Patent US6206288B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6206288B1
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Bar code scanner positioning
Assignee: Symbol Technologies LLC
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Filing: 1998-10-20
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Granted: 2001-03-27
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Expires: 2018-10-20
Abstract
Abstract A method of reading bar code symbols includes determining one or more parameters based upon the quantity and/or quality of the data which is being acquired, and providing the user with information concerning that parameter. The parameter may, for example, be the rate at which code words in the symbol are being read, and that information may be passed to the user by way of an LED which flashes at a rate which varies with the data acquisition rate. For a given bar code symbol being read, the rate of flashing varies with the position of the bar code reader with respect to the symbol. To improve the data acquisition rate, the user simply moves and/or rotates the bar code reader with respect to the symbol in a direction which causes the rate of flashing to increase. The invention extends to a bar code reader having means for providing an indication to a user of the relative suitability, for optimal reading of a symbol, of the current position of the reader.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert May
- 👤 Stephen M. Osterweil
- 👤 Sundeep Kumar
- 👤 Hal Charych
- 👤 Vadim R. Gololobov
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 06:27
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/10544; G06K7/10792; G06K7/10821; G06K7/10861
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
A bar code reader for reading two-dimensional bar code symbols, each symbol including a plurality of encoded data characters, said reader being moved by a user in a first of the two bar code dimensions while scanning in a second bar code dimension, said reader comprising: a scan head including a light beam generator for generating a scanning light beam for scanning in the second bar code dimension; a light detector for receiving reflected light from the symbol to produce electrical signals corresponding to data represented by the symbol; and a dynamically varying indicator responsive to the electrical signals and arranged in use to dynamically provide a varying indication to the user during scanning of the relative suitability of a current rate of motion of the reader with respect to the symbol in the first bar code dimension for optimal reading of the symbol.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
144 words
A bar code reader for reading two-dimensional bar code symbols, each symbol including a plurality of encoded data characters, said reader being moved by a user in a first of the two bar code dimensions while scanning in a second bar code dimension, said reader comprising: a scan head including a light beam generator for generating a scanning light beam for scanning in the second bar code dimension; a light detector for receiving reflected light from the symbol to produce electrical signals corresponding to data represented by the symbol; and a dynamically varying indicator responsive to the electrical signals and arranged in use to dynamically provide a varying indication to the user during scanning of the relative suitability of a current rate of motion of the reader with respect to the symbol in the first bar code dimension for optimal reading of the symbol.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 1 in which the current rate of motion indicator comprises a light source.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 2 in which the light source has a variable flash rate and is arranged to flash at a rate which indicates to the user the relative suitability of said current rate of motion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 1 in which the light beam generator is a light-emitting diode.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 1 in which the current rate of motion indicator is a sound source.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 5 in which the sound source is a variable pitch sound source, the pitch of the sound indicating to the user the relative suitability of current rate of motion of the bar code reader.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 5 in which the sound source is arranged to produce a repeated tone at a variable repetition rate, the repetition rate indicating to the user the relative suitability of current rate of motion of the bar code reader.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 1 in which the relative current rate of motion indicator is arranged to provide the indication to the user based on the rate at which the row indicator code words on the symbol are being detected.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
57 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 1 in which the relative current rate of motion indicator is arranged to provide the indication to the user based on the number of rows of data characters in the symbol which are being crossed by a single scan line that the scanning light beam traces over the symbol.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
187 words
A method of reading a two-dimensional bar code symbol, each symbol including a plurality of encoded data characters encoded along the rows of the symbol, using a bar code reader having a scanning head including a scanning light beam generator, and a light detector for receiving light from a symbol being read and for producing electrical signals corresponding to data represented by the symbol, the method comprising: (a) positioning the reader relative to an item carrying a symbol to be read, with the scanning light beam arranged to scan across the rows of the symbol; (b) moving the reader in a direction about perpendicular to the direction in which information is encoded in the rows; (c) determining, from the electrical signals, a relative current row scan rate of the reader with respect to the symbol; (d) producing via a dynamically varying relative rate of motion indicator a dynamically varying relative suitability signal representative of the relative suitability of the current rate of motion of the reader; and (e) adjusting the current relative rate of motion of the reader in dependence upon the dynamically varying relative suitability signal.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
187 words
A method of reading a two-dimensional bar code symbol, each symbol including a plurality of encoded data characters encoded along the rows of the symbol, using a bar code reader having a scanning head including a scanning light beam generator, and a light detector for receiving light from a symbol being read and for producing electrical signals corresponding to data represented by the symbol, the method comprising: (a) positioning the reader relative to an item carrying a symbol to be read, with the scanning light beam arranged to scan across the rows of the symbol; (b) moving the reader in a direction about perpendicular to the direction in which information is encoded in the rows; (c) determining, from the electrical signals, a relative current row scan rate of the reader with respect to the symbol; (d) producing via a dynamically varying relative rate of motion indicator a dynamically varying relative suitability signal representative of the relative suitability of the current rate of motion of the reader; and (e) adjusting the current relative rate of motion of the reader in dependence upon the dynamically varying relative suitability signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 in which the adjusting step includes moving the symbol with respect to the reader.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 in which the adjusting step includes moving the reader with respect to the symbol.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 in which the determining step comprises calculating from the electrical signals a value representative of an number of consecutive scans of each row of the symbol by the scanning head, and in which the relative suitability signal is representative of the said number of consecutive scans.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method of claim 10 in which the bar code reader is a laser based bar code reader.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method of claim 10 in which the bar code reader is a CCD based bar code reader.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
