Patent ID: 8881983

Claim:
An indicia reading terminal comprising: an illumination subsystem; an imaging subsystem comprising an image sensor array and an imaging optics assembly operable for focusing an image onto said image sensor array; a polarization sensor; a housing incorporating said illumination subsystem, said imaging subsystem, and said polarization sensor; wherein said indicia reading terminal is adapted based on said polarization sensor to at least one of control said illumination subsystem and capture one or more images; wherein said indicia reading terminal is operable to attempt to decode a decodable indicia using the one or more images; and wherein said polarization sensor is operable to provide a plurality of signals regarding polarization of light from a plurality of different orientations, and said indicia reading terminal is adapted based on at least one ratio of the plurality of signals being equal to about 1 to control said illumination subsystem to energize said illumination subsystem and capture the one or more images, and being less than about 0.8 or greater than about 1.2 to control said illumination subsystem to inhibit energization of said illumination subsystem and capture the one or more images.