On-screen keyboard issue

Good evening.

This is a tricky one and may be a "limitation" (aka feature of IOS), but I am all ears if anybody has any ideas...

My solution is for counting products, and it is recommended that user employ a bluetooth scanner (which acts as a keyboard "wedge").  The only way (as far as I can tell) for the scanner to input information to the solution is through a field currently in focus, but the OSK also displays at the same time(wedge), taking up (x) pixels at the bottom of the screen and hiding the lower part of the solution. Turning OSK off (Enable Touch Keyboard [Off]) disables the ability to enter data through a field from the scanner - even if Go To Field is used in a script. I admit to having tried many combinations of the Enable Touch keyboard command and script triggers on that field, but to no avail. 

Through much fiddling and fluke, I have occasionally come to a point where I only get the Previous, Next, "stack"  "O"  +/-  and Done on the bottom of the screen - taking up minimum screen real estate, and I can access the field, but not been able to do this consistently. I would rather not have this here either but it is a slightly different state than the full OSK so thought it worth mentioning.

I'm thinking that rather than fighting with IOS on this that perhaps there is another way to do this. Has anybody got any ideas that would allow me to scan into a field without this OSK giving me grief.

All feedback welcome. Thanks.
Greg