Patent ID: 8899481

Claim:
A point-of-transaction system for electro-optically reading targets, comprising: a host; a workstation reader having a workstation window, a workstation data capture assembly operative for capturing data associated with the targets through the workstation window, and a workstation microprocessor operative for controlling the workstation assembly and for communicating the data captured by the workstation assembly with the host over a predetermined communications protocol; and an auxiliary reader operatively connected to the workstation reader and having an auxiliary window, an auxiliary data capture assembly operative for capturing data associated with the targets through the auxiliary window independently of the workstation reader, and an auxiliary microprocessor operative for controlling the auxiliary assembly and having a communications protocol; wherein the workstation microprocessor is also operative for automatically integrating the auxiliary reader in the system by automatically detecting the protocol of the auxiliary reader, and by automatically configuring the detected protocol of the auxiliary reader to conform to the predetermined communications protocol of the workstation reader, thereby enabling the auxiliary reader to communicate the data captured by the auxiliary assembly with the host; wherein the workstation microprocessor automatically detects the protocol of the auxiliary reader when the auxiliary reader is initially operatively connected to the workstation reader; and wherein the workstation microprocessor automatically detects the protocol of the auxiliary reader by sending a protocol query signal to the auxiliary microprocessor, and by receiving a protocol identification response signal from the auxiliary microprocessor.