Portable optical scanning and pointing systems

US6145746A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Symbol Technologies, LLC · US

Inventors

• Simon Bard · Setauket, US
• Joseph Katz · Atlanta, US
• Frederic Heiman · Los Gatos, US
• Paul Dvorkis · Stony Brook, US
• Edward Barkan · Miller Place, US
• Jerome Swartz · Oakfield, US
• Boris Metlitsky · Stony Brook, US
• Miklos Stern · Woodmere, US
• Mark Krichever · Hauppauge, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 17, 1997
• Grant date: Nov 14, 2000
• Expiry date: Jul 17, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06K2207/1016
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An optical scanning system for reading indicia of differing light reflectivity has an optical scan module which is adapted to be mounted on a finger of a user. A first peripheral module, preferably in the form of a wrist watch, has a receiver which detects the reflected light. A second peripheral module, mounted on the other arm of the user, communicates with the first module by radio frequency transmission. According to other aspects of the invention, the light detector may be mounted in a housing which is separate and part from the optical scan module. According to another aspect, a laser pointer or scanner is mounted to a ring which is arranged to be worn on a single finger of the user.