Portable data collection device having removable handle and battery

A portable data collection device comprising:

• a) a housing for encasing electronic circuitry associated with said device, said electronic circuitry including circuitry for reading a dataform;
• b) a handle selectively attachable or detachable from said housing;
• c) a trigger operatively attached to said handle and movable to a predetermined position with respect to the handle to actuate a bar code read operation;
• d) wherein said electronic circuitry further includes optical sensing circuitry for optically sensing when said trigger is moved to the predetermined position with respect to the handle to actuate a dataform reading operation;
• and
• e) the optical sensing circuitry including a light source and a spaced apart photosensor affixed to the housing and wherein light emitted by the light source is directed onto the photosensor when the trigger is moved to the predetermined position with respect to the handle causing the photosensor to generate an output signal to actuate a dataform reading operation.

An optical method of sensing trigger movement on a detachable handle of a portable data collection device, the device including a housing encasing electronic circuitry including barcode dataform reading circuitry actuatable to read a barcode dataform when the trigger is depressed, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing directed light emitted by a light source affixed to the device housing;
• b) reflecting said directed light to be incident on a photosensor affixed to the device housing if said trigger is not depressed, and reflecting said directed light away from said first location if said trigger is depressed;
• c) sensing when said directed light is reflected away from said photosensor;
• and
• d) providing a signal to actuate the barcode dataform reading circuitry to read the barcode dataform upon sensing that the directed light is reflected away from said photosensor.

An optical method of sensing trigger movement on a detachable handle of a portable data collection device, the device including a housing encasing electronic circuitry including barcode dataform reading circuitry actuatable to read a barcode dataform when the trigger is depressed, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing directed light emitted by a light source affixed to the device housing;
• b) reflecting said directed light to a first location if said trigger is not depressed, and reflecting said directed light to be incident on a photosensor affixed to the device housing upon depressing said trigger;
• c) sensing when said directed light is reflected to said photosensor;
• and
• d) providing a signal to actuate the barcode dataform reading circuitry to read the barcode dataform upon sensing that the directed light is reflected to said photosensor.