Abstract:
An integrated optical communication and barcode scanning module suitable for use with portable electronic devices is provided. In a first mode of operation the module functions as an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) compatible communications interface. In a second mode of operation, IrDA communications is disabled, and the module functions as a barcode scanner. The module may be switched back and forth between the two modes of operation or operated simultaneously.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of co-owned application Ser. No. 09/047,015, filed Mar. 24, 1998, now abandoned the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This application relates to portable electronic devices, and more particularly to a barcode scanner and communications module for use with such devices. 
     In the past, various optical readers and scanning systems have been developed for reading barcode symbols appearing on a label or surface of an article. Generally, a barcode symbol is a coded pattern of indicia comprised of a series of bars of various widths separated by spaces of various widths, the bars and spaces having different light-reflecting characteristics. Barcode scanning systems electro-optically transform the graphic indicia into electrical signals. The system decodes these signals into alpha-numerical characters that provide some information about the article. Such characters are typically represented in digital form, and are used as input to processing systems associated with applications such as point-of-sale and inventory control. Scanning systems of this general type are well known in the art and have been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,251,798, 4,360,798, 4,369,361, 4,387,297, 4,409,470 and 4,460,120, all assigned to the assignee of the present invention. 
     Such scanning systems generally include a hand-held laser scanning unit. The scanning unit is configured to enable a user to aim it at a barcode pattern and emit a beam of light. The light beam is optically modified, typically by a lens or mirror, to form a beam spot of a certain size at a target distance. Preferably, the beam spot size at the target distance is approximately the same as the minimum width between regions of different light reflectivity, (i.e., the bars and spaces of the symbol). 
     Barcode scanning systems typically include a sensor such as a photodetector, that detects light scattered back from the barcode pattern. The photodetector is usually positioned in the scanner such that it has a field of view which extends across and slightly past a symbol within the pattern. A portion of the light that is reflected off the symbol is acquired and converted into an electrical signal. Subsequently, electronic circuitry or software converts the electrical signal into a digital representation of the data contained therein. For example, the analog electrical signal from the photodetector may be converted into a pulse width modulated digital signal, with the widths corresponding to the physical widths of the bars and spaces. Such a signal is then decoded according to the appropriate protocol into a desired information format. 
     Currently, however, many portable electronic products such as notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular telephones, and calculators do not have barcode scanners included as one of their peripheral devices. One reason for this is lack of space on such devices for an independent barcode scanning module. If, however, a barcode scanner could be integrated alongside an existing peripheral such as an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) interface, without substantially increasing the peripheral&#39;s volume, the functionality of such portable electronic devices could be advantageously increased. 
     It would therefore be desirable to provide an integrated communication and barcode scanning module for portable electronic devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an integrated communication and barcode scanning module for portable electronic devices. 
     This and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing an integrated optical communication and barcode scanning module for portable electronic devices. The module is generally capable of two mutually exclusive modes of operation, a data acquisition mode and a communications mode. In the communications mode, the module may be configured to function as an IrDA communications interface. In the data acquisition mode, the module is configured to function as a barcode scanner. 
     The integrated module may include a scanning mirror, a light emitting diode (LED), a receiver photodiode, a power-monitoring photodiode, and a semiconductor laser diode. In the communications mode, the module pulses the LED ON and OFF to transmit light signals. Incoming light signals are received by the scanning mirror and reflected off of a the collection optics in a canopy assembly located above the sensing components and onto the receiver photodiode. The receiver photodiode converts the light signals into electrical signals which are subsequently processed and converted into digital information. A preferred embodiment of the collection optics is a parabolic mirror, but other optical surfaces such as spherical or aspheric mirrors are acceptable. 
     In the data acquisition mode, optical communication is temporarily disabled and the components required for barcode scanning are turned ON. This includes actuating the scanning mirror, and activating the laser diode and power-monitoring photodiode. Light signals generated by the laser diode are reflected off of a focusing mirror that is recessed from the parabolic mirror and behind and aperture and onto a nearby barcode pattern. A portion of the light signal is reflected back onto the parabolic mirror and is directed to the receiver photodiode. Circuitry within the integrated module converts the light signals into electrical signals which are subsequently processed into digital information. 
     A portion of the light signal emitted by the laser diode is deflected from a section of the parabolic mirror around the aperture toward the power-monitoring photodiode. This is done in order to sense the intensity of the emitted light signal. The intensity of the light signal is monitored to ensure that it is within acceptable operating parameters. The module is preferably constructed such that it fits into a space roughly equivalent to that of a conventional IrDA port. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the barcode scanner could also be implemented using an infrared wavelength. To accomplish this, however, an additional visible light source is required for aiming. 
