Hand-held bar code reader

A portable hand-held optical scanner comprises a disk-shaped housing which fits within the palm of the hand of a checkout operator, which scanner includes a scanning mechanism for generating a scanning pattern for scanning coded indicia, a strap member for securing the hand of the operator to the housing, a switch mounted on the rear surface of the housing adjacent the fingers of the operator for easy operation by the operator, a data processor and a transmitter for transmitting the data read by the scanner to a remote pickup.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
Composite Lens for a Hand-Held Bar Code Reader, co-pending U.S. application 
Ser. No. 284,646, filed on Dec. 15, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,609 
invented by Charles Wike. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to laser bar code readers and more particularly to 
hand-held laser bar code readers. 
Present checkout systems found in retail or supermarket stores include a 
point-of-sale terminal positioned adjacent a checkout counter which 
includes an optical scanning device for scanning a bar code pattern on a 
label attached to a purchased merchandise item. The scanning device 
generates signals representing the coded data on the label which are used 
to generate the price of the purchased item. In some checkout systems, a 
hand-held bar code reader has been utilized where the purchased 
merchandise items can be easily handled by the checkout operator so as to 
position the reader adjacent the bar code label on the purchased 
merchandise item. To effectively scan a bar code label, prior hand-held 
bar code readers have required that the operator align the scanning head 
of the bar code reader with the bar code label. This has required the 
operator to be particularly attentive to the location of the scanning head 
of the bar code reader with respect to the coded label. It would be 
desirable to have the hand-held reader mounted on the hand of the checkout 
operator in such a manner as to enable the checkout operator to easily 
align the scanning head of the reader on the coded label. It would also be 
desirable to have the bar code reader constructed so as to be used in any 
location within the supermarket. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
There is provided a hand-held portable bar code reader comprising a compact 
disk type casing having a scanning unit mounted within the casing. The 
casing is constructed to have a shape which fits completely within the 
palm of the operator's hand and which is held on the hand by means of a 
strap secured to the casing. An on/off switch protrudes from the surface 
of the casing and is operated by the thumb of the operator enabling the 
operator to easily scan a coded label on a purchased merchandise item 
which is located adjacent the reader. The scanning unit of the bar code 
reader includes a laser diode for generating a scanning light beam, a pair 
of reflecting mirror portions of a composite lens member mounted on the 
glass face of the casing in which the mirror portions reflect the laser 
beam in a direction which is opposite to the direction of the laser beam 
outputted by the diode and at a rotating deflecting mirror mounted within 
the hollow armature of a motor mounted on the spin axis of the reader. 
Mounted around the inside periphery of the front opening of the casing are 
a plurality of pattern forming mirrors for receiving the light beams from 
the rotating mirror and projecting the scanning light beams in the form of 
a scanning pattern at the coded label. The light reflected from the coded 
label is redirected through the pattern forming mirrors, the rotating 
mirror and to a collection mirror portion of the composite lens member 
which collects and focuses the light beams at a photodetector mounted 
within the casing adjacent the motor. The photodetector converts the 
scanning light beams into electrical signals which are transmitted to a 
microprocessor which checks and decodes the electrical signal to verify 
the validity of the read operation. The decoded signals are then 
transmitted by a transmitter located within the casing to a remote pickup 
which transmits the signals to a remote processor for processing. The 
processed data is transmitted to a remote price lookup table from which 
the price of the scanned merchandise item is retrieved. Located within the 
casing is a buffer/storage unit for storing data and a loudspeaker which 
generates a tone indicating that the scanning operation has resulted in a 
good read of the bar code label. The microprocessor controls the operation 
of the various operating elements of the reader. 
