BARCODE SCANNING SYSTEM USING WEARABLE DEVICE WITH EMBEDDED CAMERA

• US 20160125217A1
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Todeschini, Erik
• Application Number:
  US14/533,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125217A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1696 the I/O peripheral being a printing or scanning device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2007/10534 Scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1404 Methods for optical code recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2247 Characters composed of bars, e.g. CMC-7
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A smartwatch is provided with an embedded camera; barcode decoding software; a user interface system, the user interface system being provided with a visual display on the smartwatch; and a processor communicatively coupled to the camera, the user interface system, and the barcode decoding software. The processor is configured for a barcode scanning and decoding operation. The barcode scanning and decoding operation is configured for: triggering a view finder on the smartwatch, aligning a barcode in the view finder; capturing images of the barcode aligned in the view finder with the camera, feeding the barcode images to barcode decoding software; and sending the decoded barcode information to the visual display.

Claims

1. A smartwatch comprising:

a camera;

barcode decoding software in the smartwatch;

a user interface system, the user interface system being provided with a visual display on the smartwatch; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the camera, the user interface system, and the barcode decoding software, the processor being configured for a barcode scanning and decoding operation in the smartwatch;

the barcode scanning and decoding operation in the smartwatch being configured for;

triggering a view finder on the smartwatch;

aligning a barcode in the view finder;

capturing images of the barcode aligned in the view finder with the camera;

feeding the barcode images to barcode decoding software in the smartwatch; and

sending the decoded barcode information to the visual display.

2. The smartwatch of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication system, the processor communicatively coupled to the wireless communication system.

4. The smartwatch of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for sharing and receiving data via RF links with remote electronic devices.

5. The smartwatch of claim 1, further comprising an operating system, wherein the processor runs an application within the operating system.

6. The smartwatch of claim 1, wherein the barcode decoding software is capable of discerning different types of barcode symbologies and optical character recognition text.

3. (canceled)

7. A process for imaging and decoding a barcode with a wearable device, comprising:

triggering a wearable device to display a view finder;

aligning a barcode in the view finder;

capturing images of the barcode with a camera on the wearable device;

feeding camera frames of the barcode images to barcode decoding software in the wearable device;

decoding the barcode in the wearable device;

sending the decoded barcode information to the wearable device display; and

displaying decoded barcode information on the wearable device display.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein the wearable device is a smartwatch.

11. The process of claim 7, wherein the triggering step is accomplished by a physical act by a wearer of the wearable device, the physical act being selected from a voice command, a swiping motion of a stylus on the wearable device display, a display touch, a touch gesture, and a physical motion of the wearable device.

12. The process of claim 7, wherein the triggering step is accomplished by a signal from a remote device to the wearable device.

13. The process of claim 7, wherein the sending step further includes sending the decoded barcode information to a remote electronic device for display.

14. The process of claim 7, wherein the sending step further includes sending the decoded barcode information to a remote device.

15. The process of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

notifying a wearer of the wearable device of a successful decoding of the barcode, the notifying step being accomplished by an indicator selected from an audible signal from the wearable device, a visual signal on the display of the wearable device, a haptic response from the wearable device and an audible signal from a remote device, the remote device being linked to the wearable device via an RF link.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

16. A barcode scanning system comprising:

a smartwatch, the smartwatch provided with an embedded camera, a user interface visual display, and an operating system which communicatively couples the user interface and the embedded camera;

decoding software in the smartwatch, the decoding software being communicatively linked to the operating system;

the operating system being configured for;

triggering a view finder on the smartwatch visual display;

aligning a barcode in the view finder;

capturing images of the barcode aligned in the view finder with the camera;

feeding the barcode images to the decoding software in the smartwatch; and

sending the decoded barcode information to the visual display.

19. The barcode scanning system of claim 16, wherein the decoding software is capable of discerning different types of barcode symbologies and optical character recognition text.

20. The barcode scanning system of claim 16, wherein triggering the viewfinder is be initialized by a wearer of the smartwatch by a physical action, the physical action being selected from a voice command, a swiping motion of a stylus on the smartwatch visual display, a display touch a touch gesture, and a physical motion of the wearable device.

21. The barcode scanning system of claim 16, wherein the operating system is communicatively linked to at least one remote electronic device via an RF signal.

22. The barcode scanning system of claim 21, wherein triggering the viewfinder is initialized by a signal from a remote device to the operating system of the smartwatch.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)