Patent ID: 7857222

Claim:
An encoded information reading (EIR) terminal interface node for use in a data collection system having a plurality of EIR terminals, each EIR terminal of said plurality of EIR terminals having an EIR device selected from the group consisting of a barcode reading device, an RFID reading device, and a card reading device, said EIR terminal interface node including one or more computers, each computer comprising a central processing unit, a memory, and at least one communication interface; wherein said EIR terminal interface node is communicatively coupled to a plurality of EIR terminals, each EIR terminal of said plurality of EIR terminals being engageable to a docking station; wherein said EIR terminal interface node is communicatively coupled to a reprogramming database, said reprogramming database containing a plurality of reprogramming records, each reprogramming record of said plurality of reprogramming records containing EIR terminal identifying information and at least one of: a binary file identifier, a data file identifier, a script file identifier; wherein said EIR terminal interface node builds and transmits a reprogramming message to one or more EIR terminals, said reprogramming message including at least one of: a binary file, a data file, a script file; wherein said EIR terminal interface node utilizes information determined by querying said reprogramming database when building said reprogramming message; wherein said binary file contains a software code to be executed by an EIR terminal; wherein said data file contains EIR terminal software configuration parameters; and wherein said script file contains a sequence of commands to be executed by an EIR terminal.