Handheld code reader having a motion sensor

• US 7,857,218 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Inventors: Nunnink, Laurens
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODMAN, KEITH E
• Application Number:
  US11/962,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20090294541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 235/439, 235/454, 235/455, 235/462.06, 235/462.2, 235/462.21, 396/53
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

A method and apparatus for use with a handheld code reader that has an operating characteristic that can have at least first and second different states, the method for switching between the different states of the operating characteristic, the method comprising the steps of specifying a circumstance set including at least one of reader orientation and a threshold movement level for the reader, monitoring at least one of movement and orientation of the reader determining when the circumstance set occurs and changing the operating characteristic state when the circumstance set occurs, wherein the operating characteristic is one of an illumination mode and a code decoding algorithm.

Claims

1. A method for use with a handheld code reader that has an operating characteristic that can have one of a plurality of different states including first through last states, the method for switching between the different states of the operating characteristic, the method comprising the steps of:

specifying a circumstance set including at least one of reader orientation and a threshold movement level for the reader;

monitoring at least one of movement and orientation of the reader;

determining each time the circumstance set occurs; and

each time the circumstance set occurs, irrespective of the current operating characteristic state, changing from a current operating characteristic state to a different one of the plurality of states so that the operating characteristic states continually cycle;

wherein the operating characteristic is one of an illumination mode and a code decoding algorithm.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the circumstance set includes a threshold movement level of the reader and the handheld code reader includes a movement axis, the movement detected including movement with respect to the movement axis.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the movement detected includes rotation substantially about the movement axis.

4. The method of claim 2 where the code reader includes an image obtaining component that has a field of view (FOV) centered on the movement axis and wherein the movement detected includes rotation substantially around the movement axis.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the threshold movement level specifies rotation substantially around the movement axis through a threshold rotation angle.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the threshold rotation angle is between 45 degrees and 180 degrees.

7. The method of claim 2 where the code reader includes an image obtaining component that has a field of view (FOV) centered on an FOV axis, the movement detected includes rotation substantially about the movement axis and the movement axis is substantially parallel to the FOV axis.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the code reader movement is sensed by a motion sensor.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the code reader includes a trigger member and the step of changing the operating characteristic state includes changing the state when the trigger member is activated and the detected reader movement exceeds the threshold movement level.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the circumstance set includes a specific reader orientation and wherein the step of monitoring includes monitoring orientation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the circumstance set further includes activation of a reader trigger.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein each time the circumstance set occurs, irrespective of the current operating characteristic state, the step of changing includes changing from a current operating characteristic state to a next operating characteristic state wherein, after the last operating characteristic state, the next operating characteristic state is the first operating characteristic state.

14. A method for use with a handheld code reader that has an operating characteristic that can have a plurality of different states including first through last states, the method for switching between the different states of the operating characteristic and comprising the steps of:

detecting movement of the handheld code reader; and

each time a specific code reader movement occurs, changing from a current operating characteristic state to a next operating characteristic state wherein, after the last operating characteristic state, the next operating characteristic state is the first operating characteristic state so that the operating characteristic states continually cycle.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the operating characteristic state includes at least one of an illumination mode and a code decoding algorithm.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the handheld code reader includes a movement axis, the movement detected including a threshold movement level with respect to the movement axis.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the movement detected includes rotation substantially about the movement axis.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the code reader includes a trigger member and the step of changing the operating characteristic state includes changing the state when the trigger member is activated and the detected reader movement exceeds the threshold movement level.

19. An apparatus for use with a handheld code reader that has an operating characteristic that can have one of a plurality of different states including first through last states, the apparatus for switching between the different states of the operating characteristic, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor for detecting at least one of movement of the handheld code reader and orientation of the reader;

a comparator for comparing the at least one of detected reader movement and reader orientation to at least one of a threshold movement level and a specific orientation and determining each time at least one of when the detected reader movement exceeds the threshold movement level and the reader is oriented in the specific orientation; and

a characteristic selector for, each time at least one of detected reader movement exceeds the threshold movement level and the reader is in the specific orientation, irrespective of the current operating characteristic state, changing from a current operating characteristic state to a different one of the plurality of states so that the operating characteristic states continually cycle;

wherein the operating characteristic is one of an illumination mode and a code decoding setting.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the handheld code reader includes a movement axis and wherein the sensor detects movement with respect to the movement axis.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 where the code reader includes an image obtaining component that has a field of view (FOV) centered on an FOV axis, the sensor detecting rotation substantially about the movement axis and the movement axis substantially parallel to the FOV axis.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the code reader movement is sensed by an accelerometer.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein each time the circumstance set occurs, irrespective of the current operating characteristic state, the selector changing by changing from a current operating characteristic state to a next operating characteristic state wherein, after the last operating characteristic state, the next operating characteristic state is the first operating characteristic state.

24. An apparatus for use with a handheld code reader that has an operating characteristic that can have a plurality of different states including first through last states, the apparatus for switching between the different states of the operating characteristic, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor for detecting movement of the handheld code reader;

a processor for, each time a specific code reader movement occurs, changing from a current operating characteristic state to a next operating characteristic state wherein, after the last operating characteristic state, the next operating characteristic state is the first operating characteristic state so that the operating characteristic states continually cycle.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the operating characteristic includes at least one of an illumination mode and a code decoding algorithm.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the handheld code reader includes a movement axis, the movement detected including a threshold movement level with respect to the movement axis.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the movement detected includes rotation substantially about the movement axis.

28. A method for use with a handheld code reader that has an operating characteristic that can have a plurality of different states including first through last states, the method for switching between the different states of the operating characteristic and comprising the steps of:

detecting movement of the handheld code reader; and

each time a specific code reader movement occurs, changing from a current operating characteristic state to a different one of the plurality of operating characteristic states so that the operating characteristic states continually cycle.

29. An apparatus for use with a handheld code reader that has an operating characteristic that can have a plurality of different states including first through last states, the apparatus for switching between the different states of the operating characteristic and comprising:

a sensor for detecting movement of the handheld code reader; and

a characteristic selector that, each time a specific code reader movement occurs, changes from a current operating characteristic state to a different one of the plurality of operating characteristic states so that the operating characteristic states continually cycle.