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Claims  |
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We claim:
1. A power conservation method for telecommunications between a handheld low power user device and a host server for transmitting an order, a voice message or a data message, comprising
the steps of:
entering said order, voice message or data information at said handheld user device and preparing a data packet comprising said order, voice message or data information;
transmitting the data packet from a low power handheld user device to a host computer server on a telecommunication path;
receiving and processing the data packet at the host server and encoding and transmitting an informational message to the low power handheld user device, said informational message selected from among sound, voice or data;
receiving the informational message at the low power handheld user device and displaying said sound, voice or data;
wherein said transmitting, said receiving, and said displaying steps by said low power handheld user device are accomplished while the low power handheld user device is operating on electricity transmitted to the low power handheld device via the
telecommunication path.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining the user device in a sleep mode when not involved in said transmitting, receiving, or displaying steps.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the handheld low power user device comprises a communication transceiver, a microprocessor and an operator interface selected from among a keypad, a display screen, a bar code reader, a card reader, and an audio
system comprising a speaker and a microphone, and the host server comprises a computer processing unit.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmitted data packet comprises a bar code data, a card data, a key closure from the key pad data or a digital voice message data.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein receipt of the DTMF or MF switch signal code at the host server instructs a plurality of additional method steps comprising: switching voice communications off, switching data communications on and setting one
or more communication parameters,
wherein said communication parameters comprise a baud rate, a parity, a stop bit, a word size, and a modulation technique.
6. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmitted data packet is preceded by a DTMF or an MF switch signal code.
7. The power conservation telecommunication method for transmitting a telecommunication signals of claim 1, wherein the informational message comprises a voice message, a sound message, a data message, a visual message or a facsimile message.
8. A power conservation telecommunication method for transmitting a telecommunication signals from a handheld low power user device to a host computer server and for receiving telecommunication signals from the host computer server, said
transmitting and receiving over a telecommunication path, said transmitting to issue a command instruction to the host computer server to transmit an informational message for reception by said handheld low power user device,
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a first power state incapable of sending or receiving said telecommunication signals and a second higher power state capable of sending and receiving said telecommunication signals,
wherein said telecommunication signal comprises a switch signal code followed within about 1 second by a modem data packet,
wherein said switch signal code comprises a dual tone multiple frequency signal or a multiple frequency signal;
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a communication transceiver, a microprocessor and an operator interface selected from among a keypad, a bar code reader, a display screen, and an audio system comprising a speaker and a
microphone, and wherein said host computer server comprises a computer processing unit;
wherein the method comprises the sequential steps of:
triggering a transition from the first power state to the second power state;
selecting at said handheld low power user device the command instruction for the informational message and encoding the instruction into the data packet;
encoding at said handheld low power user device the telecommunication signal and transmitting the telecommunication signal to the host server;
decoding and processing the telecommunication signal at the host computer thereby to identify the switch signal code;
responding to the switch signal code by turning voice communications off and turning data communications on; receiving said modem packet; and,
processing said modem data packet thereby to identify said command instruction to transmit said informational message to the handheld low power user device.
9. A power conservation telecommunication method for transmitting a telecommunication signal from a handheld low power user device to a host computer server over a telecommunication path thereby to issue a command instruction to the host
computer server to transmit an informational message to said handheld low power user device,
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a first power state incapable of sending said telecommunication signal and a second power state capable of sending said telecommunication signal,
wherein said telecommunication signal comprises a switch signal code followed within about 1 seconds by a modem data packet,
wherein said switch signal code comprises a dual tone multiple frequency signal or a multiple frequency signal;
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a communication transceiver, a microprocessor and an operator interface selected from among a keypad, a bar code reader, a display screen, and an audio system comprising a speaker, and a
microphone, and wherein said host computer server comprises a computer processing unit;
wherein the method comprises the sequential steps of:
triggering a transition from the first power state to the second power state;
selecting at said handheld low power user device a first command instruction for a first informational message and encoding the first command instruction into the data packet;
encoding at said handheld low power user device the telecommunication signal and transmitting the telecommunication signal to the host server;
decoding and processing the telecommunication signal at the host computer thereby to identify the switch signal code;
responding to the switch signal code by turning voice communications off and turning data communications on; receiving said modem data packet; and,
processing said modem data packet thereby to identify said first command instruction to transmit said first informational message to the handheld low power user device; and
selecting at said handheld low power user device a second command instruction for a second informational message, and repeating the remainder of the sequential steps thereby to receive the second informational message.
