Optical reading apparatus

• US 20030067681A1
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datalogic Automation Srl (Datalogic S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.
• Inventors: Mallegni, Marco, Girotti, Lorenzo, Mazzone, Claudio
• Granted Patent: US 7,195,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/454
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

An automatic optical reading apparatus (1) having a light emitting section (26), a light receiving section (27) and an outside interface section (36). A first unit (2) houses at least one of the emitting section (26) and the receiving section (27) and a second unit (3) houses at least the outside interface section (36). The first unit (2) and the second unit (3) are mutually connectable in at least two different mutual orientations.

Claims

1. Optical reading apparatus, comprising:

a light emitting section;

a light receiving section;

an outside interface section;

a first unit housing at least one of the emitting section and the receiving section; and

a second unit housing at least the outside interface section;

the first unit having a first casing and the second unit having a second casing, the first and the second casing being removably fixed in at least two different mutual orientations.

2. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first unit houses both the emitting section and the receiving section.

3. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first casing has at least one of an emitting window, a receiving window and an emitting/receiving window arranged in an orthogonal wall with respect to a wall for coupling with the second unit.

4. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second casing has an interface wall arranged orthogonally with respect to a wall for coupling with the first unit.

5. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a coupling portion of the first unit and a coupling portion of the second unit has a shape selected between rectangular, circular and of a regular polygon with a certain number of sides, preferably at least four.

6. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first casing has a recess at a coupling wall arranged between the first and the second unit.

7. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second casing has a recess at a coupling wall arranged between the first and the second unit.

8. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second casing each has a recess at a coupling wall between the first and the second unit.

9. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second unit houses components generating high heat and the first unit houses optical components.

10. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first unit has an airtight casing.

11. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the casing of the first unit is made of a plastic material.

12. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the emitting section and the receiving section are housed in a unit other than the second unit and the second unit is provided with cooling means for cooling the second unit.

13. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the casing of the second unit is made of a metallic material.

14. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface section is suitable for connection in a way selected from the group of a serial network, a multidrop network and via a communication bus.

15. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface section has at least one cordless communication device.

16. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second unit further houses a power supply.

17. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third unit housing the receiving section and wherein the first unit houses the emitting section.

18. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the third unit has a third casing, the third casing and at least one of the first casing and the second casing being removably fixed in at least two different mutual orientations.

19. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional unit housing at least one of a further emitting section and a further receiving section.

20. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 19, wherein that said at least one additional unit has a respective fourth casing, each respective fourth casing and at least one of the first casing and the second casing being removably fixed in at least two different mutual orientations.

21. Optical reading apparatus, comprising:

a light emitting section;

a light receiving section;

an outside interface section;

a first unit housing at least one of the emitting section and the receiving section;

a second unit housing at least the outside interface section;

the first unit and the second unit being mutually connectable; and

the first and second unit each having respective microprocessor processing means suitable for controlling the components of the respective unit.

22. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 21, wherein each of the first and the second units has storage means for storing the setting parameters of the respective components.

23. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 22, wherein at least one of the first and the second unit has means for controlling the setting parameter transfer between the storage means of the first unit and the storage means of the second unit.

24. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the parameter transfer control means comprise a manual control device of a download routine.

25. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising an amplifier of the output signal of a photosensitive element of the receiving section, housed in the first unit.

26. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising an analogue-to-digital converter or a sampler of the output signal of a photosensitive element of the receiving section, housed in the first unit.

27. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a digitizer housed in the first unit.

28. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the second unit further houses digital processing means of an output signal of the receiving section.

29. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the digital processing means comprises means for decoding an optical code.

30. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first unit houses both the emitting section and the receiving section.

31. Optical reading apparatus, comprising:

a light emitting section;

a light receiving section;

an outside interface section;

a first unit housing the emitting section and the receiving section and further housing first processing means for controlling the components of the first unit and

a second unit housing the outside interface section and further housing second processing means for controlling the components of the second unit,

the first unit and the second unit being mutually connectable in at least two different mutual orientations.

32. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 31, wherein each of the first and second unit has means for storing setting parameters of the respective components.

33. Optical reading apparatus according to claim 31, wherein at least one of the first unit and the second unit has means for controlling the transfer of the setting parameters between the storage means of the first unit and the storage means of the second unit.