Accuracy-enhanced scanner

• US 8,702,004 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Socket Mobile, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Socket Mobile, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, Timothy, Gifford, Bobby Dale, Ott, Leonard, Brandon, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US13/567,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20120298756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472.02, 235/462.11, 235/462.41, 235/462.46, 235/462.24, 235/462.48
• US Class Current: 235/472.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10891 the scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes

Abstract

An accuracy-enhanced scanner provides (in response to a first user input) illumination of potential scan targets and scans (in response to a second user input) a selected scan target. The user uses the illumination to aim the scanner at the selected scan target in between providing the first and the second user inputs. The scanner has switches to communicate the user inputs, to specify an operating mode for the scanner, and/or to communicate information codes to a computing device. The scanner has one or more scan engines (such as a barcode reader or an RFID tag reader), and optionally communicates wirelessly with the computing device. A scanning system including the scanner optionally provides feedback to the user based on feedback from a host processor. The scanner is any of a Multi-Mode Ring Scanner (MMRS), a cordless hand scanner, or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) with an add-on scanner.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in response to a first user input, illuminating a scan target with a pattern comprising at least one line;

in response to a second user input, imaging the scan target; and

wherein, as initiated by a user, a scanner is enabled to perform the scan-target imaging and the illuminating independently of each other and is enabled to initiate the illuminating prior to initiating the scan-target imaging.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing respective first and second soft buttons to respectively determine the first and the second user inputs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the soft buttons corresponds to a mechanical switch having a programmable function.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the soft buttons corresponds to a touch-sensitive region.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the soft buttons corresponds to a region of a display that is sensitive to touch.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing respective first and second switches to respectively determine the first and the second user inputs.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second switches are located to enable activating by two digits of a single human hand.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second switches are located to enable activating by one or more human feet.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing a single switch in respective first and second positions to respectively determine the first and the second user inputs.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing a single switch via respective first and second activations to respectively determine the first and the second user inputs.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging comprises activating an optical scanner.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging comprises activating a scan-target imaging engine.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the scan-target imaging engine comprises one or more of

a laser-based engine,

a Charge Coupled Device (CCD)-based engine, and

an image-based engine.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the scan-target imaging engine is included within any one of

a ring scanner,

a cordless ring scanner,

a handheld scanner,

a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)-based scanner, and

a fixed-location scanner.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising sensing at least one of the user inputs via a user input element that is part of a first assembly, the first assembly being distinct from a second assembly that the scan-target imaging engine is part of.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first assembly and the second assembly comprise respective wireless communication circuits enabling communication of one or more commands to the scan-target imaging engine based on one or more of the user inputs.

17. A method comprising:

in response to a first user input, providing a visual indicator comprising at least one line in a particular direction with respect to a predetermined axis;

in response to a second user input, activating a scan-target imaging engine to capture at least one image in the particular direction; and

wherein, as initiated by a user, a scanner is enabled to perform the activating and the providing independently of each other and is enabled to initiate the providing prior to the activating.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the visual indicator comprises a crosshair pattern.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the visual indicator has a rotational orientation, and the scan-target imaging engine is operative in accordance with the rotational orientation.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the visual indicator is compatible with illumination of a scan target.