Imaging scanner having near field communication device

1. A workstation with one or more Near Field Communication (NFC) antennas comprising:

a housing having a first window located in an upright plane and having a second window located in a generally horizontal plane that intersects the upright plane;

an illumination system supported by the housing and operative to illuminate a target object with illumination light directed through one of the windows;

at least one imaging sensor having an array of photosensitive elements operative to capture an image of the target object during an exposure time period;

an NFC device being fixed at a position relative to the housing and operative to receive NFC signal from a mobile computing device, the NFC device including at least one NFC antenna configured to generate a voltage signal from magnetic induction of the NFC signal;

wherein the illumination system is operative to generate the illumination light that depends upon at least one of two conditions;

wherein, under a first condition that no NFC signal from the mobile computing device is received by the NFC device, the illumination system is configured to generate a first illumination light with a first intensity; and

wherein, under a second condition that the NFC signal from the mobile computing device is received by the NFC device, the illumination system is (1) configured to generate a second illumination light with a second intensity that is less than the first intensity at least during the exposure time period or (2) disabled from generating a second illumination light at least during the exposure time period.

2. The workstation of claim 1 , further comprising:

a controller in the housing connected to the at least one imaging sensor and the illumination system and operative to process a barcode in the image of the target object captured by one of the at least one imaging sensor.

3. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein the NFC device comprises an NFC antenna having conducting coils mounted behind one of the windows.

4. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein the NFC device comprises (1) a first NFC antenna mounted behind the first window and (2) a second NFC antenna mounted behind the second window.

5. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein the NFC device comprises an NFC antenna having conducting coils wounded substantially parallel to one of the windows.

6. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein the NFC device comprises (1) a first NFC antenna having conducting coils wounded substantially parallel to the first window and (2) a second NFC antenna having conducting coils wounded substantially parallel to the second window.

7. The workstation of claim 1 , further comprising:

an object sensor having an object field of view; and

wherein the NFC device is operative to establish NFC communication upon detecting the presence of an object within the object field of view of the object sensor.

8. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein the second intensity associated with the second illumination light with is less than 10% of the first intensity associated with the first illumination light at least during the exposure time period.

9. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein the second intensity associated with the second illumination light with is less than 5% of the first intensity associated with the first illumination light at least during the exposure time period.

10. A method of operating an imaging scanner has an imaging sensor and having one or more Near Field Communication (NFC) antennas, the method comprising:

detecting with an NFC device whether NFC signal from a mobile computing device is received, the NFC device including at least one NFC antenna configured to generate a voltage signal from magnetic induction of the NFC signal

generating an illumination light towards a target object, with the illumination light depending upon whether the NFC signal from the mobile computing device is received,

detecting light reflected from the target object with the imaging sensor during an exposure time period to capture an image of the target object in memory;

processing the image captured by the imaging sensor to decode a barcode in the image captured; and

wherein said generating comprises, under a first condition that no NFC signal from the mobile computing device is received by the NFC device, generating a first illumination light with a first intensity; and

wherein said generating comprises, under a second condition that the NFC signal from the mobile computing device is received by the NFC device, (1) generating a second illumination light with a second intensity that is less than the first intensity at least during the exposure time period or (2) preventing a second illumination light from being generated at least during the exposure time period.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said imaging scanner includes an object sensor having an object field of view, further comprising:

initiating said detecting whether NFC signal from a mobile computing device is received upon detecting the presence of the target object within the object field of view of the object sensor.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

establishing NFC communication between the NFC device and the mobile computing device.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

sending a command to the mobile computing device to cause a picture of a person be displayed on the mobile computing device; and

capturing with the imaging sensor the picture displayed on the mobile computing device.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

sending a command to the mobile computing device to change the content of an NFC tag in the NFC device.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second intensity associated with the second illumination light is less than 10% of the first intensity associated with the first illumination light at least during the exposure time period.

16. A device with one or more Near Field Communication (NFC) antennas comprising:

a housing having a window;

an illumination system supported by the housing and operative to illuminate a target object with illumination light directed through the window;

an imaging sensor having an array of photosensitive elements operative to capture an image of the target object during an exposure time period;

an NFC device being fixed at a position relative to the housing and operative to receive NFC signal from a mobile computing device, the NFC device including at least one NFC antenna configured to generate a voltage signal from magnetic induction of the NFC signal;

wherein the illumination system is operative to generate the illumination light that depends upon at least one of two conditions;

wherein, under a first condition that no NFC signal from the mobile computing device is received by the NFC device, the illumination system is configured to generate a first illumination light with a first intensity; and

wherein, under a second condition that the NFC signal from the mobile computing device is received by the NFC device, the illumination system is (1) configured to generate a second illumination light with a second intensity that is less than the first intensity at least during the exposure time period or (2) disabled from generating a second illumination light at least during the exposure time period.

17. The device of claim 16 , further comprising:

a controller in the housing connected to the imaging sensor and the illumination system and operative to process a barcode in the image of the target object captured by the imaging sensor.

18. The device of claim 16 , wherein the NFC device comprises an NFC antenna having conducting coils mounted behind the window.

19. The device of claim 16 , wherein the NFC device comprises an NFC antenna having conducting coils wounded substantially parallel to the window.

20. The device of claim 16 , further comprising:

an object sensor having an object field of view; and

wherein the NFC device is operative to establish NFC communication upon detecting the presence of an object within the object field of view of the object sensor.