10. The method of claim 9, comprising the additional step of using a timeout counter at the host computer and the user device during the transmission of a data packet to allow identification and correction of errors.
11. The method of claim 9, comprising the additional step of using sequence numbers as a part of a media integrity code to identify and correct media integrity errors.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the telecommunication path is a local area network telephone system, a telephone system a cordless telephone, a wireless telephone, a cellular telephone, a PBX telephone system, or an integrated services
digital network.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein the telecommunication signal comprises a keypad key stroke, card information a bar code signal, or a media integrity code, encoded into a modem communication signal selected from among FSK, DPSK, or QAM.
14. The method of claim 9, wherein said low power handheld user device operates on less than 300 milliwatts of power.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said low power handheld user device is powered by a current selected from among a telephone loop line current, a wireless telephone battery, and a power source circuit in said device.
16. The method of claim 9, comprising the additional steps of monitoring a power level at each step of the method to assure that sufficient power is available for the step to be performed; and placing the component circuits in said user device
that are not involved in the method step into a low power sleep mode.
17. A power conservation telecommunication method for sending a message data packet from a handheld low power user device to a host computer server over a telecommunication media,
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a first power state incapable of sending said telecommunication signal and a second power state capable of sending said telecommunication signal,
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a low power voice and data modem, a microprocessor and an operator interface comprising a keypad, a screen display, a dual power amplifier, and a bar code reader;
wherein the host server comprises a modem and a DTMF or MF decoder and a central processing unit having an application program capable of interpreting DTMF or MF switch signal codes;
and wherein the method comprises the steps of:
maintaining the user device and the low power voice and data modem in an inactive low power sleep mode;
maintaining the DTMF or MF decoder and the modem at the host server in an active mode;
activating the user device and voice and data modem to said second power state in response to a signal selected from among a keypad key closure signal, a timer timeout signal, or a valid bar code reader signal card data;
transmitting a DTMF or an MF switch signal code from the user device to the host server followed by the message data packet;
receiving the DTMF or the MF switch signal code at the host server and processing the switch signal code to stop transmitting voice messages, to switch from voice communications to data communications, to set communication parameters, and to
receive modem data packets; and
receiving the message data packet at the host server.
18. The power conservation telecommunication method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of adding a media integrity code to the data packet at the user device; checking for media integrity of the data packet at the host server;
identifying an error and transmitting an error code message to the user device; and re-transmitting any message data packets that are identified as being in error.
19. The power conservation telecommunication method of claim 18, further comprising the step of transmitting an audio error message to the user device.
20. The power conservation telecommunication method of claim 18, further comprising the step of sending a voice message from the user device to the host server.
21. The power conservation telecommunication method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of adding a media integrity code to the data packet at the user device; checking for media integrity of the data packet at the host server; and
failing to identify an error.
22. The power conservation telecommunication method of claim 21, wherein said information message comprises a voice message or a sound message.
23. The power conservation telecommunication method of claim 22, further comprising the step at the user device of switching data communications off and setting the dual power amplifier into a low power sleep mode and waiting for the voice
information message from the host server.
24. The power conservation voice and data telecommunication method of claim 17, wherein the telecommunication media is selected from among a telephone wire, a cordless telephone connection, a cellular telephone connection an optical
telecommunications cable, a radio telecommunications connection, a microwave telecommunications connection, and a satellite communication channel.
25. The power conservation voice and data telecommunication method of claim 17, comprising the additional step of testing for a user device power status before transmitting the DTMF or the MF switch signal code from the user device to the host
server.
26. The power conservation telecommunication method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of returning to a low power sleep mode:
the bar code reader after processing the bar code signal from the bar code reader and transmitting an output signal to the transceiver comprising the plurality of bar code digits, processing keypad information, processing digital voice
information, or transmitting an output signal to the transceiver;
the microprocessor after sending output signal from the transceiver, transmitting the telecommunication signal to the host server, and receiving the informational message from the host server;
the transceiver after receiving the output signal from the transceiver, transmitting the telecommunication signal to the host server, and receiving the informational message from the host server; and
the audio system and speaker after playing an audio informational message from the host server.
