Hand-held data scanner having adjustable keyboard panel
First Claim
1. A hand-held data entry apparatus usable to scan a space in both a portable mode, where an operator uses said apparatus as a mobile hand-held scanner to scan the space, and a fixed point-of-sale mode, where said apparatus is mounted in a fixed orientation to scan the space, which is generally fixed and through which goods are passed, said hand-held data entry apparatus comprising:
- a housing havinga chassis that mounts an optical bar code scanner that is selectively actuated to scan an adjacent space, about an optical axis, and to read bar code data of goods located in the space,a panel, anda mounting that mounts said panel to said chassis; and
a data processor and memory within said housing and coupled to said optical bar code scanner to receive and store the bar code data;
a display mounted on said panel and having a normal reading orientation of alphanumeric indicia associated therewith;
a keyboard mounted on said panel and having the same normal reading orientation of alphanumeric indicia associated with said keyboard as does said display; and
wherein said mounting mounts said panel to said chassis to permit said normal reading orientation to selectively have at least two different orientations with respect to said optical axis, including a first orientation that generally faces the bar code data and a second orientation that faces substantially away from the bar code data to thereby permit a vertically erect operator to read said display and said keyboard when said optical axis faces substantially in a vertically-downward extending direction.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-held data entry device having both portable and fixed point-of-sale modes. The device includes a housing having a chassis for carrying a bar code scanner and a microprocessor-based system that stores inventory data relating to goods, and further having a removable and reversible panel for permitting a display and keyboard to be remounted in an upside-down orientation relative to the direction of scanning. In this manner, a pistol-grip handle used by the operator in the portable mode may be also used as a mount for the device in the fixed point-of-sale mode. In the fixed point of sale mode, the device is mounted thereby to a transaction device, such as a cash register, such that the scanner'"'"'s beam of light is directed approximately vertically downward to scan the universal product code of goods that are passed below the scanner. Using opposing orientations of the panel, the keyboard and display may alternatively be viewed by the operator in each of the portable mode, when the operator scans away from his or her person, and the fixed point-of-sale mode, when the scanner is inverted to scan vertically downward. Preferably, the scanner is operator-actuated by a trigger on the pistol-grip when the device is used in employed in the portable mode, and in an object-sense mode when the device is employed in the fixed point-of-sale mode.
107 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A hand-held data entry apparatus usable to scan a space in both a portable mode, where an operator uses said apparatus as a mobile hand-held scanner to scan the space, and a fixed point-of-sale mode, where said apparatus is mounted in a fixed orientation to scan the space, which is generally fixed and through which goods are passed, said hand-held data entry apparatus comprising:
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a housing having a chassis that mounts an optical bar code scanner that is selectively actuated to scan an adjacent space, about an optical axis, and to read bar code data of goods located in the space, a panel, and a mounting that mounts said panel to said chassis; and a data processor and memory within said housing and coupled to said optical bar code scanner to receive and store the bar code data; a display mounted on said panel and having a normal reading orientation of alphanumeric indicia associated therewith; a keyboard mounted on said panel and having the same normal reading orientation of alphanumeric indicia associated with said keyboard as does said display; and wherein said mounting mounts said panel to said chassis to permit said normal reading orientation to selectively have at least two different orientations with respect to said optical axis, including a first orientation that generally faces the bar code data and a second orientation that faces substantially away from the bar code data to thereby permit a vertically erect operator to read said display and said keyboard when said optical axis faces substantially in a vertically-downward extending direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A hand-held data entry apparatus used by an operator to scan data represented at the exterior of an object and generally occupying an image plane, said hand-held data entry apparatus comprising:
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a scanner that is spatially positionable at a distance from the object, along an optical axis that intersects the image plane and in a direction of scanning along said optical axis toward the object, said scanner being selectively actuated to thereby read said data from the object; a data processor including a memory, said data processor operatively coupled to said scanner to receive data which has been read from the object and that stores said data in said memory; an operator interface operatively coupled to said data processor, said operator interface including at least one of a keyboard and a display, said one of the keyboard and the display having alphanumeric indicia that are displayed thereon and that define a normal reading orientation; wherein said data processor is operatively coupled to said one of the keyboard, to thereby accept operator data from the keyboard that modifies or supplements said stored data, and the display, to thereby drive the display to display stored data; a mounting that mounts said operator interface such that said normal reading orientation may selectively be oriented with respect to the direction of scanning in both of a first orientation, wherein said normal reading orientation is generally parallel to said optical axis and aligned to face toward the object, and a second orientation, different from the first, wherein said normal reading orientation is generally parallel to said optical axis and is aligned to face substantially away from the object. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A hand-held data entry apparatus usable in both portable and fixed point-of-sale environments, comprising:
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scanning means for scanning a bar code and producing digital data representative of the bar code; digital processing means for processing said digital data and for storing the same; operator interface means for providing communication between an operator and said digital processing means, said user interface means having a normal reading orientation for displayed alphanumeric indicia associated therewith; and adjustable alphanumeric indicia display means for rigidly mounting said user interface means with respect to said scanning means, and for permitting variance between at least two alternative orientations of said displayed alphanumeric indicia, one such that the normal reading orientation generally faces the bar code, and the second such that the normal reading orientation generally faces away from the bar code. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification