Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Remote data accessing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-10
2004-01-06
Wiley, David (Department: 2143)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Remote data accessing
C705S028000, C235S462450
Reexamination Certificate
active
06675203
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer data base processing. More specifically, the present invention relates to data formatting, data base updating, synchronization and reconciliation between a host or server computer and mobile data collection terminals.
2. The Background Art
Computer client/server systems have been designed which utilize a host computer and one or more mobile terminals. The host computer may be a mainframe computer, while the mobile terminals are usually hand held, less powerful portable computers. By using less powerful mobile terminals, it is possible to reduce the size and cost of each terminal. This can be accomplished by having systems which require the terminals to emulate more sophisticated desktop terminals and perform only specific tasks or processes required by the host computer.
One application such terminals are particularly suited for is data collection. Bar code symbols or other forms of data may be entered at a mobile terminal and then transferred to a host computer for processing or manipulation. There are many types of tasks that may be performed by mobile terminals, and data collection is only one example.
Additionally, data collection and other uses for mobile terminals may not necessarily be stationary tasks. Many times, the user inputting the data must move around in order to properly collect the data. For example, if a user wanted to perform inventory tasks, they may walk around a warehouse full of boxes to count and visually inspect each box. Then they would have to return to a fixed mobile terminal to input the data. It would be much more efficient if the user could bring the mobile terminal with him as he performed the inventory tasks and enter each piece of data as he receives it.
The advent of wireless technology and the miniaturization of the computer has allowed for palmtop or other small computers, running on a wireless network, to be used in data collection and other tasks. An example of such a device is disclosed in Herrod et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,516, hereby expressly incorporated by reference. The user may carry the mobile terminal around with him and input data as necessary.
A mobile computer network is depicted in FIG.
1
. Host computer
10
may be connected to one or more mobile computer terminals
12
,
14
through a wireless communications network. Communication may be accomplished using RF signals with the host computer connected in a local network along with stationary base stations (or “access points”)
16
. The mobile computer terminals
12
,
14
each have their own transmitter/receiver
18
,
20
, respectively, which communicate to and from the access points. The access points may be placed at various points around an area in which the mobile computer terminals can communicate with the host computer. For example, access points may be placed at various places around a warehouse if the mobile computer terminals are to be used for inventory tasks. When a mobile computer terminal
12
is in the range of one of the access points, connection and association may be established between the transmitter/receiver
18
of the mobile computer terminal
12
and the access point
16
. However, if a mobile computer terminal
14
is out of range of one of the access point
16
, connection and association between the transmitter/receiver
20
of the mobile computer and an access point
16
is not established. Examples of similar communications systems are disclosed in Tymes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,183, Tymes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,498, Heiman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,621, and Tymes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,803, all hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
In Tymes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,183, a packet data communication network is described where remote terminals may link to intermediate base stations through wireless RF communication wherein a packet is transmitted during a first time period and an acknowledge packet is received during a second time period occurring only at a selected time delay after the first time period. In Tymes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,498, a packet data communication network is described where remote terminals may link to intermediate base stations through wireless RF communication wherein a packet is transmitted during a first time period and an acknowledge packet is received during a second time period occurring only at a selected time delay after the first time period, with the acknowledge packet including a number sequence used to decode the packet. In Tymes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,803, a packet data communication network is described where remote terminals may link to intermediate base stations through wireless RF communication wherein a packet is transmitted during a first time period and an acknowledge packet is received during a second time period occurring only at a selected time delay after the first time period and a remote unit is alerted that a message is waiting to be picked up by including a message in an acknowledge packet. In Heiman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,621, a packet data communication network is described where remote terminals may link to intermediate base stations through wireless RF communication utilizing a frequency-hopping transmission method, with the base stations returning reply packets containing synchronization information. Communication may also be accomplished using other wireless communications technologies.
It is common to run an application on the host computer
10
that requires data be entered in a certain format or sequence, or more specifically, a form or template having certain data entry fields within the application fills a host database
22
with data collected on the mobile computer terminals. A problem arises, however, in that the data collected on the mobile computer terminals may not be in the proper format for simple insertion into data entry fields of the application running on the host computer. For example, an inventory database application program may currently be running on the host computer and that application may require that both an address field (in alphanumeric form) and a zip code (in numeric form) be filled for items in inventory. The data will eventually be stored in a host database
22
. This data may be acquired by scanning bar code symbols off of each item in inventory. When the user scans the bar code symbols into the mobile computer terminal, the terminal may have no way of knowing in what order the application is requesting the data entry fields be filled (e.g. does he enter address then zip code or zip code then address?).
Additionally, the mobile computer terminal may not know what types of data to collect. In the above example, it may not know if it is supposed to accept address and zip code data, or address and phone number data.
In the past, these problems were remedied using one of two approaches. First, the mobile computer terminal could be set up in advance to accept only certain types of data, and only in a specific order. For example, the mobile computer terminal may be set up to receive only address and zip code information, and only in that order. This approach, however, limits the flexibility of the system in that once the mobile computer terminal is set up, it may be difficult or impossible to alter the input types. A problem occurs if the user suddenly decides that the name of the product should be entered as well, or that the zip code is no longer necessary.
The second approach to these problems is to run a special application or applications on the mobile computer terminal. This application could convert the data into the proper format, or alter the ordering of the received data to match that of the requirements of the application running on the host computer. This approach, however, uses up valuable processing power and memory space on the mobile computer terminal.
Another problem that arises in such wireless computer networks occurs when a user gets cut off from the network. The most common cause of this problem is when a user walks t
Fuccello James
Herrod Alan
Schaefer Donald E.
Delgado Michael
Sierra Patent Group Ltd.
Symbol Technologies Inc.
Wiley David
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