Registers – Coded record sensors – Particular sensor structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-09
2002-03-19
Lee, Michael G. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Particular sensor structure
C235S472010, C235S454000, C235S462480
Reexamination Certificate
active
06357662
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to hand-held asset tracking readers and, more particularly, to a hand-held, dual-mode reader having a supplemental switch manually activatable by a user and logic for taking a first action when the supplemental switch is not activated and for taking a second action when the supplemental switch is activated.
2. Background Information
In manufacturing, transportation, and other industries, it is frequently desirable to keep track of and/or be able to identify or obtain information from assets. As used herein, the term “assets” is intended to be understood to include products, packages, and other inanimate objects, as well as individual personnel or nonhuman living individuals. There are various ways in which assets are tracked and/or identified. Bar codes are perhaps the most widely known device for tracking and identifying assets. Bar codes may be of the one-dimensional type commonly seen on consumer products or, more recently, of a two-dimensional type. Other identifying devices include passive and active RF (radio frequency) ID (identification) tags and smart cards. Smart cards may be of the type, for example, that includes an input/output, a microprocessor, and a memory, and that will not allow information to be read without authorization. Authorization may be provided via a microprocessor in the reading device, such as by the user inputting a personal identification number.
Known reading devices for reading bar codes, RF ID tags, or smart cards are limited to reading one type of identifier and are generally very restricted in their modes of operation. Thus, in order to have the capacity to read various types of identifiers, an inventory of a number of different types of readers is required. This problem of the need to have available a number of different readers is increasing in severity as the use of a plurality of types of identifiers in single installations increases. For example, labels on packages or identification badges for personnel may include both a bar code and an RF ID tag.
As an example of a known reading device, a typical prior art two-dimensional bar code reader is depicted in simplified form in
FIG. 1
where it is generally indicated as
10
. The bar code reader
10
has a hand-held case
12
of so-called “pistol-grip” shape containing the components required to scan a two-dimensional bar code. There is a lens system
14
which focuses a field of view (not shown) containing a bar code on a charge coupled device (CCD)
16
. The CCD is, of course, an element that is commonly used in video cameras. The CCD constantly outputs a signal on line
18
containing the two-dimensional pixel data of what is being “seen” by the lens system
14
. In the bar code reader
10
, the output line
18
is input to the logic
20
. There is also a trigger switch
22
which is operated by manually depressing the trigger button
24
. The trigger switch
22
is also connected to the logic
20
by line
26
. The signal out of the bar code reader
10
appears on line
28
from the logic
20
. This is, of course, a greatly simplified depiction and the logic
20
, for example, can be structured to completely analyze the output from the CCD
16
or merely pass it on for decoding by other logic connected to line
28
.
In use, the bar code reader
10
is pointed at a bar code at its focal point by means not important to the present invention. Then the bar code is in focus, the trigger button
24
is pressed causing the logic
20
to snapshot or freeze the then output data on line
18
. That snapshot of data can then be analyzed according to techniques which also form no part of the present invention and, for that reason, will not be addressed in any detail herein. According to one aspect of such bar code readers as being developed by the assignee of this application, the logic
20
analyzes each bar code read to see if it is a data bar code or a reader reprogramming bar code. Thus, there must be uniquely recognizable reprogramming bar codes and the logic
20
must be able to recognize them. By that arrangement, the bar code reader
10
can be reprogrammed to recognize and decode a particular type of bar code from several possibilities by first having it scan a reprogramming bar code associated with the bar code type to be recognized.
In another aspect of such prior art bar code readers, there may be a pattern of actions taken each time that a particular user may wish to avoid as overly time consuming or redundant under particular circumstances. For example, if the hand-held bar code reader
10
is placed in a solid mount at the focal distance from bar codes to be scanned, there is no need for the bar code reader
10
to go through the pre-scanning process of guiding the user to the focal distance. In such cases, it would be desirable for the user to be able to deactivate that feature from the reader
10
.
The conception of the present invention began with an appreciation of the limitations of presently available reading devices, including the bar code reader described above, and the desirability of providing reading devices that are more flexible in the types of identifiers they can read and/or their modes of operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The subject of the invention is a hand-held, dual-mode asset tracking reader. According to an aspect of the invention, the reader comprises a hollow case sized and shaped to be held in a user's hand and a reading device disposed within the case in a position for receiving information from an asset. The device has an output outputting a signal representing received information. A primary switch and a secondary switch are both disposed within the case. The primary switch is connected to the reading device and is manually activatable by a user while gripping the case to initiate a reading process. The secondary switch is manually activatable by a user while gripping the case and activating the primary switch. Logic is disposed within the case and connected to the device, the primary switch, and the secondary switch for taking first and second actions. The first action is taken when the primary switch is activated by a user but the secondary switch is not activated. The second action is taken when both the primary switch and the secondary switch are activated by a user. The first action comprises processing the signal from the output of the reading device.
The primary and secondary switches may take various forms. Preferably, the manually activatable primary switch is positioned to be activated by a user's finger, and the secondary switch is positioned to be activated by a user's thumb. In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the secondary switch includes a photodiode and is operated by blocking and unblocking a path for light to strike the photodiode.
The reading device may take various forms. In a first group of embodiments, the reading device comprises a bar code scanner. The first action comprises processing the signal as representing information from a one-dimensional bar code. The second action comprises processing the signal as representing information from a two-dimensional bar code. The bar code scanner may also be a two-dimensional scanner having dual modes of operation. For example, the first action may comprise processing the signal in an area read mode, and the second action may comprise processing the signal in a line read mode.
In another group of embodiments, the reading device comprises an RF ID interrogator, and the first and second actions comprise first and second modes of operation, respectively, of the interrogator. For example, the first and second modes of operation may comprise specifying first and second ranges, respectively, of an operating parameter. Operating parameters that may be so specified include tag protocols, ID frequencies, and power levels.
The asset tracking reader may further comprise a second reading device disposed within the case in a position for receiving information from an asset. When a second reading device is included, the secon
Helton Patrick L.
Wiklof Christopher A.
Franklin Jamara A.
Intermec IP Corp.
Lee Michael G.
Pauly Joan H.
LandOfFree
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