Abstract:
A user generates a programming bar code or programming parameter file that encompasses all desired parameter settings. A batch of scanners is programmed by scanning the bar code or reading the parameter file to simplify and expedite the programming process.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The invention relates generally to the field of bar code processing and more particularly to programmable bar code scanners that can operate in more than one mode.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Indicia scanners are becoming more complicated to configure as their capabilities become more diverse. For any given application, a user must tailor the operating parameters to match the needs of the application. The parameters may include the enable status of dozens of indicia types including one or more parameters related to each enabled indicia type such as the minimum and maximum expected indicia lengths. The parameters may also include communication parameters including protocol, baud rate, handshaking and session related parameters such as continuous vs. triggered operation, decode lock-out time, and session timeout period.  
         [0003]     Typically, scanners are provided from the factory with default parameter settings. To change the scanner settings the user scans one or more parameter setting or programming bar codes that are also provided with the scanner. Some of the programming bar codes set a single scanner parameter. Other scanner parameters require the scanning of multiple programming bar codes. For example, to program the session timeout time for some scanners, a “session timeout” programming parameter barcode must be scanned followed by scanning three separate bar codes each corresponding to a single numeric digit. It is obvious that with this process the time required to program a group of scanners can be rather significant. Programming many scanners to incorporate a single set of parameters is frequently required as most facilities employ a number of scanners of the same type and users at the facility expect them to all function identically. In some operations the same set of scanners may be programmed daily to operate as POS terminals during the day and to take inventory at night.  
         [0004]     Another way that desired parameters are input into an indicia scanner is through the use of a program running on a computer that communicates with the connected scanner through a communications link. To program a scanner in this manner the scanner is physically connected to a computer, a few programming barcodes are scanned for establishing the correct communications protocol on the scanner, and a computer program is instructed to connect to the scanner. Once connected, the program provides the user with a set of choices, changeable by using the keyboard or mouse. Once changed, these parameters can be uploaded into the scanner. As a final step, the scanner may need to be restored to the original communications state, as the program that normally interfaces with the scanner may use a different communications protocol from the one used by the parameter setting program.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]     Enabling a user to generate a programming bar code or programming parameter file that encompasses all desired parameter settings simplifies and expedites the programming of multiple scanners.  
         [0006]     A method, computer readable media that stores instructions for performing the method, and an apparatus that programs one or more bar code scanners is provided. An interface is provided through which scanner parameter settings can be input. The input parameter settings are received and encoded in a programming bar code. The programming bar code is scanned with the one or more bar code scanners to program them.  
         [0007]     The programming bar code can be a two dimensional bar code that encodes all of the input parameter settings. The interface can be achieved by displaying a series of prompts or choices on a display. The programming bar code can be printed out for scanning by the scanners. The parameter settings can be encoded in a plurality of programming bar codes. The available scanner parameters can be determined by queries made to one of the scanners. Alternatively, a set of available scanner parameters can be stored so that the interface accesses the stored set of parameters.  
         [0008]     Rather than encoding the scanner parameter values in a programming bar code, the set of input parameter settings can be stored in a computer memory. In this case, the one or more scanners are placed in communication with the computer memory. A program enabling bar code can be generated or provided with the one or more scanners to place the one or more scanners in a programming mode. The set of available scanner parameters can be determined by queries made to one of the scanners. Alternatively, the set of available scanner parameters can be stored and wherein the interface accesses the stored set of parameters. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIGS. 1 and 3  are schematic block diagrams of bar code scanner programming components arranged according to the present invention; and  
         [0010]      FIGS. 2 and 4  are flowcharts outlining programming methods that can be use to program bar code scanners according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0011]     In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are directed to a method and configuration for programming scanners by way of a user generated bar code. The method is especially advantageous for scanners that can process 2 dimensional bar codes due to the large amount of data that can be encoded in such a 2-D bar code. It is likely that all of the information needed to program a bar code scanner can be encoded in a single 2-D bar code, however, one or more additional bar codes may be required for particularly complex bar code scanners and applications.  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  shows a configuration of components  100  that can be used to program a batch of scanners using a 2-D programming bar code  140  that is generated and printed by a user. A scanner  110  is connected to an interface computer  120  that is accessed by a user to input parameters. The interface computer  120  is capable of printing one or more programming bar codes  140  that encode scanner parameter settings.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  outlines a method  200  that can be used to program a batch of scanners using the hardware configuration shown in  FIG. 1 . A scanner is connected to the interface computer at  210 . The interface computer communicates with the scanner to determine the scanner&#39;s parameter space at  220 . After this determination is made, the computer prompts the user to enter desired scanner parameter settings. The input settings are encoded in a 2-D bar code. The bar code is printed or displayed at  250  and scanners are programmed by scanning the bar code at  260 .  
         [0015]     It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that certain modifications to the described embodiment can be made. For example, the computer program may be equipped with the parameter spaces of many known types of scanners, therefore alleviating the need for the computer to extract this information from the scanner in steps  210  and  220 . Including the steps  210  and  220  makes the computer program capable of functioning over a wider range of scanners including scanners designed in the future that have novel parameter spaces.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  shows a configuration of components  150  that can be used to program a batch of scanners that may not be capable of processing a 2-D programming bar code. A scanner  160  is connected to an interface computer  170  that is accessed by a user to input parameters. The interface computer  170  is capable of storing a set of scanner parameter settings that are input by the user in memory  175 . The information received by the computer can be used to generate a one dimensional programming bar code that sets all the scanner settings necessary to enable the scanner to receive new settings. Alternatively, the programming bar code can be supplied with the scanner. This programming mode enable bar code  180 , when scanned by a scanner, places the scanner in a programming mode in which the scanner can accept parameter settings from the computer  170 . This single programming mode bar code compares advantageously to state of the art scanners, which require a separate programming bar code for each parameter of a single communications protocol, so because of the various modes the scanners may be in, a sequence of bar codes must be scanned to be certain to put the scanners in a mode in which it can receive a new set of parameter data.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  outlines a method  400  that can be used to program a batch of scanners using the hardware configuration shown in  FIG. 3 . A scanner is connected to the interface computer at  410 . The interface computer communicates with the scanner to determine the scanner&#39;s parameter space at  420 , which can be used to generate a one dimensional programming mode enable bar code. After this determination is made, the computer prompts the user to enter desired scanner parameter settings at  430 . The input settings are stored in the computer and can be accessed directly by any further scanners that are connected to the computer at  440 . To program all scanners a one dimensional programming mode enabling bar code which can be printed by the user or supplied with the scanner from the factory is scanned at  450  and at  460  the settings are transferred from the computer to the scanner when the user enters an appropriate command to the computer. The scanning of the programming mode enable bar code can take place before or after the scanner is connected to the computer.  
         [0018]     As can be seen from the above description, enabling a set of multiple scanner parameters to be accessed at once by a scanner through the use of custom 2-D programming bar codes or programming files facilitates the programming of multiple scanners to incorporate the same settings. Although the present invention has been described with a degree of particularity, it is the intent that the invention include all modifications and alterations from the disclosed design falling within the spirit or scope of the appended claims.