US 5,468,951 AGranted

Automatic hand-supportable code symbol scanning device with improved laser beam pointing efficiency

AssigneeMetrologic Instruments, Inc.

InventorsCarl H. Knowles, George B. Rockstein, David M. Wilz, Charles A. Naylor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Disclosed is a fully automatic bar code symbol reading system having an hand-supportable laser bar code reading device which can be used in either an automatic hands-on mode of operation, or in an automatic hands-free mode of operation. The system includes a scanner support frame for supporting the hand-supportable device in a user-selected mounting position, and permits complete gripping of its handle portion prior to its use in the hands-on mode of operation. In general, the hand-supportable bar code reading device has long-range and short-range modes of object detection, bar code presence detection and bar code symbol reading. In the illustrative embodiment, the long-range mode is automatically selected when the hand-supportable bar code reading device is placed within the scanner support stand during the automatic hands-free mode of operation. Whenever the hand-supportable bar code reading device is picked up from the support stand and used in its hands-on mode of operation, the short-range mode is automatically selected to provide CCD-like scanner emulation. When used in either mode of operation, the automatic bar code reading device is capable of reading, in a consecutive manner, one or more bar code symbols on an object, while preventing multiple reading of the same bar code symbol due to dwelling of the laser scanning beam upon the bar code symbol.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An automatic code symbol reading system comprising:

(A) a hand-supportable laser scanning device including
(1) a hand-supportable housing having a light transmissive window through which visible light can exit and enter said hand-supportable housing,
(2) an activatable laser beam source in said hand-supportable housing for producing, when activated, a visible laser beam directed through said light transmissive window and into a scan field defined external to said hand-supportable housing, said scan field being characterized as having at least one scanning plane of essentially planar extent,
(3) an activatable scanning mechanism in said hand-supportable housing for repeatedly scanning, when activated, said visible laser beam across said scan field,
(4) light detection means in said hand-supportable housing for detecting intensity of laser light reflected off a bar code symbol as said visible laser beam is repeatedly scanned across said scan field and said code symbol therein, and for automatically producing scan data indicative of the detected intensity of said reflected laser light, and
(5) object detection means in said hand-supportable housing for detecting an object within an object detection field defined external to said hand-supportable housing, and producing in response thereto an activation signal, said object detection field being characterized as having volumetric extent and said hand-supportable laser scanning device having an operative scanning range measured from about said light transmissive window out towards a region within scan field, and said object detection field spatially encompassing at least a portion of said scan field within said operative scanning range;
(B) processing means for processing produced scan data so as to detect and decode said code symbol on said detected object, and upon detecting and decoding said code symbol on said detected object, automatically producing symbol character data representative of said decoded code symbol;
and
(C) control means for controlling operation of said automatic code symbol reading system, said control means including
(1) means for automatically activating said activatable laser beam source and said activatable scanning mechanism for up to a predetermined time period in response to the production of said activation signal, and
(2) means for automatically deactivating said activatable laser beam source and said activatable scanning mechanism in response to said processing means failing to detect and decode said code symbol on said detected object within said predetermined time period.

8 more elements

An automatic code symbol reading system comprising:

(A) a hand-supportable laser scanning device including
(1) a hand-supportable housing having a light transmissive window through which visible light can exit and enter said hand-supportable housing,
(2) an activatable scan data producing means, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for producing scan data from a bar code symbol, said activatable scan data producing means including
(2)(a) laser beam source for producing a visible laser beam directed through said light transmissive window and into a scan field defined external to said hand-supportable housing, said scan field being characterized as having at least one scanning plane of essentially planar extent,
(2)(b) a scanning mechanism for repeatedly scanning said visible laser beam across said scan field, and
(2)(c) light detection means for detecting intensity of laser light reflected off a bar code symbol as said visible laser beam is repeatedly scanned across said scan field and said code symbol therein, and for automatically producing scan data indicative of the detected intensity of said reflected laser light, and
(3) object detection means in said hand-supportable housing for detecting an object within an object detection field defined external to said hand-supportable housing, and producing in response thereto an activation signal, said object detection field being characterized as having volumetric extent and said hand-supportable laser scanning device having an operative scanning range measured from about said light transmissive window out towards a region within said scan field, and said object detection field spatially encompassing at least a portion of said scan field within said operative scanning range;
(B) processing means for processing produced scan data so as to detect and decode said code symbol on said detected object, and upon detecting and decoding said code symbol on said detected object, automatically producing symbol character data representative of said decoded code symbol;
and
(C) control means for controlling operation of said automatic code symbol reading system, said control means including
means for automatically activating said activatable scan data producing means for up to a predetermined time period in response to the production of said activation signal, and
means for automatically deactivating said activatable scan data producing means in response to said processing means failing to detect and decode said code symbol on said detected object within said predetermined time period.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/293,695Filed 19 Aug 1994 · continuation
Priority: 17 Sep 1990
Granted: 21 Nov 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification28 codes

G06K 7/10871
Sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels: randomly oriented data-fields, code-marks therefore, e.g. concentric…
G02B 26/106
Scanning systems: having diffraction gratings as scanning elements, e.g. holographic scanners
G06K 7/10
Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns: by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular…
G06K 7/10564
Moving beam scanning: light sources

Family

Serial583,421Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Sep 1990
Serial761,123Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Sep 1991
Serial898,919Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Jun 1992
US 5,340,973 AParent of this continuation
US 5,340,971 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,260,553 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,468,951 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.