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a portable 
optical bar code reader which can be easily mounted in the palm of the 
hand of the checkout operator allowing the operator to easily position and 
move the reader past a bar code label on a purchased merchandise item. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a compact hand-held bar 
code reader which can be conveniently operated by the operator when the 
bar code reader is secured to the palm of the hand of the operator. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a bar code reader which 
is simple in construction and low in cost.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a reduced perspective view of the 
optical bar code reader of the present invention generally indicated by 
the numeral 20 and comprising a disk-shaped casing or housing member 22 
having a diameter which is small enough to be placed within the palm of a 
checkout operator's hand 24 and held there by means of a strap member 26 
secured to the housing member 22. The strap member 26 may be fabricated of 
a velcro material enabling the hand 24 of the checkout operator to be 
easily released from engagement with the housing member 22. Extending from 
the outer surface of the housing member 22 is a housing extension portion 
28 including a depressible switch member 30 for energizing the operating 
elements of the bar code reader. Located within the housing portion 28 is 
a battery 32 which powers the various operating elements of the bar code 
reader. As shown in FIG. 1, the housing portion 28 is located along the 
edge of the housing member 22 and positioned to be comfortably engaged by 
the thumb 34 of the operator for operating the switch member 30. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a side view of the bar code reader 
20 showing the general arrangement of the operating elements of the 
reader. The housing member 22, which may be constructed of any type of 
plastic material such as polycarbonate, has a recessed portion 36 which is 
enclosed by a glass face member 38 on which is mounted a composite lens 
member 40. As fully disclosed in the previously cited co-pending 
application Ser. No. 284,646, which application is fully incorporated 
herein by reference, the lens member 40 comprises a pair of internal 
reflecting mirror portions 42 and 44, a collection mirror portion 46, a 
collimator lens portion 48 and a focusing diode member 50. 
Mounted on the central axis of the housing member 22 is a rotary motor 
drive member 52 which rotates a hollow armature drive member 54 including 
a commutator 55. Mounted within the drive member 54 is a deflecting mirror 
member 56 orientated at any angle to the spin axis of the drive member 52 
such as 45 degrees. Mounted within the housing member 22 and adjacent the 
motor drive member 52 is a laser diode 58 member which generates a laser 
light beam for transmission to the composite lens member 40. Also 
positioned adjacent the motor drive member 52 is a photodetector member 60 
which receives the deflected light beams from the collection mirror 
portion 46 of the lens member 40 and generates electrical signals in 
accordance with the intensity of the light beams received. Also mounted 
within the housing member adjacent the motor drive member 52 are operating 
elements of the bar code reader 20 which housing 1 member includes a 
transmitter member 62 (FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 7) for transmitting signals 
generated by the photodetector member 60 and a microprocessor member 64 
(FIGS. 6 and 7) for decoding the signals read by the photodetector member 
and for controlling the operation of the various elements of the bar code 
reader. Mounted around the inside periphery of the recessed portion 36 are 
a plurality of pattern forming mirror members 66 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 5) which 
are mounted offset to each other which reflect and project the light beams 
received from the deflecting mirror member 56 towards a bar coded label 
(not shown) on the purchased merchandise item in a manner to be described 
more fully hereinafter. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a reduced rear view of the bar code 
reader 20 of the present invention which includes the housing portion 28 
within which is mounted the depressible switch member 30 and the battery 
32. There is also shown in FIG. 3 the location of the strap member 26 
which can be mounted to the housing member 22 in any conventional manner. 
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a sectional side view of the bar 
code reader 20 of the present invention taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3 
showing the path of the scanning light beam. The light beam 70 emitted 
from the laser diode member 58 is projected along a first light path at 
the reflecting mirror portion 42 of the lens member 40 which reflects the 
light beam towards the mirror portion 44. The mirror portion 44 will 
reflect the light beam along a second light path which is parallel to and 
in an opposite direction to the first light path. The light beam 70 
projected along the second light path will be collimated by the collimator 
lens portion 48 of the lens member 40 and impact on the rotating 
deflecting mirror member 56 which deflects the light beam outwardly at an 
acute angle to the second path towards the pattern forming turning mirror 
members 66. In response to receiving the light beam deflected by the 
deflecting mirror member 56, the mirror members 66 will direct the light 
beams in the form of a multiline pattern (not shown) at a target area in 
which is located the bar coded label (not shown) that is to be scanned. As 
fully described in the previously cited co-pending application Ser. No. 
