Hand-held data capture system with interchangeable modules

• US 5,898,162 A
• Filed: 06/05/1995
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• 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): Hajec, Donald T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Thien Minh
• Application Number:
  US08/463,334
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 235/463, 235/462, 235/472, 235/454, 250/227.15
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• 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 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 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 hand-held data collection terminal unit includes an elongate housing having a lower portion supportable in the hand of a user and an upper portion facing such user when the terminal is in a typical use position. The upper portion includes a keyboard and a display screen. In accordance with the invention, the hand-held terminal comprises a plurality of modules in which a base modules extend longitudinally and includes inner and outer end caps of the terminal. The inner end cap is disposed on the end of the terminal which is typically points toward a user when the terminal is in use, the out end cap being disposed on opposite end of the terminal. A keyboard module is defined as an intermediate module disposed adjacent the base module and between the end caps. A display screen module is further disposed adjacent the intermediate module and adjacent the outer end cap of the base module.

Claims

1. A portable data capture system, comprising:

(a) a hand-held terminal having a user interface located on a first surface of the data capture system;

(b) an optical indicia reader module for reading externally located optical indicia;

(c) means for electrically and physically connecting said hand-held terminal to said optical indicia reader module so as to form a combined unit suitable for portable hand-held reading of externally located optical indicia; and

(d) a first manually actuatable selector to actuate operation of the optical indicia reader module, said first manually actuatable selector connected to and located on the hand-held terminal where a finger of an operator would rest while holding the portable data capture system, said first manually actuatable selector being located to be readily actuated by an operator during operation of the portable data capture system and said first manually actuatable selector being located on a second surface of the portable data capture system, said second surface being distinct from said first surface.

2. A portable data capture system according to claim 1, wherein said first manually actuatable selector is located on said hand-held terminal.

3. A portable data capture system according to claim 1, wherein said optical indicia reader module further comprises a handle designed to provide a convenient handgrip for holding the portable data capture system during operation.

4. A portable data capture system according to claim 3, wherein said first manually actuatable selector is located on said handle of said optical indicia reader module.

5. A portable data capture system according to claim 3, wherein said handle can be readily attached to and detached from said optical indicia reader module.

6. A portable data capture system according to claim 5, wherein said handle contains a battery compartment and electrical connections for providing operating power to said hand-held terminal.

7. A portable data capture system according to claim 1, wherein said first manually actuatable selector is located on said hand-held terminal, and wherein said second surface is located on said hand-held terminal and is adjacent to said first surface containing the user interface.

8. A portable data capture system according to claim 1, further comprising a second manually actuatable selector capable of actuating operation of the optical indicia reader module.

9. A portable data capture system according to claim 8, wherein said second manually actuatable selector is located on a third surface of said hand-held terminal, said third surface being located adjacent said first surface containing the user interface.

10. A portable data capture system according to claim 9 wherein said first manually actuatable selector is located on said hand-held terminal, wherein said second surface is located on said hand-held terminal and is adjacent said first surface containing the user interface, and wherein said third surface is positioned opposite said second surface.

11. A portable data capture system according to claim 10 wherein said second surface and said third surface are substantially parallel to each other.

12. A portable data capture system according to claim 8 wherein said first manually actuatable selector and said second manually actuatable selector are positioned so that said hand-held terminal can be held in either a right hand or a left hand and said optical indicia reader module can be conveniently activated regardless of which hand is holding said hand-held terminal.

13. A portable data capture system, comprising:

(a) a hand-held terminal having a user interface on a first surface of the data capture system;

(b) an optical indicia reader module for reading externally located optical indicia;

(c) a connector to electrically and physically connect said hand-held terminal to said optical indicia reader module so as to form a combined unit suitable for portable hand-held reading of externally located optical indicia; and

(d) a first manually actuatable selector to actuate operation of the optical indicia reader module, said first manually actuatable selector being located on the hand-held terminal where a finger of an operator would rest while holding the portable data capture system, said first manually actuatable selector being not mechanically connected to said optical indicia reader module, and said first manually actuatable selector being located on a second surface of the portable data capture system, said second surface being distinct from said first surface.

14. A portable data capture system according to claim 13, wherein said first manually actuatable selector is located on said hand-held terminal.

15. A portable data capture system according to claim 13, wherein said optical indicia reader module further comprises a handle designed to provide a convenient handgrip for holding the portable data capture system during operation.

16. A portable data capture system according to claim 15, wherein said first manually actuatable selector is located on said handle of said optical indicia reader module.

17. A portable data capture system according to claim 15, wherein said handle can be readily attached to and detached from said optical indicia reader module.

18. A portable data capture system according to claim 17, wherein said handle contains a battery compartment and electrical connections for providing operating power to said hand-held terminal.

19. A portable data capture system according to claim 13, wherein said second surface is located adjacent to said first surface containing the user interface.

20. A portable data capture system according to claim 13, further comprising a second manually actuatable selector capable of actuating operation of the optical indicia reader module.

21. A portable data capture system according to claim 20, wherein said second manually actuatable selector is located on a third surface of the portable data capture system, said third surface being located adjacent said first surface containing the user interface.

22. A portable data capture system according to claim 21 wherein said first manually actuatable selector is located on a second surface of the portable data capture system, said second surface being located adjacent to said first surface containing the user interface, and wherein said second surface is positioned opposite said third surface.

23. A portable data capture system according to claim 22 wherein said second surface and said third surface are substantially parallel to each other.

24. A portable data capture system according to claim 20 wherein said first manually actuatable selector and said second manually actuatable selector are positioned so that said hand-held terminal can be held in either a right hand or a left hand and said optical indicia reader module can be conveniently activated regardless of which hand is holding said hand-held terminal.