Hand-held data capture system with interchangable modules

Patent 5410141 Issued on April 25, 1995. Estimated Expiration Date:

April 25, 2012. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

D229234

D230859

D295411

D303112

3665164

3826900

Hand operated optical character recognition wand
Patent #: 3947817
Issued on: 03/30/1976
Inventor: Requa, deceased , et al.

Horizontal scan vertical simulation character reading
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Patent #: 4005400
Issued on: 01/25/1977
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Inventors

Assignee

Norand

Application

No. 777393 filed on 01/07/1992

US Classes:

235/472.02, Wireless link (e.g., RF, IR, etc.)235/462.47, Interchangeable scanning head or detachable handle361/683, Computer related support361/729, Plural361/731, Interchangeable361/814, Radio type455/90.2, Having particular configuration (e.g., C.B., or walkie-talkie) of a transceiver455/348, With retractable or readily detachable chassis708/140Modular or overlay nonkeyboard-type information entry

Examiners

Primary: Popek, Joseph A.
Assistant: Glembocki, Christopher R.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

McAndrews, Held, Gable; R. Lew

Foreign Patent References

0194115 EP. 09/12/1986
0262943 EP. 04/12/1988
2389938 FR. 01/12/1979
58-176792 JP. 10/12/1983
58-211261 JP. 12/12/1983
2-144681 JP. 06/12/1990
1572962 GB. 08/12/1980
2201125 GB. 08/12/1988
8700659 WO. 01/12/1987
8707106 WO. 11/12/1987

International Class

G06K 007/10

Abstract

The disclosure relates to battery powered hand-held data entry terminals wherein a peripheral module may contain an automatically operating full image reader and a wireless communication unit. The reader reads at least one full line of indicia and may comprise a laser bar code scanner or a flash type image reader. Preferably the reader has uniform resolution in orthogonal directions in the field of view so that an area image can be read at any arbitrary angular orientation and re-oriented as a stored digital image to a normalized orientation before decoding. The user interface may lie in a first longitudinally extended layer and the peripheral module may lie in a second longitudinally extended adjoining layer. In normal reading disposition of the automatic reader, the user interface may be close to its normal orientation for user interaction therewith to provide for smooth transitions between reading and user interaction operations. A hand grip portion preferably underlies the user interface for comfortable support thereof during manual actuations. The peripheral module and hand grip portion may be used entirely separately from the user interface and may have a wireless link with the user interface. The user interface may comprise a digitizer/display with resolution for accurately digitizing and displaying a person's signature. Signatures may also be digitized via an optical full image reader for immediate verification.