Barcode reading device

• US 10,452,882 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2018
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Champtek Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Champtek Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Kuo-Chun, Huang, Shu-Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Trail, Allyson N
• Application Number:
  US15/871,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20190130141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 646 Days
• Field of Search: 23546239, 23546232, 235454
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10554 Moving beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10613 by rotation, e.g. polygon
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10673 Parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1096 the scanner having more than one scanning window, e.g. two substantially orthogonally placed scanning windows for integration into a check-out counter of a super-market

Abstract

A barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) includes a polygon housing (10, 10a, 10b) and a plurality of barcode reading units (32, 34, 34_1, 34_2); a first window (12) is formed on one surface of the polygon housing (10, 10a, 10b) and a second window (14) is formed of another surface thereof; the barcode reading units (32, 34, 34_1, 34_2) are housed within an accommodating space of the polygon housing (10, 10a, 10b). One of the barcode reading units (32, 34, 34_1, 34_2) reads barcode through the second window (14), and the other barcode reading units (32, 34, 34_1, 34_2) read barcode through the first window (12).

Claims

1. A barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) comprising:

a polygon housing (10, 10a, 10b) formed with an accommodating space, a first window (12), and a second window (14), wherein the first window (12) is formed on one of the surfaces of the polygon housing (10, 10a, 10b), and the second window (14) is formed on another surface of the polygon housing (10, 10a, 10b); and

a plurality of barcode reading units (32, 34, 34_1, 34_2) housed within the accommodating space of the polygon housing (10, 10a, 10b),

wherein one of the barcode reading units (32, 34, 34_1, 34_2) reads barcode through the second window (14), and the other barcode reading units (32, 34, 34_1, 34_2) read barcode through the first window (12);

wherein the first window (12) and the second window (14) are formed at two opposite surfaces of the polygon-housing (10, 10a, 10b);

wherein the barcode reading units (32, 34, 34_1, 34_2) comprises a first barcode reading unit (32) and two second barcode reading units (34, 34_1, 34_2), the first barcode reading unit (32) and one of the second barcode reading units (34, 34_1, 34_2) read barcode through the first window (12), and the other second barcode reading unit (34, 34_1, 34_2) reads barcode through the second window (14);

wherein the first barcode reading unit (32) comprises;

a linear sensor (330);

a laser diode (322) for generating a laser beam;

a rotary mirror spinner (324) rotating in a predetermined direction; and

a fixed reflecting mirror assembly (326) arranged in a U-shaped manner and having an opening (3262) toward the rotary mirror spinner (324), the rotary mirror spinner (324) and the fixed reflecting mirror assembly (326) collectively transmit the laser beam to a one-dimensional barcode and an image beam reflected by the one-dimensional barcode to the linear sensor (330);

each second barcode reading unit (34, 34_1, 34_2) comprises;

a surface sensor (344);

a plurality of light emitters (342) surrounding the surface sensor (344), wherein an optical axis of the surface sensor (344) is parallel to optical axes of the light emitters (342); and

a light-confining member (346) disposed between the surface sensor (344) and the light emitters (342) for prevent light beam generated by the light emitters (342) from directly entering the surface sensor (344), the light emitters (342) are provided for generating light beam to illuminate the one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional barcode, and an image beam reflected by the one-dimensional barcode or the two-dimensional barcode is then transmitted to the surface sensor (344).

2. The barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of claim 1, wherein the first barcode reading unit (32) reads the one-dimensional barcode through the first window (12), and the second barcode reading unit (34) reads the one-dimensional barcode or the two-dimensional barcode through the second window (14).

3. The barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of claim 1, wherein one of the second barcode reading unit (34, 34_1, 34_2) read the one-dimensional barcode or the two-dimensional barcode through the first window (12), and the other second barcode reading unit (34, 34_1, 34_2) reads the one-dimensional barcode or the two-dimensional barcode through the second window (14).

4. The barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of claim 3, further comprising a double-sided mirror (38) housed within the accommodating space, one of the second barcode reading units (34, 34_1, 34_2) faces one mirror surface of the double-sided mirror (38), and the other second barcode reading unit (34, 34_1, 34_2) faces the other mirror surface of the double-sided mirror (38).

5. The barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of claim 1, further comprising a double-faced mirror (38) housed within a chamber, the first barcode reading unit (32) and one of the second barcode reading units (34, 34_1, 34_2) face one mirror surface of the double-faced mirror (38), and the other second barcode reading unit (34, 34_1, 34_2) faces the other mirror surface of the double-faced mirror (38).

6. The barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of claim 1, wherein the first barcode reading unit further comprises:

a carrier board (320) provided for carrying the laser diode (322), the linear sensor (330), the rotary mirror spinner (324), and the fixed reflecting mirror assembly (326);

a beam splitter (3282) disposed above the linear sensor (330);

a first reflective mirror (3280) disposed above the laser diode (322); and

a second reflective mirror (3284) disposed above the beam splitter (3282),

wherein the laser beam provided by the laser diode (322) is reflected through the first reflective mirror (3280), the beam splitter (3282), the second reflective mirror (3284), the rotary mirror spinner (324), and the fixed reflecting mirror assembly (326) in sequence for illuminating the one-dimensional barcode, and the image beam is reflected through the fixed reflecting mirror assembly (326), the rotary mirror spinner (324), and the second reflective mirror (3284) in sequence, and then transmitted to the linear sensor (330) through the beam splitter (3282).

7. The barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of claim 6, further comprising a converging lens (332) arranged between the light splitter (3282) and the linear sensor (330) for focusing the image beam to the linear sensor (330).

8. The barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of claim 1, wherein the second barcode reading unit (34, 34_1, 34_2) further comprises a lens (3460) disposed above the surface sensor (344), the light emitters (342) are provided for illuminating the barcode, and the lens (3460) is provided for focusing image beam reflected by the barcode at the surface sensor (344).

9. The barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of claim 8, wherein each second barcode reading unit (34, 34_1, 34_2) further comprises:

a substrate (340) provided for carrying the light emitters (342) and the surface sensor (344); and

a plurality of connecting members (36) providing for connecting the light-confining member (346) with the substrate (340).

10. The barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of claim 1, further comprising:

a first optical-transparent component (13) provided for sealing the first window (12); and

a second optical-transparent component (15) provided for sealing the second window (14).

11. The barcode reading device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of claim 1, further comprising:

a base (18) pivoted with the polygon housing (10, 10a, 10b); and

a buzzer (20) disposed on the polygon housing (10, 10a, 10b) and configured to warn when the first barcode reading unit (32) or each second barcode reading unit (34, 34_1, 34_2) successfully reads barcode.