METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CAPTURING A DECODABLE REPRESENTATION OF A 2D BAR CODE SYMBOL USING A HAND-HELD READER HAVING A 1D IMAGE SENSOR

A method and apparatus for capturing and storing a decodable representation of a 1D or 2D bar code symbol using a hand-held bar code reader having only a 1D image sensor. A succession of 1D digital representations are produced as the reader is moved asynchronously across the symbol to be read. These representations are examined, substantially in real time, and, if the symbol is a 1D symbol, is decoded immediately. If the symbol is not a 1D symbol, these representations are examined for the presence of one of a variety of different types of 2D finder patterns and, when the finder has been identified, decoded with reference to that finder pattern.