At least some embodiments of the present invention are directed toward optical arrangements for use in providing illumination light emitted by a barcode reader. In some embodiments, the arrangement includes an illumination source, a lens positioned within the path of the illumination light emitted by the illumination source where the lens is operable to collimate the light and redirect its central axis, and a window positioned within the path of the redirected and collimated light where the window is operable to alter the illumination light such that the resulting illumination light beam has a height-to-width ratio of less than 8 to 25.

Techniques for improving efficiency of an inventory system are described. In an example, operations of the inventory system may involve reading a marker attached with an item. The item may be available from an inventory space. Based on instructions of a computing management module of the inventory system, information about the item may be printed at a first location on a medium. Based on the instructions, a layer of disappearing ink may also be applied over at least a portion of the information. Further, based on the instructions, an identifier of the item may be printed at a second location on the medium. The medium, including the printed information, the layer of disappearing ink, and the printed identifier may form the marker.

A barcode-reading system may include a barcode reader that includes an illumination system, an image sensor, an optic system, a supercapacitor, and a first wireless point-to-point interface. The illumination system may be configured to illuminate a target area. The image sensor may be configured to capture an image of the target area. The optic system may be configured to focus reflected light from the target area onto the image sensor. The supercapacitor may be configured to provide operating power to the barcode reader. The barcode-reading system may also include a docking station configured to provide charging power to charge the supercapacitor of the barcode reader. The docking station may include a second wireless point-to-point interface. The first wireless point-to-point interface and the second wireless point-to-point interface may be configured to establish a wireless point-to-point communication link between the barcode reader and the docking station.

A grocery inventory tracking assembly includes a scanning unit has a scanner and an electronic memory. The scanner is electrically coupled to the electronic memory. The scanner may scan bar codes on grocery items. The electronic memory may store the bar codes thereby facilitating the electronic memory to track inventory of the grocery items. A mount is provided and the mount may be removably coupled to a support surface. The mount frictionally engages the scanning unit. Thus, the scanning unit may be retained on the support surface.

An imaging reader has near and far imagers for imaging illuminated targets to be read over a range of working distances. A range finder determines a distance to a target. A default imager captures a minor portion of an image of the target, and rapidly determines its light intensity level. At least one of the imagers is selected based on the determined distance and/or the determined light intensity level. The exposure and/or gain of the selected imager is set to a predetermined value, and an illumination level is determined, also based on the determined light intensity level and/or the determined distance. The selected imager, which has been set with the predetermined value, captures an image of the target, which has been illuminated at the illumination light level.

A barcode-reading system may include a barcode-reading enhancement accessory that is securable to a mobile device. The accessory may include an optic system that is configured to shape and filter illumination from a white light source of the mobile device to project targeting illumination onto a target surface. Calibration data may indicate a relationship between surface distance and at least one feature offset of the targeting illumination. A barcode-reading application may determine a feature offset of the targeting illumination in an image that is captured by the camera assembly of the mobile device. The application may also determine an estimated surface distance based on the calibration data and the feature offset. The application may also use the estimated surface distance to adjust at least one operating parameter of the mobile device.

An indicia reading terminal has a three-dimensional depth sensor, a two dimensional image sensor, an autofocus lens assembly, and a processor. The three dimensional depth sensor captures a depth image of a field of view and create a depth map from the depth image, the depth map having one or more surface distances. The two dimensional image sensor receives incident light and capture an image therefrom. The autofocusing lens assembly is positioned proximate to the two dimensional image sensor such that the incident light passes through the autofocusing lens before reaching the two dimensional image sensor. The processor is communicatively coupled to the two dimensional image sensor, the three dimensional depth sensor, and the autofocusing lens assembly.

A battery pack for an electro-optical reader includes a rechargeable battery and a printed circuit board (PCB), both mounted in a battery housing. First and second electrical connectors are supported by the same PCB and/or the battery housing. The first electrical connector is connected to reader contacts in the reader when the battery pack is mounted in the reader. The second electrical connector is either connected to station contacts in a docking station when the reader is docked, or to a recharging cable.

A sensor (10) is provided that has at least one sensor functional group (12), a heating device (14, 22), and a heating control (14, 20) to control a heating power (P.sub.heating) of the heating device (14, 22). In this respect, the heating control (20) is configured to adapt the heating power (P.sub.heating) to a power consumption (P.sub.sensor) of the sensor functional group (12).

Disclosed are an emission control system and mater and slave devices for the emission control system. The master device controlling one or more slave devices includes a communication unit, an electrical code identification unit identifying electrical code information previously output, an information check unit checking emission position information previously set in accordance with the identified electrical code information and indicating specific positions at which the slave devices emit a light, an information providing unit providing the checked emission position information to a first slave device corresponding to one of the slave devices, and an emission control unit broadcasting the emission control signal corresponding to the emission position information through the communication unit.