Electro-optical reader with hands-free and hand-held modes of operation

• US 6,410,931 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Jwo, Chin-Hung, Koontz, Theodore, Charych, Harold, Bridgelall, Raj, Barkan, Edward, Jenkins, Ian, Dvorkis, Paul, Shepard, Howard, Dryzmala, Mark, Grossfeld, Henry, Bard, Simon, Tsi, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Stephone B.
• Application Number:
  US09/571,571
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 250/239, 250/566, 250/568, 235/462.01, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03
• US Class Current: 250/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10594 Beam path
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/109 adaptations to make the hand-held scanner useable as a fixed scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1098 the scanning arrangement having a modular construction

Abstract

An optical scan module, for example for an optical scanner, includes an integrally molded plastics material member which defines not only the laser focusing lens, but also the laser focusing aperture and the collection mirror. In addition, the molded member may act to house and to locate both a semiconductor laser and a photodetector, thereby ensuring easy and accurate placement of those elements within the scanning assembly. The optical assembly may be in modular form, mounted onto a common printed circuit board with a beam scanner.

Claims

1. A reader for electro-optically reading indicia, comprising:

a) a housing containing electro-optical components for scanning the indicia to be read;

b) a handle on the housing for enabling a user to hold the housing during reading in a hand-held mode of operation; and

c) a base for supporting the housing on a support surface during reading in a hands-free mode of operation, the base being irremovably connected to the handle during both the hand-held and the hands-free modes of operation.

2. The reader of claim 1, wherein the base is pivotably connected to the handle.

3. The reader of claim 1, wherein the base has a generally planar face for making surface area contact with the support surface in the hands-free mode.

4. The reader of claim 1, wherein the housing has opposite sides, and wherein the base extends past both of the sides of the housing.

5. The reader of claim 1, wherein the housing and the base are located at opposite end regions of the handle.

6. The reader of claim 1, and further comprising a mode indicator for indicating the mode of operation.

7. The reader of claim 1, wherein the handle extends along a longitudinal direction, and wherein the base is pivotably connected to the handle for movement about a pivot axis that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction.

8. The reader of claim 7, wherein the handle has leg portions spaced apart along the pivot axis and bounding a cavity, and wherein the base has a projection extending along the longitudinal direction and received in the cavity.

9. The reader of claim 1, and further comprising a mode selector on the reader for selecting the mode of operation.

10. The reader of claim 9, wherein the base has a generally planar face on which the housing rests in the hands-free mode, and wherein the mode selector is a switch located on the face and actuatable between states which correspond to the modes of operation.

11. The reader of claim 10, wherein the switch is operatively connected to one of the components, and is actuated to a hands-free state in which said one component enables the hands-free mode, and is actuated to a hand-held state in which said one component enables the hand-held mode, and wherein the actuation of the switch to the hand-held state is initiated upon removal of the base from the support surface.

12. The reader of claim 11, and further comprising a trigger for initiating the reading during the hand-held mode;

and wherein the switch activates the trigger in the hand-held state, and deactivates the trigger in the hands-free state.

13. The reader of claim 1, wherein the components include a light source for directing a light beam at the indicia, a light sensor having a field of view and operative for detecting light reflected from the indicia, and a scanner for scanning at least one of the light beam and the field of view in a scan over the indicia.

14. The reader of claim 13, and further comprising a window on the housing and through which the light beam and the reflected light pass.

15. A method of electro-optically reading indicia, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a handle on a housing containing electro-optical components for scanning the indicia to be read;

b) holding the handle in a user'"'"'s hand to scan the indicia in a hand-held mode of operation;

c) supporting the housing on a support surface to scan the indicia in a hands-free mode of operation; and

d) irremovably connecting a base to the handle during both the hand-held and the hands-free modes of operation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the connecting step is performed by pivotably connecting the base to the handle.

17. The method of claim 15, and further comprising the step of selecting the hand-held mode by performing the holding step, and the step of selecting the hands-free mode by performing the supporting step.

18. The method of claim 15, and further comprising the step of indicating the mode of operation to the user.