Bar code reading terminal with video capturing mode
A bar code reading terminal can, in one embodiment, include a two-dimensional image sensor and an imaging assembly. The terminal can be configured, in response to receipt of a trigger signal, to buffer a set of frames and subject each frame of the set of frames to a decode attempt. The terminal can also be configured to convert the convert the captured set of video frames into a compressed video format, and transfer the resulting video file to a file server or to one or more playback devices, in response to a user interface action, or in response to difficult read condition having been detected. The terminal can also be configured to establish two-way video- and audio-communication with a remote video- and audio-streaming device. The video capturing and streaming operation of the terminal can be controlled remotely from a playback device via web interface.
1. A method to train bar code reading terminal operators comprising the steps of:
providing a bar code reading terminal;
providing a bar code to be read by said bar code reading terminal;
imaging said bar code using said bar code reading terminal;
storing a plurality of images into a buffer memory;
recalling each image of said plurality of images one at a time from said buffer memory;
attempting to decode said each image of said plurality of images to extract bar code data;
determining if said attempt to decode said bar code data was successful;
if said attempt to decode said bar code data was unsuccessful, transferring at least a subset of said plurality of images subjected to decoding for later viewing, wherein an attempt to decode is determined to be unsuccessful if a decoding fails for N successive frames, wherein N>1, and wherein the N successive frames include a most recent frame of the N successive frames, and
subjecting the at least a subset of said plurality of images to video viewing to evaluate an imaging technique employed by an operator of said bar code reading terminal, wherein the at least a subset of the plurality of images includes a frame taken before the most recent frame of the N successive frames.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of transferring at least a subset of said plurality of images comprises the step of transferring at least a subset of said plurality of images subjected to decoding in a raw video format for later viewing, if the bar code decoding attempt was unsuccessful.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of transferring at least a subset of said plurality of images comprises the step of transferring at least a subset of said plurality of images subjected to decoding in an encoded video format for later viewing, if the bar code decoding attempt was unsuccessful.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of transferring at least a subset of said plurality of images comprises the step of transferring at least a subset of said plurality of images subjected to decoding for later viewing, if the bar code decoding attempt was successful for later recall and viewing to demonstrate a good imaging technique.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method includes actuating a manual trigger, wherein said imaging said bar code is responsive to said actuating said manual trigger.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said method includes subjecting an initial frame acquired responsively to said manual trigger being actuated to an attempt to decode.
7. A bar code reading terminal comprising:
a two-dimensional image sensor;
a lens assembly focusing an image onto said two-dimensional image sensor;
wherein said bar code reading terminal in response to receiving a trigger signal captures a set of frames, buffers said set of frames into a buffer memory, reads each frame of said set of frames one at a time from said buffer memory and subjects said each frame of said set of frames to a decode attempt; and
wherein said bar code reading terminal in response to a difficult read condition being detected transfers at least a subset of frames of said set of frames that have been subject to a decode attempt to another location for later viewing, wherein a determination that a difficult read condition is present is based on a processing of N successive frames, wherein N>1, and wherein the N successive frames include a most recent frame, and wherein the at least a subset of frames includes a frame taken before the most recent frame.
8. The bar code reading terminal of claim 7 , wherein said at least a subset of frames is transferred to a second memory within said bar code reading terminal.
9. The bar code reading terminal of claim 7 , wherein said at least a subset of frames is transferred to a server.
10. The bar code reading terminal of claim 7 , wherein said bar code reading terminal converts said at least a subset of frames to a raw video file.
11. The bar code reading terminal of claim 10 , wherein said bar code reading terminal further encodes said raw video file into a compressed video file format.
12. The bar code reading terminal of claim 11 , wherein said compressed video file format is one of MJPEG format, MPEG-4 format, RealVideo format, WMV format.
13. The bar code reading terminal of claim 7 , wherein said server is a server adapted to convert said at least a subset of frames to a raw video file.
14. The bar code reading terminal of claim 13 , wherein said server further encodes said raw video file into a compressed video file format.
15. The bar code reading terminal of claim 14 , wherein said compressed video file format is one of MJPEG format, MPEG-4 format, RealVideo format, WMV format.
16. The bar code reading terminal of claim 7 , wherein said bar code reading terminal subjects an initial frame acquired responsively to said receiving a trigger signal to an attempt to decode.
17. The bar code reading terminal of claim 7 , wherein said bar code reading terminal includes a manual trigger for activating the trigger signal.