Electrical computers: arithmetic processing and calculating – Electrical digital calculating computer – Having specialized input
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-08
2001-07-24
Malzahn, David H. (Department: 2121)
Electrical computers: arithmetic processing and calculating
Electrical digital calculating computer
Having specialized input
C361S689000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266685
ABSTRACT:
PRIORITY UNDER 35 U.S.C. 119
This application also claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 in PCT application PCT/US94/02091, filed on behalf of the assignee of this application on Feb. 28, 1994, and the published version of this PCT application is incorporated herein by reference.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The descriptive subject matter, found in the specification, claims, an Abstract of the disclosure and sheets of drawings, of the above referenced copending applications for patent, U.S. Ser. No. 08/307,950, filed Sep. 16, 1994; and U.S. Ser. No. 08/309,003, filed Sep. 19, 1994; and U.S. Ser. No. 07/728,667, filed Jul. 11, 1991; U.S. Ser. No. 08/316,776, filed Oct. 3, 1994; U.S. Ser. No. 08/326,114, filed Oct. 19, 1994; and U.S. Ser. No. 08/379,684, filed Jan. 25, 1995, are incorporated herein by reference.
Authorization Pursuant to the Commissioner's Notice of Mar. 20, 1987 (1077 OG 22)
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to data collection and processing systems and more particularly to portable data terminals as operator manipulatable data input and output devices with display and verification of data.
The invention herein is a further improvement of related subject matter contained in the cross-referenced prior patent applications, which prior patent applications are relied upon for priority rights in previously described novel features.
Portable data terminals are generally known components of state of the art business systems. The data terminals may be taken to merchandise storage facilities for inventory control or customer service transactions, or may be used in any one of various other commercial applications to serve as data input or output devices for central data processing and control stations.
Central data processing or control stations are most useful when business data are always current and readily available. Prompt data entry and retrieval at the working level through various operator controlled portable data terminals is recognized as a basis for optimizing, among various business activities, inventory control and customer service activities, business forecasting and marketing operations, to name just a few.
Increased versatility in data input and output arrangements tends to increase power usage of the portable data terminals, thereby decreasing usage periods between battery exchanges or recharging operations. Touch sensitive or pen actuated data input systems are known. However, in the past, such pen actuated data input systems were generally limited to the use of pens for digitizer boards or in conjunction with full keyboard type computer terminals. While the former devices are considered limited in their application, the latter are comparatively bulky, even as lap top computers, and are not useful for practical data entry and retrieval in shop, warehouse, store or delivery route environments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the present invention was early on to expand on the utility of relatively small, portable, hand-held data collection terminals. The invention recognizes a need for greater versatility in hand-held data terminals, thereby improving indirectly an overall usefulness of a business system which uses a number of these data terminals as roaming data input and retrieval devices.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved compact data input and display device with increased functionality.
It is another object of the invention to arrange an alphanumeric keyboard for multi-orientational use.
Further in accordance herewith, it is an object of the invention to provide a pen-activated data input device which interactively may be prompted through display screen prompts.
Another object of the invention is to provide a robust data terminal having a display screen sized to permit operator input via pen strokes and having the capability to change to keyboard entries interchangeably with entry via pen-type signals.
Yet another object of the invention is a power management control function implemented through software controlled microprocessor functions, the power management function including selectively shutting the data terminal down without loss of current data interchange status states on an Input-Output bus (I/O Bus).
According to one aspect of the invention, it is consequently contemplated to increase the data input capacity of a portable data terminal with a touch sensitive liquid crystal display overlay. The touch sensitive display overlay may function as a keyboard or as a provision for entering graphic data such as signatures. Another keyboard may be a numerical keyboard or may be activated as a function keyboard to supplement a touch sensitive keyboard implemented as an overlay of a display screen.
Another object of the invention is to provide an accessory pod having a wall with one or more diaphragm-type activation switches arranged to be operable by a user's thumb or finger in order to activate an accessory, such as a scanner, attached to the accessory pod.
In a particular embodiment in accordance with the invention, keys of the touch sensitive keyboard of the display screen of the portable data terminal may be selectively reorientable with respect to the data terminal. In accordance with a particular feature of the invention, the keys or key areas of the touch sensitive keyboard are reoriented by switching key assignment areas within the touch sensitive display screen and by reorienting indicia within each of the switched touch sensitive areas of the board to change the orientation of the indicia to correspond to a change orientation of the keyboard of the touch sensitive area.
Further in accordance with the invention, a keyboard is disposed adjacent a display screen of a portable data terminal in a frontal face of the data terminal. The keyboard includes an array of keys, each key having an assigned function, and an array of indicia identifying the function of each of the keys of the array. The array of indicia is disposed on a matrix removably attachable to the frontal face of the data terminal. The array of indicia may be removed and replaced by another array of indicia, showing reassigned functions of each of the keys, and the functions of the respective keys are reassigned in accordance with such other array of indicia. Alternatively, molded keys may include permanent indicia which display functions inherent to default settings of a data terminal.
Also according to the present invention, a data terminal has a display screen and graphic data input surface coincident with and disposed beneath the display screen. Data input into the graphic data input surface may be obtained either via an electromagnetic pen, also referred to as an active pen, or via a touch sensitive screen via a pointed object, such as a stylus.
Further in accordance herewith, the data terminal includes operation shadowing circuits which include a function of shadowing Input-Output (I/O) device states and a function of storing microprocessor register states during a shutdown procedure. Pursuant to the shadowing and microprocessor register storage, the data terminal may be shut down and re-activated without loss of control or I/O status data and with the ability to complete an operation in progress during the time of shutdown of the data terminal.
Further in accordance herewith, a data terminal includes a shock and weather resistant housing and a keyboard orientation with respect to a display screen which causes an included angle to protect both the keyboard and the display screen from contact with a flat hard bottom surface during a fall of the data terminal against such surface. Co-molding of shock absorbing material to the surface of the hous
Alt Daniel E.
Austin Rickey G.
Boatwright Darrell L.
Danielson Arvin D.
Friend Steve Darren
Intermec IP Corp.
Malzahn David H.
Simmons Perrine Albright & Ellwood PLC
LandOfFree
Hand-held data collection system with stylus input does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Hand-held data collection system with stylus input, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Hand-held data collection system with stylus input will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2505755