Importance

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Abstract

Energy is conserved in a bar code reader by taking bar code samples on demand or as necessary, primarily when a data bearing feature of the bar code is predicted to be proximate. A plurality of samples are obtained for a bar code. Preferably, an analog to digital converter converts each of the samples into a multi-bit digital value. A feature detector is connected to the analog to digital converter for detecting bar code features from the plurality of multi-bit digital values. The displacements among the detected data bearing features are compared to thereby determine the width of bars having first and second data values in order to decode the bar code. Preferably, a relative scan speed is extracted and kept current during the scan in order to predict code feature locations. Preferably the decoding proceeds concurrently with the sampling. A controller regulates the execution of sampling based upon the predicted feature locations, and preferably reduces or eliminates sampling when no required feature is predicted.

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First Claim