# US 2018/0027208 A1 · Arrangement for, and method of, securing a data capture session of a portable data capture device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0027208 A1 - Document ID: US20180027208A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/213,812 - Filed: 2016-07-19 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-19 - Assignees: Symbol Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Symbol Technologies, LLC - Inventors: PRATIK SARDAR; MOHD ARSHAD SALEEM - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180027208A1 ## CPC - H04N 5/772: {the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure} - H04N 23/62: Control of parameters via user interfaces - H04N 23/63: by using electronic viewfinders - H04N 23/65: Control of camera operation in relation to power supply - H04N 23/667: Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A sensor senses when a portable, handheld data capture device has been dropped from a user's hand and is in free fall in a venue. A control system automatically saves data captured in a handheld mode of operation in response to the sensing of the free fall of the portable device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An arrangement for securing a data capture session of a portable data capture device, the arrangement comprising: a data capture system supported by the portable device, for capturing data from targets in a venue in a handheld mode of operation in which the portable device is held in a hand of a user; a sensor supported by the handheld device, for sensing when the portable device has been dropped from the user's hand and is in free fall in the venue; and a control system operatively connected to the sensor, for automatically saving the data captured in the handheld mode of operation in response to the sensing of the free fall of the portable device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the sensor is one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a proximity sensing device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the portable device is one of a handheld radio frequency (RF) identification (RFID) tag reader for capturing data from RFID tags associated with products in the venue, a handheld near field communication (NFC) tag reader for reading NFC tags associated with the products in the venue, and a handheld bar code symbol reader for capturing data from bar code symbols associated with the products in the venue; and wherein the control system automatically saves and stores the captured data in response to the sensing of the free fall to prevent the captured data from being lost. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, and touch controls on the portable device for controlling the handheld mode of operation when touched, and wherein the control system is operative for disabling the touch controls for a predetermined period of time in response to the sensing of the free fall. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, and a battery on the portable device for supplying electrical power to the portable device in the handheld mode of operation, and wherein the control system is operative for configuring the battery to enter the suspend mode in which the captured data is saved in response to the sensing of the free fall. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The arrangement of claim 5, and a display on the portable device, and wherein the control system is operative for displaying for a predetermined period of time on the display a message indicative that the portable device has been dropped and that the battery has been dislodged in response to the sensing of the free fall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the portable device is secured by the control system with a set of security settings for securing the portable device in the handheld mode of operation, and wherein the control system is operative for locking the portable device for a predetermined period of time with the set of security settings in response to the sensing of the free fall. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, and a device memory on the portable device, and wherein the control system saves the captured data by storing the captured data in the device memory. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The arrangement of claim 8, and a host server operatively connected with the portable device in the handheld mode of operation and having a host memory, and wherein the control system saves the captured data by storing the captured data in at least one of the device memory and the host memory. ### Claim 10 A method of securing a data capture session of a portable data capture device, the method comprising: capturing data from targets in a venue in a handheld mode of operation in which the portable device is held in a hand of a user; sensing when the portable device has been dropped from the user's hand and is in free fall in the venue; and automatically saving the data captured in the handheld mode of operation in response to the sensing of the free fall of the portable device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the sensing is performed by one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a proximity sensing device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, and configuring the portable device as one of a handheld radio frequency (RF) identification (RFID) tag reader for capturing data from RFID tags associated with products in the venue, a handheld near field communication (NFC) tag reader for reading NFC tags associated with the products in the venue, and a handheld bar code symbol reader for capturing data from bar code symbols associated with the products in the venue; and automatically saving and storing the captured data in response to the sensing of the free fall to prevent the captured data from being lost. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, and controlling the handheld mode of operation by touching touch controls on the portable device, and disabling the touch controls for a predetermined period of time in response to the sensing of the free fall. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, and supplying electrical power from a battery to the portable device in the handheld mode of operation, and configuring the battery to enter a suspend mode in which the captured data is saved in response to the sensing of the free fall. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, and displaying for a predetermined period of time a message indicative that the portable device has been dropped and that the battery has been dislodged in response to the sensing of the free fall. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, and securing the portable device with a set of security settings in the handheld mode of operation, and locking the portable device for a predetermined period of time with the set of security settings in response to the sensing of the free fall. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, and saving the captured data by storing the captured data in a device memory onboard the portable device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, and saving the captured data by storing the captured data in at least one of the device memory and a host memory of a remote host server.