Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing information. The printer including a paper feed motor, a carriage motor and a printer control system. The system causing the paper feed motor and the carriage motor to move at least partially simultaneously.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing information. The printer including a paper feed motor, a carriage motor and a printer control system. The system causing the paper feed motor and the carriage motor to move at least partially simultaneously.

Abstract: Numerous features and improvements currently related to a portable computing and data collection system are presented. It will be appreciated, however, that although the features disclosed herein are disclosed in connection with a small, portable hand-held system, these features can also be used singly or in combination with a variety of other computing or battery powered devices. Disclosed features include an improved battery pack containing a unique battery temperature-based sensing system, a modular radio system having an antenna board, a radio frame designed to accept any of a variety of different radio boards, a sealed hand-held personal computing system, a light transmissive window that also serves as a door providing access to the interior of the device, and a unique compact flash card implementation. Embodiments containing various combinations and relations of these features in a portable computing system are also disclosed.

Abstract: A control system for a portable electronic printer is disclosed. The control system implements a method for performing a self-test of the hardware of a portable electronic printer, a method for monitoring the hardware of a portable electronic printer for a failure, a method for diagnosing a portable electronic printer, a method for booting a portable electronic printer having both volatile and non-volatile memory, a method for controlling the printing of data received from a serial transmission line whereby printing may be canceled, a method for controlling a printing system such that code or data in the printing system may be updated, a method of verifying a downloaded file in a printing system, a method for determining a communications protocol in a printing system, and a method for controlling communications in a printing system during a diagnostic routine.

Abstract: A hand-held data input system having an input stylus and a data receiving pad is disclosed. The data input system can include a recessed stylus holder. The recessed stylus holder can receive the input stylus such that it does not protrude from the system's housing. The data input system can alternatively include a grip facilitator. The grip facilitator can be located proximate the data receiving pad to make contact with a finger of a hand gripping a side of the hand-held unit. Other embodiments include features such as an active stylus, a radio frequency receiver, input keys, handwriting recognition capability, an indicia reader and a handstrap.

Abstract: A portable data collection terminal has an elongate housing with a hand grip conforming rear surface. A front surface features a numerical keyboard adjacent a lower end of the housing and an LCD screen adjacent the keyboard toward an upper end of the housing. The display screen is of elongate rectangular shape, its length extending longitudinally of the housing of the data terminal. The active area of the display screen is covered by a touch sensitive overlay screen which is configured in one mode of operation of the data terminal into an alphabetical keyboard. The orientation of the display is switchable between orientations in which the line direction of the displayed data extends across or longitudinally of the data terminal. The keys of the numerical keyboard are identified by indicia disposed on a template. The orientation of the template may be sensed to switch the orientation of the displayed data and touch sensitive key identifiers to correspond to the orientation of the indicia on the template.

Abstract: A portable data collection terminal has an elongate housing with a hand grip conforming rear surface. A front surface features a numerical keyboard adjacent a lower end of the housing and an LCD screen adjacent the keyboard toward an upper end of the housing. The display screen is of elongate rectangular shape, its length extending longitudinally of the housing of the data terminal. The active area of the display screen is covered by a touch sensitive overlay screen which is configured in one mode of operation of the data terminal into an alphabetical keyboard. The orientation of the display is switchable between orientations in which the line direction of the displayed data extends across or longitudinally of the data terminal. The keys of the numerical keyboard are identified by indicia disposed on a template. The orientation of the template may be sensed to switch the orientation of the displayed data and touch sensitive key identifiers to correspond to the orientation of the indicia on the template.

Abstract: A portable data collection terminal has an elongate housing with a hand grip conforming rear surface. A front surface features a numerical keyboard adjacent a lower end of the housing and an LCD screen adjacent the keyboard toward an upper end of the housing. The display screen is of elongate rectangular shape, its length extending longitudinally of the housing of the data terminal. The active area of the display screen is covered by a touch sensitive overlay screen which is configured in one mode of operation of the data terminal into an alphabetical keyboard. The orientation of the display is switchable between orientations in which the line direction of the displayed data extends across or longitudinally of the data terminal. The keys of the numerical keyboard are identified by indicia disposed on a template. The orientation of the template may be sensed to switch the orientation of the displayed data and touch sensitive key identifiers to correspond to the orientation of the indicia on the template.

