(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7552,863 B2 Koziol Et Al
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US007552863B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7552,863 B2 Koziol et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jun. 30, 2009 (54) METHOD FOR UPDATING INDICIA 7,093,760 B1* 8/2006 Collins, Jr. ............. 235,462.01 READERS 7,159,783 B2 * 1/2007 Walczyk et al. ........ 235,472.01 7,273,179 B2 * 9/2007 Anson et al. ........... 235,462.46 (75) Inventors: Thomas J. Koziol, Camillus, NY (US); 7,311,259 B2 * 12/2007 Watanabe et al. ...... 235,462.14 James W. Stewart, East Syracuse, NY 7,398,929 B2 * 7/2008 Longacre et al. ....... 235,462.07 (US) 7,438,217 B2 * 10/2008 Bhella et al. ................ 235,375 7.464,878 B2 * 12/2008 Schmidt et al. ........ 235,472.01 (73) Assignee: Hall's Products, Inc., Skaneateles 2001/0007334 A1* 7, 2001 Wilz et al. ............. 235,462.15 alls, NY (US) 2002fOO23959 A1* 2, 2002 Miller et al. ........... 235,462.13 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 2002/003.01.05 A1 3/2002 Miller et al. ........... 235,462.13 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 2002/0054689 A1* 5/2002 Zhang et al. ................ 381,312 U.S.C. 154(b) by 26 days. 2002/0130181 A1* 9, 2002 Reddersen et al. ..... 235,462.15 2002/0185537 A1* 12/2002 Konda ................... 235,462.01 (21) Appl. No.: 11/712, 176 2002/0185540 A1* 12/2002 Hashimoto et al. ..... 235,462.25 2002/0193101 A1* 12/2002 McAlinden ................. 455,419 (22) Filed: Feb. 28, 2007 2003/0001017 A1 1/2003 Konda .............. ... 235,462.15 O O 2003/0022663 A1* 1/2003 Rajaram et al. ............. 455,419 (65) Prior Publication Data 2003/0041125 A1 2/2003 Salomon ..................... TO9.220 US 2008/0209411A1 Aug. 28, 2008 2003/0042311 A1* 3/2003 Longacre et al. ....... 235,462.07 2003/0069007 A1* 4/2003 Rajaram et al. ............. 455,419 (51) Int. Cl. 2003/0209605 A1 * 1 1/2003 Walczyk et al. ........ 235,472.01 G06F 7700 (2006.01) 2004/00 16812 A1 1/2004 Schmidt et al. ........ 235,462.31 G06K 700 (2006.01) G06K 7/10 (2006.01) G06K 9/06 (2006.01) (52) U.S. Cl. ....................... 235/375; 235/.435; 235/454; (Continued) 235/494: 235/462.01 Primary Examiner Daniel Walsh (58) Field of Classification Search ................. 235/.435, (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm. Hiscock & Barclay, LLP 235/375, 454, 494, 462.01 See application file for complete search history. (57) ABSTRACT (56) References Cited U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS A method of operating an indicia reader comprising the steps of requesting upgrade Software from a remote server, the 4,868,375 A * 9/1989 Blanford ................ 235,462.15 remote server sending in response to the request an informa 5,185,514 A * 2/1993 Wike et al. .................. 235,375 tion bearing indicia (IBI) to a device local to the indicia 5,214.268 A * 5/1993 Doing ............ ... 235,462.15 reader, providing the IBI on a readable medium; reading the 5,837.986 A * 1 1/1998 Barile et al. ........... 235/462.01 IBI; recognizing in the indicia the presence of indicia upgrade 6,349,879 B1* 2/2002 Watanabe et al. ...... 235,462.15 6,902,114 B2 * 6/2005 Hashimoto et al. ..... 235,462.25 information regarding retrieval of the upgrade Software; and, 7,027.806 B2 * 4/2006 Rajaram et al. ............. 455,419 retrieving upgrade software from the remote server in 7,048,192 B2 * 5/2006 Schmidt et al. ........ 235,462.43 response to the indicia upgrade information. 7,062,763 B2 * 6/2006 Ali-Santosa et al. ........ 717,168 7,080,786 B2 * 7/2006 Longacre et al. ....... 235,462.01 19 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets Local HosjServer 12 US 7552.863 B2 Page 2 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 2006/0223517 A1* 10/2006 Rajaram et al. ............. 455,419 2006/0238305 A1 * 10/2006 Loving et al. 340/10.1 2004/0094627 A1* 5, 2004 Parker et al. ........... 235,472.01 2006/0239448 A1* 10/2006 Pang et al. .................. 379,910 2004/0222300 A1* 11/2004 Strickland.............. 235,462.15 2007/0063049 A1 3/2007 Anson et al. ........... 235,462.46 2004/025 1307 A1* 12/2004 Schmidt et al. ........ 235,462.46 2007/0228137 A1* 10, 2007 Bhella et al. ... 235,375 2004/0256464 A1* 12/2004 Longacre et al. ....... 235,462.45 2007/0284443 A1* 12/2007 Anson et al. ................ 235,435 2004/0262395 A1* 12/2004 Longacre et al. ....... 235,462.15 2008/0093456 A1* 4/2008 Pasik et al. ................. 235/454 2005, 01997.27 A1* 9, 2005 Schmidt et al. ........ 235,462.46 2008/O121715 A1* 5, 2008 Field ....... 235,462.25 2005/0284943 A1* 12/2005 Walczyk et al. ........ 235,472.01 2008/0179388 A1* 7/2008 Pang et al. .................. 235,375 2006/0006231 A1 1/2006 Anson et al. ................ 