Configurable Communication Interface for Scan Engine Signal Relaxation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low-cost decoders with limited processing capability struggle to accurately measure the duration of Digital Bar Pattern (DBP) signal pulses from high-performance optical scanners, especially at increased distances and scan rates, leading to inadequate data retrieval from optical symbols.
Innovation Solution
A configurable communication interface that generates a relaxed DBP signal, independent of scan rate and distance, by scaling pulse durations to a fixed minimum, allowing accurate data retrieval even with limited processing capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If high-performance optical scanners with increased scan rates and far field reading capabilities are used, then scanning speed and reading distance are improved, but pulse duration in the DBP signal decreases making it difficult for low-cost decoders to accurately measure
Solution Approach 1:
A communication interface is introduced as an intermediary component between the optical scanner and the decoder. This interface receives the high-speed DBP signal from the scanner, processes it by scaling pulse widths to a standardized minimum duration, and outputs a relaxed DBP signal that the low-cost decoder can accurately measure. The intermediary translates between the high-performance scanner's output and the cost-sensitive decoder's requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication interface changes the temporal parameters of the DBP signal by scaling pulse widths. It takes the original DBP signal with varying pulse durations and transforms it into a relaxed DBP signal where all pulses are scaled to a standardized minimum width. This parameter transformation makes the signal compatible with low-cost decoders while preserving the high scan rate capability.
2Ease of manufacture
If low-cost decoders with limited processing capability are used, then system cost is reduced, but the ability to accurately measure short pulse durations from high-speed scanners is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The communication interface serves as a mediator that bridges the capability gap between low-cost decoders and high-performance scanners. It processes the scanner's output signal to ensure compatibility with the decoder's limited processing capability, allowing the use of cost-effective decoders without sacrificing measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication interface creates a transformed copy of the original DBP signal. Instead of requiring the decoder to directly process the original high-speed signal with varying pulse widths, the interface generates a relaxed copy with standardized pulse widths that is easier for low-cost decoders to process accurately.
3Productivity
If the duration of DBP pulse widths decreases below a certain threshold, then high scan rates and far field reading are enabled, but low-cost decoders cannot adequately measure the pulse duration leading to data retrieval failure
Solution Approach 1:
The communication interface performs preliminary processing of the DBP signal before it reaches the decoder. By pre-scaling the pulse widths to a standardized minimum duration, the interface ensures that the signal is already in a suitable form for accurate decoding, preventing data retrieval failures before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication interface acts as a protective intermediary that prevents the degradation of signal quality from reaching the decoder. It maintains signal integrity by ensuring all pulses meet the minimum duration requirement, thereby preserving data retrieval reliability regardless of the original pulse width variations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system, apparatus, and methods for interfacing a scan engine (220) for scanning optical code symbols (260) and a decoder (250). The system employs a configurable communication interface (240) configured to generate a relaxed DBP signal that is independent of the scanning distance or the scan rate used in a scanning operation using a DBP signal from the scan engine (220). A relaxed DBP signal (400) may be generated by scaling a narrowest pulse in a pulse sequence to a fixed minimum pulse width. A relaxed DBP signal (400) having transmission slots of a fixed duration may be generated by calculating a minimum pulse duration that enables transmission of a pulse sequence within the fixed duration. Upon scaling the narrowest pulse in a pulse sequence to the minimum pulse width, either fixed or calculated, the remaining pulses are scaled so as to maintain a relative proportionality of each pulse width in the pulse sequence.