Automatically-activated hand-supportable laser scanning bar code symbol reading system with data transmission activation switch

An automatically-activated laser scanning bar code symbol reading system, comprising:

• a hand-supportable housing;
• a laser-scanning bar code symbol reading mechanism, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for repeatedly reading one or more bar code symbols on an object within a predetermined time period, and in response to each new successful reading of one of said bar code symbols within said predetermined time period, producing a new symbol character data string representative of said read bar code symbol;
• a data transmission circuit, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for transmitting, when activated, a selected one of said produced symbol character data strings to a host system operably connected to said automatically-activated laser scanning bar code symbol reading system;
• a manually-actuatable data transmission switch, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for generating a data transmission control activation signal in response to the actuation of said manually-actuatable data transmission switch within said predetermined time period;
• and
• a system controller for activating said data transmission circuit in response to the generation of said data transmission control activation signal so that a symbol character data string, produced substantially the same time when said manually-actuatable data transmission switch is manually actuated, is transmitted to said host system.

An automatically-activated bar code symbol reading system for carrying out bar code symbol reading operations, comprising:

• a hand-supportable housing;
• a manually-actuatable data transmission activation switch integrated with said hand-supportable housing;
• and
• an automatically-activated laser scanning bar code symbol reading engine, disposed within said hand-supportable housing, for automatically producing a visible laser scanning pattern and repeatedly reading a bar code symbol on an object within a predetermined time period using said visible laser scanning pattern, and each instant said bar code symbol is read within said predetermined time period, automatically producing a symbol character data string representative of said read bar code symbol,
• said automatically-activated laser scanning bar code symbol reading engine further including
• (i) a preprogrammed set of operational states wherethrough the system automatically passes during each bar code symbol reading operation,
• (ii) a preprogrammed symbol character data transmission state of operation into which said system is automatically induced in response to the manually-actuation of said symbol character data transmission activation switch,
• (iii) a data transmission circuit for transmitting, when activated, a selected one of said produced symbol character data strings to a host system in operable communication with said automatically-activated bar code symbol reading system, and
• a system controller for controlling said data transmission circuit so that the symbol character data string, produced at substantially the same time when said data transmission control activation signal is generated, is transmitted to said host system.

An automatically-activated bar code symbol reading system comprising:

• a hand-supportable housing;
• symbol character generation means, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically reading one or more bar code symbols on an object within a predetermined time period, and each instant said bar code symbol is read within said predetermined time period, automatically generating a symbol character data string representative of said read bar code symbol;
• a manually-actuatable data transmission switch integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for producing a data transmission control activation signal;
• and
• a data transmission device for transmitting to a host system, a selected one of said symbol character data strings, in response to the generation of said data transmission control activation signal;
• and
• a system controller for controlling said data transmission device so that the symbol character data string, produced at substantially the same time when said data transmission control activation signal is generated, is transmitted to said host system.

An automatically-activated bar code symbol reading system having an automatic hands-on mode of operation, an automatic hands-free mode of operation, a bar code symbol reading state and a data transmission state, said system comprising:

• a hand-supportable housing:
• a laser scanning bar code symbol reading device, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically reading one or more bar code symbols on an object, and producing a symbol character data string each instance one said bar code-symbol is read from said object during said bar code symbol reading state;
• a data transmission circuit, disposed within said hand-supportable housing, for selectively transmitting a produced symbol character data string to a host system during said data transmission state;
• a manually-actuatable data transmission switch, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for activating said data transmission state during said hands-on mode of operation, so as to enable the transmission of a selected one of said produced symbol character data strings to said host system;
• a mode selection sensor, integrated. with said hand-supportable housing, for activating said data transmission state during said hands-free mode of operation, so as to enable the transmission of a selected one of said produced symbol character data strings to said host system;
• and
• a system controller for controlling said data transmission circuit so that the symbol character data string, produced at substantially the same time when said data transmission switch is actuated, is transmitted to said host system.

An automatically-activated bar code symbol reading system comprising:

• a hand-supportable bar code reading device for repeatedly reading one or more bar code symbols on an object and, each instant a bar code symbol is read, automatically generating a symbol character data string representative of the bar code symbol read;
• a data transmission circuit for transmitting, when activated, a selected one of said produced symbol character data strings to a host system in operable communication with said automatically-activated bar code symbol reading system;
• a manually-actuatable data transmission switch, integrated with said hand-supportable bar code reading device, for enabling transmission of a selected one of said symbol character data strings, to said host system operably connected to said hand-supportable bar code reading device;
• and
• a system controller for controlling said data transmission circuit so that the symbol character data string, produced at substantially the same time when said data transmission switch is actuated, is transmitted to said host system.

An automatically-activated code symbol reading system for repeatedly generating symbol character data strings, representative of a repetitively read bar code symbol, and transmitting a selected one of said symbol character data strings to a host system operably connected to said automatically-activated code symbol reading system, said automatically-activated code symbol reading system comprising:

• a hand-supportable housing:
• a bar code symbol reading mechanism, disposed within said hand-supportable housing, for automatically generating a visible laser scanning pattern for repeatedly reading one or more bar code symbols on an object during a bar code symbol reading cycle, and automatically generating a new symbol character data string in response to each bar code symbol read thereby;
• a manually-actuatable data transmission switch, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for producing a data transmission control activation signal within said hand-supportable housing;
• wherein during system operation,
• (i) the user visually aligns the visible laser scanning pattern with a particular bar code symbol on an object so that at least one said bar code symbol is scanned, detected and decoded in a cyclical manner, and each time the scanned bar code symbol is successfully read during said bar code symbol reading cycle, a new bar code symbol character string is produced, and
• (ii) the user manually actuates said manually-actuatable data transmission switch during said bar code symbol reading cycle, causing a data transmission control activation signal to be produced, and thereby enabling the symbol character data string produced at substantially the same time when said manually-actuatable data transmission switch is actuated, to be transmitted to said host system.

A method for repeatedly generating symbol character data strings, representative of a repetitively read bar code symbol on an object, and transmitting a selected symbol character data string to a host system for storage and/or processing, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) supporting a hand-supportable bar code symbol reading device adjacent an object bearing one or more bar code symbols to be read, said hand-supportable bar code symbol reading device having a manually-actuatable data transmission switch for producing a data transmission control activation signal within said hand-supportable bar code symbol reading device;
• (b) automatically generating a visible laser scanning pattern from said hand-supportable bar code symbol reading device, for repeatedly reading said one or more bar code symbols on said object during a bar code symbol reading cycle, and automatically generating a new symbol character data string in response to each bar code symbol read thereby;
• (c) visually aligning said visible laser scanning pattern with one said bar code symbol on said object so that one said bar code symbol is scanned, detected and decoded in a cyclical manner, and each time said scanned bar code symbol is successfully read during said bar code symbol reading cycle, a new bar code symbol character string is produced;
• and
• (d) within said bar code symbol reading cycle, manually actuating said manually-actuatable data transmission switch, causing said data transmission control activation signal to be produced, and thereby enabling the symbol character data string produced at substantially the same time when said manually-actuatable data transmission switch is manually actuated, to be transmitted to said host system for storage and/or processing.