| abstract |
A multi-mode laser-based bar code symbol reading device having a hand-supportable housing (161) with a light transmission aperture (168), A laser scanning engine (53 ') is controlled to selectively operate in either an omni-directional scanning mode, a rastered scanning mode, or a single line scanning mode. A manually-activatable data transmission switch (155) produces an activation signal in response to the manual-actuation of the data tranmission switch. A data transmission subsystem operates under control of control circuitry. The control circuitry enables communication of symbol character data in the single line or rastered scanning mode of operation to a host device in response to the activation signal produced by the data transmission switch, and the control circuitry enables communication of symbol character data in the omni-directional scanning mode of operation to the host device irrespective of the activation signal produced by the data transmission switch. |