Bar code reading instrument and selctively orientable graphics display which facilitates the operation of the instrument.

摘要

A hand-held device which provides an instrument for reading a bar code symbol. Print quality parameters including print contrast signal (PCS), ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Grade, and other parameters, are obtained by the analysis of the signal resulting from code reading in an internal computer having memory contained in the instrument. A graphic display includes a display device such as a liquid crystal having a matrix of elements arranged in areas which provide a message containing a plurality of dot matrix characters, other areas where the elements are formed into segments for display of alphanumeric characters and still other areas where the elements are formed into legends. The display is driven by a graphics driver. The computer has memory in which data corresponding to a multiplicity of text messages some of which are fixed and others variable, being provided by the results of the print quality analysis. The instrument contains controls for operating the display to provide a menu of instructions and to indicate the analysis parameter being displayed. A graphics driver has an array of storage elements arranged correspondingly to the elements of the display. Data is transferred from memory under program control via the computer to the display. The display is selectively orientable (flippable) to present messages in the message area, characters in the segment area and graphics in other areas in upright position and in proper orientation for readability by use of the controls to set the display to present the messages either in left or right-handed orientation. The instrument can be handled in either the right or left hand and the display presented in readable position. The areas are arranged so as to be mirror-wise symmetric about a longitudinal axis through the instrument so that when the computer writes data into the array of the graphic driver, it is written in an orientation and ordered so that the display presents the graphics upright and in order (left to right in the American system) for viewing. <IMAGE> <IMAGE>