Patent Publication Number: US-2017367124-A1

Title: Arrangement for, and method of, establishing a bluetooth® paired connection between a wireless, electro-optical reader and one or more hosts

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to an arrangement for, and a method of, establishing a wireless, Bluetooth® paired connection between a wireless reader for electro-optically reading symbols and one or more hosts. 
     Moving laser beam readers, also known as laser scanners, and solid-state imager readers, also known as imaging scanners, have both been used as data capture devices to electro-optically read targets, such as one-dimensional bar code symbols, particularly of the Universal Product Code (UPC) type, in many different kinds of venues, such as retailers, hospitals, libraries, warehouses, and so on. Both types of readers can be operated in a portable, wireless, handheld mode, in which a user holds the respective wireless reader in his or her hand, and aims the respective reader at a symbol, and then initiates the data capture and the reading of the symbol by manual actuation of a trigger on the respective reader. Both types of wireless readers can also be operated in a fixed presentation mode. Electrical power to electronic components in the wireless reader can be supplied via a rechargeable battery in the reader. 
     As advantageous as such wireless readers are in reading symbols, their functionality and their usage can be enhanced by connecting and pairing them to Bluetooth®-capable mobile hosts, such as desktop or laptop computers, smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smartglasses, or like devices or terminals. A radio frequency (RF) transceiver, e.g., a Bluetooth® module, in each type of wireless reader communicates data, including data indicative of the symbol being read, as well as control data and update data, over a bi-directional, wireless channel with a corresponding Bluetooth® module located in the host. As is well known, Bluetooth® is an open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances (using short-wavelength radio transmissions in the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) RF band from 2400-2480 MHz) between fixed and/or mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security. 
     However, establishing a paired connection between such Bluetooth®-capable readers and such Bluetooth®-capable hosts has not been very user friendly. A particular venue may have multiple hosts, each having a different identification number, each operating under a different operating system, and each being configured with a different communications profile. A particular reader may be set with factory default settings, which may or may not have been changed by the user of the reader. To accommodate all such variables, many separate pairing actions have to be performed in a predetermined sequence to establish the paired connection. Performing these separate pairing steps in the correct order takes a non-negligible amount of time. All of these separate pairing steps have to be repeated each time a reader is to be paired with a different host. This poses a time-consuming problem and an inconvenient, tedious procedure for users who must frequently configure their readers over and over again during a reading session. 
     Accordingly, there is a need to reduce the number of steps needed to establish a Bluetooth® paired connection between a Bluetooth®-capable host and a Bluetooth®-capable reader, and to more rapidly, conveniently, reliably, and simply make said paired connection, especially in a venue having multiple hosts having different identification numbers and/or operating under different operating systems and/or being configured with different communications profiles. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a Bluetooth®-capable reader connected via a Bluetooth® paired connection to a Bluetooth®-capable host configured as a smartphone in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the same Bluetooth®-capable reader connected via a Bluetooth® paired connection to a Bluetooth®-capable host configured as a desktop computer in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic block diagram of an imager-based embodiment of the Bluetooth®-capable reader that is paired to the host of  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic block diagram of a laser-based embodiment of the Bluetooth®-capable reader that is paired to the host of  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged, front view of a multi-parameter pairing symbol displayed by the host of  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2 , and diagrammatically depicting various parameters encoded in the pairing symbol. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart depicting steps performed in accordance with the method of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and locations of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. 
     The arrangement and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of this disclosure relates to an arrangement for establishing a wireless, Bluetooth® paired connection between a host and a wireless reader for electro-optically reading symbols. The arrangement includes a host controller associated with the host. The host controller generates a multi-parameter, pairing symbol that includes an identification parameter for identifying the host, and that further includes at least another configuration parameter for configuring the paired connection between the reader and the host. A host Bluetooth® module is associated with the host, and is controlled by the host controller. A data capture assembly is associated with the reader, and electro-optically reads the pairing symbol. A reader controller is associated with the reader, and controls the data capture assembly. A reader Bluetooth® module is associated with the reader, and is controlled by the reader controller. The reader controller establishes the paired connection between the host Bluetooth® module and the reader Bluetooth® module by extracting the identification parameter from the pairing symbol to automatically identify the host, and by substantially simultaneously extracting the configuration parameter from the same pairing symbol to automatically configure the paired connection between the reader and the host. 