27. A method for using a DTMF or MF signal having a duration of less than 1 second as a switch signal, said switch signal transmitted over a telecommunication path from a low power handheld user device to a host server that instructs the host
server to:
switch the reception from a voice communication mode to a modem data communication mode;
set a modulation technique comprising a baud rate, a parity, a number of stop bits, a word size, a modulation technique;
and receive a modem data packet from the low power handheld user device.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein said low power user device comprises a bar code reader, a card reader, a screen display, an audio system having a microphone, a speaker, and a telecommunication modem, and a microprocessor.
29. A telecommunication method for low power, error-free, secured transmission of confidential information from a low power handheld user device to a host server over a telecommunication path,
wherein the confidential information comprises a plurality of modem data packets, said modem data packets; the user device comprising a programmable protected and non-volatile memory,
wherein said host computer processes the plurality of modem data packets and responds in an error-free and secured fashion by transmitting either a modem data packet or an analog voice message to the low power handheld user device;
wherein the protected memory is programmed to respond to a key stroke, an optical bar code data, card data, a bar code data, or a modem message from the host computer;
wherein the protected memory is programmed for use in a secure electronic commerce by storing an ID number, a credit or debit account number, an account balance, a spending limit, a postal address, an encryption parameter, algorithm, or an
encryption key or seed for an encryption algorithm;
wherein the low power handheld user device transmits one or more of the program items in the protected memory in an encrypted format over the telephone media to the host server;
wherein the program items in protected memory are updated by a plurality of secure encrypted modem messages transmitted from the host server;
wherein one or more program items in said protected memory is presented to an operator in response to a program request issued the operator comprising one or more of a key pad password entry, a voice verification message entry, a card reader, and
a bar code signal entry; and, wherein said voice verification message entry is encoded into a modem compatible signal by a coded unit and said encoded voice verification message entry is transmitted over the telephone media to the host server.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein said telecommunication path is selected from among a telephone wire, cordless telephone transceiver, cellular telephone transceiver a coaxial cable, an optical cable, a radiowave transceiver and a microwave
transceiver.
31. The method of claim 29, wherein said low power handheld user device is powered by a current selected from among a telephone loop line current, a wireless telephone battery, and a power source circuit in said low power handheld user device.
32. The telecommunication method of claim 31, wherein the user device further comprises an audio telecommunication circuit, a bar code reader circuit, a card reader, an audio system circuit, a microphone circuit, said power source circuit, and a
device that measures the amount of energy stored in the power source.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein said power source circuit comprises a capacitor or a battery.
34. The telecommunication method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of maintaining a low power requirement for the low power handheld user device by the steps of,
measuring a level of available power in the power source circuit;
decreasing to a low level the power supplied to one or more of said selected circuits when the selected circuit is not required for said presentation of said audio or visual report or for the steps of reading or encoding, thereby to maintain a
low power requirement for said low power handheld user device.
35. The telecommunication method of claim 29, wherein said command message comprises a data packet instructing the host computer server to place an order for one or more items, each of said items having a bar code, and each of said bar codes
transmitted within said data packet.
36. The telecommunication method of claim 35, further comprising the steps of
receiving said command message at said host computer server, processing said data packet thereby identifying said instruction to place an order;
initiating an order session at said host computer server in response to said command message;
instructing for the information message to comprise an order session item verification message for presentation on said screen or speaker in the low power handheld user device; and,
transmitting said information message to the low power hand held user device.
37. The method of claim 36, further comprising the steps of compiling a bar code in a facsimile form document and transmitting said form document to a facsimile machine at a user site.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein said bar code comprises an instruction to said host computer server selected from among an order approval command message, an order editing command message and an order status command message.
39. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of transmitting a command message instructing the host computer server to compile said information message in a language selected from among English, Spanish, French, German, Italian,
Norwegian, Swedish, Russian, Japanese, or Chinese.
40. The method of claim 36, further comprising the steps of
receiving said facsimile mess age from said host computer server, said facsimile message comprising said bar code;
reading said bar code in said facsimile message with the handheld low power user device; and
encoding and transmitting a command message in response thereto to said host computer server.
41. The method of claim 29, wherein said informational message comprises information encrypted using a set of encryption parameters, said set of encryption parameters being held in a protected memory at said low-power handheld user device.
42. The method of claim 29, wherein said step of generating said informational message comprises a audio message produced from a digitally pre-recorded database coupled to said host computer server.
