Universal data input and processing device, such as universal point-of-sale device for inputting and processing bar code symbols, document images, and other data

• US 6,199,044 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1998
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Maltsev, Pavel A., Ackley, H. Sprague, Ohanian, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Knepper, David D.
• Application Number:
  US09/085,532
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 704/200, 704/251, 704/270, 704/275, 382/116, 345/469, 234/472.02, 234/380
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A universal data input device includes a processor coupled to memory and a two-dimensional or area imager. One or more additional data input modules input wireless (e.g., RF), audio (e.g., voice), card or other data. Software performed by the processor receives the input data, and in one embodiment, receives voice commands. A task manager instructs an application layer to execute appropriate applications based on the voice command, and routes data to the appropriate applications.

Claims

1. A data input apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a two-dimensional image capture system coupled to the processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor, two-dimensional image capture system and memory are configured to capture a series of two-dimensional images produced from documents or products, and wherein the memory stores an image of a document having at least first and second image portions of machine-readable data within the stored image of the document, wherein the first image portion is an image of a machine-readable symbol on the document;

an audio input unit coupled to the processor, wherein the audio input unit receives and provides to the processor voice commands, including a speech command representing an identification of the document provided to the processor; and

wherein the memory stores an integrated set of instructions for the computer for (a) accessing the first and second image portions, (b) decoding the first image portion of the machine-readable symbol under control of a first module, (c) processing the received speech command representing the identification of the document, and (d) analyzing the second image portion based on the received speech command under control of a second module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an RF tag reader coupled to the processor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a card reader, coupled to the processor, that reads magnetic stripe cards or cards having embedded integrated circuit memory devices.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an individual authentication device, coupled to the processor, that verifies a personal characteristic of a user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a keyboard and a display device coupled to the processor, wherein the keyboard receives user input and the display device outputs data.

6. A method of processing data comprising:

providing a stored image of an object having at least first and second image portions of machine-readable data, wherein the first image portion is an image of a machine-readable symbol on the object;

decoding the first image portion of the machine-readable symbol;

receiving a speech command representative of at least an aspect of the object; and

analyzing a portion of the stored image for the second image portion of machine-readable data based on the received speech command.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the object is a document having a graphic, wherein the speech command identifies the document and wherein the analyzing includes analyzing a predetermined portion of the stored image for an image of the graphic.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the object is a lottery ticket, wherein the speech command identifies the lottery ticket, and wherein the analyzing includes analyzing a predetermined portion of the stored image for an image of a portion of the lottery ticket.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the object is a bank check, wherein the speech command identifies the bank check, and wherein the analyzing includes analyzing a predetermined portion of the stored image for an image of a portion of the bank check.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the object is a personal identification document, wherein the speech command identifies the personal identification document, and wherein the analyzing includes analyzing a predetermined portion of the stored image for an image of a portion of the personal identification document.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

at least one data input module coupled to the processor that receives image, audio or wireless data from an object having one of a plurality of types;

memory coupled to the processor that stores the received data;

an integrated software system stored in the memory and having instructions performed by the processor, wherein the software system includes,

a data input subsystem that receives the received data, wherein the received data includes a speech command representing a type of the object,

an application layer that executes one of a plurality of applications, and

a task layer that (a) commands the application layer to execute the one application based on the type of the object and based on the received speech command, and (b) forwards at least a portion of a remainder of the received data to the application layer for analysis by the one application.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a hardware layer in the software system that controls the data input module.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the object is a document, wherein the apparatus includes an audio input module and an image input module, wherein the audio input module receives the speech command indicating the type of the document, while the image input module receives image data from the object, and wherein the task layer commands the application layer to execute the one application based on the speech command.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the data input subsystem includes at least two of an optical discriminator subsystem, an audio interpretation subsystem and a radio frequency transceiver subsystem.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a hand-held housing enclosing the processor, memory, data input module and software system.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the data input module is removably coupled to the processor.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an RF tag reader coupled to the processor.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a card reader coupled to the processor that reads data held by cards.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a human verification device coupled to the processor that verifies a personal characteristic of a user.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a keyboard and a display device coupled to the processor, wherein the keyboard receives user input and the display device outputs data; and

a housing that at least partially encloses the processor, data input module, memory, keyboard and display device.

21. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the data input module is manually removable from the apparatus.

22. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a laser scanner coupled to the processor.

23. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a two-dimensional area imager coupled to the processor.

24. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a global positioning system.

25. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the image data is an image of a lottery ticket.

26. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the image data is an image of a bank check.

27. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the image data is an image of a personal identification document.

28. A computer readable medium having stored therein a method for operating a computer, wherein the method includes:

receiving a stored image of an object under a first module, wherein at least a portion of the image includes machine-readable data;

receiving a speech command under a second module, wherein the received speech command is representative of at least an aspect of the object; and

selectively analyzing the portion of the stored image for the machine-readable data based on the received speech command representative of at least the aspect of the object.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the object is a document having a graphic, wherein the speech command identifies the document and wherein the analyzing includes analyzing a predetermined portion of the stored image for an image of the graphic.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

at least one data input module receiving image data from documents, wherein the data input module is coupled to the processor;

a speech input module coupled to the processor and that receives speech commands representing the documents; and

a memory coupled to the processor that stores integrated instructions causing the processor to receive the image data and convert at least an identified portion of the image data into numeric values based on the received speech commands representing the documents, wherein the image data includes bar code symbols and human generated marks on the documents, and wherein the speech commands represent first and second predetermined types of documents comprising the bar code symbols and human generated marks, respectively.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the data input module receives image data from a lottery ticket.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the data input module receives image data from a bank check.

33. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the data input module receives image data from a personal identification document.