader is integrated with the portable terminal, and the means for communicating with the portable terminal included in the code reader comprises internal communication means, and the communication between the portable terminal and code reader occurs via the internal communication means associated with the code reader integrated with the portable terminal.

13. The mobile data collection system of claim 10, wherein the printer further comprises the dock.

14. The local system of claim 10, wherein the printer further includes releasable input means for charging the battery means from a vehicle power source.

15. The local system of claim 14, wherein the releasable input means comprises cigarette lighter input means for charging the battery means from a vehicle power source.