Bar code signal processing

1. An apparatus that acts on a printed symbol comprising:

a light source that generates a light beam that exits the apparatus through an exit window and is directed at a target surface on which a symbol may be present;

a light detector that detects light reflected back from the target surface and provides a detection signal corresponding to the timing and strength of changes in the amplitude of the reflected light; and

a smoothing filter having a generally Gaussian transfer function that compensates for light beam distortion that occurs at close distances to the exit window to smooth the detection signal, a size of the smoothing filter selected as a function of a width of the light beam.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising an analog to digital converter that converts the detection signal to a digital signal which is acted on by the smoothing filter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter is a low pass filter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter is of a size ranging between fifty and sixty percent of the width of the light beam.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transfer function has a size of approximately four times its standard deviation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter is implemented as a software procedure that acts on samples of the detection signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter is implemented as an FIR digital filter.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter is implemented as an IIR digital filter.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter is a second order Butterworth filter.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter is a Bessel filter.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter is implemented as an analog device on an integrated circuit.

12. An apparatus that acts on a bar code comprising:

a light source that generates a light beam that exits the apparatus through an exit window and is directed at a target surface on which a bar code may be present;

a light detector that detects light reflected back from the target surface and provides a detection signal corresponding to the timing and strength of changes in the amplitude of the reflected light;

a low pass filter having a generally Gaussian transfer function with filter properties selected based on light beam characteristics that compensates for light beam distortion that occurs at close distances to the exit window to smooth the detection signal, a size of the low pass filter selected as a function of a width of the light beam;

a digitizer that translates the smoothed detection signal and outputs at least one digitizer signal representative of the timing ad strength of those changes in the detection signal that correspond to transitions between light and dark areas on the surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the low pass filter is of a size ranging between fifty and sixty percent of the width of the light beam and is implemented as an analog device on an integrated circuit.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the filter is implemented as a software procedure that acts on samples of the detection signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the filter is implemented as a digital filter.

16. A method that evaluates a printed symbol comprising:

generating a light beam to be directed through an exit window at a target surface on which a symbol may be present;

detecting light reflected back from the target surface;

providing a detection signal corresponding to the timing and strength of changes in the amplitude of the reflected light; and

smoothing the detection signal with a smoothing filter wherein the filter has a generally Gaussian transfer function that is selected to correct the shape of the light beam at distances close to the exit window, a size of the smoothing filter selected as a function of a width of the light beam.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising translating the smoothed detection signal and outputting at least one digitizer signal representative of the timing and strength of those changes in the detection signal that correspond to transitions between light and dark areas on the surface.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the filter is a low pass filter.

19. The method of claim 16 comprising sampling the detection signal and eliminating samples from the signal according to a given transfer function to smooth the detection signal.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the filter is of a size ranging between fifty and sixty percent of the width of the light beam.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the transfer function has a size of approximately four times its standard deviation.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the filter is implemented as an FIR digital filter.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the filter is implemented as an IIR digital filter.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the filter is a second order Butterworth filter.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein the filter is a Bessel filter.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein the filter is implemented as an analog device on an integrated circuit.

27. An apparatus that evaluates a printed symbol comprising:

means for generating a light beam to be directed through an exit window at a target surface on which a symbol may be present;

means for detecting light reflected back from the target surface;

means for providing a detection signal corresponding to the timing and strength of changes in the amplitude of the reflected light; and

means for filtering the detection signal wherein the means for filtering has a generally Gaussian transfer function that is selected to correct the shape of the light beam at distances close to the exit window, a size of the means for filtering selected as a function of a width of the light beam.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the means for filtering is a low pass filter.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 comprising means for sampling the detection signal and means for eliminating samples from the signal according to a given transfer function to smooth the detection signal.