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US 6,585,158 B2Granted
Combined pointing device and bar code scanner
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorAllen C. Norskog
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer mouse uses an optical sensor to detect movement and thereby generate signals to control movement of an on-screen icon. The optical mouse also includes circuitry or a processor to detect bar codes and demodulate data encoded therein.
Claims17
A combination pointing device and bar code reader comprised of:
- an optical image sensor, which produces electrical output signals representative of images detected on a media surface;
- a movement sensor circuit, said movement sensor coupled to, and receiving signals from said optical image sensor;
- a bar code pattern detector coupled to and receiving signals from said optical image sensor;
- at least one data output port from which output signals are sent to a computer to which said pointing device is coupled;
- whereby data encoded in a bar code is recovered by detecting bar code lines and determining the relative velocity of the pointing device moving across said bar code lines.
2 more elements
A combination pointing device and bar code reader comprised of:
- an optical image sensor means for producing electrical output signals representative of images detected on a media surface;
- a means for detecting movement of said pointing device relative to said media surface is determined, said means for detecting movement being coupled to and receiving signals from said optical image sensor;
- a means for detecting lines comprising a bar code pattern, said means for detecting lines being coupled to and receiving signals from said optical image sensor;
- whereby data encoded in a bar code is recovered by detecting bar code lines and determining the relative velocity of the pointing device moving across said bar code lines.
1 more element
A method of recovering data embedded into images on the surface of a media comprised of:
- optically scanning the surface of said media using an image detector embedded in a computer pointing device to detect images on said media;
- detecting movement and determining the relative velocity of said computer pointing device from images detected by the image detector on said media;
- determining at least one of:
- the number, spacing and width of symbols in images detected by the image detector on said media, which comprise a bar code;
- recovering from said symbols, at least a first data that is encoded as part of said symbols on said media.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.