Hand-mounted scanner with automatic manual initiation of reading indicia

• US 5,250,790 A
• Filed: 06/12/1992
• Issued: 10/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Melitsky, Boris, Barkan, Ed, Sandor, Joseph, Krichever, Mark, Swartz, Jerome, Shepard, Howard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPPERD, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US07/897,837
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/472, 200/DIG. 2
• US Class Current: 235/462.44
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2007/10534 Scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1016 Motor control or optical moving unit control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10633 by oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10653 using flexible or piezoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10871 randomly oriented data-fields, code-marks therefore, e.g. concentric circles-code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10891 the scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

A hand-mounted scanning system for reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, including a housing having a window and an actuatable electro-optical scanner in the housing for projecting a light beam through the window to indicia to be read, for scanning the indicia. The system further detects light of variable intensity that is reflected off the indicia to generate an electrical signal representative of the indicia. The housing is mounted on a glove worn on an operator'"'"'s hand and the scanner initiates reading of the indicia upon movement of the operator'"'"'s hand, or automatically by object recognition.

Claims

1. A scanning system for reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, comprising:

(a) a housing having a window;

(b) actuatable electro-optical scanner means in the housing, for projecting a light beam through the window to indicia to be read, for scanning the indicia, and for detecting light of variable intensity that is reflected off the indicia to generate an electrical signal representative of the indicia;

(c) a glove worn on an operator'"'"'s hand, said glove having finger-receiving sheaths and a glove backing integral with the sheaths and overlying the back of the operator'"'"'s hand;

(d) means for mounting the housing in a stationary position entirely above the glove backing rearwardly of the finger-receiving sheaths; and

(e) actuating means for actuating the scanner means to initiate reading of the indicia.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the glove is constituted of an elastomeric material.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mounting means includes a base support embedded in, and extending upwardly form, the glove backing to position the window at a predetermined elevation above the glove backing.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mounting means includes a base support located at the back of the operator'"'"'s hand between the knuckles and the wrist.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the window is located above the back of the operator'"'"'s hand, and wherein the scanner means projects the light beam over the back of the operator'"'"'s hand in a pointing direction along which the operator'"'"'s outstretched forefinger generally points.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the actuating means includes means for automatically recognizing the presence of an object bearing the indicia.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the actuating means includes means for generating a trigger signal upon movement of the operator'"'"'s hand.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the actuating means includes a sensor embedded in the glove.

9. A scanner arrangement in a light scanning system for reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, comprising:

(a) a light source component for emitting a light beam;

(b) an optical component for optically directing the light beam along an optical path toward indicia located in the vicinity of a reference plane exteriorly of the system;

(c) a photodetector component having a field of view and operative for detecting at least a portion of light of variable intensity reflected off the indicia, and for generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected light intensity;

(d) a scanning component for scanning at least one of the light beam and the field of view;

(e) an electrical connecting component for conducting the electrical signal away from the photodetector component;

(f) all of said components being mounted together in a common assembly to constitute a compact, lightweight scan module;

(g) a glove worn on an operator'"'"'s hand, said glove having finger-receiving sheaths and a glove backing integral with the sheaths and overlying the back of the operator'"'"'s hand;

(h) means for mounting the scan module in a stationary position entirely above the glove backing rearwardly of the finger-receiving sheaths; and

(i) actuating means to actuate the scan module.

10. A method of reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, comprising the steps of:

(a) mounting an actuatable electro-optical scanner having a window entirely above a glove having finger-receiving sheaths and a glove backing integral therewith;

(b) putting the glove on an operator'"'"'s hand by inserting the operator'"'"'s fingers into the sheaths until the glove backing overlies the back of the operator'"'"'s hand; and

(c) actuating the scanner while being worn on the operator'"'"'s hand to project a light beam through the window to indicia to be read, to scan the indicia, and to detect light of variable intensity that is reflected off the indicia for generating an electrical signal representative of the indicia.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the actuating step is performed by moving the operator'"'"'s hand.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the actuating step is performed by clenching the operator'"'"'s fist.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the actuating step is performed by automatically recognizing the presence of an object bearing the indicia proximate to the scanner.

14. A bar code scanner comprising:

a housing including

(a) a light beam generator and scanner for scanning a beam across a bar code symbol;

(b) a detector responsive to light reflected form said bar code symbol generating an electrical signal in response thereto;

(c) means for automatically initiating scanning by voice activation; and

means for mounting said housing on an operator to enable the operator to operate the bar code scanner impeding use of.

15. A bar code scanner comprising:

a housing including

(a) a light beam generator and scanner for scanning a beam across a bar code symbol;

(b) a detector responsive to light reflected from said bar code symbol generating an electrical signal in response thereto;

(c) means for automatically initiating scanning when an object bearing said bar code symbol is proximate to the scanner; and

means for mounting said housing on an operator to enable the operator to operate the bar code scanner.

16. In a scanning system for reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, the system having an actuatable electro-optical scanning means for projecting a light beam to indicia to be read for scanning the indicia and for detecting light of variable intensity that is reflected off the indicia to generate an electric signal representative of the indicia, the improvement which comprises the system being mounted in a stationary position as a unit entirely above a glove backing of a glove to be worn on the hand of an operator, said glove having finger-receiving sheaths and the glove backing being integral with the sheaths and overlying the back of the operator'"'"'s hand.

17. Improvement according to claim 16, in which said unit includes a housing with a base support mounted on the backing.