Importance

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Abstract

A portable data collection device (10) adapted to be mounted to a shopping cart (18) is disclosed. The device includes a housing (12) having a clamping assembly (80, 82, 84, and 86) for releasably clamping the housing to a pushing bar (16) of a shopping cart (18). The housing (12) defines an interior region supporting device electronics. The device further includes an interactive touch sensitive visual display screen (110, 112) and a retractable, tethered dataform reader (22) releasable mounted on the housing (12). When mounted on the housing (12), an imaging assembly (42) and an illumination assembly (44) of the reader (22) are continuously actuated to read a dataform presented to the reader. When removed from the housing, (12) the reader (22) is actuated by depressing a trigger (40) on the reader. The device also includes a magnetic stripe reading assembly (60), a printer (62) and communications circuitry (118) including a radio communicator module. A locator provides position information of the portable collection device (10) relative to a distribution facility via data interchange with a plurality of transceivers (166, 168). Information selectively obtained from the transceivers (166, 168) allows for selective retrieval and display of information on the visual display screen (110, 112) which is keyed to product type or location of the portable collection device (110).

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First Claim