Abstract: A hand-held workslate computer is disclosed. The workslate computer includes electronic circuitry including a microprocessor and a visual display screen electrically coupled to the microprocessor. The display screen includes a position sensitive contact portion. The workslate computer also includes a housing including a top face and a bottom face separated by a side wall and defining an interior region, the housing supporting the electronic circuitry and the visual display screen. A set of modular devices is provided, each device including interface circuitry. The housing further includes at least two modular device docking stations adapted to releasably engage a selected one of the set of modular devices. Interface circuitry is provided to electrically couple circuitry in the selected modular device and the microprocessor. The modular devices may be mounted to selected modular device docking stations to provide an ergonomically correct weight balance.

Abstract: A portable data collection device (10) adapted to be mounted to a shopping cart (18) is disclosed. The device includes a housing (12) having a clamping assembly (80, 82, 84, and 86) for releasably clamping the housing to a pushing bar (16) of a shopping cart (18). The housing (12) defines an interior region supporting device electronics. The device further includes an interactive touch sensitive visual display screen (110, 112) and a retractable, tethered dataform reader (22) releasable mounted on the housing (12). When mounted on the housing (12), an imaging assembly (42) and an illumination assembly (44) of the reader (22) are continuously actuated to read a dataform presented to the reader. When removed from the housing, (12) the reader (22) is actuated by depressing a trigger (40) on the reader. The device also includes a magnetic stripe reading assembly (60), a printer (62) and communications circuitry (118) including a radio communicator module.