Information handling devices capable of wireless communication are well known. Such devices are used to gather data and to communicate the gathered data to some other device or devices. In some devices, the data is gathered by entering it manually via a component such as a keyboard, keypad, touch screen, or a digitizer screen or pad. Some information handling devices also provide for automated data entry. Automated data entry is accomplished via a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader component or via an optical indicia reader component. The optical indicia reader can be a component such as a laser scanner component or a digital imager.
When an information handling device includes a wireless communication component, it uses either a radio transceiver component or an optical communication component such as an infrared transceiver (an IRDA compliant transceiver for example) to handle the communication. When radio communication is desired, a radio transceiver system is chosen that can communicate via a frequency and a communication protocol that is compatible with the type of wireless network that will be encountered. Thus, a WAN radio frequency transceiver is included in a device that will communicate over a wireless wide area network (WAN). A LAN radio frequency transceiver is included in an information handling device that will communicate over a wireless local area network (LAN). Similarly, a device that will communicate via infrared signals will include an IRDA transceiver. local area network (LAN). Similarly, a device that will communicate via infrared signals will include an IRDA transceiver.
Information handling devices that are portable are also known. Such devices are designed to be carried in a vehicle or by an operator. Consequently, a portable device can encounter a wide variety of work sites and communication environments. For example, a portable unit used in a route delivery application will be located in a rural or an urban area when the delivery vehicle is in transit, in a depot or warehouse when the vehicle arrives at a site and in locations removed from the vehicle when it is carried by an operator after arriving at a site. At various times during such use, the device may need to communicate via a wireless WAN. At other times, for example, it may be at a site containing a wireless LAN.
The problem with the prior devices, however, is that they have been capable of communicating in just one, and at most two, of the various radio frequency communication environments at any one time. For example, some information handling devices are capable of communicating via a wireless WAN and a wireless LAN, but not by a third type of wireless radio frequency network. Other such devices exist that are capable of communicating via a WAN, a LAN and via an IRDA transceiver, but not via a wireless PAN transceiver. Consequently, with the prior devices, it is common to encounter several situations where a given mode of communication is not available.
A new information handling device is needed that can wirelessly communicate regardless of its location. For example, it is desired to design an information handling device that is capable of communicating via any of four different wireless communication components. It is also desired to create an information handling device capable of communicating via three or more different radio frequency networks. It is further desired to create units that can simultaneously communicate via three or more different wireless networks. In addition, such devices are needed that are also portable or capable of being hand held. Further, it is believed that a review of this specification, including its claims and drawings, will reveal and imply additional deficiencies of the prior systems that are improved or remedied by the inventions disclosed herein.