Communication system used to assist deliveries of goods or services

• US 5,895,431 A
• Filed: 12/02/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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., Kunert, Steven R., Walter, Jerry L., Schultz, Darald R., Davis, Patrick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/984,337
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 340/825.52, 340/825.03-825.08, 705/26, 705/28, 705/29, 455/575, 707/10
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• 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: 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 7/12 : 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 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 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• 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

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, and provide a common supply of both data and power to the data device.

Claims

1. A communication system used to assist deliveries of goods or services via a vehicle, the communication system comprising:

a stationary computer that stores delivery information;

a stationary radio communicatively coupled to the stationary computer;

a vehicle delivery system comprising a vehicle radio, a communication link, a control circuit communicatively coupled to both the vehicle radio and the communication link, and a portable data device that operates both in a portable mode and, when communicatively coupled to the communication link, in a coupled mode; and

in the coupled mode, the portable data device receives at least portions of the delivery information from the stationary computer via the stationary radio, the vehicle radio and the control circuit.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit further comprises a memory that stores at least portions of the delivery information received by the vehicle radio from the stationary computer via the stationary radio when the portable terminal operates in the portable mode.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle radio and the control circuit are both mounted in the vehicle.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the portable data device communicatively couples with the communication link via a docking adapter.

5. The communication system of claim 4 wherein the docking adapter provides supplemental power to the portable terminal when in the coupled mode.

6. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle comprises a power source, and the vehicle delivery system receives power from the power source.

7. A communication system used to assist deliveries of goods or services, the communication system comprising:

a stationary computer that stores delivery information;

a stationary radio communicatively coupled to the stationary computer;

a portable delivery system comprising a portable radio, a communication link, a memory circuit communicatively coupled to both the portable radio and the communication link, and a portable data device that operates both in a portable mode and, when communicatively coupled to the communication link, in a coupled mode;

the memory circuit stores at least portions of the delivery information received by the portable radio from the stationary computer via the stationary radio when the portable data device operates in the portable mode; and

the portable data device receives the at least portions of the delivery information stored by the memory circuit when in the coupled mode.

8. The communication system of claim 7 further comprising a control circuit that manages the memory circuit in storing the at least portions of the delivery information received from the stationary computer, and that manages the delivery of the at least portions stored by the memory circuit to the portable data device when in the coupled mode.

9. The communication system of claim 7 wherein the portable radio and the memory circuit are both mounted in a vehicle.

10. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the portable data device communicatively couples with the communication link via a docking adapter.

11. The communication system of claim 10 wherein the docking adapter provides supplemental power to the portable data device when in the coupled mode.

12. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the vehicle comprises a power source, and the portable delivery system receives power from the power source.

13. A communication system used to assist deliveries of goods or services via a vehicle, the communication system comprising:

a stationary computer that stores delivery information;

a stationary radio communicatively coupled to the stationary computer;

a vehicle delivery system comprising a vehicle radio, an adapter, a control circuit communicatively coupled to the vehicle radio, and a portable data device that operates both in a portable mode and, when receivingly coupled with the adapter, in a coupled mode; and

in the coupled mode, the portable data device receives at least portions of the delivery information from the stationary computer via the stationary radio, the vehicle radio and the control circuit.

14. The communication system of claim 13 wherein the control circuit further comprises a memory that stores at least portions of the delivery information received by the vehicle radio from the stationary computer via the stationary radio when the portable terminal operates in the portable mode.

15. The communication system of claim 13 wherein the vehicle radio, the adapter and the control circuit are mounted in the vehicle.

16. The communication system of claim 13 wherein the adapter provides supplemental power to the portable terminal when in the coupled mode.

17. The communication system of claim 13 wherein the vehicle comprises a power source, and the vehicle delivery system receives power from the power source.