Hand-supportable planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based systems with laser despeckling mechanisms integrated therein

• US 20080135621A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allan Wirth, Andrew Jankevics, Barry E. Schwartz, Charles A. Naylor, Constantine J. Tsikos, Dale Fisher, David W. Wilz, Edward Skypala, George Kolis, Jeffery Yorsz, Jon Van Tassell, Ka Man Au, Knowles C. Harry, Mark C. Schmidt, Michael D. Schnee, Patrick A. Giordano, Pirooz Vatan, Robert Blake, Russell Joseph Dobbs, Sankar Ghosh, Shawn Defoney, Stephen J. Colavito., Steven Y. Kim, Thomas Amundsen, Timothy A. Good, William Svedas, Xiaoxun Zhu
• Original Assignee: Allan Wirth, Andrew Jankevics, Barry E. Schwartz, Charles A. Naylor, Constantine J. Tsikos, Dale Fisher, David W. Wilz, Edward Skypala, George Kolis, Jeffery Yorsz, Jon Van Tassell, Ka Man Au, Knowles C. Harry, Mark C. Schmidt, Michael D. Schnee, Patrick A. Giordano, Pirooz Vatan, Robert Blake, Russell Joseph Dobbs, Sankar Ghosh, Shawn Defoney, Stephen J. Colavito., Steven Y. Kim, Thomas Amundsen, Timothy A. Good, William Svedas, Xiaoxun Zhu
• Inventors: Knowles, C. Harry, Zhu, Xiaoxun, Good, Timothy A., Au, Ka Man, Ghosh, Sankar, Kolis, George, Colavito, Stephen J., Amundsen, Thomas, Vatan, Pirooz, Naylor, Charles A., Defoney, Shawn, Skypala, Edward, Schwartz, Barry E., Jankevics, Andrew, Schnee, Michael D., Blake, Robert, Tsikos, Constantine J., Giordano, Patrick A., Yorsz, Jeffery, Wirth, Allan, Kim, Steven Y., Dobbs, Russell Joseph, Svedas, William, Fisher, Dale, Schmidt, Mark C., Tassell, Jon Van, Wilz, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,832,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources

Abstract

A hand-supportable planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based code symbol reader includes: a hand-supportable housing having light transmission aperture; a linear image formation and detection module having a linear image detection array; and a planar laser illumination beam (PLIB) producing device having at least one visible laser diode (VLD) for producing a planar light illumination beam (PLIB). The code symbol reader further includes image grabber for grabbing digital linear images formed and detected by the image formation and detection module, an image data buffer for buffering the digital linear images grabbed by the image grabber and constructing a two-dimensional image from a series of buffered linear digital images, and an image processing computer for processing the buffered two-dimensional digital image so as to read code symbols graphically represented in the two-dimensional digital linear image. During object illumination and imaging operations, a controller automatically controls the linear image formation and detection module, the PLIB producing device, the image frame grabber, and the image data buffer.

Claims