Patent ID: 7497383

Claim:
An arrangement for electro-optically reading indicia in environments of different temperatures, comprising: a portable, cordless reader for electro-optically reading the indicia when the cordless reader is held by an operator, the cordless reader having a rechargeable battery pack and a plurality of reader contacts; a base station for receiving the cordless reader when the cordless reader is not held by the operator, the base station having a battery charger, a charger contact and a heater contact, the battery charger being operative for charging the battery pack when the charger contact engages one of the reader contacts when the cordless reader is received in the base station; a main electrical power supply connected to the base station for supplying electrical power to the battery charger; and a heater mounted in one of the reader and the base station and supplied with electrical power from the main power supply, for heating the cordless reader simultaneously with the charging of the battery pack when the heater contact simultaneously engages another of the reader contacts when the cordless reader is received in the base station, to resist condensation formation in the cordless reader when the cordless reader is operated in one of the environments of different temperatures.