HANDHELD DATA CAPTURE TERMINAL OPERABLE IN DIFFERENT DATA CAPTURE MODES DEPENDING ON TERMINAL ORIENTATION

A data capture terminal for, and a method of, automatically capturing data from targets, employ a handheld housing orientable by a human operator in different orientations relative to the targets; a data capture system, preferably including a plurality of actuatable data capture modules, supported by the housing; an orientation sensor supported by the housing for detecting the orientations of the housing relative to the targets, and for generating respective orientation signals in response to the respective detected orientations of the housing; and a controller operatively connected to the orientation sensor, for independently actuating one of the data capture modules for capturing the data from one of the targets in one data capture mode of operation in response to generation of one of the orientation signals, and for actuating another of the data capture modules for capturing the data from another of the targets in another data capture mode of operation in response to generation of another of the orientation signals.