Automatic scanner configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10769389-B2
Application number	US-201414469696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Aug 27, 2014
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

Various embodiments each include at least one of systems, methods, firmware, and software to automatically configure a scanner, such as a scanner coupled to point-of-sale or self-service terminal. Some embodiments include initializing a scanner that is in an un-configured state and requesting scanner configuration settings from at least one device via a network, such as another scanner. Some embodiments further include receiving scanner configuration settings in response to the request and implementing the scanner configuration settings on the scanner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
initializing, upon powering on, a scanner that is in an un-configured state, including sensing, by the scanner polling another device, when the scanner is connected to a network and determining that the scanner is in the un-configured state based on a value or state of one or more configuration settings missing from the scanner indicating the scanner has not been initialized; and
in response to the determining that the scanner is in the un-configured state:
requesting, by the scanner, scanner configuration settings from at least two other scanners via a network;
receiving, by the scanner, scanner configuration settings in response including receiving data representative of configuration settings from the at least two of other scanners;
analyzing, by the scanner, the received data representative of configuration settings to determine the configuration settings for the scanner; and
implementing the scanner configuration settings on the scanner of the initializing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein requesting scanner configuration settings from at least one device includes:
polling scanners connected to the network to identify a master scanner; and
upon identification of the master scanner, requesting the scanner configuration settings from the master scanner.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein polling scanners connected to the network to identify the master scanner includes:
transmitting data to another scanner connected to the network, the transmitted data including data indicating the polling is a request to identify a master scanner of a scanner group based on other data included in the transmitted data, the other data including data representative of at least one property of the scanner, components present in the scanner, and a system to which the scanner is coupled.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one device from which the scanner configuration settings are requested is a server that stores or has access to data representative of at least one configuration setting.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving scanner configuration settings includes receiving a firmware or software update.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein implementing the scanner configuration settings on the scanner includes storing the configuration settings in a memory of the scanner.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein requesting scanner configuration settings from at least one device via the network includes transmitting the request to one scanner connected to the network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed:
by and on hardware integrated within the scanner; and
automatically dining an initialization of the scanner.

9. A method comprising:
reading configuration settings from a memory device during initialization of a scanner in response to connection of the scanner to a network;
determining, by the scanner, new configuration settings need to be obtained based on a value or state of one or more missing configuration settings of the scanner expressly indicating the scanner has not been configured; and
in response to the determining that the scanner is in the un-configured state:
requesting, via a network interface device of the scanner, configuration settings from at least two other scanners;
receiving, via the network interface device of the scanner, data representative of configuration settings from the at least other scanners;
analyzing, by the scanner, the received data representative of configuration settings to determine the configuration settings for the scanner;
updating configuration settings stored in a memory of the scanner;
restarting the scanner; and
initializing the scanner based on the updated configuration settings stored in the memory of the scanner.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein requesting scanner configuration settings from at least one other scanner includes:
polling scanners connected to the network to identify a master scanner; and
upon identification of the master scanner, requesting the scanner configuration settings from the master scanner.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein polling scanners connected to the network to identify the master scanner includes:
transmitting a request to identify a master scanner of a scanner group based on data representative of at least one property of the scanner, components present in the scanner, and a system to which the scanner is coupled.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein receiving scanner configuration settings includes receiving a configuration setting for a component integrated within the scanner.

13. A scanner comprising:
a communication interface device;
at least one configurable component;
at least one data processing device;
at least one memory device on which scanner configuration settings and instructions executable by the at least one data processing device are stored, the instructions executable by the at least one data processing device to:
determine, during a scanner initialization process, that the configuration settings are to be updated in response to connection of the scanner to a network based on a missing value or state of one or more configuration settings of the scanner expressly indicating the un-configured state;
in response to determining that the configuration settings are to be updated, automatically request and receive scanner configuration settings from at least one device via the communication interface device including:
requesting data representative of scanner configuration settings from a at least two other scanners connected to a network to which the network interface device is coupled;
receiving data representative of configuration settings from the at least two other scanners;
analyze the received data representative of configuration settings to determine the configuration settings for the scanner;
store, on the at least one memory device, the determined configuration settings for the scanner; and
implement the determined scanner configuration settings on the scanner.

14. The scanner of claim 13 , wherein the at least one configurable component includes a scale and at least one scanning device.

15. The scanner of claim 13 , wherein the data processing device is a firmware device that includes the at least one memory therein.

16. The scanner of claim 13 , wherein implementing the scanner configuration settings includes restarting the scanner initialization process.

17. The scanner of claim 13 , wherein requesting scanner configuration settings from at least device includes:
polling other scanners connected to a network to which the network interface device is coupled to identify a master scanner; and
upon identification of the master scanner, requesting, via the network interface device, the scanner configuration settings from the master scanner.

Assignees

• Ncr Corp

Inventors

• Rambler Jason
• Charpentier Peter R

Classifications

• G06K7/10821

  further details of bar or optical code scanning devices · CPC title

• G06K7/10851

  Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device (basic electronic circuitry H03) · CPC title

• G06Q20/202

  Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR · CPC title

• G07G1/0081

  the reader being a portable scanner or data reader (G07G1/009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06Q20/208

  Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing · CPC title