Method and apparatus for automated data entry

• US 6,299,063 B1
• Filed: 12/04/1998
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Printcafe Incorporated (Creo Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Impresse Corp. (Creo Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Freeman, Mitchell B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FUREMAN, JARED
• Application Number:
  US09/205,062
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/462.01, 235/462.13, 235/462.15, 235/470, 235/487, 235/494, 358/443
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• 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

Abstract

Bar code data may be automatically inserted into an associated data field by first determining whether bar code data has been received, and, if so, matching a field code included with the bar code data to the associated data field. Subsequently, the bar code data may be inserted into the associated data field.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving bar code data and determining whether initialization and field code characters have been received; and

inserting the bar code data into a data field regardless of whether the data field is selected by a cursor if the initialization and field code characters were received within a predetermined time interval;

otherwise inserting the characters into a data field determined by the location of the cursor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a termination character has been received at the end of the bar code data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the bar code data includes a recognizable fact field code; and

transmitting the bar code data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the bar code data is disregarded if no recognizable fact feild code is included.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

adding the initialization character to the bar code data after determining the bar code data includes a recognizable fact field code; and

adding the termination character.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

extracting the initialization character from the bar code data;

extracting the field code from the bar code data; and

extracting the termination character from the bar code data.

7. A system comprising:

a bar code reader configured to read bar code data from a bar code label and determine whether the bar code data includes initialization and field code characters; and

a computer coupled to the bar code reader and configured to receive the bar code data from the bar code reader and automatically insert the bar code data into one of a plurality of data fields regardless of whether the data field is selected by a cursor if the initialization and field code characters included in the bar code data were received within a predetermined time interval and otherwise to insert the bar code data into another data field selected by a cursor.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the bar code reader is further configured to disregard the bar code data if the bar code data does not include a recognizable fact field code.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the bar code reader is further configured to transmit the bar code data to the computer if the bar code data includes a recognizable fact field code.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising a keyboard wedge coupled between the computer and the bar code reader.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a keyboard coupled to the keyboard wedge.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the bar code reader is further configured to transmit a termination character with the bar code data.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer is configured to measure delay between received characters.