Apparatus for optically reading information

• US 20050279834A1
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitazumi, Yoshimi
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/472.10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B

Abstract

In an apparatus for optically reading an information code, a case has one wall in which a reading window through which light is transmittable. The reading window has a length and a width. An area sensor has a pixel area composed of pixels. The pixels are arranged in rows and columns. The area sensor is disposed in the case such that the pixel area is opposite to a window surface of the reading window, and row and column directions of the area sensor are inclined to directions along the length and width of the reading window, respectively.

Claims

1. An apparatus for optically reading an information code, the apparatus comprising:

a case having one wall in which a reading window through which light is transmittable, the reading window having a length and a width; and

an area sensor with a pixel area composed of pixels, the pixels being arranged in rows and columns, the area sensor being disposed in the case such that the pixel area is opposite to a window surface of the reading window, and row and column directions of the area sensor are inclined to directions along the length and width of the reading window, respectively.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of pixels arranged in rows and that of pixels arranged in columns coincide with each other, and the row and column directions of the area sensor are inclined to directions along the length and width of the reading window at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, respectively.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information code is a one-dimensional code, further comprising:

a lighting system configured to irradiate light on the one-dimensional code;

an imaging system configured to focus light on the pixel area of the area sensor so that an image corresponding to the one-dimensional code is picked up by at least part of the pixels in the pixel area as pixel data, the light being reflected from the one-dimensional code based on the irradiated light; and

a circuit configured to scan the pixels in the pixel area row-by-row.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information code is a one-dimensional code, further comprising:

a lighting system configured to irradiate light on the one-dimensional code;

an imaging system configured to focus light on the pixel area of the area sensor so that an image corresponding to the one-dimensional code is picked up by at least part of the pixels in the pixel area as pixel data, the light being reflected from the one-dimensional code based on the irradiated light; and

a circuit configured to;

set a plurality of reading pixel lines passing over a whole of the image corresponding to the one-dimensional code and stored in the pixel area; and

use the pixel data in the plurality of reading pixel lines to decode the one-dimensional code.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of reading pixel lines are two pixel lines adjacent to each other along an direction orthogonal to the pixel line direction, a length of one of the pixel lines being different from that of the other of the pixel lines.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the row and column directions of the area sensor are inclined to directions along the length and width of the reading window at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, respectively, and the plurality of reading pixel lines are arranged along one of diagonal directions of the pixel area of the area sensor.