Barcode-Reading System in which Decoding Occurs on a Remote Server

A barcode-reading system, comprising:

• a barcode-reading device that does not include a decoder, the barcode-reading device comprising:
• a communication module that is configured to communicatively couple the barcode-reading device to a host computing device and communicatively couple the barcode-reading device to a remote server;
• a camera that is configured to capture images;
• a barcode-reading device processor;
• barcode-reading device memory communicatively coupled to the barcode-reading device processor;
• and
• barcode-reading device instructions stored in the barcode-reading device memory and executable by the barcode-reading device processor to cause the images to be sent to the remote server for decoding;
• a decoder on the remote server, wherein the decoder is executable by a remote server processor to process the images and attempt to decode any barcodes in the images;
• and
• remote server instructions that are executable by the remote server processor to cause decoded data to be sent back to at least one of the host computing device or the barcode-reading device.

A barcode-reading device that does not include a decoder, comprising:

• a communication module that is configured to communicatively couple the barcode-reading device to a host computing device and communicatively couple the barcode-reading device to a remote server;
• a camera that is configured to capture images;
• a processor;
• memory communicatively coupled to the processor;
• and
• instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the images to be sent to the remote server for decoding, wherein the barcode-reading device does not attempt to decode barcodes in the images before sending the images to the remote server for decoding.