Sensor control of an aiming beam of an automatic data collection device, such as a barcode reader

• US 7,490,776 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec Scanner Technology Center S.A.S. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec Scanner Technology Center S.A.S. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Thuries, Serge
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/280,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20070108283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472.1, 235/462.4, 235/462.25, 235/455, 235/454, 359/196
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1011 Aiming
• 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

An automatic data collection device is provided with an aiming beam that can be deactivated prior to reading a target machine-readable symbol. The data collection device includes a sensor that generates one or more signals associated with light received by the sensor. The sensor signal(s) is used to adjust the illumination levels for the sensor and/or the gain of the sensor, and are also used to deactivate the aiming beam prior to reading the target machine-readable symbol or to perform other illumination adjustment.

Claims

1. An automatic data collection device to read data carriers such as machine-readable symbols, the automatic data collection device comprising:

a first light source to generate an aiming beam to be directed at a target machine-readable symbol;

a second light source to generate an acquisition beam to read data encoded in the target machine-readable symbol;

a sensor to receive at least a portion light returned from the target machine-readable symbol and to generate a sensor signal that is associated with the received light; and

a component coupled to the sensor to deactivate the aiming beam, based on the sensor signal generated by the sensor, prior to reading the target machine-readable symbol with the acquisition beam.

2. The automatic data collection device of claim 1 wherein the component comprises a processor to receive the sensor signal and to generate an adjustment signal based on the sensor signal, the adjustment signal being usable by the processor to deactivate the aiming beam and to adjust an illumination level for the sensor based on a level of said portion of light returned from the target machine-readable symbol.

3. The automatic data collection device of claim 2 wherein the adjustment signal comprises a signal to change an output level of the second light source to adjust the illumination level, the processor being coupled to deactivate the aiming beam if the adjustment signal stops changing the output level.

4. The automatic data collection device of claim 2 wherein the adjustment signal comprises a signal to change an aperture size of the sensor to control an amount of light received by the sensor, the processor being coupled to deactivate the aiming beam if the adjustment signal stops changing the aperture size.

5. The automatic data collection device of claim 2 wherein the adjustment signal comprises a signal to change a gain of the sensor, the processor being coupled to deactivate the aiming beam if the adjustment signal stops changing the gain.

6. The automatic data collection device of claim 2, further comprising a trigger coupled to the processor, wherein actuation of the trigger alone or in combination with a condition of the adjustment signal is usable by the processor to determine whether to deactivate the aiming beam.

7. The automatic data collection device of claim 1 wherein the component comprises a trigger that is actuable to deactivate the aiming beam in response to user actuation alone or in combination with a condition of an adjustment signal corresponding to the sensor signal.

8. The automatic data collection device of claim 1 wherein the second light source comprises a flood illumination source to image the target machine-readable symbol using the acquisition beam.

9. The automatic data collection device of claim 1 wherein the second light source comprises a scanning illumination source to scan the target machine-readable symbol using the acquisition beam.

10. A method usable for an automatic data collection device to read machine-readable symbols, the method comprising:

generating a user-perceptible aiming beam to be directed at a target machine-readable symbol;

determining an amount of light returned from the target machine-readable symbol and received by a detector of the automatic data collection device;

generating a detector signal representative of the light received by the detector;

using the generated detector signal to adjust an illumination condition of the detector; and

using the generated detector signal to deactivate the aiming beam prior to reading the target machine-readable symbol.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein using the generated detector signal to adjust the illumination condition of the detector includes generating an adjustment signal to adjust an illumination output of the data collection device that is directed towards the target machine-readable symbol, and wherein using the generated detector signal to deactivate the aiming beam includes deactivating the aiming beam if the adjustment signal stops adjustment of the illumination output.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein using the generated detector signal to adjust the illumination condition of the detector includes generating an adjustment signal to adjust an aperture for the detector, and wherein using the generated detector signal to deactivate the aiming beam includes deactivating the aiming beam if the adjustment signal stops adjustment of the aperture.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein using the generated detector signal to adjust the illumination condition of the detector includes generating an adjustment signal to adjust a gain of the detector, and wherein using the generated detector signal to deactivate the aiming beam includes deactivating the aiming beam if the adjustment signal stops adjustment of the gain.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting actuation of a trigger of the data collection device; and

deactivating the aiming beam in response to actuation of the trigger or in response to actuation of the trigger in combination with a condition of the detector signal.

15. An automatic data collection system for reading machine-readable symbols, the automatic data collection system comprising:

means for generating a user-perceptible aiming beam to be directed at a target machine-readable symbol;

means for receiving light returned from the target machine-readable symbol;

means for generating a signal representative of the received light; and

means for adjusting an illumination condition based on the generated signal and for deactivating, in response to the generated signal, the aiming beam prior to reading the target machine-readable symbol.

16. The automatic data collection system of claim 15 wherein the means for adjusting the illumination condition based on the generated signal includes means for using an adjustment signal for adjusting an illumination output directed towards the target machine-readable medium.

17. The automatic data collection system of claim 15 wherein the means for adjusting the illumination condition based on the generated signal includes means for using an adjustment signal for adjusting an aperture through which the returned light passes.

18. An automatic data collection system for reading machine-readable symbols, the automatic data collection system comprising:

means for generating a user-perceptible aiming beam to be directed at a target machine-readable symbol;

means for receiving light returned from the target machine-readable symbol;

means for generating a signal representative of the received light; and

means responsive to the generated signal for adjusting a gain of the means for receiving the returned light, and for deactivating, in response to the generated signal, the aiming beam prior to reading the target machine-readable symbol.

19. An automatic data collection system for reading machine-readable symbols, the automatic data collection system comprising:

means for generating a user-perceptible aiming beam to be directed at a target machine-readable symbol;

means for receiving light returned from the target machine-readable symbol;

means for generating a signal representative of the received light; and

means responsive to the generated signal for deactivating the aiming beam prior to reading the target machine-readable symbol.

20. The automatic data collection system of claim 19, further comprising actuable trigger means for deactivating the aiming beam independently of or in combination with the generated signal.

21. The automatic data collection system of claim 19, further comprising additional means for supporting operation of the means for receiving returned light, including means for processing data encoded in the received returned light.

22. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer-readable medium usable with an automatic data collection device to read machine-readable symbols and having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to control operation of a user-perceptible aiming beam of the data collection device, by;

generating said user-perceptible aiming beam to be directed at a target machine-readable symbol;

determining an amount of light returned from the target machine-readable symbol and received by a detector of the automatic data collection device;

generating a detector signal representative of the light received by the detector; and

using the generated detector signal to adjust an illumination condition of the detector, and deactivating, in response to the generated detector signal, the aiming beam prior to reading the target machine-readable symbol.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22 wherein the instructions to use the generated detector signal to adjust an illumination condition of the detector include instructions that are executable by the processor to control operation of the aiming beam, by:

generating a first adjustment signal based on the detector signal to adjust an illumination output of the data collection device;

generating a second adjustment signal based on the detector signal to adjust an aperture size of the detector;

generating a third adjustment signal based on the detector signal to adjust a gain of the detector; and

using a condition of any of the generated first, second, and third adjustment signals to determine whether to deactivate the aiming beam.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23 wherein the computer-readable medium further includes instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to control operation of the aiming beam, by:

generating a trigger signal indicative of whether a trigger of the data collection device is actuated;

deactivating the aiming beam based on a condition of the trigger signal or based on a condition of the trigger signal in combination with any of the generated first, second, and third adjustment signals.