WO2002009054A2

WO2002009054A2 - Wearable point-of-sale device having a detachable handheld unit and a printing holster

Info

Publication number: WO2002009054A2
Application number: PCT/US2001/023448
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rajendra Kumar
Original assignee: Khyber Technologies Corporation
Priority date: 2000-07-25
Filing date: 2001-07-25
Publication date: 2002-01-31
Also published as: AU2001278012A1; WO2002009054A3

Abstract

A wearable point-of-sale device (10) includes a detachable handheld unit (11) and a printing holster (12). Detachable handheld unit (11) includes a processor (21), display (14), keyboard (15), power supply (25) and a first electrical connector (19). Printing holster (12) includes a printer (105), printing paper holder (140), a second electrical connector (111) engageable with the first electrical connector (19), and a dock (101) receiving the detachable handheld unit (11). Processor (21) controls the printer (105) and the power supply (25) provides the power required by the printer (105) when the detachable handheld unit (11) is docked in the printing holster (12).

Description

WEARABLE POINT-OF-SALE DEVICE HAVING

A DETACHABLE HANDHELD UNIT AND

A PRINTING HOLSTER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates in general to handheld computers. More particularly, the present invention pertains to point-of sale devices. More speci- fically, the present invention relates to wearable, point-of-sale devices and associated printers.

BACKGROUND ART

Portable point-of-sale devices have been around for almost a decade, including the device described in U.S. Patent No. 5,294,782 to Kumar, the author of the current invention. Such devices have effectively integrated, into a single compact unit, the capabilities required to carry out sales transactions away from the traditional checkout lanes. Compared with multiple-unit configurations, the single-piece design of such a device provides the user-convenience of maintaining only one battery pack and the lower cost that comes from shared resources between the processor and the printing functions. However, the user of such devices has to carry the weight of the printing mechanism and paper roll even when printing is not required such as during scanning of the barcode on products for sale.

Some manufacturers have addressed this problem by providing a two-piece configuration where a handheld computer includes a short-range wireless link to a portable printer. An example of such a device is the combination of (a) portable receipt printer model Cameo from Comtec Information Systems, Inc. of Warwick, Rhode Island, which can be equipped with an IrDA optical link or a short-range radio-frequency link; and (b) a handheld computer such as one of those offered by Telxon Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio. However, such two-piece configurations are too bulky and cost more than one-piece configurations as described above because, in the two-piece configuration, the resources of a processor, memory and power supply have to be included in each piece of the two-piece configuration.

Yet another configuration is provided by Monarch Marking Systems, Inc's model 6015 - a receipt printer with a cradle for the Palm Inc's organizer model Palm Pilot. This configuration provides the benefits of two-piece configuration described above plus the convenience of a one-piece configuration through the cradle, which is built into the printer model. However, this configuration does not provide the lightweight and lower cost advantage of the one-piece configuration described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a wearable point- of-sale device configuration that is cost effective and convenient to use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device, as set forth above, that is the lightest weight for print as well as non-print operations.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device, as set forth above, which is easy for the operator to transition between print and non-print operations.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention over existing prior art forms will become more apparent and fully understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In general, a wearable point-of-sale device comprises a detachable handheld unit including a processor, display, input, power supply and a first electrical connector; and, a printing holster including a printer, printing paper holder, a second electrical connector engageable with the first electrical connector, and a dock receiving the detachable handheld unit, the processor controlling the printer when the detachable handheld unit is docked in the printing holster.

A wearable point-of-sale device includes a detachable handheld unit including a processor, display, input, power supply and a first electrical connector; and, a printing holster including a printer, printing paper holder, a second electrical connector engageable with the first electrical connector, and a dock receiving the detachable handheld unit, the processor controlling the printer and the power supply providing the power required by the printer when the detachable handheld unit is docked in the printing holster. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary, wearable point of sale device in accordance with the present invention, including a detachable handheld unit and a printing holster.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the exemplary device shown in Fig. 1, and is taken substantially along the line 2—2 shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the exemplary device shown in Fig. 1, and is taken substantially along the line 3—3 shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the exemplary device shown in Fig. 1.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 presents a perspective view of a wearable point of sale device, in accordance with the present invention, and is generally indicated by the numeral 10. Device 10 includes a detachable handheld unit 11 and a printing holster 12. Detach- able handheld unit 11 includes a front housing 16 and a back housing 17, and a display 14 and an input mechanism such as keyboard 15 on the front side of front housing 16. A scanner 18 is located near the end 31 of the unit 11, pointing away from the user to facilitate scanning during use. There is an electrical connector 19 near the end 32 of the unit 11 for electrically connecting unit 11 to peripherals. Printing holster 12 includes a front housing 103 and a back housing 102, which form a slot 101 shaped to accept the end 32 of the detachable handheld unit 11. Holster 12 includes a hook 109 to allow holster 12 to be carried by an operator (also known as a user) on the operator's belt during use. A different mechanism can be provided for attaching holster 12 to a strap for carrying holster 12 on the operator's shoulder.

