Barcode-reading system

• US 10,521,631 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Code Corporation (Brady Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Code Corporation (Brady Corporation)
• Inventors: Deal, John, Powell, George, Russell, Garrett
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Seung H
• Application Number:
  US16/127,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20190005287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/089 hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10821 further details of bar or optical code scanning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries

Abstract

This patent specification describes operations of a mobile device with barcode-reading capabilities and an application and license server. A mobile device may include a barcode-reading application downloaded from an application server. The barcode-reading application may operate in a base mode or an enhanced mode. In the base mode, the barcode-reading application may establish a network connection to a licensing server to obtain a license code, and determine at least one operating permission authorized by the license code. In the enhanced mode, the barcode-reading application may implement at least one enhanced barcode-reading function which corresponds to the at least one operating permission authorized by the license code. For example, the enhanced barcode-reading function may be a function of decoding a barcode symbology that the decoder is restricted from decoding in the base mode of operation.

Claims

1. A barcode-reading apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

memory in electronic communication with the at least one processor; and

instructions of a barcode-reading application stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the at least one processor to;

operate in a base mode of operation, wherein in the base mode of operation, the barcode-reading apparatus is configured to control a network interface of the barcode-reading apparatus to establish a network connection to a licensing server and obtain a licensing code from the licensing server authenticating the barcode-reading apparatus to implement at least one operating permission; and

based on obtaining the licensing code from the licensing server, operate in an enhanced mode of operation, wherein in the enhanced mode of operation, the barcode-reading application is configured to implement at least one enhanced barcode-reading function corresponding to the at least one operating permission authorized by the licensing code.

2. The barcode-reading apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function comprises a function of decoding a barcode symbology that the barcode-reading application is restricted from decoding while operating in the base mode of operation.

3. The barcode-reading apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function comprises a function of decoding multiple barcodes in sequence at a rate that is faster than a rate at which the barcode-reading application can decode multiple barcodes in sequence while operating in the base mode of operation.

4. The barcode-reading apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function comprises a function of decoding a quantity of barcodes of a particular symbology that exceeds a restricted quantity of barcodes of the particular symbology that the barcode-reading application can decode while operating in the base mode of operation.

5. The barcode-reading apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function comprises removing a demonstration restriction function under which the barcode-reading application functions while operating in the base mode of operation, and

wherein the demonstration restriction function is at least one of:

i) a function that scrambles decoded data from a barcode of at least one symbology;

ii) a function that restricts the decoded data or scrambled decoded data from a barcode of at least one symbology from being made available for further processing;

or iii) a function that restricts the decoded data or the scrambled decoded data from a barcode of at least one symbology from being displayed on a display screen of the barcode-reading apparatus.

6. The barcode-reading apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function comprises enabling at least one enhanced image processing function that improves an ability to decode an image of a barcode and is not operable when the decoder operates in the base mode of operation.

7. The barcode-reading apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base mode of operation comprises a base decoding mode of operation and a demonstration mode of operation,

wherein the barcode-reading application, in the base decoding mode of operation, is configured to:

drive a camera assembly of the barcode-reading apparatus to capture an image of a barcode;

apply base decoder functions to the image to identify a barcode symbology;

if the barcode symbology is a base symbology, decode the barcode and make decoded data available for further processing; and

if the barcode symbology is not the base symbology, activate the demonstration mode of operation, and

wherein the barcode-reading application, in the demonstration mode of operation, is configured to;

apply at least one enhanced barcode-reading function to decode the barcode; and

perform at least one of;

outputting an indication of successful decoding of the barcode;

or

implementing a restriction function, the restriction function being at least one of;

i) a function that scrambles decoded data;

ii) a function that restricts the decoded data or scrambled decoded data from being made available for further processing by at least one application executing on the barcode-reading apparatus;

or iii) a function that restricts the decoded data or the scrambled decoded data from being displayed on a display screen of the barcode-reading apparatus.

8. The barcode-reading apparatus of claim 7, wherein the barcode-reading application is further configured to perform an upgrade function while operating in the demonstration mode of operation, wherein the upgrade function enables obtaining the licensing code based on a detected user selection, establishing the network connection to the licensing server, and obtaining the licensing code from the licensing server.

9. The barcode-reading apparatus of claim 8, wherein in order to obtain the licensing code from the licensing server, the barcode-reading application is further configured to communicate to the licensing server one of:

i) a unique identification code of the mobile device;

or ii) a user identification code identifying a controller of the mobile device.

10. A method implemented by a mobile device for performing barcode-reading functions, the method comprising:

operating in a base mode that enables a first set of barcode-reading functions of a barcode-reading application;

establishing a network connection to a licensing server to obtain a licensing code for authenticating the mobile device to implement a second set of barcode-reading functions of the barcode-reading application; and

based on obtaining the licensing code from the licensing server, operating in an enhanced mode of operation that enables the second set of barcode-reading functions of the barcode-reading application, the second set of barcode-reading functions comprising at least one enhanced barcode-reading function corresponding to licensing code obtained from the licensing server that is not included within the first set of barcode-reading functions.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising authenticating the mobile device by applying a predetermined algorithm to the licensing code to determine at least one operating permission authorized by the licensing code, wherein the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function corresponds to the at least one operating permission authorized by the licensing code.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing the network connection to the licensing server to obtain the licensing code comprises communicating, to the licensing server, one of:

i) a unique identification code of the mobile device;

or ii) a user identification code identifying a controller of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function comprises a function of decoding a barcode symbology that the barcode-reading application is restricted from decoding while operating in the base mode.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function comprises a function of decoding multiple barcodes in sequence at a rate that is faster than a rate at which the barcode-reading application can decode multiple barcodes in sequence while operating in the base mode.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function comprises a function of decoding a quantity of barcodes of a particular symbology that exceeds a restricted quantity of barcodes of the particular symbology that the barcode-reading application can decode while operating in the base mode.

16. A computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor on a mobile device having a barcode-reading application thereon, causes the mobile device to:

operate in a base mode of operation, wherein in the base mode of operation, the barcode-reading application is configured control a network interface of the mobile device to establish a network connection to a licensing server and obtain a licensing code from the licensing server authenticating the mobile device to implement at least one operating permission; and

based on obtaining the licensing code from the licensing server, operate in an enhanced mode of operation, wherein in the enhanced mode of operation, the barcode-reading application is configured to implement at least one enhanced barcode-reading function which corresponds to the at least one operating permission authorized by the licensing code, wherein the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function is disabled in the base mode of operation.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein in the enhanced mode of operation, the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function is subject to one or more restrictions specified by the licensing code.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the restrictions include at least one or more of symbology restrictions, time restrictions, or quantity restrictions.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the licensing code includes:

data fields that specify symbologies that the barcode-reading application can decode and a license term that specifies a date and a time at which the licensing code expires;

or

data fields that specify symbologies that the barcode-reading application can decode and a licensed quantity of decodes for each symbology.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one enhanced barcode-reading function comprises one or more of:

a function of decoding a barcode symbology that the barcode-reading application is restricted from decoding while operating in the base mode of operation;

a function of decoding multiple barcodes in sequence at a rate that is faster than a rate at which the barcode-reading application can decode multiple barcodes in sequence while operating in the base mode of operation;

or

a function of decoding a quantity of barcodes of a particular symbology that exceeds a restricted quantity of barcodes of the particular symbology that the barcode-reading application can decode while operating in the base mode of operation.