Bar code reader with an integrated scanning component module mountable on printed circuit board

• US 20030136844A1
• Filed: 01/29/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Dvorkis, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 6,648,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10633 by oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10653 using flexible or piezoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1098 the scanning arrangement having a modular construction

Abstract

A bar code reader has an integrated scanning component module which is mountable on a printed circuit board. In one embodiment, the module may include the digitizer/decoder electronics, enabling the module to be used with a generic PCB. In some embodiments, the module includes a high speed optical scanning arrangement having an optical element which extends longitudinally of a flexible member, secured at one end. In other embodiments, the invention extends to a hand-held optical scanner having a scanning assembly, detector and data transmission coupling all mounted to a common printed circuit board, preferably located within a manually-graspable handle. In yet a further embodiment, an abuse-detector or accelerometer is provided for determining when the device is exposed to deceleration above a predetermined limit, and optionally for automatically shutting down applications programs and for providing a black-box-record of a short time frame before the device was exposed to an unexpected shock. Preferably, the reader is shock protected by a thermo-plastic elastomer housing section. An outgoing light beam is directed at a non-orthogonal angle relative to the PCB.

Claims

1. An optical scanning assembly comprising:

a) an optics module, said module including an optical scanner for scanning an indicium to be read, an optical detector for detecting light reflected from the indicium being read and for providing data signals representative thereof, and a first movable electrical connector, and

b) a printed circuit board (PCB) carrying electrical circuitry for controlling said optics module, said board having a second stationary electrical connector fixed to the PCB and detachably connectable with said first connector for electrically coupling said optics module and said PCB.

2. The optical scanning assembly according to claim 1, wherein said electrical circuitry on said PCB includes a driver for said optical scanner.

3. The optical scanning assembly according to claim 1, wherein said optics module includes a laser, and said electrical circuitry on said PCB includes a laser driver, signal processing circuitry for processing data signals from said optical detector, a digitizer for digitizing the data signals, and a decoder for decoding the digitized signals.

4. The optical scanning assembly according to claim 1, wherein said electrical connectors comprise a PCMCIA-type connection.

5. The optical scanning assembly according to claim 1, wherein said electrical connectors mount the optics module to the PCB.

6. A hand-held electronic device, comprising:

a housing having electronic components; and

an abuse-detector for determining and permanently visually indicating when said electronic components have been exposed to mechanical shock above a predetermined design limit.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein said abuse-detector includes a tell-tale, designed to crack when said predetermined design limit is exceeded.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein said tell-tale comprises a stress-sensitive coating.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said tell-tale includes a movable weight coupled to a printed circuit board on which the components are mounted, said stress-sensitive coating cracking due to movement of said weight caused by said shock.

10. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein said abuse-detector includes a generally cylindrical ring having inwardly-directed flexible spokes carrying a central weight, said weight being arranged to move with respect to said ring when the device is exposed to mechanical shock above the predetermined design limit, thereby flexing said spokes.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein said spokes carry a stress-sensitive coating.

12. A hand-held electronic device, comprising:

a housing having electronic components including a central processing unit (CPU) for running an applications program;

an accelerometer for determining when said components are exposed to deceleration above a predetermined limit and for producing a signal representative thereof; and

a control circuit for shutting down said applications program, and for storing related status information when said signal is received from said accelerometer.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said control circuit causes said CPU to enter the power-down mode after said applications program has been shut down and said status information stored.

14. The electronic device according to claim 12, including a mechanical protection device arranged to operate when said accelerometer determines that said device is exposed to a deceleration above said predetermined limit.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein, on restarting after the power-down mode, said CPU provides a user-option to restart said applications program from the point at which it was shut down.

16. A hand-held electronic device, comprising:

an accelerometer having an accelerometer output, a deceleration-level detector for determining from said accelerometer output when said device has been exposed to a deceleration above a given value, and a store for storing for later analysis values representative of the accelerometer output for a time period prior to the deceleration-level detector determining that the device has been so exposed.

17. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the accelerometer output is smoothed by a filter, prior to its being applied to the deceleration-level detector.

18. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 16, wherein said deceleration-level detector comprises a comparator for comparing said accelerometer output with a fixed value.

19. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 16, wherein further status information is stored, for later analysis, when said deceleration-level detector determines that said device has been exposed to a deceleration above a given value.

20. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 19, wherein said further status information includes temperature.

21. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 16, including separate x, y and z accelerometers.

22. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 21, including respective separate deceleration-level detectors for each of the x, y and z accelerometers.

23. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 21, including respective separate stores for each of the x, y and z accelerometers.

24. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 16, including a download connection for downloading stored accelerometer outputs to a host computer.

25. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the store holds digitized values representative of said accelerometer output.

26. A method of operating a hand-held electronic device, said device including an accelerometer having an accelerometer output and a store, the method comprising the steps of:

a) monitoring said accelerometer output, and determining when said device has been exposed to a deceleration greater than a given value; and

b) storing in the store, for later analysis, values representative of the accelerometer output for a time period prior to said determination.

27. A hand-held scanning device comprising:

a) a housing having walls bounding an interior, and a window;

b) a generally planar printed circuit board mounted in said interior; and

c) an optical scanning assembly mounted on said board and including a scanner for directing a light beam through the window at an acute angle relative to said board exteriorly of the housing to an indicium to be scanned, and a detector for detecting light reflected from the indicium being scanned and for providing data signals representative of the indicium.

28. The scanning device according to claim 27, wherein the acute angle is on the order of 30°

.

29. The scanning device according to claim 27, wherein one of the walls is a top wall;

and further comprising a display and a keyboard mounted on the top wall.

30. The scanning device according to claim 29, wherein another of the walls is a bottom wall spaced from, and extending generally parallel to, the top wall;

and wherein the window is located in the bottom wall.

31. A hand-held device for containing components to be protected from mechanical shock, comprising:

a) a pair of housing sections constituted of a relatively rigid material; and

b) an energy-absorbent housing region located between the housing sections and constituted of a relatively semi-rigid, thermoplastic elastomer material capable of sustaining mechanical shock without permanent deformation.