A connector 111 is located in the slot 101 of the printing holster 12 such that the connector 19 of unit 11 mates with connector 111 of holster 12 when the former is docked into the latter. A removable door 104 is provided in holster 12 to allow the operator access to a paper supply 140 for feeding the paper-end 141 through a printer 105 and a printer opening 108. Holster 12 also includes an electrical circuit assembly 107 that supports connector 111 and other required electrical components such as those described below.

The block diagram in Fig. 4 shows the detachable handheld unit 11 including a central processor 21 having circuits supported and/or controlled by it. Unit 11 also includes a keyboard interface circuit 22 to keyboard 15, scanner interface circuit 23 to scanner 18, display interface circuit 24 to display 14, peripheral interface 26 to external peripherals with which the processor 21 communicates. Also included in unit 11 is a power supply 25 and optical transceiver 27. The power supply 25 may include a rechargeable battery pack, such as those readily available for cell phones, and related electrical circuitry. Optical transceiver 27 may include IrDA transceiver chips from Hewlett Packard of Palo Alto, California. The connector 19 is provided in unit 11 to allow connection with outside peripherals. The block diagram representation in Fig. 4 also shows that printing holster 12 includes connector 111, that connects to printer 105 through printer interface 121. Holster 12 also includes a charging circuit 122 that connects to power supply 25 in unit 11 through the mating of connector 111 in holster 12 and connector 19 in unit 11. Holster 12 is provided with a charger jack 106 into which an external charger is plugged in order to charge power supply 25 when handheld unit 11 is docked into printing holster 12. Holster 12 is also provided with optical transceiver 124 that communicates with optical transceiver 27 of unit 11.

Unit 11 can communicate with peripherals such as printing holster 12 in one of several ways - first, through docking of connector 19 in unit 11 and connector 111 in unit 12; second, through an optical connection as described above; and third, through a radio-frequency connection such as the newly introduced Blue Tooth standard that is well known in the industry. Alternately, unit 11 can connect to holster 12 via a cable (not shown) between connectors 19 and 111. Such cable can be removable or hardwired. In any of the above connection schemes, the power supply signals are connected either through electrical contacts or through electromagnetic inductive coupling (not shown).

In another variation of the above embodiment the interface signals connecting the circuit encased in detachable handheld unit 11 and printing holster 12 may be multiplexed, using conventional multiplexing circuits, in order to reduce the number of interconnect signals and hence reducing the size of the connectors 19 and 111. Printing holster 12 may be mounted on the floor of a vehicle by utilizing commonly available mounting methods such as pedestals used for car phones. Such a pedestal (not shown) is attached to the floor of the automobile at the bottom end. A clamp (not shown) may be attached to the top end of the pedestal such that printing holster 12 can be removably mounted on the pedestal by sliding into the clamp. Alternately, printing holster 12 unit may be fixed-mounted on the pedestal via bolts and/or other conventional methods. Detachable handheld unit 11 can now be docked in the printing holster unit in the same manner as in other applications described above.

In this way wearable point-of-sale device 10 is created that has a detachable handheld unit 11. When mated with printing holster 12, detachable handheld unit 11 becomes the controller for the entire wearable point-of-sale device 10. Detachable handset unit 11 is in a smaller housing that is dimensioned for handheld grasping and that is sized to be carried in a pocket as an average cell phone. Detachable printing holster 12 encases a printer 105 and related paper supply 140. Central processor 21, encased in detachable handheld unit 11, must have enough processing power and battery power to adequately perform functions of an entire point-of-sale device, and not just the functions of a handheld unit. Examples of presently acceptable processors may include the Intel StrongARM, Hitachi SH-3 and SH-4, and the NEC 4100 RISC processors.

