Modular portable data processing terminal having a higher layer and lower layer partitioned communication protocol stack for use in a radio frequency communications network

• US 6,014,705 A
• Filed: 10/21/1997
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Mahany, Ronald L., West, Guy J., Kinney, Patrick W., Miller, Phillip, Koenck, Steven E.
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng-Ai T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ciccozzi, John
• Application Number:
  US08/955,345
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472.02, 235/472.01, 235/462.46, 235/462.47, 455/11.1, 455/90, 370/469, 370/329, 370/337, 361/680, 361/686, 361/681, 361/731, 379/454, 379/93.19, 709/230, 709/200, 709/232, 709/300, 712/28, 712/29, 712/30
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• 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 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• 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 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• 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 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• 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 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9073 Early interruption upon arrival of a fraction of a packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 : Multichannel or multilink protocols
• 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: 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 transitive 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 terminal utilizing a communication protocol stack having higher and lower layers specified by industry standards, the portable terminal comprising:

a base module comprising a base processor and a base memory, the base memory storing the higher layers of the communication protocol stack for use by the base processor;

a selected one of a plurality of communication modules, each communication module comprising a module processor, a module memory, and at least one of a plurality of wireless transceivers, each of the plurality of wireless transceivers being communicatively incompatible with the other of the plurality of wireless transceivers;

the module memory storing the lower layers of the communication protocol stack for use by the module processor in communicating with both the base module and the at least one of the plurality of wireless transceivers;

the base module receiving the selected one of the plurality of communication modules in an assembled position which communicatively couples the base processor and module processor; and

wherein the module processor, using the lower layers of the communication protocol stack, enables the base processor, using the higher layers of the communication protocol stack, to communicate with the at least one of the plurality of wireless transceivers regardless of which of the plurality of communication modules is selected.

2. The portable terminal of claim 1 further comprising:

a base connector, disposed on the base module, that is communicatively coupled to the base processor; and

a module connector, disposed on each of the plurality of communication modules, that matingly engages the base connector upon receipt of any of the plurality of communication modules into the base module in the assemble position.

3. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein the higher layers of the communication protocol stack comprise power saving functionality.

4. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein the lower layers of the communication protocol stack comprise power saving functionality.

5. The portable terminal of claim 4 wherein the power saving functionality comprises support for sleeping terminals.

6. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein the lower layers of the communication protocol stack comprises support for roaming.

7. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein the lower layers of the communication protocol stack support reliable transmission.

8. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein the lower layers of the communication protocol stack includes a data link layer.

9. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein the lower layers of the communication protocol stack includes at least a portion of a network layer.

10. A portable terminal utilizing a communication protocol stack having a highest layer, at least one middle layer and a lowest layer specified by industry standards, the portable terminal comprising:

a base module comprising a base processor and a base memory, the base memory storing a first set of instructions comprising at least the highest layer of the communication protocol stack;

a selected one of a plurality of communication modules, each communication module comprising a module processor, a module memory, and at least one of a plurality of wireless transceivers;

each of the plurality of wireless transceivers having a second set of instructions comprising at least the lowest layer of the communication protocol stack, the second set of instructions from each of the plurality of wireless transceivers being different from the second set of instructions of the other of the plurality of wireless transceivers;

the module memory storing the second set of instructions corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of wireless transceivers of the selected one of the plurality of communication modules;

the module processor using the second set of instructions in communicating with both the at least one of the plurality of wireless transceivers and the base module; and

the base processor using the first set of instructions in communicating with the module processor.

11. The portable terminal of claim 10 wherein the base module receives the selected one of the plurality of communication modules in an assembled position to communicatively couple the base processor and module processor.

12. The portable terminal of claim 11 further comprising:

a base connector, disposed on the base module, that is communicatively coupled to the base processor; and

a module connector, disposed on each of the plurality of communication modules, that matingly engages the base connector upon receipt of any of the plurality of communication modules into the base module in the assemble position.

13. The portable terminal of claim 10 wherein the second set of instructions comprises at least a portion of the at least one middle layer of the communication protocol stack.

14. The portable terminal of claim 13 wherein the at least the portion of the at least one middle layer of the communication protocol stack of the second set of instructions comprises power saving functionality.

15. The portable terminal of claim 14 wherein the power saving functionality comprises support for sleeping terminals.

16. The portable terminal of claim 13 wherein the at least the portion of the at least one middle layer of the communication protocol stack of the second set of instructions comprises support for roaming.

17. The portable terminal of claim 13 wherein the at least the portion of the at least one middle layer of the communication protocol stack of the second set of instructions comprises support reliable transmission.

18. The portable terminal of claim 13 wherein the at least the portion of the at least one middle layer of the communication protocol stack of the second set of instructions includes a data link layer.

19. The portable terminal of claim 13 wherein the at least the portion of the at least one middle layer of the communication protocol stack of the second set of instructions includes at least a portion of a network layer.