Abstract: A snap-on antenna and connector mounting assembly for a hand-held electronic device, such as a hand-held computer. The hand-held electronic device has a housing with a sidewall and a jack-receiving aperture therein, an antenna jack extending through the jack-receiving aperture, and a flexible bushing positioned in the jack-receiving aperture between the antenna jack and the sidewall. The bushing isolates the antenna jack from the sidewall, so the antenna jack is deflectable relative to the sidewall without being damaged. The snap-on antenna has a substantially rigid base having an interior area therein and having a housing-attachment portion with an aperture communicating with the interior area. A plug connector contained within the interior area has a jack-connecting portion positioned to removably receive the antenna jack such that the antenna can be snapped into and off of the hand-held electronic device between installed and removed positions, respectively.

Abstract: The invention is a radiofrequency identification tag comprising a semiconductor chip having radio frequency, logic, and memory circuits, and an antenna that are mounted on a substrate. The antenna may be used by the chip to modulate an incident RF signal to transfer information to a base station. The antenna comprises one or more lengths of thin wire that are connected directly to the chip by means of wire bonding. The chip and antenna combination are sealed with an organic film covering.

Abstract: A method and apparatus employs a weighted order stored in a weight table for automatically discriminating optical symbols which may be encoded in any one of at least two symbologies. The weighted order may be dynamically updated to reflect the distribution of symbologies as the symbols are acquired and decoded.

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 current limited rechargeable battery charging apparatus is utilized to charge batteries comprising lithium type electrochemical cells. The charging apparatus of the present invention may be specifically utilized with rechargeable batteries comprising lithium type electrochemical cells utilized in a multiple cell series configuration. The lithium battery may be charge limited float charged such that the charging current does not exceed a predetermined current value. The charge current limiting may be provided without utilizing complex or expensive current control circuitry. The current limited rechargeable battery charging apparatus my be utilized as a part of a battery charging and utilization system implemented with portable electronic devices such that the electronic device may be utilized and the battery may be charged while simultaneously providing operational power and being overcharged protected.

Abstract: A hand-held data processing assembly having a detachable radio frequency tag reader module. The assembly can have an electromagnetic field permeable housing. In one embodiment, the detachable tag reader module can be replaced with a different tag reader module. In other embodiments, the detachable tag reader module can be replaced with other types of reader modules such as a CCD reader module or a laser scanner module. The system can be held with the right or left hand. In either case, the user interface of the system faces the user during operation.

Abstract: A spread spectrum communication system is provided in which a receiver is adapted to despread multi-bit digital signals transmitted with a fixed chipping rate using two or more different spreading code lengths. As a result, a longer spreading code could be utilized to transmit at a lower data rate for conditions in which jamming resistance is more critical, such as over longer distances, and a shorter spreading code could be utilized to transmit at a higher data rate for conditions in which jamming resistance is less critical, such as over shorter distances. The receiver further comprises a digital matched filter adapted to correlate to the two different spreading codes. The digital matched filter comprises a digital delay line having a plurality of successive delay stages that propagate the received digital signal therethrough at a fixed rate corresponding to the chipping rate of the digital signal.

Abstract: A Write Broadcast system and method uses a base station to write sent data associated with no particular destination tag or tags, by radio frequency signal, to all or some selected number (sub group) of tags in a base station field simultaneously. By unselecting the tags that have been successfully written to, and requesting a response from the remaining tags in the field (or sub group), the system determines, by receiving a response to the request, that there are tags in the field (sub group) that were unsuccessfully written to. Another Write Broadcast signal is sent to these tags. The system is useful for quickly (simultaneously) "stamping" information on the tag memory of a large number of tags in the field of the base station.

Abstract: A secure communication system is provided for transmitting a country specific frequency allocation in encrypted form between a host processor and a remote device. The secure communication system comprises a host processor and a remote device capable of communicating with the host processor over a communication link. The host processor has a plurality of stored data sets and a predefined encryption algorithm. Each one of the stored data sets comprises a country specific frequency allocation. The remote device has a unique identifier code and also has the predefined encryption algorithm. Responsive to the unique identifier code, the host processor provides a selected one of the plurality of data sets in encrypted form by utilizing the predefined encryption algorithm. The unique identifier code provides an encryption key for the predefined encryption algorithm. The remote device then decrypts the encrypted data set using the predefined encryption algorithm with the identifier code as a decryption key.

