Automatic range adjustment techniques for stand-mountable bar code scanners

• US 6,863,217 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Mark S., Wilz, David M. Sr., Russell, Garrett K., Rockstein, George B., Hudrick, Donald T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stcyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/639,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20040046029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.14, 235/462.22, 235/462.23, 235/462.25, 235/462.31, 235/472.01, 235/454
• US Class Current: 235/462.14
• 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

Abstract

By automatically adjusting the object detection mechanism of a bar code scanner from a long range mode of operation to a short range mode of operation, the scanner will remain capable of detecting and decoding bar codes even if the object detection mechanism repeatedly detects the presence of a background object. The techniques of the present invention commence when the bar code scanner is placed in a position such that the scanner'"'"'s object detection mechanism repeatedly detects a background object such as a counter top or conveyer belt. The object detection mechanism is set to the long range mode of operation if it is not already so set. In the case of a stand-mounted scanner, a test is performed to ascertain whether or not the scanner is in its stand, and the method will only proceed once the scanner is resting in the stand. Next, the scanner is programmed to wait for a predetermined amount of time, after which the operational mode of the object detection mechanism is changed from the long range mode to the short range mode. At this time, the object detection mechanism no longer detects the presence of the background object. The scanner will now detect any new objects that enter the field of view of the object detection mechanism, and attempt to read any bar codes which may be present

Claims

1. A bar code scanner, comprising

a scanning mechanism equipped to generate and control a scanning beam;

an object detection mechanism equipped to perfom a long range mode of object detection and a short range mode of object detection, the short range mode of operation corresponding to a mode of operation where the scanning mechanism is activated when the presence of a background object is detected by the object detection mechanism in a first range and the long range mode of operation corresponding to a mode of operation where the scanning mechanism is activated when the presence of an object is detected by the object detection mechanism in a second range with the second range being more distant from the object detection mechanism than the first range,

wherein when the object detection mechanism repeatedly detects a presence of a background object, the object detection mechanism is automatically placed in the short range mode of operation so that the bar code scanner will detect presence of new objects while the background object is still present.

2. The bar code scanner according to claim 1, wherein the object detection mechanism is automatically placed in the short range mode of operation after a predetermined time delay following repeatedly detecting a presence of a background object.

3. The bar code scanner according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined time delay is greater than 0 seconds but less than twenty seconds.

4. The bar code scanner according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined time delay is less than one second.

5. The bar code scanner according to claim 1, wherein the background object is a countertop.

6. The bar code scanner according to claim 1, wherein the background object is a conveyor belt.

7. The bar code scanner according to claim 1, wherein the bar code scanner is adapted for repeated insertion into, and removal from, a stand.

8. A stand-mountable bar code scanner, comprising:

a scanning mechanism equipped to produce and control a scanning beam;

a processing mechanism equipped to perform a test to ascertain whether or not the scanner is in a stand; and

an object detection mechanism equipped to perform a long range mode of object detection and a short range mode of object detection, the short range mode of operation corresponding to a mode of operation where the scanning mechanism is activated when the presence of a background object is detected by the object detection mechanism in a first range and the long range mode of operation corresponding to a mode of operation where the scanning mechanism is activated when the presence of an object is detected by the object detection mechanism in a second range with the second range being more distant from the object detection mechanism than the first range,

wherein when the object detection mechanism repeatedly detects a presence of a background object, the object detection mechanism is set to the long range mode of operation if the object detection mechanism is not already so set, and, once the scanner is ascertained to be in the stand, a predetermined amount of time is waited, after which the mode of the object detection mechanism is changed from the long range mode to the short range mode so that the bar code scanner will detect presence of new objects while the background object is still present.

9. The stand-mountable bar code scanner according to claim 8, wherein the object detection mechanism no longer detecting the presence of the background object after the object detection mechanism is changed from the long range mode to the short range mode.

10. The stand-mountable bar code scanner according to claim 9, wherein the scanner will detect any new objects that enter the field of view of the object detection mechanism and attempt to read any bar codes which may be present after the object detection mechanism is changed from the long range mode to the short range mode.

11. The stand-mountable bar code scanner according to claim 8, wherein the background object is a countertop.

12. The stand-mountable bar code scanner according to claim 8, wherein the background object is a conveyor belt.