초록 ▼

A portable barcode and RF ID tag reader that gathers information about items to be purchased etc by reading barcodes or RF ID tags. A store host computer gathers information about items to be purchased from the portable barcode/ID Tag readers and then the items are bagged by the customer at the chec

A portable barcode and RF ID tag reader that gathers information about items to be purchased etc by reading barcodes or RF ID tags. A store host computer gathers information about items to be purchased from the portable barcode/ID Tag readers and then the items are bagged by the customer at the checkout stand or by employees of the store at the checkout stand or in a separate warehouse from which the customer picks up the order. The portable barcode/RF ID tag reader can also be used in authenticating articles by accessing a factory computer using a serial number for the article scanned from an RF ID tag on the article. The portable barcode/RF ID tag reader is comprised of a microprocessor coupled to a bar code reader, an RF ID tag reader, a spread spectrum RF transceiver, a communication port, an audible feedback device, a touchscreen or light pen and display, a thermal printer and a magnetic stripe card reader and a smart card reader.

대표청구항 ▼

A portable information gathering apparatus comprising: a housing small enough to be carried by hand; a barcode scan engine mounted in said housing which is capable of scanning barcodes and decoding and outputting alphanumeric characters encoded in said barcodes; a display mounted in said housing; a

A portable information gathering apparatus comprising: a housing small enough to be carried by hand; a barcode scan engine mounted in said housing which is capable of scanning barcodes and decoding and outputting alphanumeric characters encoded in said barcodes; a display mounted in said housing; a memory mounted in said housing; a touchscreen input device mounted in said housing and superimposed over said display for receiving user input; a microcomputer mounted in said housing and coupled to and programmed to control said barcode scan engine, said display, said memory and said touchscreen input device, and programmed to receive decoded alphanumeric characters from said barcode scan engine and store them in said memory, and programmed to display data on said display and to receive data from said touchscreen input device and use said data received from said touchscreen input device to control operation of said microcomputer; an RF ID tag reader coupled to and controlled by said microcomputer, wherein said RF ID tag reader comprises a transmitter which can send RF transmissions which both supply power and commands to a passive, RF ID tag in the form of an integrated circuit which has no power supply of its own, said RF transmissions being processed in said passive RF ID tag to supply power to a receiver and a transmitter in said ID tag, said commands causing said transmitter in said RF ID tag to transmit product information back to a receiver in said RF ID tag reader using power from said RF transmissions originating in said RF ID tag reader, and wherein said microcomputer is programmed to control transmissions by said RF ID tag reader to interrogate RF ID tags and receive product information from said RF ID tag reader derived from transmissions from said RF ID tag and store said product information in memory, and wherein said microcomputer is also programmed to control said RF ID tag reader to send a RF transmission to cause said RF ID tags on items that have been paid for to write data therein indicating said items have been paid for such that said RF ID tags do not cause activation of store alarms under control of RF ID tag readers functioning as part of store security systems at store exits when said items are transported out said store exits.