Self-service checkout system utilizing portable communications terminal

• US 6,243,447 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Goldman, Ron, Stern, Miklos, Roslak, Thomas, Swartz, Jerome, Barkume, Anthony R., White, Jay P., Serbin, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/240,399
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.12, 379/100.02, 379/110.01, 379/357, 379/387, 379/419, 379/428, 379/433, 379/441, 379/457, 235/375, 235/383, 235/472, 235/467, 455/414, 455/403, 455/412, 455/556, 455/557, 455/558
• US Class Current: 379/93.12
• 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 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724

Abstract

A system for transferring data between a centrally located site and a portable communications terminal via a telephone network, the site having associated therewith a look up table containing plurality of data records correlating to items disposed at a retail establishment, wherein each of the items has associated therewith a bar code encoded with the indicia unique to each item, with each of the bar coded indicia corresponding to a particular record in the table, the data containing at least a portion of said record.

Claims

1. A hand-held terminal for providing voice communication and data gathering and communications functions, comprising:

a controller, including a program for controlling the function and data processing of said terminal;

a radio transceiver coupled to the controller and an antenna for transmitting data to and receiving data from a remote station;

a scanning module for optically detecting bar codes and for providing data representative of said bar codes to said controller;

a telephone module subsystem coupled to said controller and including a microphone and a speaker, for receiving voice signals from said microphone and converting said voice signals to voice data signals and providing said voice data signals to said controller and for receiving voice data signals from said controller and converting said received voice data signals to audio signals and providing said audio signals to said speaker;

a display coupled to said controller for displaying data to a user; and

controls for activation by the user to control operation of said terminal, said controls providing operation in a first telephone mode wherein voice signals are received by said telephone module, converted to voice data signals and provided to said controller, wherein said controller operates said radio transceiver to transmit said voice data signals to said remote station and to receive voice data signals from said remote station, and said controller provides said received voice data signals to said telephone module for conversion to audio signals; and

in at least one data acquisition mode wherein said controller operates said scanning module for reading bar codes and for providing bar code data to said controller, and wherein said controller provides said bar code data to said transceiver for transmission to said remote station and wherein said transceiver receives data from said remote station and wherein said controller provides received data to said display.

2. A hand-held terminal as specified in claim 1 wherein said controls provide operation of said terminal in a third mode wherein said controller operates said scanning module to read bar codes and provide bar code data to said controller, and wherein said controller stores said bar code data as a list.

4. The improvement specified in claim 2 wherein said user interface is arranged on a top surface of said electronics unit and wherein said alternate scanner and battery unit is arranged to mechanically connect to a bottom surface of said electronics unit opposite said top surface, whereby operation of said bar code scanner does not interfere with said user interface.

3. In a wireless telephone set having an electronics unit with a user interface arranged to mechanically and electrically connect to a removable, rechargeable battery unit for supplying power to said electronics unit, the improvement wherein there is provided an alternate scanner and battery unit, arranged to mechanically and electrically connect to said electronics unit and including a battery and a bar code scanner, wherein said electronics unit and said alternate scanner and battery unit are provided with electronic interfaces for providing data communication between said alternate scanner and battery unit and said electronics unit.

5. The improvement specified in claim 3 wherein said electronics unit is elongated and wherein said bar code scanner is arranged in the attached position of said alternate scanner and battery unit near one elongate end of said electronics unit.