An assisted aimer for rapid, accurate, and low-cost imaging of barcodes, includes a hand-held device, such as a smart phone or tablet, having a digital camera with built-in flash, a specialized software application executing on the phone, and an aimer apparatus attached in front of the flash aperture for forming an aimer beam at a predetermined distance. The aimer beam assists a user in accurately pointing the device at a target barcode. The aimer is attachable directly to the smart phone or camera, or is made a part of an enclosure that accepts the smart phone or tablet into a self-aligning receiving space. Aiming beam assistance enables the camera, its auto-focus, and the installed software application image processing to deliver rapid, snappy, barcode imaging.

Barcode readers and methods for directing fields-of-view of imaging sensors of barcode readers are disclosed herein. An example barcode reader includes a housing, an imaging sensor positioned within the housing, and a transflective mirror positioned within the housing and in a path of a field-of-view of the imaging sensor. The transflective mirror reflects at least a first portion of the field-of-view of the imaging sensor in a first direction with the transflective mirror in a reflective state and allows the field-of-view of the imaging sensor to pass through and continue in a second direction, different than the first direction, with the transflective mirror in a transmissive state.

Methods and systems to implement a miniature long range imaging engine with auto-focus, auto-zoom, and auto-illumination are disclosed herein. An example method includes detecting, by a microprocessor, a presence of an aim light pattern within the FOV; determining, by the microprocessor and in response to the detecting, a target distance of an object in the FOV based on a position of the aim light pattern in the FOV, the target distance being a distance from the imaging engine to the object; causing, by the microprocessor, a variable focus optical element to focus on the object based on the target distance; responsive to making a first determination, by the microprocessor, selecting, based on the target distance, one of a plurality of zoom operation modes; and responsive to making a second determination, by the microprocessor, selecting, based on the target distance, one of a plurality of illumination modes.

Method and systems for driving an aiming assembly of a barcode imager are provided. An example method includes obtaining an operating mode of the barcode imager having an aiming assembly and, in response, determining a duty cycle of an aiming pulse of the aiming assembly. That duty cycle is determined as a percentage of a frame duration of an imager sensor and, further, such that simultaneous constraints are satisfied by the aiming pulse. The constraints include a simultaneous frame duration-independent, peak pulse optical power constraint and a frame duration-dependent heat dissipation constraint.

Methods and devices for driving a laser diode are disclosed herein. An example method includes a boost regulator outputting a maximum boost voltage to drive a laser diode that is configured to output light within a wavelength range of 495 nanometers (nm) to 570 nm. A boost servo may measure a laser voltage, and calculate a voltage difference between the two voltages. The servo may then compare the voltage difference to a drive voltage to determine an excess voltage, and may cause the boost regulator to output an optimum voltage based on the excess voltage. The boost servo may also calculate a low voltage to drive at least one additional component that is electrically coupled to the boost regulator when the laser diode is inactive; and may cause the boost regulator to output the low voltage to power the at least one additional component.

A function execution system includes a function execution device configured to execute a plurality of functions, a storage device, an image acquisition device, and a reader device. The function execution device switches between first to fourth functions to be executed depending on whether code information, which is read by the reader device based on an image representing an information code included in a captured image acquired by the image acquisition device from the image capturing unit, is first code information or second code information and whether user information stored in the storage device is first user information or second user information.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods for determining the identity of markings on tires. A portable tire scanner can comprise one or more light sources and detector that reflect light off tire markings and capture imagery of them. The scanner is operable to process the imagery to determine the identity of the markings. The marking can be the same color as the area of the tire around the marking (e.g., black-on-black) and the scanner can identify the marking by determining angular edges of the markings. Plural light sources and/or detectors can be used to provide plural perspectives to better determine the edges of the markings. The housing can have a form factor that allows the scanner to be hand-held, such that a user can aim the scanner at tires even while on a vehicle or in hard to reach positions. The scanner can be used to scan and identify several tire marking in succession.

Disclosed herein is a combined reading apparatus for identifying a product. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a combined reading apparatus may include: a plate panel configured to recognize Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag information, configured such that an antenna adapted to transmit and receive a Radio Frequency (RF) signal to and from an RFID tag is included therein, and formed in a plate shape having predetermined lengths in a horizontal direction and a height direction; a connection bar coupled to one side of the plate panel, configured to support the plate panel, and configured to extend from the plate panel in the horizontal direction; a grip formed in a bar shape so as to be held by a hand, spaced apart from the plate panel, and coupled to the connection bar; and a control unit configured to control the RF transmission and reception of the antenna.

A code reader includes an imager configured to capture an image, and a processor operably coupled to the imager. The processor performs an object detection operation having a configurable triggering threshold that may be set, at least in part, based on an amount of changes needed to be detected in order to trigger a positive result for object detection. The processor also initiates a scanning phase for the code reader to read and decode an indicia responsive to the positive result being achieved by the object detection operation.

A barcode scanner device 200 is formed as a wrist watch with a main body 210 and strap 220 and includes a camera 211 to capture an image of a barcode 11. The scanner 200 generates an inventory request message sent by a communication interface 215 to a local server 30 based on the captured barcode. In a capture mode, live camera images may be displayed on touch-screen display 212 while capturing the barcode with guides and feedback for the user. In a display mode, inventory data from database 32 may be accessed in a large data field on the touch screen display 212.