Patents Assigned to Intermec IP
  • Patent number: 5902987
    Abstract: A method and apparatus locates edges of patterns in a stored image, such as edges of bars or finder patterns of machine-readable symbols. The present invention first selects an edge point or pixel within a stored image. A dominant direction is determined therefrom by examining a region surrounding the selected point. A smaller window is then examined around the edge point to derive a hexadecimal code based on binary values of pixels which surround the edge point. The hexadecimal code is compared to a table of codes, where each code maps to a similar window and identifies a next edge point. The process continues in the dominant direction until the entire edge is located. Circuitry for rapidly performing the its location of patterns in a stored image, such as ages of bars of finder patterns of machine-readable symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Coffman, Pavel A. Maltsev
  • Patent number: 5897255
    Abstract: A method of printing font character bars comprised of a plurality of rows in a direction of printing movement perpendicular to the font character bars which are in turn comprised of a plurality of close adjacent dots to improve print quality at printing speeds which induce elongated dot smear in the direction of printing movement. The method comprises removing one dot or more from an end of each of the plurality of rows of a font character bar which is otherwise over-widened from dot smear. Partial dot removal can also be employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventor: H. Sprague Ackley
  • Patent number: 5896561
    Abstract: A base station utilizing a dormant polling protocol transmits polling sequences to a plurality of remote transceivers during periods of heavy loading. During periods of light loading, the base station stops polling and enters into a dormant state, listening for communication request from the remote transceivers. Upon receiving such a request, the base station immediately responds by servicing the requesting remote transceiver. In this way, the base station provides optimized utilization of the communication channel during periods of heavy and light loading conditions. The features of the dormant polling protocol may incorporate any polling protocol such as those described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventors: Steven B. Schrader, Ronald L. Mahany
  • Patent number: 5896214
    Abstract: A portable electronic device comprising a mounting bracket having a cylindrical aperture for mounting a cylindrical electronic components such as a light emitting diode or the like. A mounting bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention may be used to mount an infrared (IR) assembly in a hand-held data collection terminal. This IR assembly may comprise one or more infrared light emitting diodes for transmitting infrared data transmission signals and may also comprise an infrared receiver for sensing and receiving infrared data transmission signals from an infrared data transmission source. Also described is a process for making a small part having a cylindrical aperture, such as a mounting bracket for an IR assembly, is also disclosed. According to this process, cylindrical apertures may be molded into the part without the use of slide pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventor: Harold R. Peltz
  • Patent number: 5886338
    Abstract: A symbology reader employing an area detector and LEDs mounted at various angular orientations on a printed circuit board for illuminating a target object in an object plane. Each of the LEDs is oriented according to a desired beam vector to illuminate a particular area of the object plane so that the sum of the beams produces a desired illumination pattern. In one embodiment, the illumination pattern is selected to be inversely proportional to the sensitivity of the area detector to provide an even response over an entire image area. The individual LEDs are angularly aligned by an alignment board having an alignment aperture for each LED. The LEDs are mounted onto the printed circuit board with their body portions spaced apart from the board and supported by semi-rigid wire leads soldered to the board. Each of the alignment holes of the alignment board is laterally offset slightly from the mounting position of the LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation
    Inventors: Kevork G. Arackellian, Steven M. Bunce, Joel T. Aragon
  • Patent number: 5880868
    Abstract: A communication network which uses an infrared backbone and having a radio frequency backup channel is disclosed. The infrared backbone is generally located on a ceiling in a hallway of a building and comprises a plurality of hub access points. The hub access points communicate data on the backbone in a relay fashion using modulated infrared light. If infrared communications fail, the hub access points may, as a backup, communicate in the same fashion using low power radio frequency (RF) transmissions. Each of the hub access points also communicate with one or more non-backbone tap access points using infrared or RF transmissions. Tap access points are generally located on the ceiling in the hallway near an adjacent room and/or at some location in the adjacent room itself. A tap access point in the hallway is hard-wired through the ceiling to another tap access point or an antenna in the room, which permits communication with an end-point device in the room using infrared or RF transmissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventor: Ronald L. Mahany
  • Patent number: 5880867
    Abstract: A communication network which uses an infrared backbone and having a radio frequency backup channel is disclosed. The infrared backbone is generally located on a ceiling in a hallway of a building and comprises a plurality of hub access points. The hub access points communicate data on the backbone in a relay fashion using modulated infrared light. If infrared communications fail, the hub access points may, as a backup, communicate in the same fashion using low power radio frequency (RF) transmissions. In another embodiment, in an environment such as an airplane having equipment sensitive to RF noise, a communication network is installed having communication pathways which adapt in response to such equipment as need be to minimize RF noise. For example, high-bandwidth wired communicate on might be acceptable during some periods when the sensitive equipment is not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventor: Mahany L. Ronald
