Indicia reader with synchronized light source and associated methods and computer program product

• US 7,229,021 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vesikivi, Petri, Viitaniemi, Pekka K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US10/862,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20050269411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/462.09, 235/462.42, 235/462.46, 235/462.25
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• 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: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning

Abstract

The present invention provides systems, methods and computer program-product of obtaining information from machine-readable indicia with a mobile device having an indicia reader incorporated therein. The mobile device uses one or more light sources that may illuminate the indicia under consideration, assist in the orientation and position of the indicia reading device, and provide indication to the user that information has been obtained from the indicia under consideration, by use of the one or more light sources. Control of the one or more light sources occurs through an application operating on a controller within the mobile device.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

a controller capable of receiving information regarding at least one machine-readable indicia containing encoded information,

an electronic media device for obtaining image information of said at least one machine-readable indicia; and

one or more sources of visible light, wherein said electronic media device and said one or more sources of visible light are operable by said controller such that while said electronic media device is positioned with respect to said at least one machine-readable indicia and further while said electronic media device is obtaining image information of said at least one machine-readable indicia, at least a first one of said one or more sources of visible light remains consistently illuminated such that at least the first one of said one or more sources of visible light facilitates the electronic media device in obtaining the image information of said at least one machine-readable indicia until said controller is capable of detecting and decoding the obtained image information, wherein at least the first one of said one or more sources of visible light is turned off or otherwise visually altered once said controller is capable of detecting and decoding the obtained image information.

2. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the at least one machine-readable indicia is a barcode.

3. A terminal according to claim 2, wherein the electronic media device is a digital camera.

4. A terminal according to claim 2, wherein the at least one machine-readable indicia is a one-dimensional barcode.

5. A terminal according to claim 2, wherein the at least one machine-readable indicia is a two-dimensional barcode.

6. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sources of visible light are light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

7. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sources of visible light have a defined field of illumination and the electronic media device has a defined field of view and said field of illumination corresponds to said field of view.

8. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sources of visible light have an adjustable field of illumination and the electronic media device has a defined field of view and said field of illumination is adjustable to correspond to said field of view.

9. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sources of visible light have a defined field of illumination and the electronic media device has an adjustable field of view, and said field of view is adjustable to correspond to said field of illumination.

10. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sources of visible light have an adjustable field of illumination and the electronic media device has an adjustable field of view, and said field of illumination and said field of view are adjustable to correspond to one another.

11. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least the first one of said one or more sources of visible light are turned off or otherwise visually altered to indicate to a user of the terminal that said at least one machine-readable indicia has been recognized and decoded by the controller.

12. A terminal for interacting with a barcode comprising:

a controller capable of receiving information regarding at least one barcode having information encoded thereon,

an electronic media device for obtaining image information from said at least one barcode; and

one or more sources of visible light, wherein said electronic media device and said one or more sources of visible light are operable by said controller such that while said electronic media device is positioned with respect to said at least one barcode and further while said electronic media device is obtaining image information from said at least one barcode, at least a first one of said one or more sources of visible light remains consistently illuminated such that at least the first one of said one or more sources of visible light facilitates the electronic media device in obtaining said image information from the at least one barcode until said controller is capable of detecting and decoding the obtained image information, wherein at least the first one of said one or more sources of visible light is turned off or otherwise visually altered once said controller is capable of detecting and decoding the obtained image information.

13. A terminal according to claim 12, wherein the electronic media device is a digital camera.

14. A terminal according to claim 12, wherein the at least one barcode having information encoded thereon is a one-dimensional barcode.

15. A terminal according to claim 12, wherein the at least one barcode having information encoded thereon is a two-dimensional barcode.

16. A terminal according to claim 12, wherein the one or more sources of visible light are light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

17. A terminal according to claim 12, wherein the one or more sources of visible light have a defined field of illumination and the at least one electronic media device has a defined field of view and said field of illumination corresponds to said field of view.

18. A terminal according to claim 12, wherein the one or more sources of visible light have an adjustable field of illumination and the at least one electronic media device has a defined field of view and said field of illumination is adjustable to correspond to said field of view.

19. A terminal according to claim 12, wherein the one or more sources of visible light have a defined field of illumination and the electronic media device has an adjustable field of view, and said field of view is adjustable to correspond to said field of illumination.

20. A terminal according to claim 12, wherein the one or more sources of visible light have an adjustable field of illumination and the electronic media device has an adjustable field of view, and said field of illumination and said field of view are adjustable to correspond to one another.

21. A terminal according to claim 12, wherein at least the first one of said one or more sources of visible light are turned off or otherwise visually altered to indicate to a user of the terminal that said at least one barcode has been recognized and decoded by the controller.

