APPARATUS COMPRISING A READER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE READER

• US 20140062673A1
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nordic I.D. Oyj
• Original Assignee: Nordic Industries Incorporated (Dynatec International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ainasoja, Teemu, Lalla, Jorma
• Granted Patent: US 9,530,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• 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 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1091 means to wake up the scanner from a sleep mode, e.g. using an acceleration sensor indicating that the scanner is being picked up by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A portable device (10, 20) includes at least a control element (14, 24, 34) for receiving command signals and a reader (12, 22, 32). A detection element (18, 28, 38) is connected with the control element (14, 24, 34) and they communicate with each other. Operation of the reader (12, 22, 32) in relation to the object to be identified is controlled through command signals so that at least one of the command signals received by the control element (14, 24, 34) is based on information indicating movement or position received from the detection element (18, 28, 38). The reader (12, 22, 32) is easy to use and quick to operate in its operating environment as no separate actions are required of the user in order to initiate operations.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A portable device comprising a control means (14, 24, 34) for receiving command signals and a reader (12, 22, 32) the operation of which in relation to an object to be identified is controlled by said command signals, characterised in that said control means (14, 24, 34) being connected to a detection means (18, 28, 38) for detecting distance of the object to be identified in relation to the detection means (18, 28, 38) whereby at least one command signal received by said control means (14, 24, 34) is based on information which indicates movement or position of the detection means (18, 28, 38) in relation to the object to be identified based on detected distance of the object to be identified in relation to the detection means (18, 28, 38).

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein the command signal received by the control means (14, 24, 34) is based on information indicating movement or position of the detection means (18, 28, 38) relative to the reader (12, 22, 32).

19. A device according to claim 17, wherein the control means (14, 24, 34) comprises a user interface (341) for receiving command signals, controller (343) adapted to control the operation of the reader on the basis of command signals received by the user interface, memory (345) for storing control software, whereby the controller (343) uses a command signal, which is received by the user interface (341) and contains information indicating movement or position obtained from a detection means (18, 28, 38), to generate control signals for the reader (12, 22, 32) with the help of control software.

20. A device according to claim 17, wherein the reader (12, 22, 32) remains in operating state if after a received command signal an operation directed to the object to be identified is successfully carried out, or wherein the reader (12, 22, 32) returns to a wait or standby state if after a received command signal an operation directed to the object to be identified is successfully carried out and a certain predetermined period of time elapses during which no new command signal is received.

21. A device according to claim 17, wherein the control means (14, 24, 34) comprises a microphone or other soundreceiving component, whereby at least one command signal received by the control means (14, 24, 34) is based on received sound.

22. A device according to claim 17, wherein the device is a device to be held in the user'"'"'s hand, a device to be attached to the user'"'"'s wrist, or a device to be attached onto the user'"'"'s waist.

23. A device according to claim 17, wherein the detection means (18, 38) are integrated in the portable device (10).

24. A device according to claim 17, which comprises a separate unit containing a detection means (28, 38) and a portable device (20) containing at least a reader (22, 32) and control means (24, 34), whereby the detection means (28, 38) is connected to a control means (14, 24, 34) in a wired or wireless manner.

25. A device according to claim 17, wherein the reader (12, 22, 32) is connected to a transceiver means (16, 26, 36) for transmitting to the identifiers (11, 21) signals related to the identifiers (11, 21) and for receiving them from the identifiers (11, 21), whereby each of the objects to be identified contains at least one identifier (11, 21).

26. A device according to claim 17, wherein the reader (12, 22, 32) is an optical reader or a reader operating at least on one radio frequency, and the identifiers (11, 21) are identifiers that can be optically interpreted or identifiers operating on at least one radio frequency, whereby the transceiver means (16, 26, 36) and identifiers (11, 21) communicate using at least one optical or RF communications protocol.

27. A device according to claim 17, wherein the operation of the reader (12, 22, 32) in relation to the object to be identified is at least one of the following:

reading, writing, locking or disabling one or more identifiers (11, 21) on the object or some other action directed to an identifier (11, 21).

32. A device according to claim 18, wherein the control means (14, 24, 34) comprises a user interface (341) for receiving command signals, controller (343) adapted to control the operation of the reader on the basis of command signals received by the user interface, memory (345) for storing control software, whereby the controller (343) uses a command signal, which is received by the user interface (341) and contains information indicating movement or position obtained from a detection means (18, 28, 38), to generate control signals for the reader (12, 22, 32) with the help of control software.

28. An arrangement characterised in that it comprises a device attachable to a limb or body comprising at least a detection means (18, 28, 38) configured to detect distance of the object to be identified in relation to the detection means (18, 28, 38), to generate command signals and transmit them to a control means (14, 24, 34) and another device (20) comprising at least a reader (12, 22, 32) and control means (14, 24, 34) whereby at least one of the command signals received by the control means (14, 24, 34) is based on information, which indicates movement or position of the detection means (18, 28, 38) in relation to the object to be identified based on detected distance of the object to be identified in relation to the detection means (18, 28, 38), received from the detection means (18, 28, 38) and whereby the command signals control the operation of the reader (12, 22, 32) in relation to the object to be identified.

29. An arrangement according to claim 28, wherein the command signal received by the control means (14, 24, 34) is based on information indicating the movement or position of the detection means (18, 28, 38) relative to the reader (12, 22, 32).

30. A method for controlling a reader, characterised in that the method comprises

detecting distance of an object to be identified in relation to detecting means (401),

receiving information indicating movement or position of the detection means in relation to the object to be identified based on detected distance of the object to be identified in relation to the detection means (403),

generating at least one command signal based at least in part on the received information (405, 407, 409), and

controlling through the at least one of the control signal the operation of the reader in relation to the object to be identified (411).

31. A method according to claim 30, comprising steps in which at least one of the following actions is carried out in relation to the object to be identified:

read from one or more identifiers on the object, write to one or more identifiers on the object, lock one or more identifiers on the object, disable one or more identifiers on the object, or direct some other operation to one or more identifiers on the object.