Abstract: A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network.

Abstract: A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network.

Abstract: A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network.

Abstract: A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network.

Abstract: A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network.

Abstract: A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network.

Abstract: A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network.

Abstract: A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network.

Abstract: A communication system including a battery powered mobile service station is used to provide transactional support within a premises. The mobile service station includes a plurality of network devices that operate on a second wireless network, where at least one of the plurality of network devices participates on a first wireless network. In one embodiment, a network device participates as a slave device on the first wireless network and participates as a master device in the second wireless network. In another embodiment, a mobile service station includes a mobile network device that simultaneously operates over a wireless premises network and a wireless peripheral sub-network having a relatively shorter range than the wireless premises network. One or more peripheral devices communicate with the mobile network device in the peripheral sub-network. The mobile service station includes a battery power supply and may further include a peripheral device coupled to the battery.

Abstract: A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network.

Abstract: A bar code reader/decoder analyzer method and system for testing the quality characteristics of bar code readers and bar code decoders. An analyzer unit is interface with and controlled by host computer which can either be located within the analyzer unit or housed separately. A bar code reader which is to be tested is connected to the analyzer unit and a series or test patterns is scanned. The digitized information from the scanner is converted by the analyzer into quantifiable data and is transmitted to the host computer where it is stored and analyzed. A bar code decoder is connected to the analyzer unit and is sent a series of digitized signals representing a series of scans by a bar code reader of similar type. The decoder decodes the information and transmits the data back to the host computer where the data can be analyzed.

Abstract: A drive circuit for an electroluminescent panel applies an AC voltage cycle at typical power cycle frequencies by increasing the voltage profile in discrete, pulsed steps at a rate which is at least one order of magnitude greater than the AC frequencies applied to power the panel. A transformer through which the power pulses are applied to the panel is of smaller size than state of the art resonant transformers for applying power cycles to electroluminescent panels. The reduced size of the transformer is advantageous in packaging the drive circuit in portable devices using electroluminescent panels. The voltage steps at the leading edge of the voltage excursions of the AC cycle applied to the panel may be programmably changed to adjust the light output of the panel, or to adjust the power applied by the circuit to correspond to the size of the panel to which the power is applied.

Abstract: A drive circuit for an electroluminescent panel applies an AC voltage cycle at typical power cycle frequencies by increasing the voltage profile in discrete, pulsed steps at a rate which is at least one order of magnitude greater than the AC frequencies applied to power the panel. A transformer through which the power pulses are applied to the panel is of smaller size than state of the art resonant transformers for applying power cycles to electroluminescent panels. The reduced size of the transformer is advantageous in packaging the drive circuit in portable devices using electroluminescent panels. The voltage steps at the leading edge of the voltage excursions of the AC cycle applied to the panel may be programmably changed to adjust the light output of the panel, or to adjust the power applied by the circuit to correspond to the size of the panel to which the power is applied.

Abstract: A mobile customer service station includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. The console further features a cash drawer. The operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multifunction control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a radio communications system.

Abstract: A mobile customer service station includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. The console further includes a cash drawer. The operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powdered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a radio communication system.