BAR CODE-READING CAPABILITIES OF A PORTABLE, HAND-HELD COMPUTING DEVICE THAT COMPRISES A CAMERA

1 . An attachment for a camera device comprising a camera, wherein the attachment comprises at least one of:

a target generating mechanism;

a proximity sensor;

illumination that is optimized for bar code reading;

optics that provide an alternative optical path to the camera device; and

a supplementary lens system that is optimized for bar code reading.

2 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the target generating mechanism facilitates optimal positioning of the camera device with respect to a bar code that the camera device is attempting to read.

3 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensor:

determines a distance between the camera and a bar code that the camera device is attempting to read; and

provides information about the distance to the camera.

4 . The attachment of claim 3 , further comprising an interface that facilitates communication of the distance information from the proximity sensor to the camera.

5 . The attachment of claim 3 , further comprising circuitry that sends control signals to the camera, wherein the control signals cause the camera to:

disable the camera's auto-focusing feature; and

set the camera's focus value based on the distance information that is provided by the proximity sensor.

6 . The attachment of claim 3 , further comprising circuitry that sends control signals to the camera, wherein the control signals cause the camera to:

temporarily disable the camera's auto-focusing feature;

set the camera's focus value based on the distance information that is provided by the proximity sensor while the camera's auto-focusing feature is disabled; and

subsequently re-enable the camera's auto-focusing feature after the camera's focus value has been set based on the distance information.

7 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the attachment comprises at least one single-color light source.

8 . The attachment of claim 7 , further comprising activation/deactivation circuitry that activates and deactivates the at least one single-color light source.

9 . The attachment of claim 7 , further comprising illumination detection circuitry that detects when a white light source of the camera device is activated and when the white light source of the camera device is deactivated.

10 . The attachment of claim 9 , wherein:

the activation/deactivation circuitry activates the at least one single-color light source in response to the white light source of the camera device being activated; and

the activation/deactivation circuitry deactivates the at least one single-color light source in response to the white light source of the camera device being deactivated.

11 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the attachment comprises:

a light pipe that redirects white illumination that is provided by a white light source of the camera device; and

at least one single-color filter that filters the redirected white illumination, so that single-color illumination is directed toward a target area.

12 . The attachment of claim 1 , further comprising a mirror that redirects reflected light toward a focusing lens of the camera device.

13 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the supplementary lens system comprises an aperture.

14 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the supplementary lens system comprises a lens that is optimized for bar code reading.

15 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the supplementary lens system comprises a single-color filter.

16 . The attachment of claim 1 , further comprising an anti-microbial housing.

17 . The attachment of claim 1 , further comprising a chemical resistant housing.

18 . The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the attachment automatically activates at least one of the target generating mechanism and the illumination that is optimized for bar code reading in response to a recognizable illumination pattern of the camera device.

19 . A method comprising:

using a camera device equipped with an attachment as defined in claim 1 for at least one of bar code verification, print verification, and reading direct part marks.