Patent · US Expired

Optical scanner with hand-held and hands-free modes of use

US6053413A · kind A · utility

89Cited by
17References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 10, 1997
Grant dateApr 25, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 10, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K2207/1018
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An optical scanner having an adjustable cradle or stand for allowing the user either to operate the scanner in the hand or while positioned in the cradle. In one embodiment, suitable for use with wireless-based hand-held scanners, a particular scanner may be associated with an individual cradle by scanning a bar code symbol associated with that cradle and storing and/or processing the ID data contained in the symbol. A simple mechanical arrangement is provided for switching the scanner either manually or automatically between one-dimensional and two-dimensional scanning, with corresponding changes in the cross-sectional shape and/or focus of the scanning laser beam.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.