Data collection and dissemination system

• US 6,112,206 A
• Filed: 09/23/1997
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intermec Technologies Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec Technologies Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Morris, Michael D., Zumbach, Lyle L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/935,741
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 709/218
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• 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 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A data collection and dissemination system, in which one or more portable data terminals enter or disseminate data through a wireless access point to which they are communicatively coupled. The wireless access point is also coupled to a portable server for storing and retrieving the information requested by the portable data terminals. The portable server maintains a database for the purposes of storing data from and retrieving data for the portable data terminals. The portable data terminals initiate a transaction with the portable server via communication with the wireless access point. The portable data servers formulate a request to retrieve or store data using a database query. The database query is transmitted to the wireless access point, from which the query is directed to the portable server, which then stores or transmits the requested data. The portable server is connected to other networks and is able to access data on data retrieval devices on these networks, as the data retrieval devices on these networks may also access the data on the portable server. Thus, a wide area network, such as the Internet, provides a backbone network through which the mobile units can communicate to the database server. The mobile units can access data from other mobile units, as other database servers on the networks may also access the data also.

Claims

1. A data collection and dissemination system comprising:

a plurality of portable data terminals;

a wireless access point that facilitates communication with any of the plurality of portable data terminals when the portable data terminals are within communication range of the wireless access point;

a portable server station communicatively coupled to the wireless access point that receives data from the portable data terminals, the data including data collected by the portable data terminals and data relating to the status of the portable data terminals, the data stored on the portable server station and accessible by other of the portable data terminals; and

a network communicatively coupled to the portable server station that allows access to the data provided by the portable data terminals and stored on the portable server to data devices communicatively coupled to the network.

2. The data collection and dissemination system of claim 1 wherein the network is a wide area network.

3. The data collection and dissemination system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises a plurality of interconnected networks.

4. The data collection and dissemination system of claim 1 wherein the server sends the data to the plurality of portable data terminals.

5. The data collection and dissemination system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the other data devices includes a database and stores the data on the database.

6. The data collection and dissemination system of claim 5 wherein the plurality of portable data terminals send a database query to the database to request the data.

7. The data collection and dissemination system of claim 1 wherein the server includes a database, and the server stores the data on the database.

8. The data collection and dissemination system of claim 7 wherein the plurality of portable data terminals send a database query to the database to store the data.

9. A data communication system comprising:

a plurality of portable data terminals;

a wireless access point that communicates with any of the plurality of portable data terminals when the any of the plurality of portable data terminals are within communication range of the wireless access point;

a portable data server station communicatively coupled to the wireless access point, wherein the plurality of portable data terminals receive data from the portable data station; and

a network including at least one other data server communicatively coupled to the portable data server station, wherein the plurality of portable data terminals receive the data from the portable data server station.

10. The data communications system of claim 9 wherein the network is a wide area network.

11. The data communication system of claim 9 wherein the network comprises a plurality of interconnected networks.

12. The data communication system of claim 9 wherein the portable data server receives data from the plurality of portable data terminals.

13. The data communication system of claim 12 wherein the at least one other data server accesses the data received by the portable data server from the plurality of portable data terminals.

14. The data communication system of claim 9 wherein the portable data server comprises a database, and the portable data server stores the data on the database.

15. The data communication system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of portable data terminals send a database query to the database to request the data.

16. The data communication system of claim 9 wherein the at least one other data server comprises a database and stores the data on the database.

17. The data communication system of claim 16 wherein the plurality of portable data terminals sends a database query to the database to store the data.

18. The data communication system of claim 16 wherein the plurality of portable data terminals sends a database query to the database to access the data.