System and method of maintaining a bar code reader
AssigneeNCR Corporation
InventorDonald A. Collins, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method of maintaining a bar code reader which bypasses a point-of-sale terminal coupled to the bar code reader. The system includes a maintenance computer, and a connection path between the maintenance computer and the bar code reader which bypasses a point-of-sale terminal connected to the bar code reader. The maintenance computer obtains bar code performance data from the bar code data over the connection path, determines the operating status of the bar code reader, and provides the operating status to a technician operating the maintenance computer.
Claims42
A system for maintaining a bar code reader comprising:
- a maintenance computer;
- and
- a network connection path between the maintenance computer and the bar code reader which bypasses a point-of-sale terminal simultaneously connected to the bar code reader through a serial connection path;
- wherein the maintenance computer obtains bar code reader performance data from the bar code reader over the network connection path, determines the operating status of the bar code reader from the bar code reader performance data, and provides the operating status to a technician operating the maintenance computer;
- wherein the maintenance computer is remote from the bar code reader and the point-of-sale terminal.
A system for maintaining a bar code reader comprising:
- an in-store maintenance computer;
- and
- a network connection path between the in-store maintenance computer and the bar code reader which bypasses a point-of-sale terminal simultaneously connected to the bar code reader through a serial connection path;
- wherein the in-store maintenance computer obtains bar code reader performance data from the bar code reader over the network connection path, determines the operating status of the bar code reader from the bar code reader performance data, and provides the operating status to a technician operating the in-store maintenance computer;
- wherein the maintenance computer is remote from the bar code reader and the point-of-sale terminal.
A system for maintaining a bar code reader comprising:
- an out-of-store maintenance computer;
- an in-store computer;
- a first network connection path between the out-of-store maintenance computer and the in-store computer;
- and
- a second network connection path between the in-store computer and the bar code reader which bypasses a point-of-sale terminal simultaneously connected to the bar code reader through a serial connection path;
- wherein the out-of-store maintenance computer obtains bar code reader performance data from the bar code reader over the first and second network connection paths, determines the operating status of the bar code reader, and provides the operating status to the in-store computer.
A method of maintaining a bar code reader comprising the steps of:
- (a) establishing a network communication path between a maintenance computer and a bar code reader which bypasses a point-of-sale terminal simultaneously connected to the bar code reader through a serial connection path, wherein the maintenance computer is remote from the bar code reader and the point-of-sale terminal;
- (b) obtaining bar code reader performance data from the bar code reader over the network communication path by the maintenance computer;
- (c) analyzing the bar code reader performance data by the maintenance computer to determine a current operating status of the bar code reader;
- and
- (d) providing the current operating status to a technician by the maintenance computer.
A system for maintaining a bar code comprising:
- a maintenance computer;
- and
- a connection path between the maintenance computer and the bar code reader which bypasses a point-of-sale terminal connected to the bar code reader, including an in-store network and out-of-store connection path;
- wherein the maintenance computer obtains bar code reader performance data from the bar code reader over the connection path, determines the operating status of the bar code reader, and provides the operating status to a technician operating the maintenance computer.
A method of maintaining a bar code reader comprising the steps of:
- (a) establishing a communication path between a maintenance computer and a bar code reader which bypasses a point-of-sale terminal, including establishing the network path through a global communication network;
- (b) obtaining performance data from the bar code reader over the communication path by the maintenance computer;
- (c) analyzing the performance data by the maintenance computer to determine a current operating status of the bar code reader;
- and
- (d) providing the current operating status to a technician by the maintenance computer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.