Audible indicators for optical code reading systems

• US 6,332,575 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Charych, Hal, Schuessler, Fredrick, Chu, Cary, Koontz, Ted, Barkan, Edward, Jwo, Chin-Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US09/182,205
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.13, 235/383, 235/454, 235/459, 235/462.14, 235/0.32, 235/0.43, 235/0.08, 235/0.1, 235/0.25, 235/470
• US Class Current: 235/462.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• 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

Abstract

A system for reading optical codes, and more particularly to code reading systems with sound signal generators, modules a sound detector detects an ambient sound level in a vicinity of the system operator and the volume of the audible indicator is controlled in response to the detected ambient sound level. The sound may be produced by a transducer located in a raised rail adjacent the system operator. Various kinds of audio signals may be produced, for example, to distinguish the system'"'"'s response from those of nearby optical code reading systems or to identify the kind of optical code symbology being read or its informational content.

Claims

1. An optical code reading system for use by an operator in reading optical code symbols on target objects by providing an audible indication of the results of a reading operation whose volume is automatically adjusted to compensate for a noisy environment in the location of the reading system comprising:

a horizontal surface for supporting target objects;

a housing including a raised portion adjacent a side of the horizontal surface closest to the operator;

at least one optical code reading module in the housing for reading optical code through a generally vertical window in the raised portion of the housing;

an audible indicator located in the housing for indicating an occurrence of an optical code reading function;

a sound detector for detecting an ambient sound level in a vicinity of the operator; and

control circuitry for automatically controlling the volume of the audible indicator in response to the detected ambient sound level.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the indicator includes a sound enunciator located in the raised portion of the housing for radiating audible signals generally in the direction of the system operator.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a function whose occurrence is indicated is the successful reading of an optical code.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein a function whose occurrence is indicated is the detection of a particular optical code symbology.

5. In an optical code reading system for use by an operator in reading optical code symbols on target objects in a noisy environment, said system having a horizontal surface for supporting target objects and an associated housing containing at least one optical code reading module, a system for automatically controlling the volume level of an audible signal provided to the operator by the system comprising:

a sound level detector for detecting a sound level in a vicinity of the code reading terminal;

an audible signal generator for producing an audible indication of an event at the code reading terminal; and

means for automatically controlling a volume of the audible indication in response to the detected sound level.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sound level detector includes a microphone and means for comparing the volume of sound detected by the microphone with a predetermined value and producing a control signal proportioned in response thereto.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the audible signal generator includes:

an audio signal generator;

an audio amplifier whose output level is controlled by said control signal; and

means for producing audible sound in response to an output signal of the audio amplifier.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the audio signal generator generates a plurality of different tones in response to different events at the code reading station.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the audio signal generator is a sound synthesizer which produces preselected sounds in response to information decoded from a detected code symbol.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the microphone and sound producing means are located in the vicinity of the system operator and wherein the predetermined value is selected so that the audible signal can be heard by the operator over ambient sound present in the vicinity of the operator.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the sound producing means is located in a side rail adjacent to a horizontal surface for supporting articles having optical code on them.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising control means for manually adjusting the predetermined value.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the sound producing means is a speaker located in a housing of the optical code reading terminal adjacent a position where an operator of the system is located.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the sound producing means is a beeper located in a housing of the optical code reading terminal adjacent a position where an operator of the system is located.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein one sound is produced when a one-dimensional code is detected and a different sound is produced when a two-dimensional code is detected.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a third sound is produced when both one-dimensional and two-dimensional codes are detected.

17. An optical code reading system for use by an operator in reading optical code symbols on target objects in the vicinity of the terminal and for providing an audible indication whose volume is automatically adjusted to compensate for a noisy environment comprising:

at least one optical code reading module capable of reading plural optical code symbologies;

a code processor for identifying the symbology of optical code symbols detected in a field of view of the at least one optical code reading module;

a sound level detector for detecting a sound level in a vicinity of the code reading terminal;

an audible signal generator for generating a predetermined one of a plurality of distinctive audible signals corresponding to a particular code symbology when an optical code symbol of such symbology is identified by the code reading system; and

means for automatically controlling the volume of at least one of the plurality of audible signals in response to the detected sound level.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the sound generator produces a tone selected by a user of the optical code reading system to distinguish audio signals from the system from nearby optical code reading systems.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the sound level detection includes a microphone for monitoring an ambient noise level and a comparator for comparing the monitored level to a predetermined threshold level;

and wherein the audible sound generator includes;

an audio amplifier for amplifying and outputting an audio signal, the magnitude of amplification depending on an output of the comparator; and

a sound transducer proximal to an operator of the system for outputting the amplified audio signal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the sound transducer is a speaker locate in a housing containing a code reading module which housing is adjacent to and raised up from a horizontal support surface for objects carrying code symbols and which housing is adjacent to a location of an operator of the system.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the audible signal generator includes multiple enunciators in different locations.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the audible signal generator includes multiple enunciators, each producing a sound having a different phase.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the audible signal generator includes multiple enunciators, each producing a sound having a different frequency.