Optical reader comprising soft key including permanent graphic indicia

• US 6,899,273 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2002
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Kinson, Lee, Hussey, Robert M., Roberts, Clayton, Fitch, Timothy R., Walczyk, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US10/137,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20030006290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.48, 235/472.01, 235/383, 235/385, 235/472.03
• US Class Current: 235/462.48
• 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 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1092 sensing by means of TV-scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments

Abstract

An optical reader with at least two variable definition soft keys positioned adjacent the display and externally labeled with permanent down and up arrow indicia. Variable definition soft keys are highly versatile an allow the user to change or alter the function of the soft keys based on a user program. Soft keys positioned adjacent the display and labeled with down and up arrows graphically reinforce a wide range of text and graphic combinations shown on the display.

Claims

1. An optical reader comprising:

a housing having a head portion and a handle portion;

a trigger;

a keyboard integrated in said head portion;

a display disposed in said head portion;

a control circuit programmed so that when a key of said keyboard is held down scanning actuating functionality of said trigger is disabled;

at least one of a plurality of candidate characters are displayed on said display; and

actuation of said trigger changes a highlight from a first of said candidate characters to a second of said candidate characters.

2. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein control circuit is further programmed so that release of said depressed key selects a highlighted one of said candidate characters.

3. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein said control circuit is further programmed so that depression of said trigger while said key is held down changes a highlight from a first of said candidate characters to a second of said candidate characters.

4. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein said control circuit is further programmed so that depression and release of said trigger changes a highlight from a first of said displayed characters to a second of said displayed characters.

5. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein said highlight comprises a blinking displayed character.

6. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein said highlight comprises a bold displayed character.

7. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein said highlight comprises a light on dark background displayed character.

8. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein said housing is a gun style housing.

9. An optical reader operating under the control of a control circuit said reader comprising:

a housing;

a keyboard having a plurality of alphanumeric keys and at least one function key;

a display;

and a trigger wherein said control circuit is configured so that in at least one mode of operation of said reader said trigger operates as a shift key.

10. An optical reader operating under the control of a control circuit said reader comprising:

a housing;

a keyboard having a plurality of alphanumeric keys and at least one function key;

a display; and

a trigger wherein said control circuit is configured so that in at least one mode of operation of said reader said trigger operates as a backspace key.

11. An optical reader operating under the control of a control circuit said reader comprising:

a housing;

a keyboard having a plurality of alphanumeric keys and at least one function key;

a display;

and a trigger wherein said control circuit is configured so that in at least one mode of operation of said reader aid trigger provides an alpha cycling function in which said trigger is used to cycle through alpha characters assigned to said alphanumeric keys.

12. An optical reader for reading an indicia, said reader comprising:

a hand held housing;

an imaging assembly disposed in said housing;

a control circuit disposed in said housing configured to decode said indicia;

a keyboard disposed on said housing, said housing including at least one translucent key; and

at least one light source disposed under said at least one translucent key, said at least one light source and said translucent keys defining a status condition indicator;

wherein said control circuit changes an indication indicated by said status condition indicator when said control circuit successfully decodes an indicia; and

wherein said control circuit is configured so that when said translucent key is depressed while said translucent key indicates a status condition, a new display message is displayed by said display, said new display message pertaining to said status condition.

13. The reader of claim 12, wherein said translucent key is an ENTER key.

15. The reader of claim 12, wherein said at least one light source comprises a single LED.

16. The reader of claim 12, wherein said least one light source comprises a green LED and a red LED, wherein said control circuit activates said green light when a decode attempt has been successful, and said red light when a decode attempt has been unsuccessful.

17. The reader of claim 12, wherein said translucent key is larger than remaining keys of said keyboard.

18. The reader of claim 12, wherein said reader further includes a display controlled by said control circuit, wherein said control circuit displays on said display messages corresponding to a status condition presently being indicated by said status condition indicator.