     Advantageously, an actuator, such as a manually-actuatable trigger, is provided on the reader to initiate reading of the pairing symbol when actuated, and the reader controller extracts the parameters from the pairing symbol in response to a single actuation of the actuator, e.g., a single pull of the trigger. The actuator could also operate automatically, or in response to a command signal. The configuration parameter preferably includes a pairing parameter to identify that a symbol being read is the pairing symbol, and/or a default parameter to set the reader to a known default state, and/or a protocol parameter to identify a communication profile being used by the host, and/or an operating system parameter to identify an operating system being used by the host. The protocol parameter is preferably selected from a group that includes a human interface device (HID) profile, a simple serial interface (SSI) profile, a serial port profile (SPP), and a Bluetooth® made for iOS (MFi) profile. The host may be one of a plurality of hosts operative for generating a corresponding plurality of pairing symbols, each unique for each host. A display is preferably associated with each host, and the host controller preferably displays the respective pairing symbol on the respective display. 
     A method of establishing a wireless, Bluetooth® paired connection between a host and a wireless reader for electro-optically reading symbols, in accordance with another aspect of this disclosure, is performed by generating a multi-parameter, pairing symbol that includes an identification parameter for identifying the host, and that further includes at least another configuration parameter for configuring the paired connection between the reader and the host. The method is further performed by associating a host Bluetooth® module with the host; by electro-optically reading the pairing symbol; by associating a reader controller and a reader Bluetooth® module with the reader; and by establishing the paired connection between the host Bluetooth® module and the reader Bluetooth® module by extracting the identification parameter from the pairing symbol to automatically identify the host, and by substantially simultaneously extracting the configuration parameter from the same pairing symbol to automatically configure the paired connection between the reader and the host. 
     Thus, the number of steps needed to establish a Bluetooth® paired connection between a Bluetooth®-capable host and a Bluetooth®-capable reader has been reduced, preferably to a single step. The paired connection can now be more rapidly, conveniently, reliably, and simply made by simply scanning the pairing symbol, and by extracting the identification and configuration parameters from the scanned pairing symbol. 
     Turning now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-2  depicts a wireless, Bluetooth®-capable, handheld reader  30  for electro-optically reading targets, such as bar code symbols. The reader  30  is wirelessly connected to, and, in accordance with this disclosure, is paired with, a Bluetooth®-capable host  10  configured and illustrated as a smartphone in  FIG. 1 , and as a desktop computer in  FIG. 2 . Other hosts, such as laptop computers, tablets, smartwatches, smartglasses, servers, and like devices and terminals are also contemplated by this disclosure. The reader  30  preferably includes a portable, handheld housing  32  having a handle  28  on which a manually actuatable trigger  34  for initiating reading is mounted. It will be understood that reading could also be initiated automatically, or in response to a command signal. It will be further understood that the reader  30  could also be a fixed, non-handheld, presentation-type reader. 
     In one embodiment of the reader  30 ,  FIG. 3  schematically depicts, in a block diagram, an imaging reader for imaging symbols to be electro-optically read by image capture. The imaging reader of  FIG. 3  includes a data capture assembly mounted in the portable, handheld housing  32 . The data capture assembly includes a one- or two-dimensional, solid-state imager  36 , preferably a charge coupled device (CCD) array, or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) array, an imaging lens assembly  38 , and an illuminator  40  for illuminating the target. The imager  36  has an array of image sensors operative, together with the imaging lens assembly  38 , for capturing return illumination light reflected and/or scattered from a symbol to produce an electrical signal indicative of a captured image for subsequent processing by a reader controller  42 . In operation, the reader controller  42  sends a command signal to drive the illuminator  40 , and energizes the imager  36  during an exposure time period of a frame to collect return light from the symbol during a short time period, say 500 microseconds or less. A typical array needs about 11-33 milliseconds to read the entire symbol image and operates at a frame rate of about 30-90 frames per second. The array may have on the order of one million addressable image sensors. 
