Abstract: A radio frequency identification transponder (RFID tag) includes an RFID antenna and one or more elements of nonlinear magnetic material tuned to resonate at substantially the same frequency as the resonant frequency of the tag antenna. This co-resonance amplifies signals that impinge upon the antenna, yielding both a higher level signal from the antenna to the tag electronics and wider operational bandwidth for the tag. With the addition of the nonlinear magnetic material, the tag may also be employed as a magnetic surveillance tag, with the attendant non-screening capabilities. With a plurality of nonlinear magnetic elements tuned to different resonant frequencies, the tag may provide more "non-screenable" information, that is, two bits, or four binary states, for example, when two such elements are employed.

Abstract: A portable electronic printing system including power supply assembly is disclosed. The printing system includes a printer comprising a printer housing having first and second ends, a handle disposed at the first end of the housing for allowing a user to tote the portable electronic printing system, and a power supply foot disposed at the second end of the housing. The power supply foot includes a power supply circuit for supplying power received from an external power source to the printing system. The power supply assembly includes a sidewall and a bracket for supporting a first electronic device and for sinking heat generated by the first electronic device away from the first electronic device. The bracket is coupled to the sidewall such that heat received by the bracket from the first electronic device is transferred to the sidewall. A second electronic device is mounted to the bracket such that the bracket absorbs vibrational energy applied to the second electronic device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for locating geometric shapes or edges thereof in data collection symbols initially samples and stores an image of light reflected from the symbol. Thereafter, two routines are performed. A first routine performs low level vision processing by identifying linked points along edges, lines, curves or within shapes. At least one of three distortion compensating subroutines compensate for blocking, breaking, gaps or other severe distortions affecting shapes in the stored image. Under a first subroutine, an edge of a shape is tracked until a stopping condition occurs, at which point the shape is crossed so as to continue tracking on an opposite edge. Under a second subroutine, previously collected linear curve information is used to identify a jump point to continue tracking following a stopping condition. Under a third subroutine, mathematical morphology techniques are employed to close gaps or move blockage in shapes in the stored image.

Abstract: A route delivery communication system for collecting and processing order and related data from product delivery units such as vending machines and the like, grocery and merchandise retailers, pharmacies, restaurants hospitals, clinics, warehouses, and factories, or the like, or for collecting and processing package collection data from package delivery boxes (such as mailboxes) is described. The system includes a plurality of notifiers each of which including a transceiver and a data gathering transducer for connection to an information collection point such as a vending machine or mailbox. The system also includes a plurality of prompters each including a transceiver for activating, queuing, and receiving data from the notifiers. The prompters further include a user display for communicating with a user and a user input for allowing a user to access and manipulate the prompter and data collected by the prompter from the notifiers.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for guiding a hand-held device operator through the process of enabling input and output devices on the hand-held device. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a hand-held device includes a bar code reader which images or scans a bar code label. The hand-held device then searches its enabled bar code symbologies for a bar code symbology which interprets the scanned bar code label. If the device cannot interpret the scanned bar code label according to its presently enabled bar code symbologies, the device then examines its non-enabled bar code symbologies. If the scanned bar code label can be interpreted according to a non-enabled bar code symbology, then the device queries the operator to determine if the bar code symbology should be enabled.

Abstract: A sticker transponder adapted to be affixed to a glass surface, such as a vehicle windshield, includes a RFID transponder enabling the storage and retrieval of vehicle related data. The sticker transponder comprises a flexible circuit substrate having an antenna formed thereon and a transponder circuit disposed on the substrate and coupled to the antenna. An adhesive layer is coupled to a first surface of the flexible circuit substrate. An indicia layer is coupled to a second surface of the flexible circuit opposite from the first surface. The indicia layer comprises a space permitting indicia to be printed thereon. The antenna has a characteristic impedance defined in part by a dielectric constant of the flexible circuit substrate in combination with a dielectric constant of the glass surface. As a result, a proper impedance match between the antenna and the transponder circuit is achieved only when the sticker is affixed to the glass surface.

Abstract: A system for controlling assets for inventory, loss-control, or monitoring. The system includes a combination RFID and EAS tag and a reader.

Abstract: An RF/ID interrogator recovers a backscattered data signal from a moving RF/ID transponder by combining the received in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) components of the signal in a manner that cancels out the amplitude nulls and phase reversals caused by movement of the RF/ID transponder. More particularly, the RF/ID interrogator comprises a radio having a transmitter portion to provide an RF carrier signal and a receiver portion to receive the I and Q signals from the RF transponder. A bandpass filter is coupled to the radio to remove direct current (DC) components from the I and Q. A processor coupled to the radio and the filter executes stored instructions to combine the filtered I and Q signals and recover the original backscattered data signal therefrom. In an embodiment of the invention, the processor estimates a phase angle .beta.(t) between the I and Q signals and the RF carrier by calculating an arctangent of a ratio of the filtered Q and I signals.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder (tag) includes a spiral over ground plane antenna. The RFID tag includes a RFID circuitry that may be implemented as an RFID tag integrated circuit and may be mounted on one surface of a substrate such as a printed circuit board. The RFID tag circuitry may be electrically connected to an impedance matching circuit printed on the same side of printed circuit board. The matching circuit is electrically connected to a spiral antenna that may be mounted on same side of the printed circuit board as the tag circuit and matching circuit. The spiral antenna is held a prescribed distance from the ground plane in order to maximize the gain of the RFID tag and to thereby maximize the range of the RFID tag.

