Wireless mesh point portable data terminal

1. A portable data terminal adapted to participate in a wireless mesh network including a plurality of peer portable data terminals, said portable data terminal comprising:

a housing;

a portable data terminal disposed within said housing, said portable data terminal module including a central processing unit, a memory, and at least one encoded information reading device configured to output a decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message; and

a mesh point module disposed within said housing, said mesh module communicatively coupled to said portable data terminal module, said mesh point module including a microcontroller and at least one wireless communication interface;

wherein said mesh point module is configured to perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services, and IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including distribution and integration;

wherein said portable data terminal module employs a power management scheme for controlling power management states of said portable data terminal module at least between an awake state and a sleeping state;

wherein said mesh point module is further configured, responsive to receiving, while said portable data terminal module is in a state selected from the group consisting of: said awake state and said sleeping state, a Media Access Control frame addressed to a recipient inside said mesh network, to deliver said Media Access Control frame using said distribution service;

wherein said mesh point module is further configured, responsive to receiving, while said portable data terminal module is in said sleeping state, a Media Access Control frame addressed to a recipient outside of said mesh network, to deliver said Media Access Control frame using said integration service;

wherein said portable data terminal module is further configured to send outgoing Media Access Control frames to said mesh point module and said mesh point module is further configured to route outgoing Media Access Control frames obtained from said portable data terminal to recipients inside said mesh network utilizing said distribution service and to recipients outside said mesh network utilizing said integration service; and

wherein said mesh point module is further configured to obtain incoming Media Access Control frames addressed to said mesh point module and transmit said incoming Media Access Control frames to said portable data terminal module.

2. The portable data terminal of claim 1 , wherein said mesh point module is further configured, responsive to receiving a Media Access Control frame addressed to said portable data terminal module while said portable data terminal module is in said sleeping state, to cause said portable data terminal module to exit said sleeping state by transmitting said Media Access Control frame to said portable data terminal module; and

wherein said mesh point module is further configured, responsive to receiving a Media Access Control frame addressed to said portable data terminal module while said portable data terminal module is in said awake state, to transmit said Media Access Control frame to said portable data terminal module.

3. The portable data terminal of claim 1 , wherein said portable data terminal module includes a first battery;

wherein said mesh point module includes a second battery; and

wherein said first battery is used to power said mesh point module responsive to said second battery depletion, thus providing for uninterrupted operation of said mesh point module.

4. The portable data terminal of claim 1 , wherein said wireless network comprises one or more portals, each portal routing frames between said wireless network and at least one external network.

5. The portable data terminal of claim 1 , wherein said mesh point module is configured to transmit beacons only at Delivery Traffic Indication Time intervals.

6. A portable data terminal adapted to participate in a wireless mesh network including a plurality of peer portable data terminals, said portable data terminal comprising:

a housing;

a portable data terminal module disposed within said housing, said portable data terminal including a central processing unit, a memory, and at least one encoded information reading device configured to output a decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message; and

a mesh point module disposed within said housing, said mesh point module communicatively coupled to said portable data terminal module, said mesh point module including a microcontroller and at least one wireless communication interface;

wherein said mesh point module is configured to perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services, and IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services;

wherein said mesh point module is further configured, responsive to receiving, while said portable data terminal module is in a state selected from the group consisting of: said awake state and said sleeping state, a Media Access Control frame having a header including a destination address and a frame control field, to route said Media Access Control frame according to said destination address and said frame control field;

wherein said portable data terminal module employs a power management scheme for controlling power management states of said portable data terminal module at least between an awake state and a sleeping state;

wherein said portable data terminal module is further configured to send outgoing Media Access Control frames to said mesh point module and said mesh point module is further configured to route outgoing Media Access Control frames obtained from said portable data terminal to recipients inside said mesh network utilizing said distribution service and to recipients outside said mesh network utilizing said integration service; and

wherein said mesh point module is further configured to obtain incoming Media Access Control frames addressed to said mesh point module and transmit said incoming Media Access Control frames to said portable data terminal module.

7. The portable data terminal of claim 6 , wherein said mesh point module is further configured, responsive to receiving a Media Access Control frame addressed to said portable data terminal module while said portable data terminal module is in said sleeping state, to cause said portable data terminal module to exit said sleeping state by transmitting said Media Access Control frame to said portable data terminal module; and

wherein said mesh point module is further configured, responsive to receiving a Media Access Control frame addressed to said portable data terminal module while said portable data terminal module is in said awake state, to transmit said Media Access Control frame to said portable data terminal module.

8. The portable data terminal of claim 6 , wherein said portable data terminal module includes a first battery;

wherein said mesh point module includes a second battery; and

wherein said first battery is used to power said mesh point module responsive to said second battery depletion, thus providing for uninterrupted operation of said mesh point module.

9. The portable data terminal of claim 6 , wherein said wireless network comprises one or more portals, each portal routing frames between said wireless network and at least one external network.

10. The portable data terminal of claim 6 , wherein said mesh point module is configured to transmit beacons only at Delivery Traffic Indication Time intervals.

11. A portable data terminal adapted to participate in a wireless mesh network including a plurality of peer portable data terminals, said portable data terminal comprising:

a housing;

a portable data terminal module disposed within said housing, said portable data terminal including a central processing unit, a memory, and at least one encoded information reading device configured to output a decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message; and

a mesh point module disposed within said housing, said mesh point module communicatively coupled to said portable data terminal module, said mesh point module including a microcontroller and at least one wireless communication interface;

wherein said mesh point module is further configured, responsive to receiving, while said portable data terminal module is in a state selected from the group consisting of: said awake state and said sleeping state, a Media Access Control frame having a header including a destination address and a frame control field, to route said Media Access Control frame according to said destination address and said frame control field;

wherein said portable data terminal module is configured to control power management states of said portable data terminal module at least between an awake state and a sleeping state;

wherein said mesh point module is configured to cause said portable data terminal module to exit said sleeping state responsive to receiving from an external server a mobile management software wake-up command;

wherein said portable data terminal module is further configured to send outgoing Media Access Control frames to said mesh point module and said mesh point module is further configured to route outgoing Media Access Control frames obtained from said portable data terminal to recipients inside said mesh network utilizing said distribution service and to recipients outside said mesh network utilizing said integration service; and

wherein said mesh point module is further configured to obtain incoming Media Access Control frames addressed to said mesh point module and transmit said incoming Media Access Control frames to said portable data terminal module.

12. The portable data terminal of claim 11 , wherein said mesh point module is configured to perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and Media Access Control service data unit delivery, and IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association.

13. The portable data terminal of claim 11 , wherein said portable data terminal module includes a first battery;

wherein said mesh point module includes a second battery; and

wherein said first battery is used to power said mesh point module responsive to said second battery depletion, thus providing for uninterrupted operation of said mesh point module.

14. The portable data terminal of claim 11 , wherein said wireless network comprises one or more portals, each portal routing frames between said wireless network and at least one external network.

15. The portable data terminal of claim 11 , wherein said mesh point module is configured to transmit beacons only at Delivery Traffic Indication Time intervals.