Integrated hand-held bar code processing device capable of automatic scan and data display

• US 5,672,860 A
• Filed: 01/12/1995
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Norand Corporation (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Miller, Phillip, Walter, Jerry L., Schultz, Darald R., Boatwright, Darrell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Thien Minh
• Application Number:
  US08/371,747
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472, 235/462, 235/467, 235/470, 235/383, 235/385, 250/239, 362/399
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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 7/10574 Multiple sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10702 Particularities of propagating elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors G06K7/10831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 Focalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10841 Particularities of the light-sensitive elements semiconductor devices H01L
• 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: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 : wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 : Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

In an exemplary embodiment, the reader unit has a pistol configuration with the automatic scan components in a barrel portion and a battery pack therefor in a handgrip portion. A display may be directed upwardly and rearwardly in the normal hand-held disposition of the reader unit during scanning, and may be of relatively large area, e.g., so as to be adaptable to direct store delivery transactions. A smart card receptacle may facilitate use of the integrated reader and terminal unit for complex transactions. A base station for the hand-held unit may include an interface such that the memory of the hand-held unit appears as a disk drive during downloading to a personal computer.

Claims

1. In a data capture system, a hand-held automatic scan reader unit for scanning an optical segment and having a pistol configuration with a barrel having a longitudinal axis, and a handgrip adapted to be held in one hand of an operator, said handgrip having a free end and a handgrip axis directed generally transversely to said longitudinal axis of said barrel,

said barrel having a first end arranged proximally to the operator and a second end arranged distally to the operator and oriented towards the optical segment when said reader unit is held by the operator in a normal scanning/data entry position,

said barrel of the pistol configuration containing an optical scanner means comprising optical source means for directing illumination along a path extending past said second end and onto the optical segment essentially instantaneously and sensor means for reading reflected optical information therefrom,

said barrel having an upper surface disposed above and a lower surface disposed below said longitudinal axis, said upper surface extending from said first end toward said second end,

said handgrip including a trigger manually actuable to cause said optical source means to direct said illumination,

an array of data entry keys at a data entry region of said upper surface, each of said keys requiring a manually applied thrust generally in the direction of said handgrip by the other hand of the operator, said handgrip being affixed to said barrel at said lower surface so as to be located beneath said data entry region of said upper surface when said reader unit is held in its normal scanning/data entry position;

and

said data entry region of said upper surface sloping away from said longitudinal axis with reference to a direction viewed from said first end toward said second end so that with said first end disposed proximally to the operator and with said reader unit in the normal scanning/data entry position, the operator can simultaneously view directly said data entry region, comfortably grasp said handgrip to balance and support said reader unit, manually actuate said trigger with the one hand and readily manually actuate selected of said data entry keys with the other hand.

2. In the data capture system according to claim 1, wherein there is included a first point disposed midway between said first and second ends, said data entry region of said upper surface extends at least substantially to a second point diebold over said first point.

3. In the data capture system according to claim 2, wherein said data entry region of said upper surface extends substantially the full extent of a width dimension of said barrel.

4. In the data capture system according to claim 1, wherein said data entry region of said upper surface comprises touch screen means.

5. In the data capture system according to claim 4, wherein said touch screen means comprises a data display means having an area of at least about twenty four square inches.

6. In the data capture system according to claim 5, wherein selected of said data entry keys are oriented in a line thereof, and said display means is disposed adjacent said line of data entry keys.

7. In the data capture system according to claim 4, wherein said touch screen means extends over a major portion of the area of a sloping portion of said upper surface which slopes away from said longitudinal axis of said barrel as viewed from said first end toward said second end of said barrel.

8. In a data capture system, a reader hand-held by an operator for automatically scanning information carried by an optical segment, said reader comprising:

a) a housing of a pistol configuration including a barrel with first and second surfaces and a handgrip extending from said first surface, said handgrip being configured to be held in one hand by the operator, including a handgrip axis and being affixed to said barrel, said barrel having a first end arranged proximally to the operator and a second end arranged distally to the operator when said reader is held by the operator in a normal scanning/data entry position with respect to the optical segment, said second surface disposed remote from said first surface and extending from said first end toward said second end;

b) optical scanner means contained within said barrel and comprising optical source means for directing illumination onto the optical segment, and sensor means for reading the illumination as modified by the information and reflected from the optical segment onto said sensor means; and

c) an array of data entry keys defining the extent of a data entry region of said second surface and being manually actuated by the operator;

d) said handgrip axis intercepting said data entry region at an angle and a location so that the operator'"'"'s line of sight to said data entry region is unobstructed when said handgrip is gripped by and said reader is oriented by the operator in the normal scanning/data entry position, so that the hand gripping said handgrip is in a supportive relationship to oppose the application of actuating pressure applied to said data entry region, and so that most of said data entry keys are disposed between said location and said first end of said barrel.

9. In the data capture system according to claim 8, said handgrip being substantially in an underlying relation to said data entry region so as to supply comfortable support and balance thereto during manual actuation thereof with said reader held in the normal scanning/data entry position.

10. In the data capture system according to claim 8, said data entry region comprising touch screen means.

11. In the data capture system according to claim 8, said reader having a display means which is conveniently read while said reader remains in said normal scanning/data entry position and substantially spaced in front of the operator.

12. In the data capture system according to claim 8, said reader having visible light beam means for assisting in aiming with respect to the optical segment.

13. In the data capture system according to claim 8, wherein said barrel includes a single optical window for permitting the transmission therethrough of said illumination directed from said optical scanner means and of said reflected illumination.

14. In the data capture system according to claim 13, wherein said single optical window is disposed proximal to said second end and said data entry region is disposed proximal to said first end, whereby the operator may enter data via said data entry region without displacement of said reader from the normal scanning/data entry position.

15. In the data capture system according to claim 8, wherein said data entry region has a proximal margin located relatively close to said first end of said barrel and a distal margin located relatively remote from said first end of said barrel, said angle and said location being selected so that said data entry region is disposed above said handgrip and so that a hand gripping said handgrip is in a supportive relationship to oppose the application of actuating pressure applied to said data entry region near said distal margin when reader is oriented by the operator in the normal scanning/data entry position.

16. In the data capture system according to claim 8, wherein said barrel includes a barrel axis and there is included a first point disposed midway between said first and second ends, said second surface generally slopes away from said barrel axis in a direction from said first end toward said second end, and at least substantially to a second point disposed over said first point.

17. In the data capture system according to claim 16, wherein said second surface extends substantially the full extent of a width dimension of said barrel.

18. In the data capture system according to claim 8, wherein said data entry region of second surface comprises touch screen means.

19. In the data capture system according to claim 18, wherein said touch screen means comprises a data display means having an area of at least about twenty-four square inches.