43. The method of claim 29, wherein said step of generating said informational message comprises an audio message having speech synthesized by a speech synthesizer coupled to said host computer server.
44. A system for communication with a host computer server, said system comprising
a handheld low power user device having a bar code reader that reads a bar code and generating thereby a bar code signal;
a means for encoding a telecommunication signal comprising a command message having a data packet that in turn includes said bar code signal;
a means for coupling to a telecommunication path connected to said host computer server, and for transmitting said command message on said telecommunication path;
means for receiving at said host computer server the command message and for processing said bar code signal thereby to generate an instruction to compile an informational message comprising an audio or a visual message;
means for transmitting on said telecommunication path said informational message from said host computer server to said low power handheld user device; and
means for presenting said information message at said low power handheld user device comprising an audio system or a visual screen.
45. The system of claim 44, further comprising a host computer server having a program application for receiving orders for goods or services, said host computer server comprising
means for receiving said command message on said communication path; and,
means for building an order for goods or services in response to said command message, and
wherein said informational message comprises information regarding said order.
46. The system of claim 44, wherein means for compiling said informational message comprises a speech synthesizer.
47. The system of claim 46, wherein said informational message comprises a recorded voice signal.
48. The system of claim 44, wherein said means for receiving further comprises a communication signal decoder, a voice-recognition element or a voice recording element.
49. The system of claim 44, wherein said command message comprises an instruction to said host computer server to compile said informational message in a language selected from among English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish,
Russian, Japanese, or Chinese.
50. The system of claim 44, further comprising means for receiving a facsimile message from said host computer server at a user site, said facsimile message comprising a bar code.
51. The system of claim 44, wherein said command message comprises a message selected from among: a data telecommunication signal, a voice message and a data telecommunication signal comprising a data packet having a bar code signal or card
data.
52. A system for telecommunication between a handheld user device and a host computer server, wherein said user device comprises a bar code reader, an audio system, a screen display, a telecommunications transceiver, a microprocessor having less
than about 128 Kbytes of PROM and less than about 8 Kbytes of RAM, and a power supply providing to said user device less than about 300 milliwatts of power available for operation,
said system comprising,
a means for coupling said user device through a telecommunication path to said host computer server;
means for encoding and transmitting a plurality of command messages from said user device to said host computer server;
means for receiving and processing said plurality of command messages and for generating in response thereto a plurality of information messages; and,
means for receiving and presenting said plurality of information messages at said user device.
53. The system of claim 52, wherein said telecommunications transceiver is selected from among a DTMF or MF signal generator, a modem device, and a voice telecommunication processor.
54. The system of claim 52, wherein means for coupling
said user device through a telecommunication path to said host computer server comprises a path selected from among: a telephone wireless channel, a telephone land-line, a coaxial cable, an optical cable, a radiowave transceiver or a microwave
transceiver.
55. The method of claim 52, further comprising
means for monitoring power consumption during said telecommunications between the user device and the host computer server;
means, at said receiving and presenting step, for determining an audio content or a data content of a single information message;
means for power regulating by using said determination of the audio or the data content to reduce the power of a current directed to either the audio system, bar code reader, card reader, or the screen display.
56. A method for information exchange between a server computer and a handheld user device, the method comprising:
providing a server computer that includes a modem for processing digital data, the server computer receiving digital data and voice data via a telecommunications connection;
providing a handheld user device that includes a modem for processing digital data, the handheld user device transmitting digital data and digitally encoded voice data via a telecommunications connection, the handheld user device used by a user
as a telephone and as a terminal for a server computer connected to the handheld user device via a telecommunications connection;
in response to input from a user, placing a telephone call from the handheld user device to the server computer; and
following connection of the handheld user device to the server,
when the user employs the handheld user device to send voice data to the server computer, sending digitally encoded voice data from the handheld user device to the server computer, and
when the user employs the handheld user device to send digital data to the server computer, sending the digital data from the handheld user device to the server computer.
57. The method of claim 56 further comprising:
upon receiving the acknowledgement tone from the server computer by the handheld device, and upon connection of the handheld user device to the server, using dual-tone multiple frequency tones transmitted by the handheld user device to conduct a
modem negotiation in order to determine parameters for a subsequent information exchange between the server computer and the handheld device.
58. The method of claim 57 wherein the parameters determined during the modem negotiation include the data rate at which information will be exchanged between the server computer and the handheld user device.