143 words
A bar code reader for reading two-dimensional bar code symbols, each symbol including a plurality of encoded data characters, said reader being moved by a user in a first of the two bar code dimensions while scanning in a second bar code dimension, said reader comprising: a scan head including a laser scanner and a CCD scanner combination for scanning the bar code in the second dimension; a light detector for receiving reflected light from the symbol to produce electrical signals corresponding to data represented by the symbol; and a dynamically varying indicator responsive to the electrical signals and arranged in use to dynamically provide a varying indication to the user during scanning of the relative suitability of a current rate of motion of the reader with respect to the symbol in the first bar code dimension for optimal reading of the symbol.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
143 words
A bar code reader for reading two-dimensional bar code symbols, each symbol including a plurality of encoded data characters, said reader being moved by a user in a first of the two bar code dimensions while scanning in a second bar code dimension, said reader comprising: a scan head including a laser scanner and a CCD scanner combination for scanning the bar code in the second dimension; a light detector for receiving reflected light from the symbol to produce electrical signals corresponding to data represented by the symbol; and a dynamically varying indicator responsive to the electrical signals and arranged in use to dynamically provide a varying indication to the user during scanning of the relative suitability of a current rate of motion of the reader with respect to the symbol in the first bar code dimension for optimal reading of the symbol.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 16 in which the current rate of motion indicator comprises a light source.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
41 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 17 in which the light source has a variable flash rate and is arranged to flash at a rate which indicates to the user the relative suitability of said current rate of motion.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 16 in which the light beam generator is a light-emitting diode.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 16 in which the current rate of motion indicator is a sound source.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
42 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 20 in which the sound source is a variable pitch sound source, the pitch of the sound indicating to the user the relative suitability of current rate of motion of the bar code reader.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
46 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 20 in which the sound source is arranged to produce a repeated tone at a variable repetition rate, the repetition rate indicating to the user the relative suitability of current rate of motion of the bar code reader.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
44 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 16 in which the relative current rate of motion indicator is arranged to provide the indication to the user based on the rate at which the row indicator code words on the symbol are being detected.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
57 words
A bar code reader as claimed in claim 16 in which the relative current rate of motion indicator is arranged to provide the indication to the user based on the number of rows of data characters in the symbol which are being crossed by a single scan line that the scanning light beam traces over the symbol.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
158 words
A bar code reader for reading two-dimensional bar code symbols, each symbol including a plurality of encoded data characters and row indicators, said reader being moved by a user in a first of the two bar code dimensions while scanning in a second bar code dimension, said reader comprising: a scan head including a light beam generator for generating a scanning light beam for scanning in the second bar code dimension; a light detector for receiving reflected light from the symbol to produce electrical signals corresponding to data represented by the symbol; and a dynamically varying indicator responsive to the electrical signals and arranged in use to dynamically provide a varying indication to the user during scanning of the relative suitability of a current rate of motion of the reader with respect to the symbol in the first bar code dimension for optimal reading of the symbol based on the information explicitly encoded in the symbol's row indicators.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
158 words
A bar code reader for reading two-dimensional bar code symbols, each symbol including a plurality of encoded data characters and row indicators, said reader being moved by a user in a first of the two bar code dimensions while scanning in a second bar code dimension, said reader comprising: a scan head including a light beam generator for generating a scanning light beam for scanning in the second bar code dimension; a light detector for receiving reflected light from the symbol to produce electrical signals corresponding to data represented by the symbol; and a dynamically varying indicator responsive to the electrical signals and arranged in use to dynamically provide a varying indication to the user during scanning of the relative suitability of a current rate of motion of the reader with respect to the symbol in the first bar code dimension for optimal reading of the symbol based on the information explicitly encoded in the symbol's row indicators.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
157 words
A bar code reader for reading two-dimensional bar code symbols, each symbol including a plurality of data characters encoded in rows using encoding clusters, said reader being moved by a user in a first of the two bar code dimensions while scanning in a second bar code dimension, said reader comprising: a scan head including a light beam generator for generating a scanning light beam for scanning in the second bar code dimension; a light detector for receiving reflected light from the symbol to produce electrical signals corresponding to data represented by the symbol; and a dynamically varying indicator responsive to the electrical signals and arranged in use to dynamically provide a varying indication to the user during scanning of the relative suitability of a current rate of motion of the reader with respect to the symbol in the first bar code dimension for optimal reading of the symbol based on the determination of the cluster changes.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
157 words
A bar code reader for reading two-dimensional bar code symbols, each symbol including a plurality of data characters encoded in rows using encoding clusters, said reader being moved by a user in a first of the two bar code dimensions while scanning in a second bar code dimension, said reader comprising: a scan head including a light beam generator for generating a scanning light beam for scanning in the second bar code dimension; a light detector for receiving reflected light from the symbol to produce electrical signals corresponding to data represented by the symbol; and a dynamically varying indicator responsive to the electrical signals and arranged in use to dynamically provide a varying indication to the user during scanning of the relative suitability of a current rate of motion of the reader with respect to the symbol in the first bar code dimension for optimal reading of the symbol based on the determination of the cluster changes.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-03-26 | 2004-09-25 | 2005-03-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-03-26 | 2008-09-25 | 2009-03-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-03-26 | 2012-09-25 | 2013-03-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |