Bar code symbol reading system having automatic hand-supportable bar coding symbol reading device and stand for supporting projected scan field thereof

• US 5,939,698 A
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• 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: Wilz, David M. Sr., Rockstein, George B., Knowles, Carl H., Bubnoski, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL GUNYOUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/979,974
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/463, 235/466, 235/472, 235/454, 235/455
• US Class Current: 235/462.22
• 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

Bar code symbol reading system with automatic modes of hand-held (i.e., hands-on) and stand-supported (i.e., hands-free) operation. In the hand-held mode of automatic operation, the user initiates laser scanning by simply bringing the object within at least a portion of the scan field of the automatic bar code symbol reading device. In the stand-supported mode of automatic operation, a scanner support stand is used to support the automatic bar code symbol reading device relative to a countertop surface so that the scan field is projected away from the scanner support stand and the hand-supportable housing, and extends above the countertop surface permitting the automatic reading bar code symbols on goods passed thereby. This way, during the scanner-supported mode of automatic operation, a bar code symbol on an object of virtually any size can be automatically read when the object is automatically detected in the outwardly projected scan field while the hand-supportable bar code symbol reading device is supported within the scanner support stand.

Claims

1. An automatic bar code symbol reading system having hand-held and stand-supported modes of automatic operation, comprising:

(a) a hand-supportable bar code symbol reading device including

(1) a hand-supportable housing supportable in the hand of a user, and having a light transmission aperture through which visible light can exit and enter said hand-supportable housing;

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

(i) a laser beam producing means disposed in said hand-supportable housing for producing and projecting a laser beam through said light transmission aperture, and

(ii) scanning means for scanning said laser beam across said scan field and a bar code symbol on said object, and

(iii) laser light detecting means for detecting the intensity of laser light reflected off said scanned bar code symbol and passed through said light transmission aperture, and automatically producing scan data indicative of said detected light intensity;

(3) bar code symbol detection means in said hand-supportable housing, for processing produced scan data so as to detect said scanned bar code symbol and automatically generate activation control signal in response to the detection of said scanned bar code symbol;

(4) symbol decoding means in said hand-supportable housing, and responsive to said activation control signal, for processing produced scan data so as to read said detected bar code symbol, and automatically produce symbol character data representative of said read bar code symbol; and

(5) system control circuitry for automatically controlling the operation of said automatic bar code symbol reading system,

wherein, during said hand-held mode of automatic operation, said control activation signal is automatically produced when a scanned bar code symbol is detected by said bar code symbol detecton means while said hand-supportable bar code symbol reading device is supported within the hand of said user; and

(b) a scanner stand including

(1) housing support means for receiving and supporting at least a portion of said hand-supportable housing, and

(2) a base portion mountable relative to a countertop surface so that when said hand-supportable housing is supported within said housing support means during said stand-supported mode of automatic operation, said scan field is projected away from said scanner support stand and said hand-supportable housing, and extends above said countertop surface permitting the automatic reading of bar code symbols on objects passed by said scanner support stand,

wherein, during said scanner-supported mode of automatic operation, said control activation signal is automatically produced when a scanned bar code symbol is detected by said bar code symbol detection means while said hand-supportable housing is supported within said housing support means.

2. The automatic bar code symbol reading system of claim 1, wherein said bar code symbol has first and second envelope borders, and said bar code symbol detection means detects said bar code symbol by detecting said first and second envelope borders.

3. The automatic bar code symbol reading system of claim 1, wherein said bar code symbol detection means comprises an electronic circuit for processing produced scan data indicative of said detected light intensity.

4. The automatic bar code symbol reading system of claim 1, further comprises an object detection means for automatically detecting an object in at least a portion of said scan field and generating said activation signal indicative of said detection.

5. The automatic bar code symbol reading system of claim 4, wherein said object detection means comprises,

signal transmitting means for transmitting a signal into said scan field, and

signal receiving means for receiving said transmitted signal reflected off said object in at least a portion of said scan field, and automatically generating said activation signal indicative of the detection of said object in at least a portion of said scan field.

6. The automatic bar code symbol reading system of claim 5, wherein said signal transmitting means comprises an infra-red light source for transmitting a pulsed infra-red light signal, and wherein said signal receiving means comprises an infra-red light detector disposed in said hand-supportable housing.

7. The automatic bar code symbol reading system of claim 1, wherein said laser beam producing means comprises a laser diode for producing a visible laser beam.

8. The automatic bar code symbol reading system of claim 1, wherein said hand-supportable housing comprises a head portion and handle portion, and wherein said handle portion is received and supported within said housing support means.

9. The automatic bar code symbol reading system of claim 8, wherein said bar code detection means and said scan data producing means are disposed in said head portion.