Patent ID: 8453933

Claim:
An apparatus for processing successive products associated with successive targets to be electro-optically read, comprising: a housing; a window supported by the housing; a reading system supported by the housing, and operative for reading the successive targets with return light passing through the window; a proximity system supported by the housing, and operative for detecting entry of each successive product associated with a respective successive target into a zone outside the window, and for detecting exit of each successive product associated with the respective successive target from the zone; a controller operatively connected to the reading system and the proximity system, and operative for processing the return light from the respective successive target in response to detection of the entry of each successive product into the zone, and for distinguishing among the successive products in response to detection of the exit of each successive product from the zone; wherein the proximity system includes an infrared (IR) emitter for emitting IR light into an IR emission field, and an IR sensor for sensing return IR light within an IR detection field; and wherein the IR sensor is operative for detecting the entry of each successive product into the zone, and the exit of each successive product from the zone by sensing a change in magnitude over time of the return IR light returned by each successive product; and wherein the controller is operative for determining whether each change in magnitude over time of the return IR light is indicative of one of a swipe mode in which a product is swiped across the window, and a presentation mode in which a product is presented and momentarily held at the window; and wherein the controller is operative for determining whether each change in magnitude over time of the return IR light of the product exiting the zone exceeds a predetermined threshold for each mode.