Fixed retail scanner with multi-port network switch and related methods
The disclosure includes a fixed retail scanner including a data reader comprising a main board, one or more camera modules, and a multi-port network switch disposed within a housing of the data reader. The multi-port network switch is configured to provide a network backbone for at least some internal devices within the housing of the data reader and for at least some external devices positioned external to the housing of the data reader and operably coupled with the data reader through the multi-port network switch. Related systems may include a remote server operably coupled to the fixed retail scanner through the multi-port network switch such that image data to the remote server may be communicated via the multi-port network switch from at least one of the main board or the at least one camera coupled to the multi-port network switch.
1. A fixed retail scanner, comprising:
a housing;
a main board including one or more processors for a data reader disposed within the housing;
one or more internal camera modules disposed within the housing; and
a multi-port network switch operably coupled with the main board and at least some of the one or more internal camera modules, wherein the multi-port network switch is configured to provide a network backbone for at least some internal devices within the housing and at least some external devices coupled through the multi-port network switch, wherein the multi-port network switch is operably coupled to another device via a single cable configured to provide power from a connected power source to the another device.
2. The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein the another device powered by the multi-port network switch includes the main board.
3. The fixed retail scanner of claim 2 , wherein the main board is configured to provide power to one or more illumination assemblies coupled thereto.
4. The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein the another device powered by the multi-port network switch includes one of the internal camera modules.
5. The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein the another device is disposed within the housing.
6. The fixed retail scanner of claim 5 , wherein the fixed retail scanner is a bi-optic scanner with the housing including a horizontal housing and a vertical housing disposed in an orthogonal arrangement, and wherein the multi-port network switch and the main board are disposed in a stacked arrangement within a void of the horizontal housing.
7. The fixed retail scanner of claim 6 , wherein the multi-port network switch rests against a lower chassis of the horizontal housing in the stacked arrangement with the main board.
8. The fixed retail scanner of claim 6 , wherein the main board rests against a lower chassis of the horizontal housing in the stacked arrangement with the multi-port network switch.
9. The fixed retail scanner of claim 1 , wherein the fixed retail scanner is a single plane scanner.
10. A fixed retail scanner, comprising:
a housing;
a main board including one or more processors for a data reader disposed within the housing;
one or more internal camera modules disposed within the housing; and
a multi-port network switch operably coupled with the main board and the one or more external camera modules, wherein the multi-port network switch is configured to provide a network backbone for at least some internal devices within the housing and for at least some external devices including the one or more external camera modules disposed outside of the housing, wherein the multi-port network switch is further configured to communicate image data to the remote server via at least one of the main board, the one or more internal camera modules, or the at least one camera coupled to the multi-port network switch.
11. The fixed retail scanner of claim 10 , wherein the multi-port network switch is an Ethernet-based network switch that provides an Ethernet backbone for the data reader.
12. The fixed retail scanner of claim 11 , wherein the Ethernet-based network switch is operably coupled with the one or more processors for the one or more processors to provide control to the external devices and/or to facilitate communication between the external devices and the one or more processors of the data reader.
13. The fixed retail scanner of claim 10 , wherein the one or more internal camera modules include a first internal camera module coupled directly to the main board, and a second internal camera module coupled directly to the multi-port network switch.
14. The fixed retail scanner of claim 13 , wherein the first internal camera module is a monochrome camera, and the second internal camera module is a color camera.
15. The fixed retail scanner of claim 10 , wherein the multi-port network switch is disposed within the housing.
16. The fixed retail scanner of claim 10 , wherein the multi-port network switch is an external module disposed external to the housing.
17. A data reading system, comprising:
a fixed retail scanner including internal components including a main board disposed within a housing, the main board including one or more processors configured to perform decoding of barcodes;
at least one external camera disposed external to the fixed retail scanner;
a multi-port network switch operably coupled to the internal components including at least the main board; and
a remote server operably coupled to the fixed retail scanner through the multi-port network switch,
wherein the multi-port network switch is configured to communicate image data to the remote server via multi-port network switch from at least one of the main board or the at least one external camera.
18. The data reading system of claim 17 , wherein the internal components of the fixed retail scanner include a first plurality of cameras operably coupled directly with the multi-port network switch, and a second plurality of cameras operably coupled directly with the main board.
19. The data reading system of claim 17 , wherein the external camera includes a peripheral camera operably to the multi-port network switch and configured to pass captured image data from the peripheral camera to at least one of the main board or to the remote server through the multi-port network switch.
20. The data reading system of claim 17 , wherein the main board is configured to coordinate timing of internal cameras and internal illumination assemblies with any external cameras and external illumination assemblies operably coupled to the fixed retail scanner through the multi-port network switch based on packet time stamps across the network connection.