Hand-held instant bar code reader system with automated focus based on distance measurements

Claim 1

In a bar code reader system, a hand-held bar code reader positionable by hand at varying distances from a bar code to be read and operable for reading bar codes at distances from said reader within a certain operative range, said reader comprising: bar code sensor means for generating an output signal in accordance with a bar code image incident thereon, distance measurement means for automated reading of distances of a bar code from the hand-held bar code reader over a certain measurement range which exceeds said certain operative range for reading of bar codes, reading distance adaption means for automatically adapting the reader to the reading of a bar code at varying distances therefrom within the said operative range by causing an image of the bar code to be substantially focused at the image sensor means, enabling means for enabling a bar code reading operation, and control means coupled with said enabling means and said distance measuring means and operative in response to enabling of a bar code reading operation by said enabling means and in response to reading by said distance measurement means of distances within said operative range for automatically controlling the reading distance adaptation means during movement of the reader relative to a bar code within said operative range to tend to establish and maintain a focused bar code image at the image sensor means.