     In another embodiment of the reader  30 ,  FIG. 4  schematically depicts, in a block diagram, a moving laser beam reader operative for electro-optically reading symbols by scanning a laser beam. The beam reader of  FIG. 4  includes a data capture assembly mounted in the portable, handheld housing  32 . The data capture assembly includes a scanner  44  for scanning an outgoing laser beam from a laser  46  and/or a field of view of a light detector or photodiode  48  in a scan pattern, typically comprised of one or more scan lines, multiple times per second, for example, one-hundred times per second, across the symbol for reflection or scattering therefrom as return light detected by the photodiode  48  during reading. The beam reader  30  also includes a focusing lens assembly or optics  50  for optically modifying the outgoing laser beam to have a large depth of field, and a digitizer  52  for converting an electrical analog signal generated by the detector  48  from the return light into a digital signal for subsequent decoding by the reader controller  42  into data indicative of the symbol being read. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , the reader controller  42  also controls a reader Bluetooth® module  24 . The reader Bluetooth® module  24  provides bi-directional communication with a host Bluetooth® module  26  in the host  10 , as described below, via a Bluetooth® wireless link and can be implemented as, for example, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver. The reader Bluetooth® module  24  receives data to be transmitted from the reader controller  42 . As noted above, Bluetooth® is an open wireless standard for short-range transmission of digital data between devices and supports point-to-point and multipoint applications. 
     Returning to  FIG. 1 , the host  10  includes a handheld case  18  and an onboard touch screen or display  14  on the case  18 . A soft or virtual keyboard  16 , a text entry data field  22 , and a multi-parameter, pairing symbol  20 , as described below in detail in connection with  FIG. 5 , may appear on the display  14 . In  FIG. 2 , the host  10  is a stand-alone device that is connected to a remote monitor that includes the display  14 . As shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , a host controller  54  in the host  10  controls the host Bluetooth® module  26  for establishing a wireless, Bluetooth® paired connection with the reader Bluetooth® module  24  in the reader  30 . More particularly, the Bluetooth® paired connection is established by first pairing the reader  30  to an operating system of the host  10 , and then by connecting the reader  30  to an application running on the host  10 . A host memory  56  stores data and is accessed by the host controller  54 . 
     In accordance with one aspect of this disclosure, the host controller  54  generates the multi-parameter, pairing symbol  20 . The pairing symbol  20  may be electronically displayed on the onboard display  14  ( FIG. 1 ) or on the remote display  14  ( FIG. 2 ). The pairing symbol  20  may also be printed on a label and affixed to an exterior surface of the host  10 , or to a surface adjacent to the host  10 . The data capture assembly of either  FIG. 3  or  FIG. 4  is operative for electro-optically reading the pairing symbol  20 , and the reader controller  42  establishes the paired connection between the host Bluetooth® module  26  and the reader Bluetooth® module  24  by extracting parameters from the pairing symbol  20 . 
     More particularly, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the pairing symbol  20  may be encoded with a plurality of parameters. For example, a first parameter may be a 1-byte pairing parameter  60  signified by an indicator “P” to identify that a symbol being currently read is indeed the pairing symbol  20 . A second parameter may be a 2-byte default parameter  62  signified by an introductory indicator “D” and followed by either a subsequent indicator “F” to set the reader to a known factory default state, or by a subsequent indicator “R” to restore the reader to a known factory default state after a user has changed the reader settings. Other default states are also contemplated. 
