I have an application that I run on a laptop. It has an ID scanner connected, so my foxpro app communicates through the COM port.
I have my laptop set to go to sleep or blank the screen after 5 hours of inactivity.

I'd like the laptop to wake back up and power on the screen whenever someone tries to scan their ID but that doesn't work.
Receiving data from the COM port will not wake up the computer.

Is there any way to accomplish this?

Perhaps it would be simpler to find a way(software app) to turn the computer off and back on during certain times.