235,435 2008/0209411 A1* 8, 2008 KOZiolet al. ................ 717/171 2006, OO27653 A1* 2, 2006 Sato et al. ... ... 235,435 2008, 0230607 A1* 9, 2008 Etten ....... 235,435 2006/0168261 A1* 7/2006 Serval et al. ................ TO9/230 2009/0031299 A1 1/2009 Karstens ..................... 717/177 2006/0175413 A1* 8/2006 Longacre et al. ....... 235,462O7 * cited by examiner U.S. Patent Jun. 30, 2009 Sheet 1 of 5 US 7552,863 B2 Fig. 1 U.S. Patent Jun. 30, 2009 Sheet 2 of 5 US 7552,863 B2 !=•æae----------• S-2) Z|| U.S. Patent Jun. 30, 2009 Sheet 3 of 5 US 7552,863 B2 U.S. Patent Jun. 30, 2009 Sheet 4 of 5 US 7552,863 B2 310 Connect To A Web Server 314 Retrieve indicia From Web Sever Fig. 4 316 Print Or Display The indicia 318 320 Use The Data Encoded in The Retrieved indicia to Determine Download Specifics For Downloading Data 322 DOWnload Software Or Firmware From Internet Server Using Download Specifics U.S. Patent US 7552,863 B2 STE Communications Module NETWORK SERVER US 7,552,863 B2 1. 2 METHOD FOR UPDATING INDICA FIG. 2 is a fragmentary partially cutaway side view of an READERS exemplary PDA in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block schematic diagram of an exemplary PDA FIELD OF THE INVENTION in accordance with the present invention. FIG.3 is a block schematic diagram of an exemplary PDA The present invention relates to indicia reading devices, system in accordance with the present invention. and more particularly to a method of updating an indicia FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating reading device. a PDA system in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary indicia reader BACKGROUND 10 system for a PDA system in accordance with the present invention. Indicia reading devices (also referred to as readers, readers, etc.) typically read data represented by printed indicia, (also DETAILED DESCRIPTION referred to as symbols, symbology, bar codes, etc.) For instance one type of a symbol is an array of rectangular bars 15 Reference will now be made to exemplary embodiments of and spaces that are arranged in a specific way to represent the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying draw elements of data in machine readable form. Optical indicia ings. This invention, however, may be embodied in various reading devices typically transmit light onto a symbol and forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodi receive light scattered and/or reflected back from a bar code ments set forth herein. Rather, these representative embodi symbol or indicia. The received light is interpreted by an ments are described in detail so that this disclosure will be image processor to extract the data represented by the sym thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope, bol. Laser indicia reading devices typically utilize transmitted structure, operation, functionality, and potential of applica laser light. bility of the invention to those skilled in the art. Wherever One-dimensional (1D) optical bar code readers are char possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout acterized by reading data that is encoded along a single axis, 25 the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. in the widths of bars and spaces, so that Such symbols can be Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a reader device, such as a read from a single scan along that axis, provided that the personal digital assistant (PDA) 112 orportable data terminal symbol is imaged with a sufficiently high resolution along (PDT) may be a platform for an image reading assembly 114 that axis. having the capability for capturing and reading images, some In order to allow the encoding of larger amounts of data in 30 of which may have symbol indicia provided therein. Personal a single bar code symbol, a number of 1D stacked bar code Digital Assistants (PDAs) are typically defined as handheld symbologies have been developed which partition encoded devices used as a personal organizer, and having many uses data into multiple rows, each including a respective 1D bar Such as reading information bearing indicia, calculating, use code pattern, all or most all of which must be scanned and as a clock and calendar, playing computer games, accessing decoded, then linked together to form a complete message. 35 the Internet, sending and receiving E-mails, use as a radio or Scanning still requires relatively higher resolution in one Stereo, video recording, recording notes, use as an address dimension only, but multiple linear scans are needed to read book, and use as a spreadsheet. A plurality of buttons or keys the whole symbol. 115 may be used to control operation of the PDA and the A class of barcode symbologies known as two dimensional imaging reader assembly 114.