Cordless Scanner Illumination Feedback Loop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cordless hand-held scanners lack user confidence due to unreliable communication between the scan engine and the host processor, leading to inconsistent user feedback and reduced acceptance of cordless scanning technology.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a Multi-Mode Ring Scanner (MMRS) with a ring unit and wrist unit connected via a cable or wireless transceivers, which provides user feedback based on host processor confirmation, enabling improved user interaction through illumination and separate aiming and scanning operations, and allowing for enhanced accuracy and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cordless hand-held scanners are used to improve portability and ease of operation, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of communication between scan engine and host processor deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the host processor sends confirmation signals back to the scan engine to verify successful data receipt. This feedback loop ensures that scan data is reliably transmitted and received, resolving the communication reliability issue while maintaining cordless operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication protocol that mediates between the scan engine and host processor. This intermediary layer ensures reliable data transmission by implementing error checking, retransmission requests, and confirmation signals, thereby maintaining reliability in the cordless communication channel.
2Measurement precision
If illumination is provided to aid aiming before scanning, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides illumination before the scanning action to pre-align the scanner with the target barcode. This preliminary illumination step allows the user to accurately position the scanner without requiring multiple attempts, thereby improving scanning accuracy while minimizing time loss through a single-pass scan.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination remains active during the scanning process, providing continuous visual guidance from positioning through data capture. This continuous useful action ensures the user maintains proper alignment throughout the scan, improving precision without requiring interruption or additional time for repositioning.
Data Source
AI summary
An accuracy-enhanced scanner provides (in response to a first user input) illumination of potential scan targets and scans (in response to a second user input) a selected scan target. The user uses the illumination to aim the scanner at the selected scan target in between providing the first and the second user inputs. The scanner has switches to communicate the user inputs, to specify an operating mode for the scanner, and/or to communicate information codes to a computing device. The scanner has one or more scan engines (such as a barcode reader or an RFID tag reader), and optionally communicates wirelessly with the computing device. A scanning system including the scanner optionally provides feedback to the user based on feedback from a host processor. The scanner is any of a Multi-Mode Ring Scanner (MMRS), a cordless hand scanner, or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) with an add-on scanner.