  • Patent number: 5877486
    Abstract: A method and apparatus scans or images a machine-readable symbol to produce several reflectance profiles therefrom. The profiles are averaged to produce an averaged profile. Weighted coefficients for each profile are then computed based on the averaged profile. Using the weighted coefficients, a weighted profile from each of the profiles is then produced. Low pass filtering is applied to the weighted profile to filter noisy or gray level signals therefrom. The resulting filtered profile is transformed using a non-linear technique to enhance high amplitude signals, but suppress low amplitude signals. The resulting transform signal is stretched over the range of reflectance values. The resulting stretched signal is then decoded using, for example, techniques for decoding profiles that fail to resolve narrow (1-wide) elements in the machine-readable symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventors: Pavel A. Maltsev, H. Sprague Ackley
  • Patent number: 5878395
    Abstract: A portable computer terminal is disclosed which may operate in a hand-held mode and while docked within a vehicle. The terminal interacts with an illumination means therein which can be used for bar code reading and, while docked, for providing illumination for a head up display on the vehicle's windshield. Textual messages undergo text to voice conversion as well as head up display. Moreover, to provide full hands-off operation, voice recognition of predefined sets of commands is incorporated within the terminal. In another embodiment, the illumination means is placed in a housing separate from the terminal. A wireless link between the illumination means and the terminal provide for communicating text and graphics for head up display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec Ip Corp.
    Inventor: James D. Bennett
  • Patent number: 5862267
    Abstract: A method and apparatus locates a periphery or "bounding box" of an image of a symbol located within an image stored by a reader. The symbol preferably has a recognition pattern with an longitudinally extending bar and at least one vertically extending reference bar, such as in the Code One symbology. The method locates the positions of landmark points within the stored image. Landmark points include points at the end of the longitudinally extending bar, points at the corner or root formed between the longitudinally extending bar and the vertically extending bar, and points at the ends of the vertically extending bars. Based on the locations of the landmark points, lines are projected between pairs of the landmark points to determine an amount, if any, of optical distortion to which the image of the symbol suffers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventor: Lingnan Liu
  • Patent number: 5859656
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing back tension onto a print media web comprises a plate having a post extended perpendicularly therefrom. The post is adapted to support a roll of print media thereon such that a web of the print media roll is paid out by rotation of the roll about the post. A constant-force spring is attached to a portion of the media plate at and has a handle coupled to an opposite end of the spring. A pressing element is coupled to the handle such that the spring is biased to urge the pressing element against the media supply roll to maintain the roll firmly in contact with the post during rotation of the roll. The force provided by the pressing element onto the media supply roll imparts sufficient back tension on the print media web to maintain a constant pay out rate. The present back tension apparatus provides a relatively simple mechanism that is readily adaptable for many conventional printers, such as a thermal transfer printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventors: Cathy L. Aragon, Todd W. Leiby, Duane M. Fox
  • Patent number: 5854478
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reading a distorted image of data collection symbol within a reader image generated and stored by a two-dimensional symbology reader begins by first locating a starting point in the distorted symbol image within the stored reader image. The method identifies edge contours of some or all of the bars and spaces in the symbol. The method then identifies one or more points within each of the identified edges. Thereafter, the method defines one or more sampling paths or lines that extend through the symbol, and through the points such that each line is constructed in a "connect-the-dot" fashion. The bars and spaces can then be sampled based on one or more of the defined lines, and the information in the symbol decoded from the sampled bars and spaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventors: Lingnan Liu, Mark Y. Shimizu, Lisa M. Vartanian
  • Patent number: 5823693
    Abstract: A gapless label media which can be carried by a liner or be linerless. Apparatus is also disclosed for printing on and applying resultant labels which are staggered laterally across the media width. In an embodiment of the invention, the label printer comprises a printhead for printing on the media, a sensor sensing the leading edge of each first label at a known distance from the printhead and a drive system moving the plurality of labels from a position of the sensor to a pre-established print position under the printhead. In another embodiment of the present invention, in which there may be lateral drift of the labels, the sensor senses along a path having a width greater than a maximum amount of lateral drift of the plurality of labels. Alternatively, plural sensors may be utilized to detect plural paths through the labels to detect lateral drift of the labels, or to detect alternating ones of the labels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Henderson, Thomas A. Sweet, Joel A. Schoen
  • Patent number: D405256
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventors: Debbie A. Chacon, Jeffrey M. Payne