Abstract: A delay diversity processor for use in receiving direct sequence spread spectrum data utilizes multipath signals to enhance bit synchronization performance by integrating the magnitude of each multipath signal to allow for erratic fluctuations in the multipath signal. As a result, the receiver is less prone to sudden signal strength variation that might trigger erroneous bit resynchronization. The delay diversity processor comprises a first circuit which determines a magnitude value for each of a plurality of correlated signal samples of individual data bits of plural data streams of the received spread spectrum data. A second circuit integrates each of the magnitude values over a period of time corresponding to receipt of a plurality of the individual data bits. The integrated magnitude values provide a measure of confidence of a particular one of the correlated signal samples with respect to remaining ones of the correlated signal samples.

Abstract: An RF tag for inclusion in a smart label comprises a stiff substrate sized to be received in the smart label, an antenna carried by the substrate and an integrated circuit having a memory circuit carried by the substrate and coupled to the antenna by wire bonding. The substrate may be strain relieved, for example, by forming a pair of generally opposed serpentine edges on the substrate, or forming a plurality of grooves in at least one surface of the substrate. A smart label comprises the RF tag between a face sheet and an adhesive. A release liner may cover the adhesive. A compressably deformable material having a low viscoelastic modulus is received between the first surface of the substrate and the face sheet partially surrounding the circuit structure and wire bonds to hydrostatically protect against damage. A film layer with a blister may envelop the low viscoelastic modulus material.

Abstract: A portable hand-held data terminal having a curvilinear cross-sectional keypad capable of operation by one hand. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention the keys may extend to various heights above the keypad depending on their function. For example, a scan trigger key may extend the farthest from the terminal, numeric keys may extend the next farthest, and alphabetic keys may extend the least. The data terminal may also provide a quick release pistol grip to terminal attachment which utilizes, in an exemplary embodiment, a pair of removably receivable compressible O-rings, a pair of removably receivable guides, and a lever-type latch mechanism. The invention may also provide an interface between the pistol grip assembly's trigger mechanism and the data terminal which does not require that the housing of the data terminal be pierced.

Abstract: A document or object includes resonant tags, such as thin dipoles, and a machine-readable symbol, such as an area symbol, secured thereto. A reader reads the symbol and determines response characteristics encoded therein for the dipoles. The reader then can interrogate the dipoles and, together with the response characteristics and determined orientation (derived from the symbol), accurately determine resonant response characteristics received from the dipoles. Alternatively, a printer may interrogate the document to determine the response characteristics of the dipoles in the document, and then print the corresponding symbol.

Abstract: A holster assembly for a hand-held computer or other hand-held electronic device. The holster assembly has first and second holster sides connected together to define a receiving area with an open end and a substantially closed end opposite the open end. The open end is sized to allow the hand-held computer to be moved into and out of the receiving area between installed and removed positions. The first holster side is a molded, compressed foam structure having a first contoured surface shaped to substantially cover the first side portion when the hand-held computer is in the installed position. The second holster side is a molded, compressed foam structure having a second contoured surface facing the first contoured surface and being shaped to substantially cover the portion of the second side surface. A holster retaining strap is attached to the first holster side to allow the holster assembly to be retained on, as an example, the belt of a user or the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for testing RFID tags using wireless radio frequency (RF) communication. The method and apparatus allow RFID tags to be tested individually or in groups while they are in close proximity to each other (e.g., within the read range of the tag).

Abstract: An easily findable 2-dimensional bar code is disclosed comprising a 2-dimensional bar code; and, a 1-dimensional bar code directly associated with the 2-dimensional bar code at a known distance and orientation with respect to a starting location of the 2-dimensional bar code whereby the 1-dimensional bar code acts as a locator for the 2-dimensional bar code. In one embodiment, the 1-dimensional bar code is incorporated as part of the 2-dimensional bar code into a hybrid bar code. The 1-dimensional bar code may contain information defining decoding of the 2-dimensional bar code. The 2-dimensional bar code may contain information supplemental to information in the 1-dimensional bar code. The 2-dimensional bar code may also contain information redundant to information in said 1-dimensional bar code. Further, the 1-dimensional bar code contains information required for decoding of the 2-dimensional bar code whereby a greater percentage of the 2-dimensional bar code is available to contain data.

Abstract: An RF tag has an enable/disable circuit connected to a critical part of an electronic object/circuit, e.g. a computer mother board. The critical part of the circuit is any circuit component and/or connection that can enable and/or disable the electric circuit operation. Signals are sent to the tag to change data in the tag memory which causes the enable/disable tag circuit to control the critical part to enable and disable the electric circuit. A system checks the status of the tag, e.g. the electronic circuit was paid for, before enabling the electronic circuit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reading optical symbols is disclosed, which employs defined erasure zones for grading symbols, and for permitting soft decisions to be made with respect to further processing of the symbols. The erasure zones are defined between nominal values within the range of nominal values for the measurable characteristics of the symbol elements which comprise the symbol. The measured actual values of the measurable characteristic are compared to the erasure zones. The number of symbol elements having measured actual values within any one of the erasure zones is used to determine the appropriate steps for further processing of the optical symbol. Measurable characteristics can include dimensions such as width, length, area, volume, as well as other optical characteristics such as color or hue, and shade or depth.

Abstract: In a label printer having a printhead mounted above a path for printing on labels carried by a backing strip along the path, this invention is apparatus for adjusting the lateral position of the printhead over the labels. A first member is fixedly carried by the printer over the path. A second member carries the printhead while third member connects the second member to the first member for lateral movement relative to the first member. Finally, there is adjusting apparatus for selectively setting a lateral position of the second member relative to the first member.