Grip held and grip operable data entry device

Claim 2

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, comprising: a housing having a top and a bottom, a first side having a grasping portion and a second side extending between a front and a rear and said top and bottom; a housing extension extending outwardly from the first side of the housing and between the top and bottom and having a front located beneath the top of the housing and lying along and beyond the grasping portion of said housing whereby the hand-held device is adapted to be grasped by the operator's hand with the operator's thumb extending along said grasping portion of the first side of the housing, the operator's second finger engaging the second side, opposite the first side, such that the operator's thumb and second finger secure the hand-held device against sideways movement, whereby the operator's hand acts against the rear of the hand-held device, and the operator's thumb acts on the front of the housing extension when the device is received by the operator's right hand such that the operator's hand and thumb secure the hand-held unit against movement toward and away from the user's hand; and said front of the housing extension communicating with the first side of the housing intermediate the front and rear of said housing.

Claim 3

A portable, hand-held device for data collection as defined in claim 1, in which a portion of the grasping portion extends between the front of the housing and the front of the housing extension.

Claim 4

A portable, hand-held device for data collection as defined in claim 1, in which the housing extension includes a lower edge whereby the lower edge is adapted to extend between the base of the user's thumb and the base of the user's second finger with the user's hand intermediate when the portable, hand-held device is grasped by the operator's hand.

Claim 5

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as set forth in claim 1, in which said grasping portion of said housing includes a linear portion extending between the front of the housing and the front of the housing extension, and a tapered segment inclined toward the top and adapted to be engaged by the operator's thumb, which tapered segment communicates with said linear portion.

Claim 6

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as set forth in claim 4, in which the second side includes a contoured portion and a planar segment; in which a first ridge extends between the contoured portion and a first end of the planar segment; and in which the first ridge is adapted to engage the operator's second finger.

Claim 7

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as set forth in claim 5, further comprising pushbutton means for operating the device; and in which the pushbutton means is carried by the second side.

Claim 8

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as set forth in claim 6, in which the planar segment includes a second end, and further including a second ridge extending between said second end and said contoured portion; and in which the second ridge is adapted to be engaged by an operator's second finger when the device is held upside-down.

Claim 9

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as set forth in claim 3, further comprising at least one item identification means attached to the housing for automatic identification of an item.

Claim 10

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as set forth in claim 8, in which said scanner for automatic identification is a barcode scanner.

Claim 11

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as set forth in claim 8, in which the scanner for automatic identification is a radio frequency identification scanner.

Claim 12

A portable, hand-held device as defined in claim 3, further comprising a radio frequency identification scanner and a barcode scanner, both attached to the housing.

Claim 13

A portable, hand-held device as defined in claim 11, in which the barcode scanner is carried by the housing adjacent the top; and in which the radio frequency identification scanner extends outwardly from the second side of the housing.

Claim 14

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as set forth in claim 3, in which a keyboard is carried by the housing and visible to the operator from said front of said housing for inputting data; and in which the housing extension carries a display visible to the operator from the front of said housing extension.

Claim 15

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as defined in claim 3, in which the housing extension includes a PCMCIA slot.

Claim 16

A portable, hand-held device for data collection as defined in claim 8 in which the item identification means for automatic identification is a scanner mounted to one of the housing top or the housing bottom.

Claim 17

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, comprising: a housing having a first side, a second side and a front; said first side including grasping portion adapted to receive the operator's thumb; a housing extension having a front lying along and beyond the grasping portion of the housing whereby the operator's thumb lies adjacent the grasping portion of the housing, and said front of the housing extension when the device is received by the operator's right hand; said second side of the housing having a formed portion complementary shaped to accommodate a portion of the operator's fingers whereby the housing is grasped by the operator's right hand when said first side is oriented right as the operator views the front of the housing and housing extension, and said housing is grasped by the operator's left hand when the first side is oriented left as the operator views the front of the housing and housing extension; and a pair of pushbuttons for operating the device whereby one pushbutton is utilized to operate the device when carried by the operator's right hand and the other pushbutton is utilized to operate the device when carried by the operator's left hand.

Claim 18

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, comprising: a housing having a first side, a second side and a front; said first side including grasping portion adapted to receive the operator's thumb; a housing extension having a front lying along and beyond the grasping portion of the housing whereby the operator's thumb lies adjacent the grasping portion of the housing, and said front of the housing extension when the device is received by the operator's right hand; said second side of the housing having a formed portion complementary shaped to accommodate a portion of the operator's fingers whereby the housing is grasped by the operator's right hand when said first side is oriented right as the operator views the front of the housing and housing extension, and said housing is grasped by the operator's left hand when the first side is oriented left as the operator views the front of the housing and housing extension; and a pair of pushbuttons for operating the device whereby one pushbutton is utilized to operate the device when carried by the operator's right hand and the other pushbutton is utilized to operate the device when carried by the operator's left hand.

Claim 19

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, comprising: a housing having a first side, a second side, a front, a top and a bottom; said first side including a grasping portion adapted to receive the operator's thumb; a housing extension extending outwardly from the first side of the housing and between the top and the bottom and having a front located beneath the top of the first housing and lying along and beyond the grasping portion of said housing whereby the operator's thumb lies adjacent said front of said housing extension when extending along said grasping portion of the housing and lying along and beyond the grasping portion of the housing whereby the operator's thumb lies adjacent the grasping portion of the housing, and a front of the housing extension when the device is received by the operator's right hand which communicates with the first side of the housing intermediate the front and rear of said housing; said second side of the housing having a formed portion complementary shaped to accommodate a portion of the operator's fingers whereby the housing is grasped by the operator's right hand when said first side is oriented right as the operator views the front of the housing and housing extension, and said housing is grasped by, he operator's left hand when the first side is oriented left as the operator views the front of the housing and housing extension.

Claim 20

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, comprising: a housing having a first side, a second side, a front, a top and a bottom; said first side including a grasping portion adapted to receive the operator's thumb; a housing extension extending outwardly from the first side of the housing and between the top and the bottom and having a front located beneath the top of the first housing and lying along and beyond the grasping portion of said housing whereby the operator's thumb lies adjacent said front of said housing extension when extending along said grasping portion of the housing and lying along and beyond the grasping portion of the housing whereby the operator's thumb lies adjacent the grasping portion of the housing, and a front of the housing extension when the device is received by the operator's right hand which communicates with the first side of the housing intermediate the front and rear of said housing; said second side of the housing having a formed portion complementary shaped to accommodate a portion of the operator's fingers whereby the housing is grasped by the operator's right hand when said first side is oriented right as the operator views the front of the housing and housing extension, and said housing is grasped by, he operator's left hand when the first side is oriented left as the operator views the front of the housing and housing extension.

Claim 21

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as set forth in claim 17, further comprising pushbutton means for operating the device; and in which the pushbutton means is carried by the second side.

Claim 22

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as set forth in claim 18, further comprising item identification means attached to the housing for automatic identification of an item.

Claim 23

A portable, hand-held device for data collection by an operator, as set forth in claim 19, further comprising key means carried by said housing and visible to the operator from said front of said housing for inputting data; and in which the housing extension carries a display visible to the operator from the front of said housing extension.