Refrigerator appliance and method for code reading

A refrigerator appliance, comprising:

• a cabinet forming a refrigeration compartment, a freezer compartment, or both;
• a door attached to the cabinet, the door configured to selectively allow entry to the refrigeration compartment, the freezer compartment, or both;
• a dispenser assembly positioned at the door, the dispenser assembly comprising a recess extending into the door, the dispenser assembly configured to egress a fluid, ice, or both, toward the recess, the dispenser assembly comprising a first light bulb positioned behind an external wall;
• a scanner assembly comprising a second light bulb, a scanner, and a laser, wherein the scanner and the laser are positioned at an angle between approximately 15 degrees and approximately 90 degrees toward the recess;
• a proximity sensor;
• and
• a controller, the controller communicatively coupled to the scanner assembly, the first light bulb, and the proximity sensor, the controller configured to execute instructions that causes the refrigerator appliance to perform operations, the operations comprising:
• commanding, at the first light bulb, provision of light toward or from the recess when the laser detects a presence of an object at the recess;
• commanding, at the scanner, measurement of fidelity of scan data from light reflected from the object at the recess;
• and
• commanding, at the second light bulb, provision of light toward the recess after a pre-determined period of commanding measurement of an amount and pattern of light at the scanner.

A method for reading a machine-readable code at an object at a refrigerator appliance, the method comprising:

• providing, from a first light bulb of the refrigerator appliance directed toward or from a recess at a dispenser, light toward the recess when a targeting device or a proximity sensor detects a presence of an object at the recess;
• measuring, at a scanner device-a scanner positioned adjacent from the proximity sensor along a width direction, a depth direction, or both, fidelity of scan data from light reflected from the object at the recess;
• and
• providing, at a second lighting component a second light bulb adjacent from the scanner and the proximity sensor along the width direction, the depth direction, or both, light toward the recess after a pre-determined period of commanding measurement of an amount and pattern of light at the scanner.