Autodiscriminating optical reader comprising improved reprogramming features

• US 20040256464A1
• Filed: 03/04/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew Longacre Jr, James A. Parker, Michael A. Ehrhart, Robert M. Hussey, Thomas J. Koziol
• Original Assignee: Andrew Longacre Jr, James A. Parker, Michael A. Ehrhart, Robert M. Hussey, Thomas J. Koziol
• Inventors: Longacre, Andrew Jr., Hussey, Robert M., Ehrhart, Michael A., Koziol, Thomas J., Parker, James A.
• Application Number:
  US10/793,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20040256464A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.45
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1017 Programmable
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10821 further details of bar or optical code scanning devices
• 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 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1491 the method including a reconstruction step, e.g. stitching two pieces of bar code together to derive the full bar code

Abstract

A bar code reading device processing two-dimensional electronic representations in the decoding of bar code symbols, which can automatically discriminate between code types such as PDF 417 code and UPC. The bar code reading device may further have improved reprogramming features and improved menuing features.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a user at a local facility to reprogram a portable optical reader, said system comprising:

a host processor having a communication port adapted for communication with said optical reader;

a host memory in communication with said host processor comprising a host read-only memory device, and a host read-write memory device;

a plurality of candidate operating programs stored in said host memory space, said each operating program having an associated list of parameters stored in a predetermined memory location of said host memory space;

reading circuit, included in said host processor, for reading one of said candidate parameter tables from said host memory and writing said to said host memory;

editing circuit for editing a candidate list of parameters which has been stored in said memory, and for creating there from and edited list of parameters;

output circuit for outputting said edited list of parameters.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said output circuit is configured to write said edited parameter table to said communications port adapted to communicate with said optical reader.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said list of parameters comprises a parameter table.

4. The system of claim 1, further including a display device in communication with said host processor, and wherein said output is configured to display said edited list of parameters on said display device.

5. The system of claim 1, further including a printer device in communication with said host processor, and wherein said output circuit is configured to print said list of parameters.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said output circuit includes an encoder encoding at least one reprogramming symbol configured to reprogram a parameter table of an optical reader having a decoding circuit that reads bar code symbols.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display device in communication with said host processor, wherein said output circuit includes creating circuit creating at least one programming symbol configured to reprogram a list of parameters of an optical reader having a decoding circuit that reads said at least one reprogramming symbol, and further wherein said output means is configured to display said at least one reprogramming symbol on said display device so that a one dimensional reader can be reprogrammed by reading said series of symbols displayed by said display device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a printer device in communication with said host processor, wherein said output circuit includes an encoding circuit for creating a series of linear menu symbols configured to reprogram a parameter table of an optical reader that reads said series of linear menu symbols, and further wherein said output means is configured to print said series of one dimensional symbols using said printing device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said output circuit includes an encoder for encoding a two dimensional menu symbol configured to reprogram a parameter table of an optical reader having a two dimensional image sensor that reads said two dimensional menu symbol.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display device in communication with said host processor, wherein said output circuit includes an encoder for encoding a two dimensional symbol configured to reprogram a parameter table of an optical reader having a one dimensional image sensor that reads said series of linear menu symbols, and further wherein said output circuit is configured to display said two dimensional symbol on said display device so that a two dimensional reader can be reprogrammed by reading said symbol displayed by said display device.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a printer device in communication with said host processor, wherein said output circuit includes creating means for creating a two dimensional symbol configured to reprogram a parameter table of an optical reader having a two dimensional image sensor that reads said series of linear menu symbols, and further wherein said output circuit is configured to print said two dimensional symbol using said printing device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said output means includes comparing means for comparing one of said candidate parameter tables with said edited parameter table.

13. A system for enabling a user of a bar code reading device at a local facility to simulate the results of applying editing commands to a message representing a decoded message, said system comprising:

a processor;

a memory in communication with said processor having an edit command simulation subprogram stored thereon;

message receive means programmed in said processor for enabling said processor to receive a test message;

editing command receive means, programmed in said processor, for enabling said processor to receive editing commands;

command apply means programmed in said processor so that said processor applies received editing commands to a received test message to generate an edited message;

output circuit for outputting said edited message.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said output means includes display means for displaying said edited message.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said output means includes printing means for printing said edited message.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said memory space further includes a bulk storage means in communication with said processor and wherein said output means further includes means for writing said received editing commands resulting in said edited message to said bulk storage means.

17. An optical reading system for aiding a user of a bar code reading device at a local facility to reprogram said bar code reading device, said system comprising an optical reader in communication with a host processor, said optical reader having a reader memory, said local host processor being in communication with a host memory space, said optical reading system comprising:

a reader operating program stored in said reader memory space, said operating program having a main program stored in a first memory location of said reader memory space, and having a list of parameters stored in a second memory location of said reader memory;

a plurality of candidate operating programs stored in said host memory space, each of said candidate operating programs having at least one of either a main program and a parameter table;

selecting means included in said host processor for selecting one of said candidate operating programs for loading into said reader;

writing means, responsive to said selecting means, for writing said one selected candidate operating program into said reader memory space.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said candidate operating programs are either of a first type comprising a main program and a list of parameters, or of a second type comprising a parameter table only, and wherein said each candidate operating program includes indicating means indicating the type of operating program.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said selecting means includes means for selecting whether to load an operating program comprising a main program and parameter table into said reader, or an operating program comprising a main program.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said writing means includes preserving means for preserving said reader parameter table in said reader space when said operating program is written into said reader memory space.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said list of parameters comprises a parameter table.

22. An apparatus for reading at least one optically encoded symbol representing either a menuing command or output data, the apparatus including an imaging assembly for converting the at least one optically encoded symbol into imaging data, the apparatus comprising:

a programmable controller coupled to the imaging assembly, the programmable controller being programmed to perform a menuing routine in response to the imaging data being decoded as a menuing command.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the imaging assembly and the programmable controller are supported within a housing shaped to substantially fit the human hand.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the menuing routine alters and uses a parameter table stored in a memory in the apparatus, the apparatus being programmed to operate in accordance with the parameter table.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the programmable controller comprises a VLSI integrated circuit.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the VLSI integrated circuit is a microprocessor.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the VLSI integrated circuit is an ASIC.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the ASIC is comprised of a programmable logic array, a gate array, or both.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the imaging assembly further comprises:

illumination optics for illuminating the at least one optically encoded symbol to thereby produce a reflected optically encoded symbol;

imaging optics coupled to the illumination optics, the imaging optics focusing the reflected optically encoded symbol;

a sensor coupled to the imaging optics, the sensor converting the focused reflected optically encoded signal into electrical signals corresponding to the at least one optically encoded symbol; and

an A/D converter coupled to the sensor for converting the electrical signals into imaging data, the imaging data being in a digital format.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the sensor comprises a charge coupled device.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the sensor comprises a CMOS solid-state device.

32. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one optically encoded symbol is one optically encoded symbol.

33. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one optically encoded symbol is a plurality of optically encoded symbols.

34. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising an output device coupled to the programmable controller, the output device being adapted to display data in a user perceptible form.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the output device comprises an LED device.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the output device comprises a liquid crystal display device.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the output device comprises a beeper device.

38. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the programmable controller directs the output data to the output device in response to the imaging data being decoded as output data.

39. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising an I/O device coupled to the programmable controller, the I/O device being adapted to transmit data to, or receive data from, an external device.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the external device is a local host-processor system.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the external device is a remote host-processor system.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the I/O device is compatible with an RS-232 signal format.

43. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the I/O device comprises a wireless system.

44. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the I/O device is adapted to transmit and receive data from a computer network.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the computer network is an Ethernet.

46. An optical reader apparatus for reading at least one optically encoded symbol, the apparatus comprising:

imaging means for scanning the at least one optically encoded signal to thereby produce digital imaging data corresponding to the at least one optically encoded symbol; and

processing means for,

receiving the digital imaging data from the imaging means,

decoding the digital imaging data to thereby derive either a menuing command or output data, and

executing a menuing routine in response to decoding a menuing command, or outputting the output data in a user readable format in response to decoding output data.

