Hand-supportable laser scanning bar code symbol reader with bar code symbol detection activated symbol decoder

• US 5,825,012 A
• Filed: 05/30/1996
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Blake, Robert, Knowles, C. Harry, Rockstein, George, Wilz, David Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Thien Minh
• Application Number:
  US08/655,479
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 239/462, 239/472, 239/467, 239/454, 239/455
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/106 having diffraction gratings as scanning elements, e.g. holographic scanners holographic optical elements G02B5/32, holography G03H
• 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 2207/1012 Special detection of object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1016 Motor control or optical moving unit control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1017 Programmable
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1018 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10594 Beam path
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10603 Basic scanning using moving elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10663 using hologram
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10673 Parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10702 Particularities of propagating elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors G06K7/10831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10801 Multidistance reading
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 Focalisation
• 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 7/10861 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 7/10871 : 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: G06K 7/109 : adaptations to make the hand-held scanner useable as a fixed scanner
• 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 7/1443 : locating of the code in an image

Abstract

Method and apparatus for automatically reading bar code symbols is disclosed. One aspect of the present invention concerns a method of reading bar code symbols using an automatic hand-holdable bar code symbol reading device. In general, the automatic bar code symbol reading device comprises a hand-holdable housing containing operative elements which provide an object detection field and a scan field each defined external to the housing. The method involves automatically detecting the presence of an object within the object detection field by sensing object sensing energy reflected off the object. In a preferred embodiment, the object sensing energy is IR radiation produced from an object sensing energy source disposed within the housing. In automatic response to the detection of the object within the object detection field, the hand-holdable device detects the presence of a bar code within the scan field using a laser beam produced within the housing. Then, in automatic response to the detection of a bar code in the scan field, the automatic hand-holdable bar code symbol reading device reads the detected bar code in the scan field by producing scan data signals from the detected bar code and thereafter collecting and analyzing the same. Another aspect of the present invention concerns a hand-holdable data collection device adapted for use with the automatic bar code symbol reading device to form a portable symbol reading system characterized by versatility and simplicity of use.

Claims

1. A hand-supportable laser scanning bar code symbol reader which comprises:

a hand-supportable housing having a light transmission aperture through which visible light can exit and enter into said hand-supportable housing;

scan data producing means in said hand-supportable housing, for producing scan data from an object located in at least a portion of a scan field definable external to said hand-supportable housing, said scan data producing means including

laser beam generation means for generating a visible laser beam,

laser beam scanning means for directing said visible laser beam through said light transmission aperture and into said scan field, and scanning said visible laser beam across said scan field and a bar code symbol on said object, and

light intensity detection means for detecting the intensity of laser light reflected off said bar code symbol, and automatically producing scan data indicative of said detected light intensity;

a bar code symbol detector in said hand-supportable housing, for processing produced scan data so as to detect the presence of the bar code symbol on said object and automatically generate a control activation signal indicative of the detection of said bar code symbol in said scan field;

an activatable symbol decoder in said hand-supportable housing, for processing, when activated, produced scan data so as to decode said detected bar code symbol on said object, and automatically produce symbol character data representative of said decoded bar code symbol for use by a host system in operable communication with said hand-supportable laser scanning bar code symbol reader; and

a system controller in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically activating said activatable symbol decoder in response to the generation of said control activation signal from said bar code symbol detector.

2. The hand-supportable laser scanning bar code symbol reader of claim 1, wherein said laser beam generation means comprises a laser diode.

3. The hand-supportable laser scanning bar code symbol reader of claim 1, wherein said bar code symbol has first and second envelope borders, and wherein said bar code symbol detector comprises means for detecting the first and second envelope borders of said bar code symbol.

4. The hand-supportable laser scanning bar code symbol reader of claim 1, wherein said scan field is characterized by at least one scanning plane having an essentially planar extent.