     In addition, the module can be implemented as a surface mountable component. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an integrated optical communication and barcode scanning module for portable electronic devices in accordance with the principle of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an elevated side view of one suitable arrangement of a canopy assembly and selected components in the module. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the path of an incoming light signal acquired by the module. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the path of an outgoing light signal provided for barcode scanning. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the path of an outgoing light signal deflected onto a power-monitoring photodiode. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a communications and data acquisition module  10  constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Module  10  generally includes receiver photodiode  20 , optical filter/shield  21 , light emitting diode (LED)  22 , semiconductor laser diode  24 , monitor photodiode  26 , receiver circuit  30 , lowpass filter  32 , adjustable gain circuit  34 , paths  35  and  36 , two position switch  37 , differentiation/demodulator (D/D)  38 , digitizer  40 , microprocessor  50 , laser drive  60 , motor drive  70 , scanning mirror  80 , and trigger  90 . 
     Broadly speaking, module  10  is capable of two modes of operation, a data acquisition mode and a communications mode. In the communications mode, module  10  may be configured to operate as an IrDA compatible optical communications interface. This enables an electronic device that includes module  10  to communicate with other devices having a similar interface. When module  10  is converted to the data acquisition mode, however, it is configured to operate as a bar code scanner so a user may also acquire barcode information. The two modes of operation are preferably mutually exclusive such that module  10  is either configured as an IrDA interface or as a bar code scanner. 
     In the communications mode, data, in the form of optical signals, is received from a proximate device (not shown) by photodiode  20  and converted into a small photocurrent. Optical filter/shield  21 , which is preferably electrically grounded, may be placed over photodiode  20  in order to reduce the effects of ambient light and electronic noise. Receiver circuit  30 , which preferably includes bias circuitry for photodiode  20 , converts the photocurrent into a proportional voltage signal. Lowpass filter  32  receives the voltage signal and filters out signal components which are not within a selected frequency range. This improves the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the acquired signal. Adjustable gain circuit  34  amplifies the filtered voltage signal and supplies it to microprocessor  50  via path  36  where the signal is processed (e.g., decoded, interpreted, etc.) in accordance with the appropriate communication protocol (e.g., IrDA decoding). 
     The gain provided by circuit  34  is selectable depending on the mode of operation of system  10 . For example, while operating in the communications mode, the gain of circuit  34  may be set at a first value suitable for IrDA communication (e.g., about 30). On the other hand, when system  10  is operating in the data acquisition mode, the gain of circuit  34  may be set to a range of different values suitable for amplifying acquired barcode signals (e.g., about 10-150). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the frequency range of lowpass filter  32  is set at a fixed value. This is acceptable because the bandwidths for standard barcode scanning and IrDA communication are currently the same (e.g., up to 4 MHz). If, however, IrDA data rates increase, the frequency range of lowpass filter  32  may be adjusted. In addition, the optical bandwidth of filter/shield  21  is set at a fixed value. This is also permissible for embodiments where the data acquisition interface and communications interface employ signals of substantially the same wavelength (e.g., 850 nm). In other embodiments, however, the optical bandwidth of filter/shield  21  may be widened, configured to have two distinct passbands, or electrically adjusted to be mode-specific if the wavelengths vary somewhat (e.g., communication at 850 nm, acquisition at 650 nm). 
     As shown in FIG. 1, module  10  may transmit data signals to other devices using LED  22 . Microprocessor  50  (which may be embedded in or external to module  10 ) pulses LED  22  ON and OFF to generate such signals. A nearby device (not shown) receives these signals and may process them in a manner similar to that described above. Microprocessor  50  preferably coordinates operation of module  10  so that it periodically alternates between sending data signals (using LED  22 ) and receiving data signals (using photodiode  20 ). This prevents two devices from sending signals at the same time which can result in “collision condition” wherein the signals destructively interfere with one another such that they cannot be effectively received by either device. 
     FIG. 2 shows an elevated side view of one suitable arrangement for selected components in module  10 . As shown in FIG. 2, the components used to acquire and transmit light signals are integrated together into a single unit. LED  22 , which may be used for IrDA communication, is located in a corner of module  10 . Scanning mirror  80  may be located in a central portion of base section  23 . Laser diode  24  (which may be an edge-emitting semiconductor laser, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), or the like) may located slightly above scanning mirror  80  with photodiodes  20  and  26  located in the upper left hand corner. It will be understood, however, that this is merely an example of one particular specific arrangement of the components in module  10 , and that many other suitable arrangements are also possible. 
     While in communications mode, data may be transmitted to a nearby device simply by pulsing LED  22  ON and OFF. When receiving incoming communication signals, however, module  10  employs scanning mirror  80 . Scanning mirror  80  is configured to deflect incoming light signals onto parabolic mirror  44 , (located on the inside surface of canopy  42 ), which is angled such that it directs the majority of light signals to receiver photodiode  20  (shown in FIG.  3 ). The light signals are then converted into electrical signals as described above. 
     When microprocessor  50  receives trigger signal  90 , module  10  may be converted from communications mode to data acquisition mode. When this transition occurs, optical communication is temporarily disabled. This means, among other things, that LED  22  is turned OFF, path  36  is opened (e.g., by moving the arm of switch  37  from position A to position B, or by enabling or disabling CMOS transmission gate(s), etc.), and the gain of circuit  34  is set to a value suitable for barcode reading. Next, microprocessor  50  activates the circuitry used for barcode scanning. This includes turning ON motor drive  70  in order to actuate scanning mirror  80 . It also includes turning ON laser drive  60  to activate laser diode  24  and monitoring photodiode  26 . D/D  38  and digitizer  40  may also be activated. 