47. A method for reading at least one optically encoded symbol using an optical reader, the method comprising:

scanning the at least one optically encoded symbol to thereby convert it into computer-readable imaging data;

decoding the computer-readable imaging data, whereby it is classified as either a menuing command or output data; and

executing a first routine in response to the computer-readable imaging data being classified as a menuing command, the first routine being programmed to drive the optical reader in accordance with the menuing command.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein a second routine is executed in response to the computer-readable imaging data being classified as output data.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the second routine directs the computer-readable imaging data to an output device in a user perceptible format.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of scanning is performed by an imaging assembly resident in the optical reader.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of decoding and the step of executing are performed by a programmable controller resident in the optical reader.

52. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of executing the first routine includes the step of programming the scanning-decoding mode of the optical reader.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the step of programming includes programming the optical reader to scan and decode in a one-shot mode.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of programming includes programming the optical reader to scan and decode in a repeat-until-done mode.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of programming includes programming the optical reader to scan and decode in a repeat-until-stopped mode.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of programming includes programming the optical reader to scan and decode in a scan-on-demand mode.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of programming includes programming the optical reader to scan and decode in a skip scan mode.

58. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of programming includes programming the optical reader to scan and decode in a decode-on-demand mode.

59. The method of claim 47, wherein the at least one optically encoded symbol is one optically encoded symbol.

60. The method of claim 47, wherein the at least optically encoded symbol is a plurality of optically encoded symbols.

61. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of scanning includes converting the computer-readable imaging data into a hexadecimal format.

62. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of decoding includes verifying that the optical reader is compatible with the menuing command.

63. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of decoding includes deriving command information, addressing information, and data from the menu word.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the addressing information enables a programmable controller to write the command information and data to a location in memory.

65. The method of claim 63, wherein the command information is an operational code that is used by a programmable controller to execute the first routine.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein the operational code is used to change at least a portion of a parameter table, the optical reader being programmed to operate in accordance with the parameter table.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein the parameter table includes parameters for defining communications, scanning, decoding, display, and error correction operational modes of the optical reader.

68. The method of claim 66, wherein the parameter table is stored in EROM.

69. The method of claim 66, wherein the first routine is executed to output the parameter table resident in the optical reader.

70. The method of claim 66, wherein the first routine is executed to print the parameter table resident in the optical reader as an optically encoded symbol.

71. The method of claim 66, wherein the first routine is executed to clear all or a portion of the parameter table resident in the optical reader.

72. The method of claim 66, wherein the first routine is executed to set all or selected bits in the parameter table resident in the optical reader.

73. The method of claim 47, wherein the first routine is executed to toggle all or selected bits in the parameter table resident in the optical reader.

74. The method of claim 66, wherein the first routine is executed to add data to the parameter table resident in the optical reader.

75. The method of claim 66, wherein the first routine is executed to load a default parameter table into the optical reader.

76. The method of claim 66, wherein the first routine is executed to load a new parameter table into the optical reader.

77. The method of claim 47, wherein the first routine is executed to direct a current version of the software resident in the optical reader to an output device.

78. The method of claim 47, wherein the first routine is executed to display codes enabled in the optical reader.

79. The method of claim 47, wherein the first routine is executed to select an autodiscrimination process, the autodiscrimination process being a process used by the optical reader to recognize various types of optically encoded symbols during the step of decoding.

80. The method of claim 79, wherein the selected autodiscrimination process performs 1D autodiscrimination during the step of decoding.

81. The method of claim 79, wherein the selected autodiscrimination process performs 2D autodiscrimination during the step of decoding.

82. The method of claim 79, wherein the selected autodiscrimination process performs either 1D autodiscrimination or 2D autodiscrimination during the step of decoding.

86. The method of claim 64, wherein the step of executing further comprises:

deriving a command and data from the computer readable data;

manipulating a parameter table resident in the optical reader device using the command and data, whereby the optical reader is programmed to operate in accordance with the parameter table; and

executing a routine using the parameter table to thereby perform the predetermined task.

87. The method of claim 86, wherein the step of manipulating includes storing the parameter table in EROM resident in the optical reader device.

83. A method for permitting a user to select a menu option to perform a predetermined task with an optical reader device, the optical reader device including an imaging assembly and a programmable controller, the method comprising:

scanning an optically encoded menu symbol with the imaging assembly, the optically encoded menu symbol tangibly embodying a menuing instruction for performing the menu option, whereby the menuing instruction is converted into a computer-readable form; and

executing the menuing instruction with the programmable controller, whereby the optical reader device is programmed to perform the predetermined task.

