Anti-condensation method and system for data capture device

1. A data capture device, comprising:

a handheld housing supporting a scan window at a scan opening of the housing, wherein the handheld housing comprises a main body portion and a grip portion;

a vent defined in the main body portion;

a data capture module having a scanner field of view directed through the scan window;

a heater controllable to heat the window;

a non-contact temperature sensor within the handheld housing, having a sensor field of view directed at the scan window, the non-contact temperature sensor supported away from an interior surface of the scan window and outside the scanner field of view by a window sensor platform;

an auxiliary temperature sensor configured to measure ambient temperature external to the data capture device;

a humidity sensor configured to measure ambient humidity external to the data capture device;

an ambient sensor platform supported within the main body portion adjacent to the vent and electrically connected to a support member, wherein the ambient sensor platform carries the auxiliary temperature sensor and the humidity sensor; and

a controller configured to:

receive (i) a window temperature from the non-contact temperature sensor, (ii) the ambient temperature external to the data capture device from the auxiliary temperature sensor, and (iii) the ambient humidity external to the data capture device from the humidity sensor;

determine a dew point according to the ambient temperature external to the data capture device and the ambient humidity external to the data capture device; and

select a power level for the heater based on a comparison of the window temperature and the dew point.

2. The data capture device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured, in order to select the power level, to:

determine whether the dew point exceeds the window temperature;

when the dew point exceeds the window temperature, select an increased power level; and

when the dew point does not exceed the window temperature, select a reduced power level.

3. The data capture device of claim 2 , wherein the increased power level is a maximum power level, and wherein the decreased power level is a minimum power level.

4. The data capture device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a rate of change associated with at least one of the window temperature and the dew point, and to select the power level according to the rate of change.

5. The data capture device of claim 1 , wherein, the support member is configured to support the window sensor platform comprising the non-contact temperature sensor.

6. The data capture device of claim 5 , wherein the window sensor platform is electrically connected to the support member.

7. The data capture device of claim 6 , wherein the sensor field of view is perpendicular to the support member.

8. The data capture device of claim 6 , wherein the scan window is supported by the housing at a non-right angle relative to the support member.

9. The data capture device of claim 6 , wherein the window sensor platform is electrically connected to the support member by a flexible cable.

10. The data capture device of claim 6 , further comprising:

a heater contact electrically connected to the heater; and

a heater power contact disposed on the window sensor platform and configured to engage with the heater contact to supply power to the heater.

11. The data capture device of claim 1 , wherein the heater includes an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) film integrated with the scan window.

12. The data capture device of claim 1 , wherein the vent is defined in a lower wall of the housing adjacent to the scan window.

13. The data capture device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a gasket surrounding the vent and supporting the ambient sensor platform.

14. An anti-condensation method in a data capture device, the method comprising:

receiving a window temperature of a scan window of the data capture device from a non-contact temperature sensor within a handheld housing of the data capture device, having a sensor field of view directed at the scan window, the non-contact temperature sensor supported away from an interior surface of the scan window and outside the scanner field of view by a window sensor platform, wherein the handheld housing comprises a main body portion and a grip portion, the main body portion defining a vent;

receiving an ambient temperature external to the data capture device from an auxiliary temperature sensor configured to measure the ambient temperature external to the data capture device, an ambient sensor platform supported within the main body portion adjacent to the vent and electrically connected to a support member, wherein the ambient sensor platform carries the auxiliary temperature sensor and a humidity sensor;

receiving an ambient humidity external to the data capture device from the humidity sensor configured to measure the ambient humidity external to the data capture device;

determining a dew point according to the ambient temperature external to the data capture device and the ambient humidity external to the data capture device; and

selecting a power level for a scan window heater based on a comparison of the window temperature and the dew point.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein selecting the power level comprises:

determining whether the dew point exceeds the window temperature;

when the dew point exceeds the window temperature, selecting an increased power level; and

when the dew point does not exceed the window temperature, selecting a reduced power level.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the increased power level is a maximum power level, and wherein the decreased power level is a minimum power level.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining a rate of change associated with at least one of the window temperature and the dew point; and

selecting the power level according to the rate of change.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving a further window temperature, a further ambient temperature external to the data capture device, and a further ambient humidity external to the data capture device;

determining a further dew point; and

selecting a further power level for the scan window heater based on a comparison of the further window temperature and the further dew point.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions executable by a processor of a data capture device to configured the data capture device to:

receive a window temperature of a scan window of the data capture device from a non-contact temperature sensor within a handheld housing of the data capture device, having a sensor field of view directed at the scan window, the non-contact temperature sensor supported away from an interior surface of the scan window and outside the scanner field of view by a window sensor platform, wherein the handheld housing comprises a main body portion and a grip portion, the main body portion defining a vent;

receive an ambient temperature external to the data capture device from an auxiliary temperature sensor configured to measure the ambient temperature external to the data capture device, an ambient sensor platform supported within the main body portion adjacent to the vent and electrically connected to a support member wherein the ambient sensor platform carries the auxiliary temperature sensor and a humidity sensor;

receive an ambient humidity external to the data capture device from the humidity sensor configured to measure the ambient humidity external to the data capture device;

determine a dew point according to the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity; and

select a power level for a scan window heater based on a comparison of the window temperature and the dew point.