Abstract:
An indicia reader with a user perceptible indicator of a software upgrade having an imaging reader assembly, an electronics assembly, a housing, wherein one of the electronics assembly and the housing produces a user perceptible indicator in response to a software upgrade.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to indicia reading devices, and more particularly to indicia readers with programmable indicators of software upgrades. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Indicia reading devices (also referred to as optical indicia readers, scanners, etc.) typically read data represented by printed indicia, (also referred to as symbols, symbology, bar codes, etc.) For instance one type of a symbol is an array of rectangular bars and spaces that are arranged in a specific way to represent elements of data in machine readable form. Optical indicia reading devices typically transmit light onto a symbol and receive light scattered and/or reflected back from a bar code symbol or indicia. The received light is interpreted by an image processor to extract the data represented by the symbol. Laser indicia reading devices typically utilize transmitted laser light. 
         [0003]    One-dimensional (1D) optical bar code readers are characterized by reading data that is encoded along a single axis, in the widths of bars and spaces, so that such symbols can be read from a single scan along that axis, provided that the symbol is imaged with a sufficiently high resolution along that axis. 
         [0004]    In order to allow the encoding of larger amounts of data in a single bar code symbol, a number of 1D stacked bar code symbologies have been developed which partition encoded data into multiple rows, each including a respective 1D bar code pattern, all or most all of which must be scanned and decoded, then linked together to form a complete message. Scanning still requires relatively higher resolution in one dimension only, but multiple linear scans are needed to read the whole symbol. 
         [0005]    A class of bar code symbologies known as two dimensional (2D) matrix symbologies have been developed which offer orientation-free scanning and greater data densities and capacities than 1D symbologies. 2D matrix codes encode data as dark or light data elements within a regular polygonal matrix, accompanied by graphical finder, orientation and reference structures. Often times an optical reader may be portable and wireless in nature thereby providing added flexibility. In these circumstances, such readers form part of a wireless network in which data collected within the terminals is communicated to a host computer situated on a hardwired backbone via a wireless link. For example, the readers may include a radio or optical transceiver for communicating with a network computer. 
         [0006]    Conventionally, a reader, whether portable or otherwise, may include a central processor which directly controls the operations of the various electrical components housed within the bar code reader. For example, the central processor controls detection of keyboard entries, display features, wireless communication functions, trigger detection, and bar code read and decode functionality. 
         [0007]    Efforts regarding such systems have led to continuing developments to improve their versatility, practicality and efficiency. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The invention comprises, in one form thereof, an indicia reader with a user perceptible indicator of a software upgrade comprising an imaging reader assembly, an electronics assembly, a housing, wherein one of the electronics assembly and the housing produces a user perceptible indicator in response to a software upgrade. 
         [0009]    In still another form, the invention includes a method for providing a user perceptible indication of a software change affecting the capabilities of an indicia reader. The method comprises the steps of providing a first user perception of the indicia reader prior to the software change, providing a second user perception of the indicia reader after the software change, wherein the difference between the second user perception and the first user perception in response only from the software change. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The aforementioned and other features, characteristics, advantages, and the invention in general will be better understood from the following more detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a partial cutaway view of an optical indicia reader in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the optical indicia reader of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a typical system with which the reading device shown in  FIG. 1  may be used; and 
           [0014]      FIGS. 4A ,  4 B,  4 C,  4 D, and  4 E are top views of embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0015]    It will be appreciated that for purposes of clarity and where deemed appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated in the figures to indicate corresponding features. Also, the relative size of various objects in the drawings has in some cases been distorted to more clearly show the invention. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Reference will now be made to exemplary embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. This invention, however, may be embodied in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these representative embodiments are described in detail so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope, structure, operation, functionality, and potential of applicability of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary hand held indicia reading device or scanner  112  (referred to as “scanner  112 ”) has a number of subsystems for capturing images and decoding dataforms within such images and for indicating to an operator the current capabilities of the scanner  112 . The scanner  112  has an imaging reader assembly  114 , an electronics assembly  116  including a printed circuit board  117 , an inner cable  118  from the electronics assembly  116  to a connector (not shown) at the end of a handle  120 , and a housing  122  which encloses the electrical parts and is connected to the handle  120 . A trigger  124  may be used to activate and deactivate the scanner  112 . The imaging reader assembly  114  may be of the type described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0029917 which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0018]    The housing  122  also includes 11 LEDs and 8 translucent windows. More specifically, LEDs  126 ,  127 ,  128 ,  129 ,  130 , and  131  are positioned behind translucent windows  132 ,  133 ,  134 ,  135 ,  136 , and  137 , respectively; LEDs  139  and  140  are positioned behind translucent window  141 ; and LEDs  142 ,  143 , and  144  are positioned behind translucent window  145 . The scanner  112  may also contain a sound generator  146 , a motion detector  147 , and/or a vibrator  148 . The activating of the LEDs, the sound generator, and/or the vibrator change the appearance and/or feel of the scanner  112  so that an operator can easily recognize the functionality/capability of the scanner  112 . 