19. The reader of claim 12, wherein said translucent key is an ENTER key of said keyboard.

20. The reader of claim 12, wherein said hand held housing is a gun style housing.

14. The reader of wherein said control circuit displays messages corresponding to an indicated status conditioning indicated by said key when said key is depressed.

21. A data collection device comprising:

a housing having a head portion and a handle portion;

a display disposed in said head portion;

a pair of soft keys disposed proximate said display, each of said pair of soft keys including an indicia thereon; and

a control circuit disposed in said housing, said control circuit controlling indicia displayed on said display, said control circuit configured to display a pair of antonyms on said display wherein each of said pair of antonyms is disposed proximate one of said pair of soft keys thereby visually associating each of said pair of soft keys with one of said pair of antonyms.

22. The data collection device of claim 21 where said pair of antonyms include text.

23. The data collection device of claim 21 wherein said pair of antonyms include graphical symbols.

24. The data collection system of claim 21 wherein said indicia on one of said pair of soft keys is a “

DOWN”

arrow and said indicia on the other of said pair of soft keys is an “

UP”

arrow.

25. A data collection device comprising:

a housing;

a display disposed in said housing;

a first soft key disposed proximate to said display, said first soft key including a first indicia; and

a second soft key disposed proximate to said display, said second soft key including a second indicia, said second indicia different from said first indicia; and

a control circuit disposed in said housing controlling indicia displayed on said display, said control circuit operable in at least a first mode and a second mode wherein in said first mode said control circuit causes said display to display a third indicia proximate to said first soft key and a fourth indicia proximate to said second soft key, said third indicia being different than said fourth indicia;

wherein in said second mode said control circuit causes said display to display a fifth indicia proximate to said first soft key and a sixth indicia proximate to said second soft key, said fifth indicia being different than said sixth indicia.

26. The data collection device of claim 25 wherein said first indicia includes an arrow having a first orientation, wherein said second indicia includes an arrow having a second orientation, and wherein said first orientation is different from said second orientation.

27. The data collection device of claim 25 wherein said third indicia and said fourth indicia each include text.

28. The data collection device of claim 25 wherein said fifth indicia and said sixth indicia each include text.

29. The data collection device of claim 25 wherein at least one of said third indicia and said fourth indicia includes a graphical image.

30. The data collection device of claim 25 wherein at least one of said fifth indicia and said sixth indicia includes a graphical image.

31. A data collection device comprising:

a housing;

a display disposed in said housing;

a first soft key disposed proximate to said display, said first soft key including a first indicia; and

a second soft key disposed proximate to said display, said second soft key including a second indicia, said second indicia different from said first indicia; and

a control circuit disposed in said housing controlling indicia displayed on said display, said control circuit operable in a plurality of modes, wherein in at least one of said plurality of modes said control circuit causes said display to display a third indicia proximate to said first soft key to said second soft key, wherein said third indicia is indicative of the status an operational feature of said data collection device, wherein activation of said first soft key and said second soft key result in the changes to the status of said operational feature and said control circuit causes said display to change the appearance of said third indicia in a manner reflective of the changed status of said operational feature.

32. A data collection device comprising:

a housing having a head portion and a handle portion;

a display disposed in said head portion;

a control circuit disposed in said housing controlling indicia displayed on said display; and

a pair of arrow soft keys disposed adjacently relative to said display, wherein one of soft keys includes a “

DOWN”

arrow formed thereon in a permanent graphic and the other of the soft keys includes an “

UP”

arrow formed thereon in a permanent graphic; and

wherein said control circuit in a first mode of operation displays the words “

DECREASE” and

“

INCREASE,”

respectively, on said display adjacently relative to said down and up arrow soft keys.

33. The data collection device of claim 32 wherein said control circuit in a second mode of operation displays the words “

NO” and

“

YES,”

respectively, on said display adjacently relative to said down and up arrow soft keys.

34. The data collection device of claim 32, wherein said control circuit in a second mode of operation displays the words “

DOWN” and

“

UP,”

respectively, on said display adjacently relative to said down and up arrow soft keys.

35. The data collection device of claim 32, wherein said control circuit in a second mode of operation displays the words “

DISAGREE” and

“

AGREE,”

respectively, on said display adjacently relative to said down and up arrow soft keys.

36. The data collection device of claim 32, wherein said control circuit in a second mode of operation displays the words “

CANCEL” and

“

ACCEPT,”

respectively, on said display adjacently relative to said down and up arrow soft keys.

37. The data collection device of claim wherein said control circuit in a second mode of operation displays the words “

REVERSE” and

“

FORWARD,”

respectively, on said display adjacently relative to said down and up arrow soft keys.

38. A data collection device comprising:

a gun style housing having a head portion and a handle portion;

a display disposed in said head portion;

a control circuit disposed in said housing controlling indicia displayed on said display; and

and a pair of soft keys disposed adjacently relative to said display, wherein one of soft keys includes a “

MINUS (−

)”

sign formed thereon in a permanent graphic and the other of the soft keys includes an “

PLUS (+)”

sign formed thereon in a permanent graphic;

wherein said control circuit in a first mode of operation displays on said display a first pair of messages adjacently relative to said arrow soft keys that are graphically reinforced by said combination of said down arrow and said up arrow soft keys, and wherein said control circuit in a second mode of operation displays on said display a second pair of messages adjacently relative to said arrow soft keys that are graphically reinforced by said combination of said down arrow and said up arrow soft key.

39. The data collection device of claim 38 wherein said control circuit in a third mode of operation displays on said display a third pair of messages adjacently relative to said arrow soft keys that are graphically reinforced by said combination of said down arrow and said up arrow soft key.

40. An optical reader operating under the control of a control circuit said reader comprising:

a housing;

a reader head;

a display; and

a keyboard having a plurality of keys including two variable definition soft keys positioned adjacent said display and externally labeled with down and up arrow indicia;

wherein said control circuit is programmed to execute a mode of operation wherein said down and up arrow labeled soft keys reinforce the words “

DOWN” and

“

UP”

respectively shown on said display.

41. An optical reader operating under the control of a control circuit said reader comprising:

a housing;

a reader head;

a display; and

a keyboard having a plurality of keys including two variable definition soft keys positioned adjacent said display and externally labeled with down and up arrow indicia;

wherein control circuit is programmed to execute a mode of operation wherein said down and up arrow labeled soft keys reinforce the words “

NO” and

“

YES”

respectively shown on said display.

42. An optical reader operating under the control of a control circuit said reader comprising:

a housing;

a reader head;

a display; and

a keyboard having a plurality of keys including two variable definition soft keys positioned adjacent said display and externally labeled with down and up arrow indicia;

wherein said control circuit is programmed to execute a mode of operation wherein said down and up arrow labeled soft keys reinforce the words “

DECREASE” and

“

INCREASE”

respectively shown on said display.

43. An optical reader operating under the control of a control circuit said reader comprising:

a housing;

a reader head;

a display; and

a keyboard having a plurality of keys including two variable definition soft keys positioned adjacent said display and externally labeled with down and up arrow indicia;

wherein said control circuit is programmed to execute a mode of operation wherein down and up arrow labeled soft keys reinforce the words “

DISAGREE” and

“

AGREE”

respectively shown on said display.

44. An optical reader operating under the control of a control circuit said reader comprising:

a housing;

a reader head;

a display; and

a keyboard having a plurality of keys including two variable definition soft keys positioned adjacent said display and externally labeled with down and up arrow indicia;

wherein said control circuit is programmed to execute a mode of operation wherein down and up arrow labeled soft keys reinforce the words “

CANCEL” and

“

ACCEPT”

respectively shown on said display.

45. An optical reader operating under the control of a control circuit said reader comprising:

a housing;

a reader head;

a display; and

a keyboard having a plurality of keys including two variable definition soft keys positioned adjacent said display and externally labeled with down and up arrow indicia;

wherein said control circuit is programmed to execute a mode of operation wherein down and up arrow labeled soft keys reinforce the words “

REVERSE” and

“

FORWARD”

respectively shown on said display.