Transaction control system including portable data terminal and mobile customer service station
View Patent ↗A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network. In another embodiment, the mobile service station comprises an access device which participates with a variety of peripherals at the station in a lower power communication LAN, while providing higher power communication to other network devices via a premises network with routing via a wireless spanning tree configuration.
1. A vehicle communication device comprising:
at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network, wherein the second wireless network resides primarily within the vehicle and is a relatively shorter range wireless network relative to the first wireless network; and
a power interface configured to couple the vehicle communication device to receive power from a power supply of the vehicle.
2. The vehicle communication device of claim 1 wherein the first wireless network is a relatively longer range wireless network that resides primarily outside of the vehicle.
3. A vehicle communication device comprising:
at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network, wherein the at least one transceiver is operable to provide wireless access for a second communication device, participating on the second wireless network, to the first wireless network; and
a power interface configured to couple the vehicle communication device to receive power from a power supply of the vehicle.
4. A vehicle communication device comprising:
at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to participate on the first wireless network pursuant to a first communication protocol and on the second wireless network pursuant to a second communication protocol, and wherein the at least one transceiver is operable to resolve conflicts between the first communication protocol and second communication protocol; and
a power interface configured to couple the vehicle communication device to receive power from a power supply of the vehicle.
5. A vehicle communication device comprising:
at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to participate as a slave device on the first wireless network and as a master device on the second wireless network; and
a power interface configured to couple the vehicle communication device to receive power from a power supply of the vehicle.
6. A vehicle communication device comprising:
at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network, wherein the at least one transceiver is operable to communicate with a second communication device participating on the second wireless network, and wherein the second communication device is disposed on the vehicle; and
a power interface configured to couple the vehicle communication device to receive power from a power supply of the vehicle.
7. The vehicle communication device of claim 6 wherein the vehicle power supply supplies power to the second communication device.
8. The vehicle communication device of claim 1 wherein the at least one transceiver enters a state of low power consumption when not communicating with either the first wireless network or the second wireless network.
9. The vehicle communication device of claim 1 wherein the second wireless network is a peripheral subnetwork.
10. The vehicle communication device of claim 1 wherein the vehicle communication device is configured to couple to the vehicle in mounting relation therewith, thereby providing the vehicle communication device access to the power supply of the vehicle.
11. The vehicle communication device of claim 1 wherein the at least one transceiver conducts wireless communication at selected power levels.
12. A vehicle communication device comprising:
at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network, wherein the at least one transceiver wirelessly communicates using higher power transmissions when communicating on the first wireless network, and using lower power transmissions when communicating on the second wireless network; and
a power interface configured to couple the vehicle communication device to receive power from a power supply of the vehicle.
13. A method for communicating within in a vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a vehicle communication device having at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network, wherein the second wireless network resides primarily within the vehicle and is a relatively shorter range wireless network relative to the first wireless network; and
supplying power to the vehicle communication device from a power supply of the vehicle.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first wireless network is a relatively longer range wireless network that resides primarily outside of the vehicle.
15. A method for communicating within in a vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a vehicle communication device having at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network;
providing wireless access for a second communication device, participating on the second wireless network, to the first wireless network; and
supplying power to the vehicle communication device from a power supply of the vehicle.
16. A method for communicating within in a vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a vehicle communication device having at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to participate on the first wireless network pursuant to a first communication protocol and on the second wireless network pursuant to a second communication protocol;
resolving conflicts between the first communication protocol and second communication protocol; and
supplying power to the vehicle communication device from a power supply of the vehicle.
17. A method for communicating within in a vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a vehicle communication device having at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to participate as a slave device on the first wireless network and as a master device on the second wireless network; and
supplying power to the vehicle communication device from a power supply of the vehicle.
18. A method for communicating within in a vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a vehicle communication device having at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network, wherein the at least one transceiver is operable to communicate with a second communication device participating on the second wireless network, and wherein the second communication device is disposed on the vehicle; and
supplying power to the vehicle communication device from a power supply of the vehicle.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising supplying power to the second communication device from the power supply of the vehicle.
20. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one transceiver is operable to enter a state of low power consumption when not communicating with either the first wireless network or the second wireless network.
21. The method of claim 13 wherein the second wireless network is a peripheral subnetwork.
22. The method of claim 13 wherein supplying power to the vehicle communication device from a power supply of the vehicle comprises coupling the vehicle communication device to the vehicle in mounting relation therewith, thereby providing the vehicle communication device access to the power supply of the vehicle.
23. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one transceiver conducts wireless communication at selected power levels.
24. A method for communicating within in a vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a vehicle communication device having at least one transceiver operable to participate on a first wireless network, the at least one transceiver being further operable to participate on a second wireless network, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to wirelessly communicate using higher power transmissions when communicating on the first wireless network, and using lower power transmissions when communicating on the second wireless network; and
supplying power to the vehicle communication device from a power supply of the vehicle.