         [0019]    The scanner  112  has hardware for many different operating modes, and the same scanner  112  may be sold with basic functionality and later the scanner  112  and/or host processor software can be upgraded to provide different programmed configurations which determine, in part, the sales price of the installed software upgrades. The different programmed configurations may have different indicators on the housing  122  of the scanner  112  to indicate the programmed configuration. Thus, it is also possible to sell a scanner  112  with minimal capabilities and to offer the customer the option to enhance the capabilities of the scanner  112  by changing the software in the scanner  112  and/or a host system for the scanner  112 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the image reader assembly  114  and electronics assembly  116  generally comprise a receive optical system  150 , an illumination assembly  160 , an aiming pattern generator  170 , and a variety of control and communication modules. The receive optical system  150  generates frames of data containing indications of the intensity of light received by the read optical system  150 . The illumination assembly  160  illuminates a target T creating reflections that are received by the receive optical system  150 . The aiming pattern generator  170  projects an aiming light pattern to assist with aiming the scanner  112 . While the present description employs an imager based data collection subsystem (the image reader assembly  114  and electronics assembly  116 ), it is to be recognized that the data collection subsystem may take other forms such as a laser scanner. 
         [0021]    The receive optical system  150  generally comprises image receive optics  152  and an image sensor  154 . The image optics  152  receives light reflected from a target T and projects the reflected light on to the image sensor  154 . The image sensor  154  may comprise any one of a number of two-dimensional, color or monochrome solid state image sensors using such technologies as CCD. CMOS, NMOS, PMOS, CID, CMD, etc. One possible sensor is the MT9V022 sensor from Micron Technology Inc. Such sensors contain an array of light sensitive photodiodes (or pixels) that convert incident light energy into electric charges. 
         [0022]    Many image sensors are employed in a full frame (or global) shutter operating mode, wherein the entire imager is reset prior to an image capture operation to remove any residual signal in the photodiodes. The photodiodes (pixels) then accumulate charge for some period of time (exposure period), with the light collection starting and ending at about the same time for all pixels. At the end of the integration period (time during which light is collected), all charges are simultaneously transferred to light shielded areas of the sensor. The light shield prevents further accumulation of charge during the readout process. The signals are then shifted out of the light shielded areas of the sensor and read out. Image sensor  154  may also employ a rolling shutter. 
         [0023]    The illumination assembly  160  generally comprises a power supply  162 , an illumination source  164  and illumination optics  166 . The illumination optics  166  directs the output of the illumination source  164  (generally comprising LEDs or the like) onto the target T. The light is reflected off the target T and received by the receive optical system  150 . It is to be noted that the illumination provided by the illumination assembly  160  may be combined with (or replaced by) other sources of illumination, including ambient light from sources outside of the scanner  112 . 
         [0024]    The aiming pattern generator  170  generally comprises a power supply  172 , an aimer light source  174 , an aperture  176 , and aimer optics  178 . The aiming pattern generator  130  creates an aiming light pattern projected on or near the target which spans a portion of the receive optical system&#39;s  150  operational field of view with the intent of assisting the operator to properly aim the scanner at the bar code pattern that is to be read. A number of representative generated aiming patterns are possible and not limited to any particular pattern or type of pattern, such as any combination of rectilinear, linear, circular, elliptical, etc., figures, whether continuous or discontinuous, i.e., defined by sets of discrete dots, dashes, and the like. Alternately, the aimer pattern generator may be a laser pattern generator. The type of aiming pattern may be under software control and may be part of a software upgrade to thereby provide an indication of the upgrade to a user of the upgraded scanner  112 . 
