Abstract:
A system and method for reading a bar code are disclosed which may include transmitting light pulsed at a selected frequency to illuminate the bar code; converting light received at the bar code reader from the bar code into an electrical signal; transmitting the electrical signal through a signal conditioning circuit to filter and amplify the electrical signal, to thereby provide a conditioned electrical signal; sampling the conditioned electrical signal at the selected frequency; removing energy due to light scattering within a housing of the bar code reader from the sampled, conditioned electrical signal; generating one of a logical “1” and a logical “0” output based on a value of the signal generated by the step of removing; and resolving output from the step of generating into data indicative of information on the bar code.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,354,000 and 7,526,130 are commonly assigned, and are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A transition from fluorescent and other forms of traditional lighting to Light Emission Diode (LED) illumination is occurring in various environments including retail outlets, office buildings, warehouses, hospitals, and private homes. LED illumination may provide the benefits of low power consumption, low running cost, long life, and high color rendering effect among other desirable features. Some nations are now moving to ban further manufacture of conventional light bulbs for environmental reasons. 
         [0003]    Bar code readers are commonly used in retail environments, including convenience stores, supermarkets and the like. Generally, a laser-scanned barcode reader operates by sweeping a laser beam, commonly having a 650 nm wavelength, over a bar code and receiving light energy reflected from the bar code, which is processed to generate a bar code signal. In a typical application, a laser beam using a 100 Hz scan rate will produce a signal having a frequency range of 30 kHz (kilohertz) to 200 kHz, depending on the resolution of the bar code and the read distance (the distance from the bar code to the bar-code reader). 
         [0004]    To suppress power consumption, LED bulbs are generally driven at a frequency within a range of about 30 kHz to 100 kHz which overlaps with the frequencies of many bar code signals. It would be hard for a bar code reader to distinguish light energy from ambient light from light energy from a bar code signal if the frequency ranges of the two signal types overlap. To eliminate interference of the ambient light with bar code readers, U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,087, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a technique to scan a bar code using a pulsed laser at a frequency of 2 MHz (megahertz) and using a synchronous detector to detect this frequency and preferably no other frequencies. This technique significantly removes ambient light having a constant intensity (such as sunlight) and light energy from high frequency L.E.D. illumination. However, where there are ambient light frequency components in common with a bar code signal, the decoder within the bar code reader could misread ambient light as being part of a bar code signal, which could lead to a signal reading failure. 
         [0005]    Moreover, other possible sources of noise may be present in bar code reading environments as discussed in the following. Laser-scanned bar code readers commonly have exit windows made of glass or plastic (i.e., polycarbonate, Poly-methyl methacrylate material) to protect the sensitive parts inside the reader housing. Although coated with an anti-reflective film, dirt or a finger-print on the exit window would present an optical obstruction resulting in significant back-scatter light being directed toward the photo sensor. The back-scattering of light would be more severe in a retro-reflective type barcode reader, in which the outgoing laser beam and the collected light beam received by the reader share the same optical path. Whereas the signal intensity from a bar code at a distance of 300 to 500 mm has a magnitude of about 0.1 uW (microwatts), the back scatter light could reach a magnitude of 1 uW, which is then times the magnitude of the bar code signal. The above-described situation may thus lead to an inability of the bar code reader to accurately read a bar code. 
         [0006]    Thus, an approach is needed to enable the bar code reader to focus the reading equipment on light energy reflected from the bar code and to screen out light energy from ambient light. One tool for accomplishing this screening process is to employ a synchronous detector that samples at the same rate as the pulse rate of the outgoing laser light. 
         [0007]    In existing systems, bar code signals are generally assigned a binary “1” or “0” value right after synchronous detection occurs. Apparatus using synchronous detection is generally less affected by ambient light than other systems, but tend to have difficulty removing low-frequency components of internally scattered light, such as light reflected from a exit window and/or housing, from signal energy from which it is desired to extract a digital bar code signal. 
         [0008]    When a signal that includes a substantial low-frequency component is amplified, the signal may acquire a magnitude that exceeds the operating range of the device processing the signal. As a result, the bar code signal components will be collapsed in the ultimate output signal. Even if the output of the synchronous detection is already at the maximum amplitude, the target bar code signal cannot be amplified sufficiently if the low-frequency noise component is large. Consequently, the resulting signal outputs cannot be effectively resolved into logical “1” and logical “0” values, which situation may make it impossible to properly read a bar code. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved systems and methods for removing noise components in bar code reading equipment. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    According to one aspect, the present invention is directed to a system and method for reading a bar code, which may include transmitting light pulsed at a selected frequency to illuminate the bar code; converting light received at the bar code reader from the bar code into an electrical signal; transmitting the electrical signal through a signal conditioning circuit to filter and amplify the electrical signal, to thereby provide a conditioned electrical signal; sampling the conditioned electrical signal at the selected frequency; removing energy due to light scattering within a housing of the bar code reader from the sampled, conditioned electrical signal; generating one of a logical “1” and a logical “0” output based on a value of the signal generated by the step of removing; and resolving output from the step of generating into data indicative of information on the bar code. 
