Abstract: A system and method for enhancing graphical user interface (GUI) displays by providing a single axis magnifying lens effect, that provides for the altering of selected data by modifying a character's aspect ratio. Thus, in one aspect, a displayed character at a given font size may be altered by making the character taller without changing the character's width. Alternately, a displayed character at a given font size may be altered by making the character wider, but not taller. Thus, the data density of the information presented is not disturbed in the axis orthogonal to the single axis being magnified.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for reading a two-dimensional bar code having bars located nominally at predetermined pitch increments. The invention provides a method and apparatus for reading a two-dimensional bar code and dynamically segmenting it into individual bars on a real time basis, as it is read. The segmentation is done on a bar-to-bar basis, and may be adjusted for an individual bar as necessary. The method and apparatus locate the bar data, scan it, and create a profile vector having elements based upon the amount of image data in each scan. The vector is compared to a predetermined stored set of vector elements representing the likelihood that each scan line of image data contains bar image data. Those scan lines of image data corresponding to a bar image are sent to recognition logic and those scan lines of image data corresponding to a space are disregarded.