59. The method of claim 56 wherein voice data is sent and received by the server computer and the handheld user device as analog voice data.
60. The method of claim 56 wherein voice data is sent and received by the server computer and the handheld user device as digitized voice data encoded in modem packets.
61. The method of claim 56 wherein the handheld user device includes a bar code reader and wherein digital data representing a bar code read from a printed bar code by the bar code reader is sent from the handheld user device to the server
computer.
62. The method of claim 56 wherein the handheld user device includes a smart card reader and wherein digital data representing data read from a smart card by the smart card reader is sent from the handheld user device to the server computer.
63. The method of claim 56 wherein the handheld user device includes a magnetic card reader and wherein digital data representing data read from a magnetic card by the magnetic card reader is sent from the handheld user device to the server
computer.
64. The method of claim 56, wherein the handheld user device includes a microprocessor, further including:
prior to sending digital data to the server, encrypting the digital data by the microprocessor.
65. The method of claim 56, wherein the handheld user device includes a display, further including:
displaying a graphical representation of digital data received by the handheld user device from the server computer on the display of the handheld user device.
66. A handheld user device that exchanges digital data and voice data with a server computer via a telecommunications connection, the handheld user device comprising:
a modem that processes digital data exchanged with the server computer;
a telephone used for voice communications and also used to initiate connection with the server computer;
an input device for inputting data to the handheld user device from an external medium;
an output device for displaying data; and
a microprocessor that controls interoperation of the modem, input device, and output device.
67. The handheld user device of claim 66 wherein the handheld user device sends connection configuration information, including the data rate at which information will be exchanged between the server computer and the handheld user device, to the
server computer and signals the server computer to begin receiving digitized data using dual-tone multiple frequency signals.
68. The handheld user device of claim 66 wherein voice data is sent and received by the server computer and the handheld user device as analog voice data.
69. The handheld user device of claim 66 wherein voice data is sent and received by the server computer and the handheld user device as digitized voice data encoded in modem packets.
70. The handheld user device of claim 66 wherein the input device is a bar code reader and wherein digital data representing a bar code read from a printed bar code by the bar code reader and sent from the handheld user device to the server
computer.
71. The handheld user device of claim 66 wherein the input device is a smart card reader and wherein digital data representing data read from a smart card by the smart card reader is sent from the handheld user device to the server computer.
72. The handheld user device of claim 66 wherein the input device is a magnetic card reader and wherein digital data representing data read from a magnetic card by the magnetic card reader is sent from the handheld user device to the server
computer.
73. The handheld user device of claim 66 wherein the modem includes the dual-tone multiple frequency transmitter.
74. The handheld user device of claim 66 wherein the microprocessor encrypts data read from the input device before the data is sent to the server computer by the handheld user device.
75. A power conservation telecommunication method for transmitting a telecommunication signals from a handheld low power user device to a host computer server and for receiving telecommunication signals from the host computer server, said
transmitting and receiving over a telecommunication path, said transmitting to issue a command instruction to the host computer server to transmit an informational message for reception by said handheld low power user device,
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a low power state in which the handheld low power user device sends or receives said telecommunication signals and a high higher power state in which the handheld low power user device sends
and receives said telecommunication signals,
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a communication transceiver, a microprocessor and an operator interface selected from among a keypad, display screen, a bar code reader, a card reader, an audio system comprising a speaker and
a microphone, and wherein said host computer server comprises a computer processing unit;
wherein the method comprises the sequential steps of:
triggering a transition from the first power state to the second power state;
selecting at said handheld low power user device the command instruction for the informational message and encoding the instruction into the data packet;
encoding at said handheld low power user device the telecommunication signal and transmitting the telecommunication signal to the host server;
decoding and processing the telecommunication signal at the host computer to identify said command instruction to transmit said informational message to the handheld low power user device.
