Providing extended bar code information via liquid crystal displays

• US 6,969,002 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., Winters, Scott L., Nusbickel, Wendi L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Diane I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koyama, Kumiko C.
• Application Number:
  US10/324,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20040118923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.07, 235/462.09, 235/462.1, 235/462.14, 235/462.15, 235/462.17, 235/462.2, 235/462.22, 235/462.23, 235/462.24, 235/462.25, 235/462.32
• US Class Current: 235/462.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/12 otherwise than by punching
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1095 the scanner comprising adaptations for scanning a record carrier that is displayed on a display-screen or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1491 the method including a reconstruction step, e.g. stitching two pieces of bar code together to derive the full bar code

Abstract

A method of automatically providing information from a portable computing device to a bar code reader can include, within the portable computing device, automatically detecting a scan from the bar code reader. Responsive to the automatic detection of the scan, one or more segments of a visual image can be presented on a display screen of the portable computing device.

Claims

1. A method of providing information from a portable computing device to a bar code reader comprising:

within the portable computing device comprising at least one processor, at least one display screen, and a scan sensor, said scan sensor detecting a scan from the remotely located bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader is distinct from the portable computing device such that the bar code reader scans the display screen of the portable computing device, wherein pulses of light used to scan a bar code presented upon the display screen are generated by the bar code reader;

responsive to said detecting step, presenting on the display screen of the portable computing device, at least one segment of a visual image to be read by the bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader interprets data received responsive to scanning the display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, said detecting step further comprising automatically detecting light emanating from the bar code reader.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one segment comprises an entirety of the visual image.

4. A method of providing information from a portable computing device to a remotely located bar code reader comprising:

within the portable computing device comprising at least one processor, at least one display screen, and a scan sensor;

wherein pulses of light used to scan a bar code presented upon the display screen are generated by the bar code reader;

the scan sensor detecting a first scan from the remotely located bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader is distinct from the portable computing device such that the bar code reader scans a display screen of the portable computing device;

responsive to said step of detecting the first scan, presenting on the display screen of the portable computing device a first segment of a visual image to be read by the bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader interprets data received responsive to scanning the first segment and subsequently generates a second scan;

the scan sensor detecting the second scan from the bar code reader; and

responsive to said step of detecting the second scan, presenting on the display screen a next segment of the visual image to be read by the bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader interprets data received responsive to scanning the second segment.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting further scans from the bar code reader; and

for each detected further scan, presenting upon the display of the portable computing device a next segment of the visual image to be read by the bar code reader until each segment of the visual image has been displayed.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein each said detecting step comprises detecting light emanating from the bar code reader.

7. A method of providing information from a portable computing device to a remotely located bar code reader comprising:

identifying a portable computing device comprising at least one processor, at least one display screen, and a scan sensor;

wherein pulses of light used to scan a bar code presented upon the display screen are generated by the bar code reader;

the scan sensor responsive to an event detected by the scan sensor, presenting on the display screen of the portable computing device a first segment of the visual image to be read by the remotely located bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader is distinct from the portable computing device, wherein the remotely located bar code reader interprets data received responsive to scanning the first segment; and

sequentially presenting upon the display of the portable computing device, further segments of the visual image to be read by the bar code reader, wherein each further segment of the visual image is displayed for a predetermined amount of time, wherein the remotely located bar code reader interprets data received responsive to scanning the subsequently presented segments of the visual image.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein prior to said step of presenting the first segment, said method further comprises:

detecting a user command; and

generating the event in response to the detected command.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein prior to said step of presenting the first segment, said method further comprises:

detecting a scan from the bar code reader; and

generating the event in response to the detected scan.

10. A portable computing device for displaying visual images comprising:

a display which presents at least one segment of a visual image to be read by a remotely located bar code reader, wherein the remotely located bar code reader is distinct from the portable computing device, such that the bar code reader scans the display of the portable computing device;

at least one sensor configured to detect a scan from the bar code reader, wherein said at least one sensor is located on a same face of said portable computing device as said display; and

a processor configured to instruct said display to present the at least one segment of the visual image responsive receiving a signal from said sensor indicating that a scan from the bar code reader was detected, wherein pulses of light used to scan a bar code presented upon the display screen are generated by the bar code reader, and wherein the remotely located bar code reader interprets data received responsive to scanning the display upon which the at least one segment of the visual image is presented.

11. The portable computing device of claim 10, further comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of segments of the visual image.

12. The portable computing device of claim 11, wherein said sensor is configured to detect multiple scans by the bar code reader and provide a signal to said processor for each detected scan, and wherein said processor is configured to send to said display a next segment of the visual image to be presented upon the display for each signal received from the sensor.

13. The portable computing device of claim 11, wherein said processor is configured to send to said display further segments of the visual image to be presented upon the display, wherein each further segment is displayed for a predetermined amount of time.

14. The portable computing device of claim 10, wherein said display is a liquid crystal display.

15. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

within a portable computing device comprising at least one processor, at least one display screen, and a scan sensor, said scan sensor detecting a scan from the remotely located bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader is distinct from the portable computing device such that the bar code reader scans the display screen of the portable computing device, wherein pulses of light used to scan a bar code presented upon the display screen are generated by the bar code reader;

responsive to said detecting step, presenting on the display screen of the portable computing device, at least one segment of the visual image to be read by the bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader interprets data received responsive to scanning the display screen.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 15, said detecting step further comprising automatically detecting light emanating from the bar code reader.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 15, wherein said at least one segment comprises an entirety of the visual image.

18. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

within a portable computing device comprising at least one processor, at least one display screen, and a scan sensor, said scan sensor detecting a first scan from a remotely located bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader is distinct from the portable computing device such that the bar code reader scans display screen of the portable computing device;

wherein pulses of light used to scan a bar code presented upon the display screen are generated by the bar code reader;

responsive to said step of detecting the first scan, presenting on the display screen of the portable computer device a first segment of a visual image to be read by the bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader interprets data received responsive to scanning the first segment and subsequently generates a second scan;

the scan sensor detecting the second scan from the bar code reader; and

responsive to said step of detecting the second scan, presenting on the display screen a next segment of the visual image to be read by the bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader interprets data received responsive to scanning the second segment.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 18, further comprising:

detecting further scans from the bar code reader, and

for each detected further scan, presenting upon the display of the portable computing device a next segment of the visual image to be read by the bar code reader until each segment of the visual image has been displayed.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 18, wherein each said detecting step comprises detecting light emanating from the bar code reader.

21. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

identifying a portable computing device comprising at least one processor, at least one display screen, and a scan sensor;

wherein pulses of light used to scan a bar code presented upon the display screen are generated by the bar code reader;

the scan sensor responsive to an event detected by the scan sensor, presenting on the display screen of the portable computing device a first segment of the visual image to be read by the remotely located bar code reader, wherein the bar code reader is distinct from the portable computing device, wherein the remotely located bar code reader interprets data received responsive to scanning the first segment; and

sequentially presenting upon the display of the portable computing device, further segments of the visual image to be read by the bar code reader, wherein each further segment of the visual image displayed for a predetermined amount of time, wherein the remotely located bar code reader interprets data received responsive to scanning the subsequently presented segments of the visual image.

23. The machine readable storage of claim 21, wherein prior to said step of presenting the first segment, said method further comprising:

detecting a scan from the bar code reader; and

generating the event in response to the detected scan.

22. The machine readable storage of clam, 21, wherein prior to said step of presenting the first segment, said method further comprises:

detecting a user command; and

generating the event in response to the detected command.