Fixed retail scanner with multi-port network switch and related methods of managing access to network devices
The disclosure includes a fixed retail scanner including a data reader having a multi-port network switch disposed within a housing of the data reader. The multi-port network switch is configured to be configurable to provide security features to the network, including method for locking ports of the switch to specific scanner accessories and other devices, creating virtual local area networks for the devices of the date reading system, and other locating features over the network.
1 . A fixed retail scanner, comprising:
a housing;
a base scanner including one or more internal camera modules and a main board including one or more processors disposed within the housing;
one or more scanner accessories; and
a multi-port network switch operably coupled with the base scanner and the one or more scanner accessories, wherein the multi-port network switch is configured to configure access to the network responsive to a user input received by at least one of the base scanner or the one or more scanner accessories,
wherein the base scanner is configured to read a configuration barcode and instruct the multi-port network switch to lock access to each port on a per port basis based on detecting unique identifiers of each individual device currently connected to the multi-port network switch at its respective port during a learning phase.
2 . The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein the one or more scanner accessories include one or more of:
a top-down reader mechanically coupled to an external portion of the housing;
a peripheral camera positioned remotely from an external portion of the housing; or
a color camera modules disposed within the housing.
3 . The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein the main board and the one or more internal camera modules are network connected devices operably coupled to different ports of the multi-port network switch.
4 . The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein the multi-port network switch is configured to deny access to the network responsive to detecting a device having a unique identifier that differs from an expected unique identifier for the respective port at the time the multi-port network switch was locked during the learning phase.
5 . The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the multi-port network switch and the base scanner is configured to:
detect a scanner accessory has been disconnected from its port after the multi-port network switch was locked and detect a device is connected to the port; and
deny access to the network if the device does not recognize an encryption certificate.
6 . The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the multi-port network switch and the base scanner is configured to:
detect a scanner accessory has been disconnected from its port after the multi-port network switch was locked and detect a device is connected to the port; and
generate an alert to store personnel and deny access to the network from the port until cleared by the store personnel.
7 . The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein the base scanner is configured to reopen the learning phase to reconfigure the devices and lock access to a different set of devices on a per port basis.
8 . The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein the base scanner is configured to allow access to a first device at a first port of the multi-port network switch as a result of being connected during the learning phase, and deny access to the first device at a second port of the multi-port network switch after the learning phase even though the first device is permitted access to the first port based on its unique ID.
9 . The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein the base scanner is configured to allow access to a first device at a first port of the multi-port network switch as a result of being connected during the learning phase, and deny access to a second device at a second port of the multi-port network switch after the learning phase even though the second device has a spoofed unique ID that would otherwise be permitted access to the first port.
10 . The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein the base scanner is configured to allow access to a first device at a first port of the multi-port network switch as a result of being connected during the learning phase, and deny access to a second device at the first port of the multi-port network switch after the learning phase even though the second device has a spoofed unique ID that would otherwise be permitted access to the first port wherein the base scanner is configured to detect the second device is different than the first device based on detecting behavioral differences that are different than expected for the first device.
11 . A fixed retail scanner comprising:
a housing;
a base scanner including one or more internal camera modules and a main board including one or more processors disposed within the housing;
one or more scanner accessories; and
a multi-port network switch operably coupled with the base scanner and the one or more scanner accessories, wherein the multi-port network switch is configured to configure access to the network responsive to a user input received by at least one of the base scanner or the one or more scanner accessories,
wherein the base scanner is configured to read a configuration barcode and instruct the multi-port network switch to create one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs) in response thereto.
12 . The fixed retail scanner of claim 11 , wherein creating the one or more VLANs is a dynamic process that defines ports used for each VLAN based on user interaction after connecting devices in different groups to the multi-port network switch.
13 . A fixed retail scanner comprising:
a housing;
a base scanner including one or more internal camera modules and a main board including one or more processors disposed within the housing;
one or more scanner accessories; and
a multi-port network switch operably coupled with the base scanner and the one or more scanner accessories, wherein the multi-port network switch is configured to configure access to the network responsive to a user input received by at least one of the base scanner or the one or more scanner accessories,
wherein at least one of the base scanner or the one or more scanner accessories is configured to provide feedback to a user in response to a locator request generated by the user's device connected to a common network as the multi-port network switch.
14 . A method for configuring network access to a fixed retail scanner, the method comprising:
connecting a base scanner to a multi-port network switch disposed within a common housing of the fixed retail scanner;
connecting one or more scanner accessories to the multi-port network switch;
receiving a user input via at least one of the base scanner or the one or more scanner accessories; and
configuring the multi-port network switch to manage access to the network for communication through the multi-port network switch responsive to the user input, wherein configuring the multi-port network to manage access to the network includes creating one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs) responsive to the user input.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the receiving the user input includes decoding a configuration barcode to initiate the configuring of the multi-port network switch.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein configuring the multi-port network to manage access to the network includes assigning unique identifiers of each connected device to its respective port of the multi-port network switch, and locking the ports such that devices having unassigned unique identifiers for the port are denied access to the network.
17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the base scanner is configured to provide feedback to the user indicative of each grouping of ports for the VLANs created.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the feedback is one of a visual or an audible feedback generated by the base scanner responsive to a second user input.
19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein creating one or more VLANs includes:
detecting a first group of devices connected to the multi-port network switch at a first time;
creating a first VLAN to include the first group of devices;
detecting a second group of devices a second, different group of devices connected to the multi-port network switch at a second time;
distinguishing the second group from the first group; and
creating a second VLAN to include the second group of devices.
20 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising connecting at least one device to the multi-port network switch that is not associated with a scanning process, wherein a first VLAN includes the base scanner and the one or more scanning accessories, and a second VLAN includes the at least one device that is not associated with the scanning process.