284,646, the positioning of the bar code reader 20 with respect to the bar 
code label is controlled by the diode member 50 which projects a spot of 
light on the label. The size of the spot projected with respect to the 
lines of the scanning pattern determines the focal plane of the projected 
scanning pattern. 
The scattered light beams reflected from the scanned bar coded label are 
redirected back towards the pattern forming mirror members 66 which 
reflect the light beams at the deflecting mirror member 56 which in turn 
deflects the light beams to the collection mirror portion 46 of the lens 
member 40. The light beams collected by the collection mirror portion 46 
of the lens member 40 will be focused on the photodetector member 60, 
resulting in the generation of electrical signals representing the coded 
data located on the bar coded label. In the present application, there are 
six pattern forming mirror members 66. The electrical signals generated by 
the photodetector member 60 are transmitted to the microprocessor member 
64 (FIGS. 2, 6 and 7) which checks and decodes the electrical signals to 
determine if a valid read operation has occurred. If it has, the 
transmitter member 62 is enabled by the microprocessor member to transmit 
the decoded signals to a remote pickup such as a data terminal device (not 
shown) for use in obtaining the price of the purchased merchandise item 
scanned by the bar code reader. As part of this operation, the 
microprocessor member will enable the loudspeaker member 72 (FIGS. 6 and 
7) to generate a tone signal indicating whether a good read operation had 
occurred. 
Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown a reduced front view of the bar 
code reader 20 of the present invention with the lens member 40 and the 
glass face member 38 removed showing the location of the motor member 52, 
the deflecting mirror member 56 and the various operating elements of the 
bar code reader. Mounted within the housing member 22 are the loudspeaker 
member 72, the transmitter member 62, the microprocessor member 64 and a 
storage/buffer member 74 which stores the data to be transmitted by the 
transmitter member 62. Mounted adjacent the motor member 52 is the laser 
diode member 58 and the photodetector member 60. 
Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a block diagram of the data 
processing system employed in the present invention. Included in the data 
processing system is a scanning assembly 76 which includes the elements of 
the bar code reader for generating the scanning pattern and a detecting 
logic unit which includes the photodetector member 60 for converting the 
received light beams into electrical signals. Further included in the 
processing system is the microprocessor member 64 for checking and 
decoding the signals read by the detecting logic unit and for generating 
control signals for operating the transmitter member 62 and the 
loudspeaker member 72 indicating the validity of a scanning operation by 
the scanning assembly as previously described. Also included in the data 
processing system is the conventional storage/buffer member 74 for 
outputting the data signals read by the detecting logic unit of the 
scanning assembly 76 over line 78 to the transmitter member 62 under the 
control of the microprocessor member 64, the transmitter member 
transmitting the data signals to a remote pickup unit (not shown). The 
microprocessor member 64 is also connected to the battery 32 and the motor 
member 52 for controlling their operation. 
It will be seen that the portable bar code reader of the present invention 
is easier to use than hand-held scanners of the prior art since the 
multiple line scanning pattern generated by the present invention covers a 
wider area as compared to the single line scan pattern generated by prior 
hand-held scanner allowing the reader to be properly positioned adjacent 
the coded label. Due to its compact construction and its positioning 
within the palm of the hand, the bar code reader can be easily moved 
across the coded label. 
Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been 
described herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that 
various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and 
scope of the invention. For example, a knob may be attached to the reader 
for grasping by the operator to hold the reader during a scanning 
operation. An on/off switch may be mounted along the perimeter of the 
reader for actuation by the tip of the operator's finger. Therefore, it is 
to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited beyond 
that as required by the appended claims.