Method of programming the default cable interface software in an indicia reading device
AssigneeHand Held Products, Inc.
InventorHenri Barten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An indicia reading apparatus includes an interconnect cable and an indicia reading device. The indicia reading device is configured so that, if the indicia reader device is not configured to any interconnect cable and detects an indicia which does not contain one of a plurality of specified sequences of data elements that the indicia reading device will recognize and use to configure itself to operate with the interconnect cable, the indicia reading device will indicate to the user of the indicia reading device that the indicia reading device needs to be configured to operate with the interconnect cable.
Claims17
A method for requiring a user of an indicia reader device to initially configure the indicia reader device for operating with an interconnect cable comprising the steps of:
- configuring the indicia reader device with factory defaults;
- executing an initial boot sequence that includes a test for the presence of an interface default variable so that if the indicia reader device does not contain one of a plurality of specified sequences of data elements that the indicia reading device will recognize a factory default interconnect cable;
- responsive to the boot sequence executing and determining that the interface default variable is not set, the indicia reading device electronically indicating to the user that the indicia reading device needs to be configured to operate with the recognized interconnect cable;
- disabling functionality of the indicia reader device that is not the reading functionality of the indicia reader device until the indicia reader device receives a specified sequence of data elements which is applicable to the factory default interconnect cable;
- receiving a specified sequence of data elements;
- and
- restoring the disabled functionality.
A method for configuring an indicia reader for operating with a factory default interconnect cable comprising the steps of:
- setting an interface variable to a first status prior to shipping the indicia reader to a user such that the indicia reader is not operable to read indicia that is not one of a plurality of interface configuration indicia;
- providing the interface factory default interconnect cable with an indicia which contains one of the plurality of interface configuration data elements prior to shipping the factory default interconnect cable to the user;
- executing an initial boot sequence that includes a test of the interface variable;
- and
- setting the interface variable to a second status upon reading one of the plurality of interface configuration data elements if the indicia reader needs to be configured to operate with the interconnect cable based on the test,
- wherein the functionality of the indicia reader is limited when the interface variable is in the second status, and
- wherein during the initial boot sequence the indicia reader will electronically indicate to the user of the indicia reader that the indicia reader needs to be configured to operate with the interconnect cable.
An indicia reader device configured to perform a method comprising:
- executing an initial boot sequence that includes a test of the indicia reader device configuration wherein the initial boot sequence comprising a detecting the presence or absence of an interface default variable;
- providing an indication to a user of the indicia reading device that if the indicia reading device is not configured to operate with any interconnect cable responsive to detecting that the initial interface default variable is absent;
- shifting the indicia reader device to a lower functional state, responsive to detecting that the initial interface default variable is absent;
- self-configuring to operate with an interconnect cable wherein the interconnect cable includes a specified sequence of data elements and wherein the self-configuring comprises reading the specified sequence of data elements on the interconnect cable and populating the interface default variable;
- and,
- restoring the indicia reading device to a normal functional state, responsive to populating the interface default variable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.