System, method and apparatus for placing and updating information in a personal digital electronic device for communication to a bar code scanner
A personal digital electronic device is provided with two enhancements, namely (a) an IR receiver and associated circuitry and software/firmware for mimicking a laser scanner operation, so that information existing in physical form with an associated bar code may be entered into the personal digital electronic device at the point of transaction; and (b) a radio receiver and associated circuitry and software/firmware to receive and process RDS feeds, so that offers, coupons and promotions embedded in the RDS feeds may be detected and used to place or update information on the personal digital electronic device. The personal digital electronic device is enabled for communication with a bar code scanner preferably using the “active light” communication technology.
1. A personal digital electronic device comprising:
a controller;
a broadcast band radio receiver coupled to the controller;
a light source coupled to the controller; and
a memory coupled to the controller, wherein the memory comprises program components executable by the controller for:
receiving an information field comprising transmission information data from a radio data system (“RDS”) transmission in a broadcast channel transmission, the information field which comprises the transmission information data being independent of standard RDS information fields;
storing the transmission information data in the memory; and
transmitting the transmission information data from the memory as active light from the light source.
2. The personal digital electronic device of claim 1 wherein the transmitting program component comprises:
encoding the transmission information data from the memory into a bar code format;
generating a simulated signal from the bar code format; and
applying the simulated signal to the light source to transmit the simulated signal as active light.
3. The personal digital electronic device of claim 1 wherein:
the light source is a light emitting diode; and
the transmitting program component comprises transmitting the transmission information data from the memory as active light from the light emitting diode.
4. The personal digital electronic device of claim 1 further comprising:
a display screen coupled to the controller;
wherein the transmitting program component comprises transmitting the transmission information data from the memory as active light from the display screen.
5. The personal digital electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a fob housing, wherein:
the light source is a light emitting diode;
the transmitting program component comprises transmitting the transmission information data from the memory as active light from the light emitting diode; and
the controller, the light emitting diode, and the memory are contained by the fob housing.
6. A method of operating a personal digital electronic device having a controller, a broadcast band radio receiver coupled to the controller, a light source coupled to the controller, and a memory coupled to the controller, comprising:
receiving an information field comprising transmission information data from a radio data system (“RDS”) transmission in a broadcast channel transmission, the information field which comprises the transmission information data being independent of standard RDS information fields;
storing the transmission information data in the memory; and
transmitting the transmission information data from the memory as active light from the light source.