TEMPERATURE COMPENSATED AUTO FOCUS CONTROL FOR A MICROFLUIDIC LENS, SUCH AS AUTO FOCUS CONTROL FOR A MICROFLUIDIC LENS OF A BAR CODE SCANNER
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A hand-held device configured to read machine readable symbols, comprising:
- a lens assembly having an adjustable focal length, wherein the lens assembly includes a liquid whose shape is determined based on a voltage applied to the liquid;
a range finder, wherein the range finder determines a distance between the hand-held device and a selected machine readable symbol;
a temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor measures a temperature of the lens assembly; and
a dynamic adjustment component coupled to the lens assembly, range finder, and temperature sensor, wherein the dynamic adjustment component adjusts the focal length of the lens assembly based on information received from the range finder and the temperature sensor and without receiving closed-loop feedback.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for adjusting the focus or zoom of a microfluidic lens assembly is described. In some cases, the system adjusts the focal length of a microfluidic lens assembly in order to compensate for the effect of temperature on the lens assembly. In some cases, the system dynamically adjusts the lens assembly in order to provide auto focusing of a bar code scanner. The system may use an open-loop system where one or more look-up-table(s) are used to quickly provide a compensation value.
84 Citations
26 Claims
-
1. A hand-held device configured to read machine readable symbols, comprising:
-
a lens assembly having an adjustable focal length, wherein the lens assembly includes a liquid whose shape is determined based on a voltage applied to the liquid; a range finder, wherein the range finder determines a distance between the hand-held device and a selected machine readable symbol; a temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor measures a temperature of the lens assembly; and a dynamic adjustment component coupled to the lens assembly, range finder, and temperature sensor, wherein the dynamic adjustment component adjusts the focal length of the lens assembly based on information received from the range finder and the temperature sensor and without receiving closed-loop feedback. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A lens assembly for an imaging device capable of capturing machine readable symbols or other objects, comprising:
-
a lens component, wherein the lens component includes a cavity housing a liquid, and wherein the liquid changes shape in response to an applied voltage; and an actuation component, wherein the actuation component receives data related to a temperature of the liquid or related to an environmental temperature proximate to the liquid and modifies the applied voltage based on the received temperature data to compensate for errors due to temperature effects. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method of dynamically adjusting a focal length or zoom value of a lens assembly, the method comprising:
-
automatically determining a location characteristic of the lens assembly, wherein the location characteristic of the lens assembly is determined with a sensor associated with the lens assembly; automatically determining an adjusted value for the focal length or zoom value of the lens assembly, wherein the adjusted value corresponds to the determined location characteristic; and automatically modifying the focal length or zoom value of the lens assembly to the adjusted value. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause an image capture device to perform a method of compensating for an error in imaging an object due to location characteristic effects on an optical system of the image capture device, the method comprising:
-
gathering information related to characteristics of a location of the image capture device, wherein the information is gathered using an open-loop feedback system of the image capture device; retrieving a compensation value from an array of compensation values, wherein the compensation value relates to the characteristic information of the location; and adjusting a parameter of the optical system based on the retrieved compensation value, wherein the parameter adjustment reduces the error in imaging the object. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. An apparatus for dynamically adjusting a focal length or zoom value of a lens assembly, comprising:
-
a means for determining a characteristic of a location of the lens assembly, a means for determining an adjusted value for the focal length or zoom value of the lens assembly, wherein the adjusted value corresponds to the determined location characteristic; and a means for automatically modifying the focal length or zoom value of the lens assembly to the adjusted value.
-
Specification