Patent ID: 7047051
Filing Date: 2006-05-16
Classification: H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A method of minimizing power consumption of a battery-operated, wireless reader for electro-optically reading machine-readable indicia, and of minimizing latency of data generated by, and transferred from, the reader to a wireless data collection terminal remote from the reader, comprising the steps of: a) incorporating a controller and a radio in each of the reader and the terminal; b) operating the reader to read indicia in a reading mode in which data related to the indicia is generated; c) commanding the radio in the reader by the controller in the reader to enter a low power mode when the reader is not in the reading mode, thereby minimizing power consumption of the reader, and to automatically enter a full power mode when the reader is in the reading mode and has generated the data; d) periodically establishing a wireless network between the reader and the terminal over a channel, the terminal being continuously operative to periodically establish the channel; e) automatically transferring the data generated by the reader over the channel to the terminal in real time after the radio has entered the full power mode; f) acknowledging receipt of the data transferred by the reader by automatically sending an acknowledgment signal from the terminal in real time to the reader over the channel; g) configuring each controller and radio as Bluetooth-compatible devices in compliance with Bluetooth standard, version 1.1; h) operating the terminal as a master by periodically transmitting radio frequency signals from the terminal; i) operating the reader as a slave to establish the wireless network between the master and the slave as a piconet; and j) the step of automatically transferring the data generated by the reader to the terminal after the radio has entered the full power mode being performed after receipt of one of the transmitted signals from the terminal.