TABLET STYLE INDICIA READER WITH SYSTM FOR HANDLING MULTIPLE INDICIA

A portable hand-held optical reader having an optical reader for scanning a plurality of optical indicia on a generally horizontally oriented target surface. The reader has a tablet configuration with a display device on an upper side thereof and an optical window on the bottom side thereof for directing a scanning beam, laser or otherwise, downwardly, either vertically or obliquely. The reader may be configured to automatically utilize laser scanning for certain ranges between the reader and the target surface and to utilize non-laser scanning for other ranges between the reader and target surface. The reader is configured to read two-dimensional information, spaced either adjacently or separately, and to generate corresponding images of the two-dimensional information on the display device. The reader is configured to operatively correct for distortion caused by oblique scanning of the coded information. If certain of the images of the two-dimensional information are determined to be decodable by the reader, those certain images are so designated on the display, which has a touch sensitive screen. If desired, an operator of the unit may accept selected ones of the certain images for further processing by the unit by touching the corresponding screen areas with a stylus.