Patent ID: 6223987
Filing Date: 2001-05-01
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
A portable automatic bar code symbol reading system, comprising:a housing support wearable on the body of an operator;a housing having a transmission aperture through which optical energy can exit and enter said housing, and being connected or coupled to said housing support so that said transmission aperture is orientable in a scanning direction;an object detector in said housing, for detection of an object located within at least a portion of a scan field defined external to said housing and extending along said scanning direction, and automatically generating a first activation signal indicative of the detection of said object in at least a portion of said scan field;a scan data acquisition mechanism in said housing, for producing scan data from said detected object located in said scan field, said scan data acquisition mechanism includinga laser beam generator for producing and projecting a laser beam through said transmission aperture, and repeatedly scanning said laser beam across said scan field and a bar code symbol on said detected object, andan optical detector for detecting the intensity of laser light reflected off said bar code symbol and passing through said transmission aperture, and for automatically producing scan data indicative of said detected intensity;a bar code symbol detection circuit for processing produced scan data so as to detect said bar code symbol on said detected object, and automatically generating a second activation signal in response to the detection of said bar code symbol;a programmed microprocessor coupled to said bar code symbol detection circuit, for processing produced scan data, when activated, so as to decode said detected bar code symbol and automatically produce symbol character data representative of said decoded bar code symbol; andsystem control circuitry for automatically activating said programmed microprocessor in response to the generation of said second activation signal, and automatically deactivating said programmed microprocessor in response to said programmed microprocessor failing to produce symbol character data within a predetermined time period.