22. A method of obtaining information from one or more machine-readable indicia with a terminal having a controller, comprising:

illuminating one or more sources of visible light associated with said terminal;

positioning said terminal proximate to at least one of said one or more machine-readable indicia to facilitate communication between said terminal and said machine-readable indicia, wherein said terminal is positioned such that said machine-readable indicia is illuminated in a field of illumination of said one or more sources of visible light;

receiving information from said machine-readable indicia with said terminal while said terminal is positioned proximate to said machine-readable indicia, wherein at least a first one of said one or more sources of visible light remains consistently illuminated while said terminal is positioned and further while said information is received; and

turning off or otherwise providing a visual indication with at least said first one of said one or more sources of visible light when said information that has been obtained from said machine-readable indicia is detected and decoded by said controller.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving information from said machine-readable indicia with said terminal comprises obtaining information from a barcode with a digital camera.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving information from said machine-readable indicia with said terminal comprises obtaining information from a one-dimensional barcode with a digital camera.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving information from said machine-readable indicia with said terminal comprises obtaining information from a two-dimensional barcode with a digital camera.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving information from said machine-readable indicia with said terminal comprises obtaining information from a RFID transponder tag with a RF transceiver.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein positioning said terminal proximate to said at least one of said one or more machine-readable indicia such that said position facilitates communication between said terminal and said machine-readable indicia comprises positioning said terminal such that said machine-readable indicia is illuminated in a field of illumination of said one or more sources of visible light and said field of illumination of said one or more sources of visible light corresponds to the area in which the terminal is able to communicate with the machine-readable indicia.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein illuminating one or more sources of visible light associated with said terminal comprises illuminating one or more light-emitting diodes.

29. A method of obtaining image information from a barcode with a terminal having an electronic media device and a controller, comprising:

illuminating one or more sources of visible light associated with said terminal;

positioning said terminal proximate to said barcode to illuminate the barcode within a field of illumination from the one or more visible light sources and facilitate obtaining image information from the barcode with the electronic media device;

obtaining image information from the barcode with the electronic media device while said terminal is positioned proximate to said barcode, wherein at least a first one of said one or more visible light sources remains consistently illuminated while said terminal is positioned and further while said image information is obtained; and

turning off at least said first one of said one or more sources of visible light when said image information that has been obtained from said barcode is detected and decoded by said controller.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein obtaining image information from the barcode with the electronic media device comprises obtaining image information from a one-dimensional barcode with a digital camera.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein obtaining image information from the barcode with the electronic media device comprises obtaining image information from a two-dimensional barcode with a digital camera.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein positioning said terminal proximate to said barcode to illuminate the barcode within a field of illumination from the one or more visible light sources and facilitate reading the barcode with the electronic media device comprises positioning said terminal to illuminate the barcode with a field of illumination of the one or more visible light sources that corresponds to a field of view of a digital camera.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein illuminating one or more sources of visible light associated with said terminal comprises illuminating one or more light-emitting diodes.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein obtaining image information from the barcode with the electronic media device comprises obtaining image information from the barcode with a digital camera.

35. A method of controlling a terminal having a device for communicating with a machine-readable indicia, a controller, and one or more sources of visible light, comprising:

illuminating the one or more sources of visible light when said terminal is set to communicate with a machine-readable indicia with the device for communicating with machine-readable indicia;

enabling said terminal to be positioned with respect to said machine-readable indicia while at least a first one of the one or more sources of visible light remains consistently illuminated;

communicating with said machine-readable indicia with said device for communicating with machine-readable indicia while at least the first one of said one or more sources of visible light remains consistently illuminated, wherein said terminal is positioned to illuminate the machine-readable indicia with a field of illumination of the one or more visible light sources; and

turning off at least the first one of said one or more sources of visible light when said terminal has received information from said machine-readable indicia and said controller has detected and decoded said information.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said machine-readable indicia is a barcode and the device for communicating with a machine-readable indicia is a digital camera.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein communicating with said machine-readable indicia with said device for communicating with machine-readable indicia comprises obtaining information from a one-dimensional barcode with a digital camera.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein communicating with said machine-readable indicia with said device for communicating with machine-readable indicia comprises obtaining information from a two-dimensional barcode with a digital camera.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein communicating with said machine-readable indicia with said device for communicating with machine-readable indicia comprises obtaining information from a RFID transponder tag with a RF transceiver.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein illuminating the one or more sources of visible light comprises illuminating one or more light-emitting diodes.

41. A computer program product for controlling a terminal having a device for communicating with a machine-readable indicia and one or more sources of visible light and a controller, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for illuminating the one or more sources of visible light when said terminal is set to communicate with a machine-readable indicia with the device for communicating with machine-readable indicia;

a second executable portion for enabling the terminal to be positioned with respect to the machine-readable indicia while at least a first one of the one or more sources of visible light remains consistently illuminated;

a third executable portion for obtaining information from said machine-readable indicia with said device for communicating with machine-readable indicia while at least the first one of said one or more sources of visible light remains consistently illuminated; and

a fourth executable portion for turning off at least the first one of said one or more sources of visible light when said terminal has obtained information from said machine-readable indicia and said controller has detected and decoded said information.

42. A computer program product according to claim 41, wherein the executable portions are adapted to communicate with a machine-readable indicia that is a barcode and the device for communicating with a machine-readable indicia is a digital camera.

43. A computer program product according to claim 41, wherein the executable portions are adapted to communicate with a machine-readable indicia that is a RFID transponder tag and the device for communicating with a machine-readable indicia is a RF transceiver.

44. A computer program product according to claim 41, wherein the fourth executable portion is adapted to switch off at least the first one of said one or more sources of visible light when said terminal has obtained information from said machine-readable indicia into an actively-operating application on a controller in said terminal and said application decodes and recognizes said information.

45. A computer program product according to claim 41, wherein the third executable portion is adapted to obtain information to the terminal when the terminal is actively operating an application in a state of receiving data.