Multiplex communications – Communication over free space – Signaling for performing battery saving
Patent
1996-04-04
1997-10-28
Kizou, Hassan
Multiplex communications
Communication over free space
Signaling for performing battery saving
370315, 370338, 370401, 370465, 455 111, 455 383, 455 541, 455343, H04B 7204, H04L 1228
Patent
active
056823797
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Computer terminals and peripheral devices are now used in practically every aspect of life. Computer terminals come in all shapes and sizes and vary greatly in terms of function, power and speed. Additionally, the number of peripheral devices which can be attached to the computer terminals is increasing. Many peripheral devices exist such as printers, modems, graphics, scanners, text scanners, codes readers, magnetic card readers, external monitors, voice command interfaces, external storage devices, and so on.
Computer terminals and peripherals have become dramatically smaller and more portable. Personal computers and peripherals are small enough to sit on the desk at work. Smaller still are leap top computers and notebook computers. There are computer terminals which are small enough to be mounted in a vehicle such as a delivery truck or on a fork lift. Still smaller are the hand held terminals typically used for their portability features where the user can carry the computer terminal in one hand and operate it with the other.
Despite the reduction in computer size, the computer terminal still must physically interface with the peripheral devices. Thus, there must either be a cable running from one of the computer terminal to each device or the computer terminal must be docked with the device while the information transfer is to take place.
In the office or work place setting, the physical connection is typically done with cables. These cables pose several problems. If there are many peripheral devices, there must be many cables attached to the computer terminal. In addition to the eyesore created by all of the cables, the placement of the peripheral devices is limited by the length of the cable. Longer cables can be used but they are costly and do not alleviate the eyesore created by having cables running in all directions. Additionally, there may be a limited number of ports on the computer terminal thus limiting the number of peripherals that can be attached.
Another problem exists when there are several computer terminals which must share the same peripheral device such as a printer. All of the computers must be hardwired to the printer. As discussed above, long cables can fix this problem at least from a physical connection perspective but there still remains a protocol problem between the different computers. This problem is especially severe when the various computers are of different types such as a mixed environment of IBM's and Macintoshes.
In the smaller computer terminal setting, the hand-held terminals and the potables, the cabling and connection problem can be more severe and cumbersome. Peripheral devices such as printers and scanners of all types have been reduced dramatically in size to match the smallness of the computer terminals. A notebook computer operator may wish to carry the computer and a cellular phone modem in a briefcase. Similarly, an operator may wish to have a hand-held computer terminal in one hand, a small portable printer attached to his belt, and a code reader in the other hand. The smallness of the computers and peripherals makes these demands possible but the required cabling makes these demands costly, inconvenient and even dangerous.
Physically connecting the computer terminals and peripherals severely reduces the efficiency gained by making the units smaller. An operator must somehow account for all of the devices in a system and keep them all connected. This can be very invonveient. In the notebook computer and modem example, the operator may wish to have freedom to move around with the computer but without the modem. He may, for example, wish to work in various locations on a job sight and at various times transmit or receive information via his modem. If the modem and the computer are hard wired together, he must either carry the modem with him at all time or connect it and then disconnect it each time he wishes to use the modem. Similarly, the operator of the hand held terminal, code reader and printer will have the feeling of bei
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Bunte Alan G.
Gollnick Charles D.
Luse Ronald E.
Mahany Ronald L.
West Guy J.
Kizou Hassan
Norand Corporation
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