Abstract: A bar code scanning engine is disposed in a housing with a device that tracks the movement of the housing over a surface displaying symbols, such as bar codes, and provides an integrated bar code reading and locating assembly, commonly known as a mouse. When the mouse is in proximity to the bar code on the surface over which is tracks, switches on the mouse are actuated and circuitry in the mouse associated with the device and with the scanning engine initiates scanning, and provide outputs representing the location of the mouse on the surface and the bar code. The circuitry may be adapted to enable bar code scanning only when the mouse is located at selected positions on the surface where bar codes are expected to be found. The entire mouse assembly may be lifted from the surface and operated in a manner similar to a tethered hand-held bar code scanner using switches and scanner engine.

Abstract: A spectrophotometer mouse is provided for making color spectrum measurements of desired areas on a surface over which the mouse is movable. The spectrophotometer mouse includes a housing shaped to conform to the hand of an operator, and a spectrophotometer in the housing having an input (such as a light receiving aperture) for measuring the color spectrum of the target area on the surface. The mouse has a position sensing encoder which is coupled to a programmed computer for identifying the position of the mouse on the surface. This programmed computer may be internal or external of the housing. The computer is used for locating the target area on the surface with reference to a pointer on the mouse, and then detecting when an operator has moved the mouse such that the input of the spectrophotometer is substantially coincident with the located target area.

Abstract: A bar code scanning engine (34) is disposed in a housing (12) with a device (24, 26) which tracks the movement of the housing over a surface (22) displaying symbols such as bar codes and provides an integrated bar code reading and locating assembly, commonly known as a mouse (10). When the mouse is in proximity to the bar code on the surface over which it tracks, switches (18, 19) on the mouse are actuated and circuitry in the mouse associated with the device and with the scanning engine initiates scanning, and provide outputs representing the location of the mouse on the surface and the bar code. The circuitry may be adapted to enable bar code scanning only when the mouse is located at selected positions on the surface where bar codes are expected to be found. The entire mouse assembly may be lifted from the surface and operated in a manner similar to a tethered hand-held bar code scanner using switches (18), (19) and scanner engine (34).