         [0011]    Other aspects, features, advantages, etc. will become apparent to one skilled in the art when the description of the preferred embodiments of the invention herein is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    For the purposes of illustrating the various aspects of the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms that are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is block diagram of a bar code reader incorporating frequency filtering and gain control in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is block diagram of a bar code reader incorporating frequency filtering and gain control in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is block diagram of a bar code reader incorporating frequency filtering and gain control in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is block diagram of a bar code reader incorporating frequency filtering and gain control in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a computing system useable with one or more embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known features may be omitted or simplified so as not to obscure the present invention. Furthermore, reference in the specification to phrases such as “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of phrases such as “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places in the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment herein, we output a synchronously detected signal through a high-pass filter or differential circuit, to remove the low frequency components from the signal. In another embodiment, we apply Automatic Gain Control (AGC) to a signal that emerges from the high-pass filter, so that the signal can be amplified enough to be converted into one of two binary values. In this way, we assign binary values to the signal after the signal has been adequately amplified. The above-described sequence of signal processing may enable bar codes to be read successfully even if the internal scattered light reflected from the exit window and/or housing is of significant magnitude. 
         [0020]    In the following, we present a broad description of the treatment of light energy received in the detection circuit of bar code reader  10 , followed by more detailed descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is block diagram of a bar code reader  10  incorporating frequency filtering and gain control in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Bar code reader  10  may include primary bar code circuit  100  and further signal processing circuit  200 . Primary bar code circuit  100  may include oscillator  102 , pulsed laser driver  104 , laser diode (LD)  106 , scan mirror  112 , photodiode (PD)  116 , preamplifier  118 , high-pass filter (HPF)  120 , first automatic gain control circuit (AGC1)  122  and/or synchronous detector  124 . HPF  120  preferably has a cutoff frequency of about 500 KHz. Synchronous detector  124  may include a band-pass filter having a pass-through frequency band substantially centered on a frequency that is same as, or substantially the same as, the frequency as the signal emerging from pulsed laser driver  104 . This band-pass filter (not shown) is preferably operable to cause synchronous detector  124  to sample the signal from AGC1  122  at the same frequency, or substantially the same frequency, as the signal emerging from pulsed laser driver  104 . Synchronous detector  124  may further include a waveform detector. Synchronous detector  124  may further include a product detector operable to cause the detector  124  to sample the signal from AGC1  122  at the frequency, or substantially the same frequency, as the signal emerging from pulsed laser driver  104 . 
         [0022]    Further signal processing circuit  200  may include filter/gain circuit  202  which may in turn include low frequency removal circuit  204  and/or AGC2 (automatic gain control circuit 2)  206 . Further signal processing circuit  200  may further include digitizer  208  and/or decoder  210 . The low frequency removal circuit  204  may have a cutoff frequency of about, or slightly less than, 10 KHz. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  also shows outgoing pulsed laser signal  108 , bar code  110 , and reflected signal  114 . Depending on the operating circumstances of bar code reader  10 , light signal  114  received at photodiode  116  may include light from one or more sources. These sources may include (a) light energy reflected from bar code  110 , (b) light energy reflected off an internal surface of a lens of bar code reader  10  (that is, a surface of a lens located within a housing of bar code reader  10 ), and/or (c) ambient light energy entering bar code reader  10  from an exterior of bar code reader  10 . 
         [0024]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , low-frequency removal circuit  204 , which may be a high-pass filter, is preferably operable to suppress low-frequency noise energy present in received light signal  114 . The removal of low-frequency noise preferably enables additional gain to be imparted to received light signal  114  without incurring an overflow (excessive voltage) condition. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a bar code reader  10  incorporating frequency filtering and gain control in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. For the sake of brevity, the following discussion of  FIG. 2  does not repeat the recitation of all parts listed above, in the discussion of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . Instead, the following discusses the portions of the embodiment of  FIG. 2  that differ from the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , digitizer  208  of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  may be replaced by digitizer circuit  222  of  FIG. 2 . Digitizer circuit  222  may include low-pass filter  224  and/or comparator  226 , which together may provide binary signal  228  as an output. The low pass filter  224  may have a cutoff frequency of about 60 KHz. 
         [0026]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , a second HPF circuit  204  preferably receives the signal output from synchronous detector  124  and preferably removes low-frequency light energy from the received signal. Since the low-frequency light energy is generated by light scattered toward an interior of bar code reader  10  from exit window  126  ( FIG. 2 ) or scatter rays generate by surfaces other than window  126 , the removal of the low-frequency light energy may significantly reduce the overall magnitude of the light signal that initially enters HPF2  204 . 
         [0027]    In view of the limited gain capacity of AGC2 circuit  206 , a much wider dynamic gain range for a real bar code signal is desirable. We consider a case in which laser diode  106  is pulse driven at 2 MHz. The first HPF  120  may have a cut-off frequency set to about 2 MHz (megahertz). However, the second HPF, HPF2  204 , may have a cut-off frequency that matches the fluctuation of the offset, which would generally be much lower than 2 MHz. Otherwise stated, HPF2  204  is preferably directed to removing light energy from scattering, rather than removing the pulse-signal component of the light signal energy passing therethrough. Accordingly, the frequency cutoff of HPF2  204  may be set substantially at the frequency of the bulk of the scattered light energy, which scattered light energy is expected to be substantially lower than the 2 megahertz pulse signal frequency. 
         [0028]    In this embodiment, the output from AGC2  206  is preferably split into two paths, with a first such signal path being sent directly to comparator  226  (the uppermost of the two signal lines shown in  FIG. 2 ), and a second signal path directed to LPF  224  to be filtered therein. The signal sent to LPF  224  is low-pass filtered in LPF  224  to generate a DC (direct current) component of the output from AGC2  206  which may then serve as the threshold voltage for use within comparator  226 . Within comparator  226 , if the signal from AGC2  206  signal voltage is higher than the threshold voltage from LPF  224 , the output of comparator  226  may be set to a voltage corresponding to a logical value of “1”. Otherwise, the output from comparator  226  is preferably set to a voltage corresponding to a logical value of “0”. 
         [0029]    Still with reference to  FIG. 2 , we note that the devices encompassed by the dashed line called out by reference numeral  220  may be implemented on one or more analog ASIC circuits. 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  is block diagram of a bar code reader  10  incorporating frequency filtering and gain control in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the function of removing low-frequency light energy from the signal emerging from detector  124  may be provided by a differential circuit  232 , as disclosed in commonly assigned patents (a) U.S. Pat. No. 7,354,000 and (b) U.S. Pat. No. 7,526,130, instead of a conventional high-pass filter. 
         [0031]    In the circuits disclosed in above-listed patents, the differential circuit is located right after the pre-amplifier and is configured to remove signal components, arising from ambient light energy, from the electrical signal. However, in this case, the differential circuit  232  is preferably situated to receive the output from detector  124 . Synchronous detector  124  is preferably operable to remove high-frequency ambient light energy such as, for instance, the high-frequency energy introduced by high-frequency driven L.E.D. light bulbs in the ambient environment external to bar code reader  10 . However, differential circuit  232  is preferably operable to filter out low-frequency components of the signal emerging from detector  124 , including but not limited to, light energy arising from the scattering of light off window  126  and/or other surfaces within a housing of bar code reader  10 . 
         [0032]    Once the signal emerges from differential circuit  232 , circuit devices  206 ,  208 , and  210  preferably operate in much the way described earlier in connection with the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . Accordingly, the discussion of the operation of circuit devices  206 ,  208 , and  210  is not addressed further in this section. 
         [0033]    Still with reference to  FIG. 3 , we note that the devices encompassed by the dashed line called out by reference numeral  230  may be implemented on one or more analog ASIC circuits. 
         [0034]      FIG. 4  is block diagram of a bar code reader  10  incorporating frequency filtering and gain control in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. We note that the circuitry encompassed by dashed line  240  may be implemented on one or more analog ASIC circuits. In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the digitizing function may be performed in decoder  210  if suitable microprocessors are selected for the construction and implementation of decoder  210 . The AGC2  206  circuit may output an analog signal to decoder  210 . After the analog-to-digital conversion, the thresholding process could be performed in software in decoder  210 , rather than comparing analog voltage levels within analog ASIC  240 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a computing system  500  adaptable for use with one or more embodiments of the present invention. Central processing unit (CPU)  402  may be coupled to bus  504 . In addition, bus  504  may be coupled to random access memory (RAM)  506 , read only memory (ROM)  508 , input/output (I/O) adapter  510 , communications adapter  522 , user interface adapter  506 , and display adapter  518 . 
         [0036]    In an embodiment, RAM  506  and/or ROM  508  may hold user data, system data, and/or programs. I/O adapter  510  may connect storage devices, such as hard drive  512 , a CD-ROM (not shown), or other mass storage device to computing system  500 . Communications adapter  522  may couple computing system  500  to a local, wide-area, or global network  524 . User interface adapter  516  may couple user input devices, such as keyboard  526 , scanner  528  and/or pointing device  514 , to computing system  500 . Moreover, display adapter  518  may be driven by CPU  502  to control the display on display device  520 . CPU  502  may be any general purpose CPU. 
         [0037]    It is noted that the methods and apparatus described thus far and/or described later in this document may be achieved utilizing any of the known technologies, such as standard digital circuitry, analog circuitry, any of the known processors that are operable to execute software and/or firmware programs, programmable digital devices or systems, programmable array logic devices, or any combination of the above. One or more embodiments of the invention may also be embodied in a software program for storage in a suitable storage medium and execution by a processing unit. 
         [0038]    Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.