Portable code symbol reading device with one-way wireless data packet transmission link to base unit employing condition-dependent acoustical signalling for data packet reception acknowledgement

Claim 1

A system for reading code symbols on objects, comprising: (A) a code symbol reading device, including (1) reading means for reading code symbols on one or more objects, and for automatically producing, for each said code symbol read, symbol character data representative of said read code symbol, (2) data packet group synthesizing means for automatically synthesizing, in response to each code symbol read by said reading means, a stream of digital data bits representative of a group of data packets, wherein each said data packet in said group has a plurality of data fields containing (i) said symbol character data produced by said reading means, and (ii) packet group identifying data for uniquely identifying the group of data packets to which said data packet belongs, (3) carrier signal generating means for generating a carrier signal of electromagnetic nature having a modulatable parameter, (4) signal modulation means for modulating said modulatable parameter of said carrier signal in accordance with each said digital data stream produced by said data packet group synthesizing means, and (5) carrier signal transmission means for transmitting said modulated carrier signal over a predetermined data transmission range in free space; and (B) a base unit positionable within the predetermined data transmission range of said code symbol reading device, and including (1) carrier signal receiving means for receiving said modulated carrier signal transmitted from said code symbol reading device, (2) signal demodulating means for demodulating said received modulated carrier signal, (3) data packet recovery means for recovering from said demodulated carrier signal, at least one data packet from said groups of data packets produced by said data packet group synthesizing means, (4) data packet analyzing means for analyzing the packet group identifying data contained in each recovered data packet so as to determine that the recovered data packet (a) belongs to a transmitted data packet group and (b) contains symbol character data which has not been (b)(1) extracted from a data packet in said transmitted data packet group and (b)(2) buffered for subsequent transmission to a host system, (5) data extracting means for extracting, symbol character data contained in a recovered data packet analyzed by said data packet analyzing means, (6) acknowledgment signal producing means for producing, when enabled, an acknowledgment signal perceptible by the user of said code symbol reading device when said user is situated within said predetermined data transmission range, and informing said user that the symbol character data produced by said code reading device has been successfully received and extracted, (7) data buffering means for buffering, when enabled, said extracted symbol character data for subsequent transmission to said host system, and (8) enabling means for automatically enabling said acknowledgment signal producing means to produce said perceptible acknowledgment signal and said data buffering means to buffer said extracted symbol character data only when said data packet analyzing means has determined that said recovered data packet being analyzed (i) belongs to a transmitted data packet group, and (ii) contains symbol character data representative of a code symbol read by said reading means which has not been (a) extracted from a data packet in said transmitted data packet group and (b) buffered in said data buffering means for subsequent transmission to said host system, whereby said perceptible acknowledgment signal informs the user of said code symbol reading device that the symbol character data produced thereby has been successfully received and extracted at said base unit.

Claim 2

A system for reading code symbols on objects, comprising: (A) a code symbol reading device, including (1) reading means for reading code symbols on one or more objects, and for automatically producing, for each said code symbol read, symbol character data representative of said read code symbol, (2) data packet group synthesizing means for automatically synthesizing, in response to each code symbol read by said reading means, a stream of digital data bits representative of a group of data packets, wherein each said data packet in said group has a plurality of data fields containing (i) said symbol character data produced by said reading means, and (ii) packet group identifying data for uniquely identifying the group of data packets to which said data packet belongs, (3) carrier signal generating means for generating a carrier signal of electromagnetic nature having a modulatable parameter, (4) signal modulation means for modulating said modulatable parameter of said carrier signal in accordance with each said digital data stream produced by said data packet group synthesizing means, and (5) carrier signal transmission means for transmitting said modulated carrier signal over a predetermined data transmission range in free space; and (B) a base unit positionable within the predetermined data transmission range of said code symbol reading device, and including (1) carrier signal receiving means for receiving said modulated carrier signal transmitted from said code symbol reading device, (2) signal demodulating means for demodulating said received modulated carrier signal, (3) data packet recovery means for recovering from said demodulated carrier signal, at least one data packet from said groups of data packets produced by said data packet group synthesizing means, (4) data packet analyzing means for analyzing the packet group identifying data contained in each recovered data packet so as to determine that the recovered data packet (a) belongs to a transmitted data packet group and (b) contains symbol character data which has not been (b)(1) extracted from a data packet in said transmitted data packet group and (b)(2) buffered for subsequent transmission to a host system, (5) data extracting means for extracting, symbol character data contained in a recovered data packet analyzed by said data packet analyzing means, (6) acknowledgment signal producing means for producing, when enabled, an acknowledgment signal perceptible by the user of said code symbol reading device when said user is situated within said predetermined data transmission range, and informing said user that the symbol character data produced by said code reading device has been successfully received and extracted, (7) data buffering means for buffering, when enabled, said extracted symbol character data for subsequent transmission to said host system, and (8) enabling means for automatically enabling said acknowledgment signal producing means to produce said perceptible acknowledgment signal and said data buffering means to buffer said extracted symbol character data only when said data packet analyzing means has determined that said recovered data packet being analyzed (i) belongs to a transmitted data packet group, and (ii) contains symbol character data representative of a code symbol read by said reading means which has not been (a) extracted from a data packet in said transmitted data packet group and (b) buffered in said data buffering means for subsequent transmission to said host system, whereby said perceptible acknowledgment signal informs the user of said code symbol reading device that the symbol character data produced thereby has been successfully received and extracted at said base unit.

