Down-loadable hand-held optical reader

A system for electro-optically collecting and downloading data, and for retrieving information based on the data, comprising:

• a) a portable, dual-use instrument for marking surfaces by a user, and for electro-optically collecting data selected by the user, including
• i) a narrow, elongated housing extending along an axis between opposite end regions, and having a size and shape configured to be held by and among fingers of a single hand of the user during both marking and data collection;
• ii) a marking implement supported by the housing and having a marker at one of the end regions of the housing and facing a surface to be marked during marking;
• and
• iii) a data collector supported by the housing and having a light-transmissive window at another of the end regions of the housing and facing a bar code symbol during data collection, the data collector including a light source operative for directing a light beam through the window to the symbol for reflection therefrom, a light sensor having a field of view and operative for detecting light reflected off the symbol through the window and generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected light, a processor for processing the electrical signal into a processed signal, and a memory for storing the processed signal corresponding to the data selected by the user, and for storing user information uniquely identifying the user who selected the data;
• and
• b) a download port bounding a cavity having a size and shape configured to receive the other of the end regions of the housing during downloading of the processed signal and the user information stored in the memory of the data collector for developing a unique user profile.

A method of electro-optically collecting and downloading data, and of retrieving information based on the data, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a user with a portable, dual-use instrument for marking surfaces by the user, and for electro-optically collecting data selected by the user, the instrument being sized and shaped to be carried by the user;
• b) marking a surface to be marked with a marker on the instrument by holding the instrument by and among fingers of a single hand of the user;
• c) electro-optically collecting data by holding the instrument by and among the user's fingers, and by directing a light beam at a bar code symbol, by detecting light reflected off the symbol, by generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected light, by processing the electrical signal into a processed signal, and by storing the processed signal and user information uniquely identifying the user on-board the instrument;
• d) downloading the stored signal and the stored user information to a server having the information to be retrieved, by having the user insert a part of the instrument into a download port;
• and
• e) retrieving and displaying the information to the user.