76. A power conservation telecommunication method for transmitting a telecommunication signal from a handheld low power user device to a host computer server over a telecommunication path thereby to issue a command instruction to the host
computer server to transmit an informational message to said handheld low power user device,
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a low power state in which the handheld low power user device does not send said telecommunication signal and a high power state in which the handheld low power user device sends said
telecommunication signal,
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a communication transceiver, a microprocessor and an operator interface selected from among a keypad, a display screen, a bar code reader, a card reader, an audio system comprising a speaker
and a microphone, and wherein said host computer server comprises a computer processing unit;
wherein the method comprises the sequential steps of:
triggering a transition from the first power state to the second power state;
selecting at said handheld low power user device a first command instruction for a first informational message and encoding the first command instruction into the data packet;
encoding at said handheld low power user device the telecommunication signal and transmitting the telecommunication signal to the host server;
decoding and processing the telecommunication signal at the host computer to identify said first command instruction to transmit said first informational message to the handheld low power user device; and
selecting at said handheld low power user device a second command instruction for a second informational message, and repeating the remainder of the sequential steps thereby to receive the second informational message.
77. A power conservation telecommunication method for sending a message data packet from a handheld low power user device to a host computer server over a telecommunication media,
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a low power state in which the handheld low power user device does not send said telecommunication signal and a high power state in which the handheld low power user device sends said
telecommunication signal,
wherein said handheld low power user device comprises a low power voice and data modem, a microprocessor and an operator interface comprising a keypad, a screen display, a dual power amplifier, a card reader, and a bar code reader;
wherein the host server includes a modem
and wherein the method comprises the steps of:
maintaining the user device and the low power voice and data modem in an inactive low power sleep mode;
activating the user device and voice and data modem to said second power state in response to a signal selected from among a keypad key closure signal, a card reader signal, a timer timeout signal, or a valid bar code reader signal;
transmitting from the user device to the host server a digitally encoded data packet;
receiving the digitally encoded data packet at the host server. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a handheld remote control wand having bar code, sound, voice and visual telecommunication systems for controlling a host computer server.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the emerging Internet era, communications between personal computers (PCs) is becoming routine. However, problems remain to be solved, foremost among which are ease of use and access and portability of communication equipment. While desk and
laptop PCs offer telecommunications access to a variety of different server networks, commonly any exchange of information between the user and server is conducted in the public domain, i.e., on one big "party line" where ease-dropping and data
manipulation can occur. While suitable for recreational use, this is not suitable for most business activities. While modem or facsimile communications between PCs may be more secure, they suffer from other disadvantages in that communication is
commonly restricted to textual and/or graphic materials and do not usually allow simultaneous voice or sound content. Likewise, telephone conversations commonly involve voice without textual or graphic support. While multimedia communication systems
may be available for use in a presentation conference room setting, they often involve expensive and/or bulky equipment that is not easily portable.
In everyday personal and business life there are many times when it would be desirable communicate on a real-time secure basis, and in a multimedia manner, e.g., with the main office, in a secure manner.
Advertising sales and marketing materials are commonly distributed using a print media, such as newspapers, magazines, brochures and catalogs. On the one hand, these media can have advantages of low cost, ease of distribution, and sales
effectiveness. However, on the other hand, print media are relatively inflexible as a method of communication. Copy is often directed towards the "average buyer", in the full recognition that such an individual may not exist, and with limited provision
for an alternative presentation other than launching several different expensive ad campaigns. Printed copy provides no opportunity for questions, or interaction between the writer and the person reading the copy. Print media is also weak at the actual
point of order entry. At best, a printed advertisement can offer a mail or FAX order form; or, it can direct a potential buyer to a telephone number for placing an order. Tele-marketing is similarly non-interactive and considered by many potential
buyers to be intrusive. It is, therefore, considered ineffective for most products.
Methods for order entry using a bar code reader include transmittal of data to a host processor, but are not presently believed to include methods for presentation of information to a customer at a handheld unit in a multimedia format, or in real
time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,028, "Automated Order and Payment System", issued Aug. 7, 1990, in the name of Jonathan M. Gorog and assigned to Arbor-International, Inc. (Gorog), shows a limited automated order and payment system. An order is entered
at an "Order Computer Terminal" using a keyboard and/or a bar code reader to communicate with a central computer system where credit information is verified and instructions are sent back to the order entry terminal to print or display an order
verification for the user. While this system generally achieves a purpose of order entry, it suffers from being little more than a re-packaged personal computer (PC). Attendant disadvantages of the system are numerous, foremost being expense and lack
of portability. Disclosed systems in Gorog also do not include methods to allow rapid presentation of voice information to a customer interactively, or in real-time, or using a handheld portable unit to accomplish the methods disclosed. (In the latter
case, the system does not have a voice/data modem, nor low power circuitry or power management, nor a communications protocol to achieve voice and data on ordinary telephone lines while managing power usage.)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,838, "Electronic Wallet", issued Jun. 22, 1993, in the name of Jose Gutman et al. and assigned to Motorola, Inc., discloses an "electronic wallet" for storing a bank balance and for receiving a radio message to update the
balance. The system apparently updates the balance in memory in response to data entered by the user. Included are a user terminal with keyboard, magnetic card reader, bar code reader, display screen and printer. However, the system is really little
more than a re-packaged PC, drawing power from a 110 V wall outlet (or from large bulky batteries), without ease of portability, and without capability for multimedia real-time interactive bi-directional communication with an automated order center
computer. In short, the attendant disclosure does not seem to disclose interactive multimedia real-time presentation of information to a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,577, "Telecommunication Display System", issued Nov. 15, 1994, in the name of Richard A. Davis et al. and assigned to Radish Communications Systems, Inc., shows a telecommunication system that can reportedly be dynamically
switched between voice mode and data mode in the course of a single telephone call. But this system suffers from the disadvantage that it requires "smart" PCs, and involves in methods for "peer-to-peer" communications generally involving an interrupted
voice conversation between two parties. The system seems to involve directional couplers that also add expense. The two peer PCs each require power from a 110 V wall outlet, (or large bulky batteries); and, are not easily handheld.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,291, "Apparatus for Ordering From Remote Locations", issued Nov. 7, 1995 in the name of Barrus et al. (Barrus) discloses a method for transmitting user information to a remote computer in a dual-tone multiple frequency
(DTMF) "touch tone" format that suffers not including a way to accomplish bi-directional communication such as needed for transmitting data for display by a user. Also missing, are ways to check for errors in transmission, or to encrypt user sensitive
data, or ways to receive confidential data from a host computer for display in a protected manner, or ways to protect confidential information. In addition, DTMF systems suffer from at least the general disadvantages of failing to encode self-correcting
error-free telecommunication signals; and, being a relatively slow method for transmission of data. Approximately 0.1 seconds being required for each different integer and 0.2 seconds for each alpha character encoded by a DTMF tonal pair using 50
milliseconds "on" followed by 50 milliseconds "off" for each character digit. This is excessively slow for transmission of bar code data. For example, a 16 digit code requires approximately 1.6 seconds just for transmission and decoding at a server
while a 16 alpha character code requires 3.2 seconds.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous have an error-free, secure, bi-directional communication method to provide an ordering and advertising system that could be used within a printed media that would non-intrusively allow an interested party to
obtain additional information in an interesting and interactive manner, without the intervention of a sales person, and in an automated hands-off secure manner that might result in entry of a bank card sale. In addition, it would be advantageous to have
a system for telecommerce that would offer error-free, secure, optionally-encrypted communications and with storage of sensitive confidential data in a secure location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a telecommunications device for secure, encrypted, interactive multimedia communication, in real-time between a central processing unit (CPU) in a host computer server (host server). The device is low power and handheld,
and it contains an audio system, microphone, speaker, keypad, display screen, bar code reader, microprocessor, and telecommunications transceiver (with modem, voice processor, call progress monitor, bi-directional voice/data mixer, DTMF (or MF) signal
generator and an optional codec unit). The device maintains its low power status by drawing power for all functions (i.e., less than about 300 milliwatts of power and preferably less than about 150 mw) from a convenient telephone wall jack or a wireless
telephone battery. The disclosed unit is a relatively inexpensive to manufacture having a microprocessor with simple less than about 128 K bytes of PROM and 8 K bytes of RAM. Although relatively "dumb" when compared with a PC, interactive error-free,
bi-directional, real-time telecommunications allow the device to transparently behave like a sophisticated "super computer", in this case, the host server.
The user device is highly versatile and provides simple, rapid, secure and encrypted, self-correcting, error-free, inexpensive, handheld unit to access, control, instruct, command, and query a host server. A user "in the field" (e.g., a
customer) can enter command messages (including bar coded messages) directing the host server to supply information on a real-time, interactive basis including multimedia information such as text, data, calculations, reports, voice, sound, music and
graphic information. Commands can also be transmitted to the host server to take actions, e.g., access files, make calculations, provide quotations, investigate and provide credit/debit information or credit history, enter orders for products, and the
like. Security provisions and encryption installed in the handheld user device allow it to interactively obtain confidential business information and place credit card orders. While the handheld user device contains a relatively simple microprocessor
the telecommunications data packets transmitted from the handheld user device to the host server have capability for multimedia content.
