Hand-held optical scanner for reading two-dimensional bar code symbols and the like

• US 6,036,094 A
• Filed: 06/13/1997
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Fazekas, Peter, Goldman, Ron, Wyatt, Peter, Chew, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sherr, Daniel H.
• Application Number:
  US08/874,827
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.45, 235/472.01, 235/462.13, 235/462.2, 235/462.43, 345/158, 345/163, 345/164, 345/165
• US Class Current: 235/462.45
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

A lightweight, easy to grasp and manipulate hand-held optical scanning device for scanning and digitizing image data from a two-dimensional bar code symbol for subsequent decoding in a personal computer platform. The scanning device achieves a small footprint in the user'"'"'s workspace by utilizing a non-folded, substantially vertical optical path extending from an image viewing area upwardly to a linear charge-coupled device (CCD) array upon which the successive rows of the target two-dimensional bar code symbol are imaged. The scanning device is easily aligned with the symbol by placing it behind the symbol, and scanning of the successive rows of the symbol is accomplished by swiping or rolling the scanning device towards the user. Mechanical rollers on the underside of the scanning device provide translation information for use in clocking data out of the linear CCD array in order to scan the successive rows of the two-dimensional bar code symbol. The operating environment of the computer allows scanning to be initiated by the user without having to use the keyboard or mouse peripheral. As the two-dimensional bar code symbol is being scanned, digitized image data is automatically and in real time ported to a symbol decoding application running in the background, and decoded data from the decoding application is ported into the application the user is running in the foreground. A trackball and a pair of select buttons are optionally provided on the scanning device for mouse emulation, thereby eliminating the need for a separate mouse peripheral device.

Claims

1. A lightweight, easy to grasp and manipulate hand-held optical scanning device for scanning and digitizing image data from a two-dimensional bar code symbol for subsequent decoding in a host computer, wherein said two-dimensional bar code symbol is encoded with data and comprises areas of different light reflectivity;

said scanning device comprising;

(a) a housing configured to be easily grasped by the hand of a user, said housing including;

(i) a roller on a bottom portion thereof for allowing the optical scanning device to be placed on a substrate and rolled towards a user; and

(ii) a front portion having a flat surface running along the width of said front portion and providing a substantially straight edge for alignment of said scanning device with respect to the bar code;

(b) a symbol illumination window located on the bottom portion of the housing;

(c) symbol illuminator located within the housing for providing flood illumination directly through the symbol illumination window and onto the symbol;

(d) a solid state photosensor array for capturing thereon an image of at least part of the bar code symbol and producing analog waveforms with amplitudes proportional to the relative positions of the areas of different light reflectivity of the bar code symbol, said photosensor array positioned within the housing at an area located substantially over the symbol illumination window such that a substantially vertical optical path is defined by the symbol illumination window and the photosensor array;

(e) a rotation detector, coupled to the roller, for detecting rotation of the roller and for controlling the photosensor array to output successive analog waveforms at predetermined intervals of rotation;

(f) a digitizer for processing the analog waveforms and producing digital bar patterns corresponding thereto; and

(g) a transmitter for transmitting the digital bar patterns to a host computer,

whereby the digital bar patterns may be decoded by the host computer to produce a data file corresponding to the data encoded in the two-dimensional bar code symbol.

2. A lightweight hand-held optical scanning device for scanning and digitizing image data from a two-dimensional bar code symbol disposed on a substrate for subsequent decoding in a host computer, wherein said two-dimensional bar code symbol is encoded with data and comprises areas of different light reflectivity;

said scanning device comprising;

(a) a housing configured to be ergonomically grasped by the hand of a user, said housing including;

(i) a roller on a bottom portion thereof for allowing the optical scanning device to be readily moved on the substrate; and

(ii) a front portion having a flat surface running along the width of said front portion and providing a substantially straight edge for alignment of said scanning device with respect to the bar code;

(b) a symbol illumination window located on the bottom portion of the housing;