Claim 13

A method of reading code symbols on objects, comprising the steps of: (a) using a portable code symbol reading device to read code symbols on one or more objects, and for each said code symbol read, automatically producing therein symbol character data representative of said read code symbol; (b) in response to each code symbol read by said portable code symbol reading device, automatically synthesizing a stream of digital data bits representative of a group of data packets, wherein each said data packet in said group having a plurality of data fields contains (i) said symbol character data representative of said read code symbol, and (ii) packet group identifying data for uniquely identifying the group of data packets to which said data packet belongs; (c) at said portable code symbol reading device,. generating a carrier signal of electromagnetic nature having a modulatable parameter; (d) at said portable code symbol reading device, modulating said modulatable parameter of said carrier signal in accordance with each said digital data stream synthesized during step (b); (e) from said portable code symbol reading device, transmitting said modulated carrier signal over a predetermined data transmission range in free space; (f) at a base unit positionable within the predetermined data transmission range of said code symbol reading device, receiving said modulated carrier signal transmitted from said code symbol reading device; (g) at said base unit, demodulating said received modulated carrier signal; (h) at said base unit, recovering from said demodulated carrier signal, at least one data packet from said groups of data packets produced by said data packet group synthesizing means; (i) at said base unit, analyzing the packet group identifying data contained in each recovered data packet, and only when the recovered data packet being analyzed is determined to (a) belong to a transmitted data packet group and (b) contain symbol character data which has not been (b)(1) extracted from a data packet in said transmitted data packet group and (B)(2) buffered for subsequent transmission to a host system, (1) extracting symbol character data contained in the recovered data packet, (2) buffering symbol character data extracted during step (i)(1), and (2) producing an acknowledgment signal perceptible to the user of said portable code symbol reading device only when said recovered data packet being analyzed (a) belongs to a transmitted data packet group, and (b) contains symbol character data which has not been (b)(1) extracted from a data packet in said transmitted data packet group and (b) (2) buffered for subsequent transmission to said host system, whereby said user is informed that the symbol character data produced thereby has been successfully received and extracted at said base unit.

Claim 14

A method of reading code symbols on objects, comprising the steps of: (a) using a portable code symbol reading device to read code symbols on one or more objects, and for each said code symbol read, automatically producing therein symbol character data representative of said read code symbol; (b) in response to each code symbol read by said portable code symbol reading device, automatically synthesizing a stream of digital data bits representative of a group of data packets, wherein each said data packet in said group having a plurality of data fields contains (i) said symbol character data representative of said read code symbol, and (ii) packet group identifying data for uniquely identifying the group of data packets to which said data packet belongs; (c) at said portable code symbol reading device,. generating a carrier signal of electromagnetic nature having a modulatable parameter; (d) at said portable code symbol reading device, modulating said modulatable parameter of said carrier signal in accordance with each said digital data stream synthesized during step (b); (e) from said portable code symbol reading device, transmitting said modulated carrier signal over a predetermined data transmission range in free space; (f) at a base unit positionable within the predetermined data transmission range of said code symbol reading device, receiving said modulated carrier signal transmitted from said code symbol reading device; (g) at said base unit, demodulating said received modulated carrier signal; (h) at said base unit, recovering from said demodulated carrier signal, at least one data packet from said groups of data packets produced by said data packet group synthesizing means; (i) at said base unit, analyzing the packet group identifying data contained in each recovered data packet, and only when the recovered data packet being analyzed is determined to (a) belong to a transmitted data packet group and (b) contain symbol character data which has not been (b)(1) extracted from a data packet in said transmitted data packet group and (B)(2) buffered for subsequent transmission to a host system, (1) extracting symbol character data contained in the recovered data packet, (2) buffering symbol character data extracted during step (i)(1), and (2) producing an acknowledgment signal perceptible to the user of said portable code symbol reading device only when said recovered data packet being analyzed (a) belongs to a transmitted data packet group, and (b) contains symbol character data which has not been (b)(1) extracted from a data packet in said transmitted data packet group and (b) (2) buffered for subsequent transmission to said host system, whereby said user is informed that the symbol character data produced thereby has been successfully received and extracted at said base unit.