Hand-held scanner with impulse radio wireless interface

• US 20020135815A1
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Finn, James S.
• Application Number:
  US09/767,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20020135815A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/6908 using time hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1075 Arrangements for facilitating holding of the scanner, e.g. shapes, grips

Abstract

A scanner for reading characters from a string of characters recorded on a surface as well as reading bar code information encoded in bar codes. Upon obtaining either the text or the bar code information, the information is transferred to a remote location via impulse radio wireless techniques. The character or bar code scanner may include a lens of variable magnification so as to accommodate variable size print. The scanner is in communication with an external information processing apparatus such as a computer through an impulse radio wireless transmitter/receiver. The value of each pixel detected by the scanner is determined by comparing the light reflection value with a threshold that is adjusted in accordance with the values of pixels detected and averaged over previous frames. The hand-held scanner and impulse radio transceiver and impulse radio antenna may be housed in any elongate housing for pen-like use or in a palm-held housing such as a typical mouse. The novel impulse radio wireless interface allows large data throughput while avoiding many traditional wireless shortfalls such as multipath and RF and optical interference. Distance determination by impulse radio means provides for varying the data rates of the communication between the impulse radio and a remote device based on said distance and allows for a warning that the distance from said remote device to said scanner is exceeding a predetermined limit.

Claims

1. A hand-held scanner with an impulse radio wireless interface comprising:

a housing having an elongate shape with a scanning end and a rear end;

optical detector means, located within said housing, for detecting relative intensity of light reflected from a surface, said surface may contain characters or symbols thereon;

an impulse radio interface, interfacing with said optical detector means and in communication with an impulse radio transmitter, wherein said impulse radio transmitter transmits scanned information to a remote location by impulse radio means.

2. The hand-held scanner with an impulse radio wireless interface of claim 1, further comprising a recording means associated with said hand-held scanner for recording voice information for transmission via impulse radio means.

3. The hand-held scanner with an impulse radio wireless interface of claim 1, wherein said remote location is a remote computer.

4. The hand-held scanner with an impulse radio wireless interface of claim 3, wherein said remote computer includes an impulse radio transceiver for receiving the scanned information from said hand-held scanner by impulse radio means.

5. The hand-scanner of claim 1, further comprising a comparator coupled to said optical detector means for receiving signals corresponding to the relative intensity of light from said optical detector means to determine whether each such signal is above or below an intensity threshold and means for setting the intensity threshold responsive to the relative intensities of points in an area of view being scanned.

6. The hand-held scanner of claim 1, further comprising an image splitter for producing two images of a first area of view, said two images being rotated with respect to each other and for providing said two images to said optical detector means.

7. The hand-held scanner of claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting the magnification of said first optical means and thereby change the size of the first area of view.

8. The hand-held scanner of claim 1, further comprising first movement means, mounted proximate the scanning end of said housing, for detecting movement of the scanner across a surface when the scanning end of said housing is moved along a line of characters to read the characters through the first area of view.

9. The hand-held scanner of claim 8, further comprising second movement means, mounted on the side of said housing, for detecting movement of the scanner across the substrate when the side of said housing is moved over a surface line by line to read the characters through the second area of view.

10. The hand-held scanner of claim 1, wherein said optical detector means comprises a CCD array for detecting light from a plurality of points in the first area of view and a photodiode array for detecting light from a plurality of points in the second area of view.

11. The hand-held scanner of claim 1, wherein the impulse radio determines the distance between the hand-held scanner and remote device using impulse radio distance determine techniques.

12. The hand-held scanner of claim 11, wherein subsequent to said distance determination, the data rate is modified according to the distance determination.

13. The hand-held scanner of claim 1, wherein the scanner gives warning that the scanner is out of range of the remote device based on distance determination determined by impulse radio distance determining techniques.

15. The package information assimilation system of claim 14, further comprising a remote processing and storage device including an impulse radio receiver in impulse radio communications with said impulse radio transmitter of said scanner.

16. The package information assimilation system of claim 14, further comprising means for adjusting the magnification of said optical digitizer and thereby change the size of a first area of view.

17. The package information assimilation system of claim 14, further comprising first movement means, mounted proximate the scanning end of said housing, for detecting movement of the scanner across a surface when the scanning end of said housing is moved along a line bar codes to read the bar codes through the first area of view.

18. The package information assimilation system of claim 14, wherein said optical detector means comprises a CCD array for detecting light from a plurality of points in the first area of view and a photodiode array for detecting light from a plurality of points in the second area of view.

19. The package information assimilation system of claim 14, wherein the impulse radios determine the distance between the hand-held scanner and remote device using impulse radio distance determination means.

20. The package information assimilation system of claim 19, wherein subsequent to the distance determination, the data rate is modified according to said distance determination.

21. The hand-held scanner of claim 19, wherein said scanner gives warning that said scanner is out of range of said remote device based on distance determination determined by impulse radio distance determining techniques.

14. A package information assimilation system, comprising:

a scanner, said scanner comprising an optical digitizer for detecting line bar codes from a surface and a bar code processor for interpreting the output of said digitizer; and

an impulse radio interface interfacing with said bar code processor in communication with an impulse radio transmitter for transmitting by impulse radio means the output of said bar code processor.

22. A method of bar code information assimilation, comprising the steps of:

scanning a bar code with a bar code scanner;

obtaining information contained within said bar code; and

transmitting said bar code information to a remote location by impulse radio means.

23. The method of bar code information assimilation of claim 22, wherein said remote location is a remote computer.

24. The method of bar code information assimilation of claim 23, wherein said remote computer includes an impulse radio receiver for receiving impulse radio transmissions from said bar code scanner.

25. The method of bar code information assimilation of claim 23, further comprising the step of determining the distance from said bar code scanner and said remote computer by impulse radio techniques.

26. The method of bar code information assimilation of claim 23, further comprising the step of varying the data rate according to said distance determined from said bar code scanner and said remote computer.

27. The method of bar code information assimilation of claim 23, further comprising the step of warning the user of said bar code scanner that said bar code scanner is out of range of said remote computer.

29. The method of bar code information assimilation of claim 28, wherein said remote computer includes an impulse radio receiver for receiving impulse radio transmissions from said impulse radio scanner.

30. The method of bar code information assimilation of claim 29, further comprising the step of determining the distance from said bar code scanner and said remote computer by impulse radio techniques.

31. The method of bar code information assimilation of claim 30, further comprising the step of varying the data rate according to said distance determined from said bar code scanner and said remote computer.

32. The method of bar code information assimilation of claim 31, further comprising the step of warning a user of said bar code scanner that said bar code scanner is out of range of said remote computer.

28. A method of scanning text information from a hand-held scanner, comprising the steps of:

scanning text with a hand-held scanner, said hand held scanner including an impulse radio interface and an impulse radio transmitter therein; and

transmitting said text information to a remote location by impulse radio means.

33. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program code, for executing scanning and impulse radio transmissions, said product including:

conversion process procedure codes for obtaining text information from a scanning device and converting said text or bar code information into digital information for transmission by impulse radio wireless techniques to a remote computer; and

transmission process procedure codes for transmitting by impulse radio means the scanned and converted digital information.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, further comprising impulse radio distance determination codes for determining the distance between said scanning device and said remote computer.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, further comprising codes that use the distance determination by impulse radio means and vary the data rate of the wireless transmission based on the distance from said scanning device to said remote computer.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, further comprising codes that initiate a warning when the distance determined by impulse radio distance determination techniques from said scanning device to said remote computer exceed a predetermined limit.