     A third parameter may be a 3-byte protocol parameter  64  signified by an introductory indicator “H” and followed by a 2-byte, subsequent code to identify a communication profile being used by the host  10 . The communication profile is preferably stored in the host memory  56 . For example, one profile code could identify a human interface device (HID) uni-directional or keyboard profile, another profile code could identify a simple serial interface (SSI) bi-directional profile, still another profile code could identify a serial port profile (SPP) that is uni-directional, and yet another profile could identify a Bluetooth® made for iOS (MFi) profile. Other communication profiles are also contemplated. A fourth parameter may be a 2-byte operating system parameter  66  signified by an introductory indicator “O” and followed by a subsequent system code to identify an operating system being used by the host  10 . The operating system is preferably stored in the host memory  56 . For example, one system code could identify an iOS mobile operating system available from Apple, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.; another system code could identify an Android mobile operating system available from Google, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif.; and still another system code could identify a Windows mobile operating system available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. Other system codes, such as Linux and others, are also contemplated. 
     The aforementioned first through fourth parameters  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66  are configuration parameters for configuring the paired connection between the reader  30  and the host  10 . A fifth parameter is a 13-byte identification parameter  68  signified by an introductory indicator “A” and followed by a 12-byte identification code to identify the host  10 . The identification code is preferably a media access control (MAC) address of the host  10 . The MAC address is preferably stored in the host memory  56 . 
     In operation, the reader controller  42  first generates and displays the pairing symbol  20 . This can be done, for example, by entering text in the data field  22 , or by opening and running an application on the host  10 . Next, after the pairing symbol  20  has been read by the reader  30 , the reader controller  42  establishes the paired connection between the host Bluetooth® module  26  and the reader Bluetooth® module  24  by extracting one or more of the aforementioned parameters from the same pairing symbol  20  to not only automatically identify the host  10 , but also to substantially simultaneously automatically configure the paired connection between the reader  30  and the host  10 . Actuation of an actuator, such as the manually-actuatable trigger  34  on the reader  30 , initiates reading of the pairing symbol  20 , and the reader controller  42  extracts one or more of the aforementioned parameters from the pairing symbol  20  in response to a single actuation of the actuator, e.g., a single pull of the trigger  34 . If it is desired to establish a paired connection with a different host  10 , then the other different host is operated to display its unique pairing symbol  20 , and the reader  30  is operated to read this other pairing symbol  20 , and the paired connection with this other different host is performed, as described above, by extracting the parameters of this other pairing symbol  20 . 
     Turning now to the flow chart of  FIG. 6 , the method of establishing a wireless, Bluetooth® paired connection between the host  10  and the wireless reader  30  is performed by generating the multi-parameter, pairing symbol  20  in step  70 . The pairing symbol  20  includes an identification parameter  68  for identifying the host  10 , and further includes at least another configuration parameter  60 ,  62 ,  64 , or  66  for configuring the paired connection between the reader  30  and the host  10 . In step  72 , the pairing symbol is read by the reader  30 . The reader controller  42  then extracts the identification parameter from the pairing symbol  20  to automatically identify the host  10  in step  74 . In steps  76 ,  78 ,  80 , and  82 , the reader controller  42  also substantially simultaneously extracts the pairing, default, protocol, and operating system parameters, respectively, from the same pairing symbol  20  to automatically configure the paired connection between the reader  30  and the host  10 . 
     In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. As used herein, the term Bluetooth® refers to both the classic version, and its modified versions, especially the Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) version, as well as both discoverable and non-discoverable versions thereof. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings. 
     The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued. 
     Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” “including,” “contains,” “containing,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a,” “has . . . a,” “includes . . . a,” or “contains . . . a,” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, or contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially,” “essentially,” “approximately,” “about,” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1%, and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A reader or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed. 
     It will be appreciated that some embodiments may be comprised of one or more generic or specialized processors (or “processing readers”) such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, customized processors, and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and unique stored program instructions (including both software and firmware) that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of the method and/or apparatus described herein. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used. 
     Moreover, an embodiment can be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a computer (e.g., comprising a processor) to perform a method as described and claimed herein. Examples of such computer-readable storage mediums include, but are not limited to, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an optical storage reader, a magnetic storage reader, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) and a Flash memory. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein, will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation. 
     The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.