84. The method of claim 83, wherein the step of scanning further comprises:

viewing a collection of menu symbols, each menu symbol corresponding to a menu option in an optically encoded form; and

selecting an optically encoded menu symbol corresponding to the predetermined task.

85. The method of claim 83, wherein the step of scanning includes converting the optically encoded menu symbol into an analog electrical signal.

88. A method for reprogramming a first optical reader to perform a task performed by a second optical reader, the second optical reader being programmed to perform the task by a parameter table resident in the second optical reader, the method comprising:

providing an optically encoded menu symbol corresponding to the parameter table; and

scanning-decoding the optically encoded menu symbol with the first optical reader to thereby load the parameter table into the first optical reader.

89. The method of claim 88, wherein the step of providing further comprises:

providing a host computing system;

downloading the parameter table from the second optical reader to the host computer; and

printing the optically encoded menu symbol.

90. An optically-readable media having stored thereon a data structure, the data structure comprising:

a first field containing an operational code, the operational code including a command specifying an operation to be performed by an optical reader; and

a second field containing memory address data; and

at least one third field containing data to be used in conjunction with the command and memory address data information.

91. The data structure of claim 90, further including a field containing optical reader identification data.

92. The data structure of claim 90, wherein the operational code is a vector processing command that directs an optical reader to output a copy of its operating software to an output device.

93. The data structure of claim 90, wherein the operational code is a vector processing command that directs an optical reader to output a copy of a parameter table resident in the optical reader to an output device, the optical reader being programmed to operate in accordance with the parameter table.

94. The data structure of claim 93, wherein the vector processing command directs the output device to print the parameter table as an optically encoded symbol.

95. The data structure of claim 90, wherein the operational code is a vector processing command that directs an optical reader to display enabled codes.

96. The data structure of claim 90, wherein the operational code directs an optical reader to change at least a portion of a parameter table, whereby the optical reader is programmed to operate in accordance with the parameter table.

97. The data structure of claim 96, wherein the operational code directs the optical reader to clear, set, or toggle selected bits in the parameter table.

98. The data structure of claim 96, wherein the operational code directs the optical reader to load a new parameter table.

99. The data structure of claim 96, wherein the operational code directs the optical reader to load a default parameter table.

100. The data structure of claim 96, wherein the operational code directs the optical reader to add data to the parameter table.

101. The data structure of claim 97, wherein the memory address data is an offset value, the offset value being a number added to a base memory address to provide a memory location with an optical reader.

102. The data structure of claim 90, wherein the at least one third field comprises four bytes of data.

103. The data structure of claim 90, wherein the at least one third field includes a data mask portion specifying bit locations stored in a memory, the at least one fourth field also including a data portion to be loaded into the bit locations specified by the data mask portion.

104. The data structure of claim 103, wherein the memory location is specified by the second field.

105. A computer-readable media having stored thereon a data structure tangibly embodying menuing instructions executable by a computer to perform a predetermined task in an optical reader apparatus, the data structure comprising:

a first field containing at least one command specifying an operation to be performed by the optical reader apparatus; and

a second field containing addressing information for storing a portion of the menuing instructions to a location in a memory; and

at least one third field containing data used by the at least one command in performing the predetermined task.

106. The computer-readable media of claim 105, wherein the data structure is stored in RAM, ROM, diskette, or CD/ROM.

107. The computer-readable media of claim 105, wherein the computer is coupled to an imaging assembly, the imaging assembly converting an optically encoded symbol corresponding to the menuing instructions into computer-readable data, and transmitting the computer readable data to the computer.

108. An machine-readable media having stored thereon a data structure, the data structure tangibly embodying menuing instructions executable by a computer to perform a method in an optical reader apparatus, the method comprising:

retrieving the data structure from the machine-readable media with the optical reader;

determining, with the computer, that the data structure includes the menuing instructions and not other data; and

executing the menuing instructions in response to determining that the data structure includes the menuing instructions.

109. The method of claim 108, wherein the data structure is optically encoded.

110. The method of claim 108, wherein the media comprises memory resident in the optical reader.

111. The method of claim 108, wherein the media comprises memory resident in a local host computer coupled to the optical reader.

112. The method of claim 108, wherein the media comprises memory resident in a remote host computer coupled to the optical reader.