Hand-held data capture system with interchangeable modules

Abstract

A hand-held data collection device with a user interface surface that is wider than its handgrip area. Also, a hand-held data collection device with an upwardly facing surface containing a user interface and a side surface containing a plurality of actuators. The data collection device can be held in one hand with a finger reaching the actuators. An opposite side surface can also contain a plurality of actuators. The data collection device can include combinations of a marker beam generator, an indicia reader, a display, a manually actuatable selector, a voice input and a digitizer. The indicia reader can be an optical reader or a radio frequency tag reader. Some of the actuators can have different shapes. The actuators can include an indicia reader actuator or a function selector. The data collection device can collect, for example, handwritten information, including signatures.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.