Abstract: The new bar code symbology under the present invention directly encodes one symbol character for each human readable character in known 16-bit data character encoding standards such as Unicode. The symbology employs six bars and six spaces for each symbol, and has a total width of 21 modules for each symbol character, and thus is a (21,6) symbology. Bars and spaces in symbol characters having greater than six modules in width are eliminated, as are bounding strings of more than six adjacent one-wide elements. As a result, the symbology is wand scannable, readily printable, and can be read when out-of-focus. Parity codes are employed, to enable Hamming distances between symbol characters to be maximized, and thereby improve data security of the symbology (e.g, the total width of all bars in each symbol character is equal to an even number). As a result, the present symbology preferably encodes 80,077 data characters.

Abstract: A combination of a radio frequency identification transponder (RFID Tag) and to a magnetic electronic article surveillance (EAS) device is disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reading data collection symbols initially samples and preferably stores an image of light reflected from the symbol. An initial portion of the symbol in the stored image is located and multiple reading techniques are performed based on the stored symbol image and the located portion. Several output signals are produced from the multiple reading techniques, and one of the output signals is selected as a decoded signal that represents the data encoded in the symbol. The multiple reading techniques can be multiple reading methods performed substantially simultaneously with each other (on one or more processors), a single method performed multiple times and at multiple locations within the stored symbol image, or each reading method can be broken down into constituent modules, and like modules grouped into sets.

Abstract: A bar code symbol reading system includes a memory for storing a plurality of reading gate locations, each reading gate location defining coordinates for a reading gate area surrounding one of the bar code symbols. The memory also stores a lookup table containing an identifier for the object and a pointer to configuration data relating each reading gate for the object to a specific component on the object. The object is scanned by a charge-coupled device scanner for scanning each bar code symbol according to the stored reading gate locations. A processor determines the identifier for each object and relates each read bar code symbol to a component on the object based on the configuration data.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling operation of a printer enables the transport rate of the print media to be coordinated with the print rate in order to precisely compensate for top-of-form and image stretch errors. The printer comprises a platen roller driven by a stepper motor to transport the print media in step increments. A print head is disposed in proximity to the platen roller so that the print media is transported therebetween by operation of the platen roller and step motor. A step rate control circuit for the printer comprises a clock adapted to provide a series of regular clock pulses at a fixed rate, and a first and a second counter respectively coupled to the clock for counting the clock pulses. The first counter provides a first interrupt signal with each of a first number of clock pulses which is provided to the stepper motor to cause the print media to be advanced by one step.

Abstract: Linerless media for labels is invisibly marked along its length with invisible marks or small holes to indicate motion marks and/or position marks related to pre-printed label information. The marks are used to properly position pre-printed label information with respect to a printer printhead. The marks can also be used to detect critical speeds of the media that can cause problems such as standing waves or poor print quality from the printhead. The marks are also used to position and print on linerless media being pulled by hand through a printer having no drive motor.

Abstract: A battery charging method in an environment of variable temperatures provides for a temperature correction to determine an onset of an overcharge phase which is detected by a discernible thermal energy output of a charging battery. The method comprises a precursory operation of determining time period required for effecting a temperature change in the battery in response to a temperature change of an ambient space about the battery. The temperature of the battery is then monitored throughout the charging process by measuring the temperature of the battery at timed, predetermined intervals. Over the same timed intervals the temperature of the ambience is measured. A measured difference in the temperature of the ambience with respect to a prior temperature of the ambience is applied to a measured temperature of the battery as modified by a predetermined time delay factor.

Abstract: A wireless local area network (WLAN) provides optimal data throughput by operating at multiple data rates simultaneously. The WLAN includes a network master communicating with a plurality of remote client transceiver nodes. The network master maintains a table of active client transceiver nodes. The table includes a current data rate for each of the active client transceiver nodes. Periodic high-speed and low-speed beacon signals are transmitted from the network master to the active client transceiver nodes. Each of the active client transceiver nodes receives and processes the beacon signals to determine an optimal data rate. Then, each of the active client transceiver nodes transmits a return signal to the network master which designates the determined optimal data rate. Thereafter, the network master updates the table to reflect the optimal data rate for each of the active client transceiver nodes.

Abstract: A tag for concealing in an object for providing antitheft protection and identification, and a system for incorporating the tag, include in one embodiment a magnetic antitheft element, and an identification code including a pattern of first and second segments of wires of high thermal conductivity situated at right angles to the antitheft element and in intimate thermal contact with the antitheft element. The length of the first segments is longer than the length of the second segments.