Abstract: A portable data collection terminal system has a housing having a display screen with coincident graphic data input and a keyboard on the frontal side thereof. An accessory pod, having a width less than the width of the display screen and a handgrip extension adapted to hold a selected accessory device, such as a laser scanner, is disposed on the housing, opposite said frontal side. The accessory pod has one or two activation, diaphragm-type switches disposed in a pod wall disposed transversely to the handgrip extension and extending outwardly from, opposite the frontal side, the housing. The switch or switches are connected in parallel, if more than one, and are disposed near an end of the pod wall such that they are operable by either a user's thumb or finger.

Abstract: A battery powered device having a plurality of PCMCIA (or other) type slots uses monitoring circuitry to detect the onset of battery power depletion. In response to the onset detection, control circuitry attempts to selectively remove power from ones of the plurality of slots. With the battery load thus lessened, the battery powered device has a greater opportunity to execute emergency procedures such as alert the user and save operational data. A processing circuit selectively overrides the control circuit in the attempt to prevent the removal of power. The processing circuit may also enable a presently disabled slots at and for any time period after the detection of depletion onset. Further, the processing circuit selectively coordinates power down if need be based on the consideration of characteristics of certain installed cards. The processing circuit may also calculate and adjust (through power down) loading after onset detect based on estimates of remaining battery life.

Abstract: A portable data collection terminal system has a housing having a display screen with coincident graphic data input and a keyboard on the frontal side thereof. An accessory pod, having a width less than the width of the display screen and a handgrip extension adapted to hold a selected accessory device, such as a laser scanner, is disposed on the housing, opposite said frontal side. The accessory pod has one or two activation, diaphragm-type switches disposed in a pod wall disposed transversely to the handgrip extension and extending outwardly from, opposite the frontal side, the housing. The switch or switches are connected in parallel, if more than one, and are disposed near an end of the pod wall such that they are operable by either a user's thumb or finger.

Abstract: A portable data collection terminal has an elongate housing with a hand grip conforming rear surface. A front surface features a numerical keyboard adjacent a lower end of the housing and an LCD screen adjacent the keyboard toward an upper end of the housing. The display screen is of elongate rectangular shape, its length extending longitudinally of the housing of the data terminal. The active area of the display screen is covered by a touch sensitive overlay screen which is configured in one mode of operation of the data terminal into an alphabetical keyboard. The orientation of the display is switchable between orientations in which the line direction of the displayed data extends across or longitudinally of the data terminal. The keys of the numerical keyboard are identified by indicia disposed on a template. The orientation of the template may be sensed to switch the orientation of the displayed data and touch sensitive key identifiers to correspond to the orientation of the indicia on the template.

Abstract: A portable data collection terminal has an elongate housing with a hand grip conforming rear surface. A front surface features a numerical keyboard adjacent a lower end of the housing and an LCD screen adjacent the keyboard toward an upper end of the housing. The display screen is of elongate rectangular shape, its length extending longitudinally of the housing of the data terminal. The active area of the display screen is covered by a touch sensitive overlay screen which is configured in one mode of operation of the data terminal into an alphabetical keyboard. The orientation of the display is switchable between orientations in which the line direction of the displayed data extends across or longitudinally of the data terminal. The keys of the numerical keyboard are identified by indicia disposed on a template. The orientation of the template may be sensed to switch the orientation of the displayed data and touch sensitive key identifiers to correspond to the orientation of the indicia on the template.

Abstract: A portable data collection terminal has an elongate housing with a hand grip conforming rear surface. A front surface features a numerical keyboard adjacent a lower end of the housing and an LCD screen adjacent the keyboard toward an upper end of the housing. The display screen is of elongate rectangular shape, its length extending longitudinally of the housing of the data terminal. The active area of the display screen is covered by a touch sensitive overlay screen which is configured in one mode of operation of the data terminal into an alphabetical keyboard. The orientation of the display is switchable between orientations in which the line direction of the displayed data extends across or longitudinally of the data terminal. The keys of the numerical keyboard are identified by indicia disposed on a template. The orientation of the template may be sensed to switch the orientation of the displayed data and touch sensitive key identifiers to correspond to the orientation of the indicia on the template.

Abstract: A microprocessor circuit of a computerized data collection terminal includes the microprocessor and reprogrammable flash read only memory at memory address locations from which normally start-up and control instructions would be retrieved. A connector port is coupled to the microprocessor circuit through which additional memory, for example in the form of a memory card, may be temporarily and removably coupled into the circuit. A special purpose memory card includes start-up and control instructions to start and operate the microprocessor. The data collection terminal includes a special switch which, when activated, causes the rerouting of start-up code requests by the microprocessor from the memory locations of the reprogrammable flash memory to locations on the special purpose memory card.