Bar code symbol reading system with multi-port digital signal decoder
First Claim
1. A bar code symbol reading system comprising:
- (1) a first scanning device for scanning a bar code symbol and producing a first digital data signal having first and second signal levels of variable time duration which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with said bar code symbol being scanned by said first scanning device; and
(2) a digital signal processing device capable of decoding a plurality of digital data signals, including said first digital data signal, and a second digital data signal produced as output from a second scanning device and having first and second signal levels of variable time duration which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with a bar code symbol being scanned by said second scanning device, said digital signal processing device including;
(a) a plurality of data input ports, each said data input port being operably connectable to one said scanning device, for supplying one said digital data signal to one said data input port for processing;
(b) signal level transition detection means for detecting the signal level transitions in the digital data signal supplied to any one of said plurality of data input ports, and producing signal level transition data for the supplied digital data signal;
(c) means for operably connecting said data input ports to said signal level transition detection means;
(d) common timing means for measuring the time duration of the first and second signal levels between detected signal level transitions in the supplied digital data signal, and producing digital data related to the time duration of the first and second signal levels in the supplied digital data signal;
(e) common control means for controlling the operation of said common timing means in response to signal level transition data produced from said signal level transition detection means;
(f) common data processing means operably associated with said common timing means and programmed for processing said digital data from the supplied digital data signal, so as to produce decoded symbol data representative of the bar code symbol being scanned by said scanning device producing the supplied digital signal; and
(g) a data output port operably associated with said common data processing means and for providing the decoded symbol data to a host device operably connectable to said data output port.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A bar code symbol reading system having a laser scanner, and a multi-port digital signal decoder capable of decoding digital signals produced from various types of scanning devices including, for example, high-speed counter top scanners, low-speed hand-held scanners, wand scanners, light pen scanners, and magnetic card scanners. The digital signal decoder includes a plurality of data input ports for receiving digital input signals produced from the various scanning devices. The digital signal decoder also includes common digital signal and data processing circuitry for processing the digital input signals and digital data so as to produce, as output, decoded symbol data. In addition, the digital signal decoder further includes an output data port for providing the decoded symbol data to a host device operably connected to the digital signal decoder. In the illustrative embodiment, the digital signal decoder is realized using VLSI circuit and microprocessor technology.
194 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A bar code symbol reading system comprising:
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(1) a first scanning device for scanning a bar code symbol and producing a first digital data signal having first and second signal levels of variable time duration which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with said bar code symbol being scanned by said first scanning device; and (2) a digital signal processing device capable of decoding a plurality of digital data signals, including said first digital data signal, and a second digital data signal produced as output from a second scanning device and having first and second signal levels of variable time duration which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with a bar code symbol being scanned by said second scanning device, said digital signal processing device including; (a) a plurality of data input ports, each said data input port being operably connectable to one said scanning device, for supplying one said digital data signal to one said data input port for processing; (b) signal level transition detection means for detecting the signal level transitions in the digital data signal supplied to any one of said plurality of data input ports, and producing signal level transition data for the supplied digital data signal; (c) means for operably connecting said data input ports to said signal level transition detection means; (d) common timing means for measuring the time duration of the first and second signal levels between detected signal level transitions in the supplied digital data signal, and producing digital data related to the time duration of the first and second signal levels in the supplied digital data signal; (e) common control means for controlling the operation of said common timing means in response to signal level transition data produced from said signal level transition detection means; (f) common data processing means operably associated with said common timing means and programmed for processing said digital data from the supplied digital data signal, so as to produce decoded symbol data representative of the bar code symbol being scanned by said scanning device producing the supplied digital signal; and (g) a data output port operably associated with said common data processing means and for providing the decoded symbol data to a host device operably connectable to said data output port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 22, 24, 25)
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6. A bar code symbol reading system comprising:
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(1) a first scanning device for scanning a bar code symbol and producing a first digital data signal having first and second signal levels of variable time duration which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with said bar code symbol being scanned by said first scanning device; and (2) a digital signal processing device capable of decoding a plurality of digital data signals, including said first digital data signal and a second digital data signal produced as output from a second scanning device and having first and second signal levels of variable time duration which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with a bar code symbol being scanned by said second scanning device, said digital signal processing device including; (a) a plurality of data input ports, each said data input port being operably connectable to one said scanning device, for supplying one said digital data signal to said data input port for processing; (b) signal level transition detection means operably associated with each said data input port, for detecting signal level transitions in the digital data signal supplied to any one of said plurality of data input ports and producing signal level transition data associated with the supplied digital data signal; (c) common digital count data producing means for measuring the time duration of the first and second signal levels between detected signal level transitions in the supplied digital data signal, and producing digital data related to the time duration of the first and second levels in the supplied digital data signal; (d) common data processing means operably associated with said common digital count data producing means, and programmed for processing data including said digital data from the supplied digital data signal, so as to produce decoded symbol data representative of the bar code symbol being scanned by said scanning device producing the supplied digital signal; and (e) a data output port operably associated with said common data processing means and for providing the decoded symbol data to a host device operably connectably to said data output port. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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11. A bar code symbol reading system comprising:
