Abstract: A housing for a hand-held scanner has an upper surface having a front portion and a rear portion, a lower surface having a front portion and a rear portion, side surfaces between the upper and lower surfaces and a first groove in the lower surface between the front portion and rear portion for receiving a finger of a hand holding the housing during use. The side surfaces have second grooves therein extending from the first groove towards the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces a sufficient distance to receive the tips of at least two fingers of a hand holding the housing during use.

Abstract: Antique identifying electro-optical marker is associated with a base unit having a receiver. During a set-up mode of operation, an electro-optical reader reads the marker. During subsequent reading of indicia, the reader generates electrical signals which are transmitted to the receiver of the uniquely identified base unit.

Abstract: An electrical interface for a scan engine includes a plurality of control pins including a range limiter mode pin, laser enable and scan enable pins, a signal output pin and a start-of scan indicator pin. Operation of the scan engine can thus be controlled to reduce power consumption and laser on-time as desired.

Abstract: An optical scanner having an adjustable cradle or stand for allowing the user either to operate the scanner in the hand or while positioned in the cradle. In one embodiment, suitable for use with wireless-based hand-held scanners, a particular scanner may be associated with an individual cradle by scanning a bar code symbol associated with that cradle and storing and/or processing the ID data contained in the symbol. A simple mechanical arrangement is provided for switching the scanner either manually or automatically between one-dimensional and two-dimensional scanning, with corresponding changes in the cross-sectional shape and/or focus of the scanning laser beam.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus such as a computer terminal, video camcorder, portable picture phone or a bar code reader includes a display which is arranged to pivot so as to provide optimum ease of viewing for the user. A reader such as an optical scanner for scanning indicia, for example bar code symbols, comprises a handle portion and, mounted pivotally thereon, a head portion. The angle of the head portion relative to the handle portion can be adjusted by rotating the head portion as desired. The reader can thus be used to read bar code symbols that would otherwise be inaccessible. In an alternative embodiment a reading head is mounted pivotally on a fixed terminal and is movable so as to accommodate the physical requirements of the operator.

Abstract: A point-of-sale unit for electro-optically reading bar code symbols includes a housing having a handle and a curved head. The head and the handle have support surfaces for engaging a work surface to support the housing in various orientations. The handle may be removably mounted behind the curved head.

Abstract: Optical scanning of one and two-dimensional barcode symbols is carried out using a variety of ergonomic scanner embodiments which can each be used either in a hand-held mode or in a fixed-mode. In certain embodiments, hand-held scanners are described which can if required be easily positioned in a number of desired orientations on a work surface. Other embodiments disclose point-of-sale arrangements incorporating removable barcode scanners that can, where necessary, be removed from the point-of-sale unit and used by the checkout operator to scan a large or bulky item in a "point-and-shoot" mode.

Abstract: A board type game which utilizes lasers where players selectively divert the path of laser beams. The board apparatus comprises an enclosed chamber formed by a top and bottom piece and a frame piece within which laser beams are directed down symbolic rows and columns constituting a matrix of squares. Each square has an X-shaped slot along the diagonals of the square. These slots are formed in the bottom piece and top piece. Deflecting pieces, which may be mirrors, are placed at the player's discretion in diagonal slots of an X-shaped to deflect an incident laser beam from a row or column to a corresponding column or row. A scoring module, sensitive to incident laser light, is positioned in the chamber in front of each player. The players alternate in placing deflecting pieces in the chamber with the object to either direct their laser beams toward the opponent's scoring module or to prevent their opponent's laser beams from reaching their own scoring module.