         [0025]    Generally, the aimer light source  174  may comprise any light source which is sufficiently small or concise and bright to provide a desired illumination pattern at the target. For example, the aimer light source  174  may comprise one or more LEDs, such as part number NSPG300A made by Nichia Corporation. Illumination and aiming light sources with different colors and combination of colors may be employed, for example white, green and red LEDs. The colors may chosen based on the color of the symbols most commonly imaged by the image reader. Different colored LEDs may be each alternatively pulsed at a level in accordance with an overall power budget. 
         [0026]    The aimer light sources  174  may also be comprised of one or more laser diodes such as those available from Rohm. In this case a laser collimation lens (not shown in these drawings) will focus the laser light to a spot generally forward of the scanning head and approximately at the plane of the target T. This beam may then be imaged through a diffractive interference pattern generating element, such as a holographic element fabricated with a desired pattern in mind. Examples of these types of elements are known, commercially available items and may be purchased, for example, from Digital Optics Corp. of Charlotte, N.C. among others. 
         [0027]    An image reader processor  180  provides overall control of the image reader assembly  114  and electronics assembly  116 . The image reader processor  180  and other components of the image reader assembly are generally connected by one or more buses  182   n  and/or dedicated communication lines. In the illustrated example a parallel bus  182   a  connects the image reader processor  180  to a main system memory  184  used to store processed (and unprocessed) image data from the image sensor  154 . The image reader processor  180  utilizes an I 2 C bus  182   b  to communicate exposure settings to the image sensor  154  and illumination parameters to a microcontroller  186 . A dedicated 8 to 10 bit parallel bus  182   c  is used to transfer image data from the image sensor  154  to the image reader processor  180 . The width of the bus  182   c  may be dependant on the bit size recorded by each pixel in the image sensor  154 . The output of the image sensor  154  is processed by the image reader processor  180  utilizing one or more functions or algorithms, which may be stored in an EEPROM  187 , to condition the signal appropriately for use in further processing downstream, including being digitized to provide a digitized image of target T. 
         [0028]    Another function of the image reader processor  180  is to decode machine readable symbology represented within an image captured by the image sensor  154 . Information respecting various reference decode algorithms is available from various published standards, such as by the International Standards Organization (“ISO”). The image reader processor  180  also controls the scanner housing status indicator device drivers  189  which drives the LEDs  126 - 131 ,  139 ,  140 , and  142 - 144 , the vibrator  147 , and the sound generator  146 . The image reader processor  180  also receives output signals from the motion detector  148 . 
         [0029]    The microcontroller  186  maintains illumination parameters, used to control operation of the illumination assembly  160  and the aiming pattern generator  170 , in a memory  188 . For example, the memory  188  may contains tables indicative of power settings for the power supplies  162  and  172  corresponding to various states of the signal from the image sensor  154 . Based upon signals from the image reader processor  180  and/or the image sensor  154 , the microcontroller  186  sends signals to the power supplies  162  and  172  based on values stored in the table in memory  188 . An exemplary microcontroller  160  is the CY8C24223A made by Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. 
         [0030]    The image reader assembly  114  and electronics assembly  116  may be provided with one or more communication paths for communicating with remote devices  190  and  192 , such as networks, network interfaces (e.g. routers hubs and switches), other scanners, data collection devices, computers, or data storage devices (e.g. hard drives). In general, such communications paths are either wired or wireless and may either be integrated with the image reader processor  180  or implemented as one or more separate modules. In the example illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a wired connection, such as UARTS, USB serial, parallel, scan wedge, or Ethernet, is shown as being integrated with the image reader processor  180 . On the other hand, a wireless connection, such as IrDA, BLUETOOTH, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and 802.11, is illustrated as being implemented via a wireless communication module  194 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a typical system with which the scanner  112  may be used. Shown in  FIG. 3  is the scanner  112  coupled to a local host processor  200  by means an interconnect cable  202 . Host processor  200  may be connected to a display  204 , to a printer  206 , and a keyboard  202 , although the cable  202  may be equipped with a keyboard wedge to connect between the host processor  200  and the keyboard  208 . The reader may also comprise a cordless battery powered reader  210  which is coupled to a host processor  200  via a suitable RF link including antennae  212  and  214  and an RF interface module  216 . As used herein, the term “local host processor” will be understood to include both stand alone host processors and host processors which comprise only one part of a local computer system. 
         [0032]    If the software for the scanner  112  is available locally as, for example, on a diskette or CD-ROM, it may be loaded using a suitable drive unit  218 . The local host processor  200  may be in communication with a remotely located processor  220  through a suitable transmission link  222 , such as an electrical conductor link, a fiber optic link, or a wireless transmission link through a suitable communication interface  224 , such as a modem. As used herein, the term “transmission link” will be understood to refer broadly to any type of transmission facility, including an RS-232 capable telephone line, an RF link, or a computer network, e.g., ETHERNET although other types of transmission links or networks may also be used. For example, transmission link  222  could be provided by a coaxial cable or any other non-RF electromagnetic energy communication link including a light energy infrared or microwave communication link. Link  222  could also be an acoustic communications link. 
         [0033]      FIGS. 4A ,  4 B,  4 C,  4 D, and  4 E are top views of embodiments of the present invention. In  FIG. 4A  the top of the housing  122   a  of the scanner  112   a  has a row of LEDs  230 ,  231 ,  232 , and  233 , which can be either visible, as shown in  FIG. 4A , or invisible when a LED is not illuminated. Next to each of the LEDs  230 - 233  are printed labels  236 ,  237 ,  238 , and  239 , respectively, which indicate the upgrade status of the scanner  112   a  by the illumination, or lack of illumination, of the LEDs next to each of the labels. In  FIG. 4B  the LEDs are replaced by labels in the housing  122   b  which are part of the translucent windows  134 - 137 , and which can be back illuminated if the corresponding capability of the scanner  112   b  has been programmed into the scanner  112   b . In  FIG. 4C  the top panel of the housing  122   c  may have an electroluminescent display  250  which is not illuminated when the scanner  112   c  has not been upgraded, and which is illuminated if a particular capability has been programmed into the scanner  112   c  or host processor  190 .  FIGS. 4D and 4E  show scanners  112   d ,  112   e  with housings  122   d ,  122   e , respectively, with a plurality of individual icons  252  and  254 , respectively, some with labels, such as the labels in the icons  252  and icons labeled “1D”, “PDF”, and “2D” in the icons  254 . In  FIG. 4E  “DPM” signifies digital product marking barcodes, “OCR” signifies that the scanners  112   e  can read OCR printed labels, and a camera icon indicating that the scanner  112   e  can take full frame pictures. The scanner  112   e  in  FIG. 4E  may have the “1D” icon illuminated for any version of the scanner  112   e.    
         [0034]    With the indicators shown in  FIGS. 4A-4E  a user can quickly determine if a scanner  112  has the capability to perform the function that the user requires for a particular task, and also allows the end user to purchase a number of scanners  112  and upgrade them as required for the end user&#39;s business needs. 
         [0035]    In addition to the visual indicators, other types of indications can be used to provide the user with the feeling that an upgraded scanner is different from the base scanner. Such indications can be changes in the sound emitted by the scanner  112  while it is being used, such as indicating not only if a barcode has been read successfully, but also providing a sound indication if the scanner  112  has detected a part of a bar code and can signal by different sounds what the scanner  112  believes is the problem in reading the barcode, such as the scanner is too close or too far away from the barcode. Another indication may be in the form of vibrations which a user can feel while using the scanner. The vibration can be used instead of an audio signal to indicate to the user that a successful read has been accomplished in a noisy environment, or indicate to the operator why the scanner  112  can&#39;t read the barcode. Another upgrade possibility could be motion detection which would detect when the scanner  112  is picked up, and then power the scanner for a predetermined period of time so that the operator does not have to press the trigger  124  to use the scanner  112 . 
         [0036]    While the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention. 
         [0037]    Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.