Patent ID: 7097099

Claim:
A data collection device ( 10 ) for reading a machine readable data storage medium ( 38 ) comprising data encoded in a readable format, the data collection device ( 10 ) comprising: a) a medium reading system ( 21 ) for detecting a characteristic of the machine readable data storage medium ( 38 ) and generating digital data representative of the characteristic; b) a processor ( 20 ) operating an embedded decoder system ( 76 ) comprising a decoder module ( 72 ) and an interpreter module ( 84 ); i) the decoder module ( 76 ) receiving the digital data, determining the data encoded in the machine readable data storage medium, and generating decoded data ( 134 ); and ii) the interpreter module ( 84 ) receiving the decoded data ( 134 ) and manipulating the decoded data ( 134 ) in accordance with the plurality of data manipulation commands defined in a rules file ( 85 ) to generate formatted data ( 136 ), wherein the data manipulation commands are logically structured to implement an input filter, a router, and an output filter.