Abstract: A mobile unit includes a processor, a memory, and a display. The display shows a user interface including a plurality of commands. Each sensory activated command of the plurality of commands is shown with a respective icon indicative of at least one of a motion and an orientation assigned to the sensory activated command.

Abstract: An ultrasonic locationing system includes an emitter operable to emit at least two ultrasonic frequency tones sequentially in one ultrasonic burst. These tones, which may contain multiple frequency components, define a unique regional address. A mobile device with a microphone is operable to receive the ultrasonic burst and have a processor determine the sequential tones. A location of the device can be found from a table of predefined tones assigned to known regional addresses.

Abstract: Defining a radio frequency identification read area includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader operable to read RFID tags within a specified read area. An RFID transmitter is coupled with the RFID reader and is operable to radiating a modulated carrier in an area adjacent to the specified read area. The RFID reader controls the RFID transmitter to transmit the modulated carrier during a preamble transmission of the RFID reader to prevent any RFID tags in the adjacent area from recognizing an interrogation signal from the RFID reader.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating an electronic device is provided. The electronic device, which includes a phase lock loop (PLL) receives sensor indicators from at least one sensor. Upon receiving sensor indicators, the device identifies a motion indicator based on the sensor indicators. A parameter of the PLL is adjusted based on the motion indicator, the PLL having at least one component susceptible to microphonics. When the PLL includes a charge pump, a parameter that may be adjusted is a pump current of the charge pump. When the PLL further comprises an oscillator for generating a reference signal, the parameter that may be adjusted is a trim of the oscillator.

Abstract: Ultrasonic locationing of a tag with an emitter transducer operable to emit a single frequency ultrasonic burst. A receiver with at least two microphones is operable to receive the ultrasonic burst. Each microphone receiver contains two narrowband filters to extract frequencies above and below the ultrasonic burst frequency. A processor derives a low frequency waveform indicative of the phase difference between the dual frequency pulses coming from each microphone receiver. A correlator then determines the time difference of arrival (TDOA) between each microphone receiver by correlating the phase difference waveforms. This invention enables the creation of an ultrasonic locationing system requiring microsecond accuracy on TDOA data, as is necessary with microphone spacing of less than one foot, while using a simple single high frequency emitter source.

Abstract: A mobile computing device is described. The mobile computing device includes an enclosure. A humidity sensor senses humidity inside the enclosure and generates humidity data. An internal temperature sensor senses a temperature inside the enclosure and generates internal temperature data. An external temperature sensor senses a temperature exterior to the enclosure and generates external temperature data. An environmental control apparatus adjusts at least a temperature inside the enclosure of the mobile electronic device. A processor receives the humidity data, the internal temperature data, and the external temperature data and activates the environmental control apparatus in response to the humidity data, the internal temperature data, and the external temperature data to minimize condensation from forming inside the enclosure due to rapid changes in external ambient temperature.

Abstract: An arrangement for, and a method of, electro-optically reading a target by image capture, employ an aiming assembly for projecting an aiming light pattern on the target that is located within a range of working distances relative to a housing, an imaging assembly for capturing an image of the target and of the aiming light pattern over a field of view, and a controller for determining a distance of the target relative to the housing based on a position of the aiming light pattern in the captured image, for determining a scanning resolution based on the determined distance, for comparing the determined scanning resolution with a scanning resolution setting, and for processing the captured image based on the comparison.

Abstract: An ultrasonic locationing method and system for ultrasonic locationing of a mobile device within an environment includes a plurality of fixed ultrasonic emitters to transmit an instruction to listen for an enrollment tone to at least one communication device, and to sequentially emit an enrollment tone from each emitter at specific times to be received by those communication devices that implemented the instruction. A controller receives a response from each of those communication devices, the respective response including an identity of the communication device, a time the enrollment tone was received, and an indication of a hardware platform of the communication device. The controller can then assign a locationing mode to each communication device in accordance with its hardware platform. The communication device provides locationing information using its assigned locationing mode and locationing tones from active emitters.

Abstract: Indicating a movement of an ultrasonic tag is accomplished by a transducer operable to provide electrical signals caused by the movement. The movement can cause mechanical vibrations, sound vibrations, or pressure in the transducer, to generate the electrical signals. A controller can detect the electrical signal from the transducer generated by the movement, whereupon the controller obtains tag data and modulates the tag data to be supplied to a powered up emitter. The emitter transmits the modulated tag data in a transmission to an ultrasonic tag reader using an ultrasonic carrier sound wave.