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(1) a first scanning device for scanning a bar code symbol and producing a first digital data signal having first and second signal levels of variable time duration which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with said bar code symbol being scanned by said first scanning device; and (2) a digital signal processing device capable of decoding a plurality of digital data signals, including said first digital data signal, a second digital data signal produced as output from a scanning device and having first and second signal levels of variable time duration which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with the bar code symbol being scanned by said second scanning device, said digital signal processing device including; (a) a plurality of data input ports, each said data input port being operably connectable to one said scanning device, for supplying one said digital data signal to one said data input port; (b) common signal processing means in operable association with each said data input port, for processing the digital data signal supplied to any one of said plurality of data input ports, said common signal processing means including (i) signal level transition detection means for detecting the signal level transitions in the supplied digital data signal and producing signal level transition data associated with the supplied digital data signal, and (ii) common timing means for measuring the time duration of the first and second signal levels between detected signal level transitions in the supplied digital data signal, and producing digital data related to the time duration of the first and second signal levels in the supplied digital signal; (c) common data processing means operably associated with said common signal processing means, and programmed for processing said digital data produced from the supplied digital signal, so as to produce decoded symbol data representative of the bar code symbol being scanned by said scanning device producing the supplied digital signal; and (d) a data output port operably associated with said common data processing means and for providing the decoded symbol data to a host device operably connectably to said data output port. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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16. A bar code symbol reading system comprising:
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(1) a first scanning device for scanning a bar code symbol and producing a first digital data signal having first and second signal levels of variable time duration which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with said bar code symbol being scanned by said first scanning device; and (2) a digital signal processing device capable of decoding a plurality of digital data signals, including said first digital data signal, a second digital data signal produced as output from a second scanning device and having first and second signal levels of variable time duration which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with the bar code symbol being scanned by said second scanning device, said digital signal processing device including; (a) a plurality of data input ports, each said data input port being operably connectable with one said scanning device for supplying one said digital data signal to one said data input port for processing; (b) clock signal generating means for generating a plurality of predetermined clock signals, each said predetermined clock signal having a frequency which is suitable for use in measuring the time duration of the first and second levels of at least one of said digital data signals; (c) timing means for measuring the time duration of each of said first and second levels of the supplied digital data signal using one of said plurality of predetermined clock signals and producing digital data representing said measured time durations; (d) common data processing means operably associated with said timing means and programmed for processing said digital data from the supplied digital data signal, so as to produce decoded symbol data representative of the bar code symbol being scanned by said scanning device producing the supplied digital signal; and (e) data output port operably associated with said common data processing means, for providing the decoded symbol data to a host device operably connectable to said data output port. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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20. A bar code symbol reading system comprising:
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(1) a first scanning device for scanning a bar code symbol and producing a first digital data signal having a first and second signal levels of variable time duration which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with said bar code symbol being scanned by said first scanning device; and (2) a digital signal processing device capable of decoding a plurality of digital signals including said first digital signal and a second digital signal produced as output from a magnetic medium scanning device and having first and second signal levels which undergo signal level transitions in accordance with the digital code being scanned by said magnetic medium scanning device, said digital signal processing device including; (a) first and second data input ports, wherein said first data input port is operably connectable to said bar code scanning device for supplying said first digital data signal to said first data input port for processing, and wherein said second data input port is operably connectable to said magnetic medium scanning device for supplying said second digital data signal to said second data input port for processing; (b) said common digital signal processing means operably connected to said first and second data input ports, said common digital signal processing means including (i) transition detection means for detecting the signal level transitions in the digital data signal being supplied to said common digital signal processing means, and producing signal level transition data associated with the supplied digital data signal, (ii) signal level detection means for detecting the signal level between detected signal level transitions in the supplied digital signal, and producing digital data related to detected signal level in the supplied digital signal, and (iii) control means for controlling the operation of said signal level detection means in response to the signal level transition data produced from said signal transition detection means; (c) common data processing means operably associated with said common digital signal processing means, and programmed for processing the digital data produced from the supplied digital signal, so as to produce decoded symbol data representative of said bar code symbol when said bar code scanning device provides the supplied digital data signal, and produces decoded symbol data representative of said digital code when said magnetic medium scanning device provides the digital data signal; and (d) a data output port operably associated with said common data processing means, for providing the decoded symbol data to a host device operably connectable to said data output port. - View Dependent Claims (21, 23, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification