Patent ID: 6910633

Claim:
A portable instrument for projecting a bit-mapped two-dimensional image in a display mode of operation, and for selectively electro-optically reading indicia in a reading mode of operation, comprising: a) a housing; b) an electro-optical assembly supported by the housing, for reading the indicia during the reading mode, and for projecting the bit-mapped two-dimensional image on a viewing surface remote from the indicia during the display mode, the assembly including a light source for generating a light beam and a scanner for sweeping the light beam in a raster pattern of light paths that cover an area of the viewing surface during the display mode, and a controller for pulsing the light source on for causing pixels at selected positions of the beam in the light paths to be illuminated during the display mode, and for pulsing the light source off for causing pixels at other selected positions of the beam in the light paths to not be illuminated during the display mode, the image being comprised of a light pattern of illuminated and non-illuminated pixels on the area of the viewing surface; and c) a mode selector for selecting one of the modes.