As technology advances in the future, the Intel Pentium processor, used in most of laptop computers, may be used in other embodiments of the current invention. Other components used in device 10 can be similar to those used in traditional portable point-of-sale devices. Examples are: liquid crystal displays from Optrex and Seiko; memory chips from Micron Technologies, wireless communication chips from VLSI Technologies, and power supply chips from Analog Devices Inc.

Device 10 as described above will need operating-system software such as Microsoft Windows or WindowsCE. Off the shelf application software such as

Microsoft Outlook, PocketWord, etc. can be used for various tasks. Alternately, Sun Microsystems, Inc's Java software platform can be implemented in device 10.

The ordinarily skilled artisan should now appreciate that the current invention is a wearable point-of-sale device having a detachable handheld unit, which docks into a printing holster. The handheld unit preferably includes a processor, display, input, power supply, and a connector for input and output signals and power source. The printing holster preferably includes a printer, printing paper holder, a connector that is engageable with the connector on the handheld unit, and a dock that receives the detachable handheld unit. The central processor controls the printer when the handheld unit is docked in the printing holster.

The connection between the handheld unit and the printing holster can be wired or wireless. A wired connection can be a direct connection through mating connectors or a cable connection. A wireless connection can be an optical link, such as IrDA, or a radio frequency link such as those compatible with the IEEE 802.11b standard for wireless local area networks. The printing holster can be belt mounted or shoulder strap mounted. The power supply of the handheld unit can supply at least a portion of the power required by the printing holster when the handheld unit is docked into it through the mating of the connector pair described above.

The operator of the wearable point-of-sale device carries out the processing portion of the operation on the detachable handheld unit as normal, i.e. entering item description, quantity, and price, as required by the application. The detachable handheld unit monitors for docking into the holster unit. When the operation reaches the point of printing, i.e., upon detecting a positive connection with the printer included in the holster unit, the processor executes the printing operation.

This method provides three benefits - (a) the handheld unit can be used as a standalone wearable data entry device without being weighed down by the printer components, (b) the incremental cost of adding printing capability is greatly reduced because of the use of the processing and battery power of the detachable handheld unit to provide the printing capability, and (c) the user's efforts of docking the handheld unit to a printer, and then storing in a holster are combined into a single act of placing the handheld unit into the printing holster.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to variations, modifications and changes in detail, some of which have been expressly stated herein, it is intended that all matter described throughout this entire. specification or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It should thus be evident that a device constructed according to the concept of the present invention, and reasonably equivalent thereto, will accomplish the objects of the present invention and otherwise substantially improve the art relating to devices for wearable, point-of-sale devices.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A wearable point-of-sale device, comprising: a detachable handheld unit including a processor, display, input, power supply and a first electrical connector; and, a printing holster including a printer, printing paper holder, a second electrical connector engageable with said first electrical connector, and a dock receiving said detachable handheld unit, said processor controlling said printer when said detachable handheld unit is docked in said printing holster.

2. A device, as set form in claim 1, further including at least one of an optical wireless link, radio-frequency wireless link and wired link between said detachable handheld unit and said printing holster.

3. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said printing holster further includes at least one of a belt-mount and a shoulder-strap mount.

4. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the said power supply provides at least a portion of the power required by said printing mechanism, through the mating of the first connector and the second connector when said detachable handheld unit is docked with the printing holster.

5. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the said dock is one of a platform and a slot and said second connector is located within the dock.

6. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said printing holster is detachably mounted in a vehicle.

7. A wearable point-of-sale device, comprising: a detachable handheld unit including a processor, display, input, power supply and a first electrical connector; and, a printing holster including a printer, printing paper holder, a second electrical connector engageable with said first electrical connector, and a dock receiving said detachable handheld unit, said processor controlling said printer and said power supply providing the power required by said printer when said detachable handheld unit is docked in said printing holster.

8. A device, as set forth in claim 7, wherein the said dock is one of a platform and a slot and the said second connector is located within said dock.

9. A device, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said printing holster further includes at least one of a belt-mount and a shoulder-strap mount.

10. A device, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said printing holster is detachably mounted in a vehicle.