The maximal power budget (i.e. less than about 300 milliwatts and preferably less than about 150 mw) can easily be consumed by the transceiver, or bar code reader in the absence of management and control. Power management and conservation
protocols within the user device include three different methods for expediting and controlling telecommunications to save power. First, bar coded data packets (i.e., from scanning printed bar codes) are used to direct commands to the host server
allowing: (i) faster entry; (ii) faster encoding and encryption; (iii) faster transmission; and, (iv) lower power consumption. Second, during telecommunications with the host server the user device is the "master" (not the slave) and thus is able to
selectively supply current to only the hardware components that are necessary for the instantaneous form of communication with the server, i.e., voice, visual or data. (When they are not needed the respective hardware components are immediately powered
down to save power.) Third, rapid communication "signal switching" is provided by using data packets that contain DTMF (or MF) "switch signal" codes. The latter "switch signal" codes are capable of instructing a host server e.g. (a) to switch voice
"off" and data communications "on"; and, (b) select communication parameters (e.g., set baud to 1200, set parity to Even); all in less than 0.15 seconds.
Attendant advantages to "switch signal" codes in the user device include: (i) multimedia transmissions within a simultaneous telecommunication transmission (e.g., from voice to bar code data then to keystroke data then back to voice); (ii) faster
interactive communications between the user and server; (iii) elimination of power intensive time consuming (i.e., 10 second) modem negotiations required to set communication parameters; and, (iv) power savings by allowing the user device to control the
course of the telecommunication session and power-down unused hardware. Interactive telecommunications between the user device and host server can be very fast but also very complex. As an example, the user device may encode and transmit a data packet
having the following order of instructions: namely, (i) switch signal (e.g., turn voice off, turn data on, set communication parameters, receive data); (ii) command bar code (e.g., "order the following item"); (iii) UPC bar code (e.g., "product to be
ordered"); (iv) command bar code (e.g., "two units of the bar coded item"); (iv) "switch signal" (e.g. from data to voice, switch on voice recorder, and receive incoming voice message); (v) "voice message" (e.g., `don't deliver at the backdoor, the dog
bites`.) Following receipt of the command message, the host server may signal an acknowledgment to the user, e.g., an audio message, an update to the screen display, or alternatively, the server may transmit a facsimile (FAX)-response, i.e., to a FAX
machine at the user's location. The FAX message may optionally contain a set of command bar codes, capable of generating additional command messages, to further expedite telecommunications in the interactive loop between the user device and the server.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A depicts telecommunication between a user device (according to the disclosure below) and a host server; FIG. 1B depicts a block diagram of a user device containing a CCD-type bar code reader, (below).
FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of the sound processor element.
FIG. 3 depicts a diagram of a first user device.
FIG. 4 depicts a diagram of a second user device.
FIG. 5 depicts a diagram of a third user device.
FIG. 6 depicts a diagram of a fourth user device.
FIG. 7 illustrates a first bar code command card.
FIG. 8 illustrates command cards such as may be useful in an alternative embodiment for obtaining airline information.
FIG. 9 illustrates a first command card such as for use with an embodiment regarding order approval.
FIG. 10 illustrates a first command card such as for use with an embodiment regarding order approval.
FIG. 11 shows a process flow diagram for the present method of using the user device according to the accompanying disclosure, below.
FIG. 12 shows a process flow diagram of the present method for coupling the user device and a host server.
FIG. 13 shows a process flow diagram for an order session according to the present method.
FIG. 14 shows a process flow diagram for an order session command message according to the present method.
FIG. 15 depicts data packet transfer methods of the invention from the perspective of a user device.
FIG. 16 depicts data packet transfer methods of the invention from the perspective of a host server.
FIG. 17 depicts a CCD type bar code reader with a proximity detector (as disclosed below).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The methods of the invention are highly versatile and find uses in a variety of consumer, business and private settings. Aspects of the invention include e.g. methods for the following: namely,
a method for commanding a host server to transmit voice, sound, data, alphanumeric and/or graphic displays, and the like, as informational messages to a handheld low power user device; by transmitting a command message data packet; in an
error-free fashion, with modem communication protocols, from the user device to the host server; where the data packet includes (but is not limited to) bar coded command instructions and keystroke da | | |