Abstract: An aiming light assembly generates an aiming light spot with increased brightness and uniformity over a range of working distances in which targets are electro-optically read by image capture. The assembly includes a light emitting diode (LED) for emitting an aiming light beam, a field stop through which the aiming light beam passes, an aiming lens for optically modifying the aiming light beam passing through the field stop to form the aiming light spot over the range of working distances, and a field lens located in the vicinity of the field stop and operative for imaging the LED downstream of the field stop and in the vicinity of a lens aperture of the aiming lens.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader for, and method of, reading an RFID tag to obtain data, includes an RFID module supported by a housing and including an antenna for propagating an electromagnetic field over a field of view, as well as an illuminator supported by the housing for visibly illuminating the field of view to enable an operator to see the illuminated field of view and whether the RFID tag is within the illuminated field of view.

Abstract: A method and system for changing modes for ultrasonic locationing of a mobile device includes transmitting ultrasonic pulses using a transmit schedule by fixed ultrasonic emitters. When a fixed access point begins serving a new mobile device, those ultrasonic emitters proximal to the access point are deactivated and associated microphones are activated to receive an acoustic tone from the new mobile device. This acoustic tone is used to establish an initial location of the new mobile device using measurements of the received acoustic tone at each proximal microphone. The transmit schedule is adapted to accommodate the new mobile device at the initial location, and the proximal ultrasonic emitters are returned to transmit mode. In this way, an accurate starting position of the new mobile device is established without greatly interrupting other mobile devices that are currently being located.

Abstract: A computer includes a communication unit for obtaining usage data and/or run-time data associated with the computer, at least one component communicatively coupled to the computer, and/or a vehicle on which the computer is mounted and from which the computer is configured to receive power. The computer further includes a processor configured to: extrapolate out of the usage data and run-time data patterns associated with activities implemented by the computer and/or the at least one component and power states of the vehicle and create and store a profile of patterns; receive an indication that the vehicle has been toggled to one of an ON power state and an OFF power state; identify a pattern associated with the power state of the vehicle; and adapt a power state of the computer and/or the at least one component responsive to the indication and the pattern.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing and a display device. The housing includes at least one recess. The display device includes a plurality of layers that externally couple to the housing. One of the layers includes at least one tab extending perpendicular to a surface of the display device. The tab is coupled to at least a portion of a perimeter of the recess.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for locationing using differential phase measurements of IEEE 802.11 preambles. A first step includes providing a local clock at the same frequency as the IEEE 802.11 preambles. This step includes synchronizing the local clocks at multiple receivers with a reference clock, for example, using Synchronous Ethernet. A next step includes receiving IEEE 802.11 packets from a transmitter by at least three fixed receivers. A next step includes determining a phase offset between the local clock and any nearest cycle of a preamble in the received packets in each of the receivers. A next step includes locating the transmitter using each of the phase offsets.

Abstract: A mobile unit (MU) is described. The MU includes a handle configured for gripping the MU with fingers of one hand of a user's arm. The MU includes a trigger switch positioned on the handle and configured to activate a data capture function of the MU when the trigger switch is depressed. The MU includes a display device positioned above the handle of the MU such that the display device is viewable to the user when the fingers grip the handle of the MU and the user's arm is maximally extended. The MU includes a data acquisition device located on an opposite side of the display device so as to capture data from an object positioned in a field of view of the data acquisition device when the trigger switch is depressed.

Abstract: A host server may optimize configurations of a set of readers under its control. The server assigns a multicast address to each reader in the set. Once connected, the server sends a multicast message to each reader assigned to the multicast address or to each reader within a given address range. Information in the multicast message is used for configuring or managing polling operations of each reader assigned to the multicast address or each reader within the given address range.

Abstract: A method and apparatus with predictive triggering includes a housing including electronics operable to perform a process that can be activated by a user depressing a trigger with a finger. A trigger is operable to activate the electronics to perform the process. A proximity sensor is operable to detect a user's finger in proximity to the trigger. A processor coupled to the electronics, trigger, and proximity sensor, wherein when the proximity sensor detects a user's finger in proximity to the trigger, before the user's finger actually depresses the trigger, the processor initiates activation of the electronics to perform a portion of the process, and when the user's finger depresses the trigger, the processor directs the electronics to complete the process.

Abstract: A selected target from a picklist having a plurality of targets is electro-optically read, by image capture, over a range of working distances, by capturing an image of the picklist in the range over an imaging field of view, by storing coordinates of a trajectory of an aiming light pattern in the imaging field of view over the range, by processing the captured image along the trajectory to find and identify a target, by determining whether the target covers the trajectory, and by determining that the target is the selected target when the target at least partially covers the trajectory.