US 5,311,000 A · Bar code scanner and method of scanning

Abstract

A method and an apparatus facilitate scanning an Add-On code portion of a bar code label to determine the bar code data printed thereon by sweeping a scanning beam in a scan path across the Add-On code portion of the label. The bar code label includes bar codes of the type which have a primary code portion and which may also have an Add-On code portion. The method includes the steps of: optically scanning the label and producing an electrical signal indicative of the image of the label which includes a possible Add-On code portion; providing data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On code portion in response to the electrical signal; subjecting the data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On code portion to at least one test to determine the existence of an adjacent margin; subjecting the data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On code portion to at least one test to determine the existence of an Add-On guard pattern; decoding the characters of the possible Add-On code portion of the label; and terminating decoding.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method of scanning an Add-On code portion of a bar code label to determine the bar code data printed thereon by sweeping a scanning beam in a scan path across the Add-On code portion of the label, said bar code labels bearing bar codes of the type which include a primary code portion and which may also include an Add-On code portion, comprising the steps of:

sweeping a scanning beam across the label until the beam sweeps a scanning pass along a scan path which traverses a possible Add-On code portion;
providing data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On code portion;
subjecting the data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On code portion to at least one test to determine the existence of an adjacent margin;
subjecting the data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On code portion to at least one test to determine the existence of an Add-On guard pattern;
decoding the characters of the possible Add-On code portion of the label;
and
terminating decoding.

4 more elements

A method of scanning an Add-On code portion of a bar code label to determine the bar code data printed thereon, said bar code label including a primary code portion and an Add-On code portion, comprising the steps of:

optically scanning the label and producing an electrical signal indicative of the image of the label which includes a possible Add-On code portion;
providing data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On code portion in response to said electrical signal;
subjecting the data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On portion to at least one test to determine the existence of an adjacent margin;
subjecting the data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On code portion to at least one test to determine the existence of an Add-On guard pattern;
decoding the characters of the possible Add-On code portion of the label;
and
terminating decoding.

4 more elements

Apparatus for scanning an Add-On code portion of a bar code label to determine the bar code data printed thereon, said bar code label including a primary code portion and an Add-On code portion, comprising:

means for optically scanning the label and producing an electrical signal indicative of the image of the label which includes a possible Add-On code portion;
means, responsive to said electrical signal, for providing data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On code portion;
means for subjecting the data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On code portion to at least one test to determine the existence of an adjacent margin;
means for subjecting the data indicative of the structure of the possible Add-On code portion to at least one test to determine the existence of an Add-On guard pattern;
means for decoding the characters of the possible Add-On code portion of the label;
and
means for terminating decoding.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Bar code scanner and method of scanning

Life of this patent

Bar code scanner and method of scanning

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23