     Next, light signals generated by laser diode  24  are reflected off of a recessed focusing mirror  43  (shown in FIG. 4) to scanning mirror  80 , and then onto a nearby barcode pattern (not shown). A portion of the light signal is scattered back from the barcode pattern and collected by scanning mirror  80 . Scanning mirror  80  then deflects the received light signal onto parabolic mirror  44  which directs the light to receiver photodiode  20  (shown generally in FIG.  3 ). 
     As shown in FIG. 5, a portion of the light signal emitted by laser diode  24  is deflected from a section of parabolic mirror  44  around aperture region  47  toward power-monitoring photodiode  26 . This is done in order to sense the intensity of the emitted light signal. Microprocessor  50  monitors photodiode  26  to ensure that the intensity of the light signal is within acceptable operating parameters. If it is determined that the intensity of the light signal is below a minimum value, laser drive  60  may supply additional current to laser diode  24  to increase signal strength. Alternatively, if the light signal intensity is above a maximum value, laser drive  60  may reduce the current supplied to laser diode  24  to decrease signal strength. 
     It should be noted that photodiodes  20  and  26  should be positioned with respect to laser diode  24  and scanning mirror  80  such that light deflected by aperture region  47  cannot be acquired by scanning mirror  80  and directed to receiver photodiode  20 , otherwise internal noise may be generated. This type of noise is particularly problematic because it is usually several orders of magnitude stronger than the signal returned from the barcode pattern, and resides in the frequency band. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2-5, canopy  42  may have precision molded legs  48  that accurately set the distance between laser diode  24  and focusing mirror  43 , so that passive focusing may be used. If desired, however, active focusing could be implemented, (e.g., by using movable legs that adjust the distance between laser diode  24  and focusing mirror  43 ) and may be required in more demanding applications where longer working range is needed. Such an implementation would require the use of laser to mirror focusing feedback circuitry and adjustable support legs (not shown). A form of active focusing may also include actively monitoring a beam spot during assembly and setting the distance between laser diode  24  and focusing mirror  43  to a particular value (e.g., a user-defined value or a value for a special application). 
     A scattered signal from a barcode pattern incident upon signal photodiode  20  is converted into a small photocurrent which is changed into a voltage signal by receiver  30 . Lowpass filter  32  receives the voltage signal and filters out signal components which are not within a selected frequency range. Adjustable gain circuit  34  then amplifies the filtered voltage signal with the appropriate gain value and applies it to D/D  38  via path  35 . D/D  38  typically includes analog differentiation circuitry and/or edge detector circuitry for determining the time intervals between peaks in the voltage signal. These time intervals typically correspond to the length and/or width of the scanned barcode symbols. The differentiated signal is supplied to digitizer  40  (e.g., an analog to digital converter) which converts the analog signals to digital format (e.g., simple binary digitizing, pulse width modulation, etc.). Microprocessor  50  interprets and/or decodes the digitized signal in accordance with the appropriate barcode protocol. 
     Several advantages are realized by employing the module arrangement shown in FIGS. 1-5. For example, combining the two interfaces into a single module  10  reduces the overall size, as both interfaces have some common circuitry (e.g., photodiode  20 , receiver  30 , lowpass filter  32 , and adjustable gain circuit  34 ). This permits module  10  to be installed into a space roughly equivalent to that currently used by a conventional IrDA port, thus providing the user with a scanning function in addition to a communications function. Another advantage of module  10  is its reduced cost as compared to that of producing two separate interfaces. 
     If desired, the components mounted in base portion  23 , i.e., LED  22 , scanning mirror  80 , laser diode  24 , and photodiodes  20  and  26  of module  10  may fabricated on a common substrate. In addition, the processing electronics shown in FIG. 1 may be fabricated on a single application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) mounted on the rear of that substrate. This may further reduce the size and power consumption of module  10 . Moreover, if desired, LED  22  may be removed from module  10 , and laser diode  24  may be used to transmit IrDA data signals while in the communications mode, further reducing the size and complexity of module  10 . Alternatively, laser diode  24  may be in the form of a chip consisting of multiple lasers where as one is used for bar code scanning, others are used for communication. Module  10  may also be fabricated in packages suitable for surface mounting. 
     Thus, it is seen that a communications and data acquisition module suitable for use with portable electronic devices is provided. The module preferably fits an into a space roughly equivalent to that of a conventional peripheral—e.g., an IrDA port, and adds increased functionality, i.e., barcode scanning in addition to an optical communication capability. However, in products where size is not critical, a barcode scanner may be simply added to a device with an IrDA port or vice-versa. In such an embodiment, the electronics may be entirely separate from one another or partially or fully shared. 
     Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration rather than of limitation, and the present invention is limited only by the claims which follow.