(c) a symbol illumination source located within the housing for providing flood illumination directly through the symbol illumination window and onto the symbol;

(d) an optical assembly including a solid state photosensor array for capturing thereon an image of at least part of the bar code symbol and producing analog waveforms with amplitudes proportional to the relative positions of the areas of different light reflectivity of the bar code symbol, said assembly positioned within the housing at an area located substantially over the symbol illumination window such that a substantially vertical optical path is defined by the symbol illumination window and said assembly;

(e) a rotation detector coupled to the roller for detecting rotation of said roller and for controlling said assembly to output successive analog waveforms at predetermined intervals of rotation;

(f) a digitizer for processing the analog waveforms and producing digital bar patterns corresponding thereto; and

(g) a data coupler for transmitting the digital bar patterns to a host computer, whereby the digital bar patterns may be decoded by the host computer to produce a data file corresponding to the data encoded in the two-dimensional bar code symbol.

3. The scanning device of claim 2, wherein said housing further comprises:

a) a grasping portion having a pair of oppositely disposed side surfaces joined by a rear surface, said grasping portion adapted for accommodating a middle finger, a ring finger and a pinkie finger of an operator; and

b) a platform portion adjoining said grasping portion for activation of said scanning device by an index finger of the operator;

wherein said front portion is disposed next to said grasping portion said front portion adapted for accommodating a thumb of an operator.

4. The optical scanning device of claim 3, wherein said front portion further comprises a scan indication window for indicating to the operator the state of the scanning device.

5. The optical scanning device of claim 2, wherein said bottom portion further comprises a plurality of spacing bumps protruding toward the substrate for keeping the substrate in a proper form.

6. The optical scanning device of claim 2, further comprising a display cursor controller for controlling a cursor on a display when said scanning device is not used for scanning.

7. The optical scanning device of claim 6, wherein said display cursor controller comprises:

a) a cursor position controller for controlling a position of the cursor on said display; and

b) a selector for selecting an item on said display, said item associated with the cursor position controlled by said cursor position controller.

8. The optical scanning device of claim 7, wherein said cursor position controller comprises a tracking ball protruding from the scanning device housing.

9. The optical scanning device of claim 7, wherein said selector comprises a plurality of buttons.

10. The optical scanning device of claim 2, wherein said optical scanning assembly further comprises:

a) a lens assembly for focusing the image onto said solid state photosensor array.

11. The optical scanning device of claim 10, wherein said solid state photosensor array is a linear photosensor array.

12. A lightweight hand-held optical scanning device for reading an encoded data from a two-dimensional bar code symbol disposed on a substrate, wherein said two-dimensional bar code symbol comprises areas of different light reflectivity, said scanning device comprising:

(a) a housing configured to be ergonomically grasped by the hand of a user, said housing including

(i) a roller on a bottom portion thereof for allowing the optical scanning device to be readily moved on the substrate; and

(ii) a front portion having a flat surface running along the width of said front portion and providing a substantially straight edge for alignment of said scanning device with respect to the bar code;

(b) a symbol illumination window located on the bottom portion of the housing;

(c) a symbol illumination source located within the housing for providing flood illumination directly through the symbol illumination window and onto the symbol;

(d) an optical assembly, including a solid state photosensor array for capturing thereon an image of at least part of the bar code symbol and producing analog waveforms with amplitudes proportional to the relative positions of the areas of different light reflectivity of the bar code symbol, said assembly positioned within the housing at an area located substantially over the symbol illumination window such that a substantially vertical optical path is defined by the symbol illumination window and said assembly;

(e) a motion detector coupled to the roller for detecting rotation of said roller and for controlling said assembly to output successive analog waveforms at predetermined intervals of rotation;

(f) a digitizer for processing the analog waveforms and producing digital bar patterns corresponding thereto; and

g) a decoder for decoding the digital bar patterns to produce a data file corresponding the data encoded in the bar code.