IMAGE SENSOR BASED OPTICAL READER

• US 20090236424A1
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Gannon, Colleen P., Hunter, Vivian L., Havens, William H., Barber, Charles P., Gardiner, Robert C., McCall, Melvin D., Ehrhart, Michael A., Ruhlman, Thomas, Hennick, Robert J., Coleman, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,878,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.110
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/08 Feeding or discharging cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1011 Aiming
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10742 including a diffuser for diffusing the light from the light source to create substantially uniform illumination of the target record carrier
• 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 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/109 adaptations to make the hand-held scanner useable as a fixed scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1098 the scanning arrangement having a modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14601 Structural or functional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence

Abstract

An optical reader can include an image sensor. In one embodiment an optical reader can be configured to have different operating modes, the different operating modes optimizing the reader for reading different indicia. In another embodiment an optical reader can comprise a multiple color emitting light source. In another embodiment an optical reader can be provided in a specialized form factor including an enlarged head portion and an elongated body portion extending from the head portion.

Claims

1. A bar code decoding optical reader comprising:

an imaging module supporting in combination a solid state image sensor, imaging optics for focusing an image onto said solid state image sensor, and at least one light source, wherein said optical reader has a field of view, and wherein said imaging module is adapted so that light from said at least one light source is projected toward a target defined by said field of view; and

a housing having an enlarged head portion and a straight elongated body portion, the straight elongated body portion extending from the head portion and having a shorter circumference than a circumference of said enlarged head portion, said optical reader further being configured so that said straight elongated body portion is adapted to be held in a hand, said optical reader further being configured so that said straight elongated body portion extends rearward from said enlarged head portion in a line substantially directed toward said target,

wherein disposed at said enlarged head portion of said housing is a trigger for actuation of decoding operations, and wherein said imaging module is disposed within said enlarged head portion, and further

wherein said optical reader is configured to capture an electronic representation of said target while said optical reader is at a distance spaced apart from said target.

2. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein said housing encapsulates circuitry for wirelessly sending data to a device external from said housing.

3. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein said optical reader is configured so that said field of view is a two dimensional field of view.

4. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein a section of said housing is configured to be detachably attachable with a body external to said section.

5. The optical reader of claim 4, wherein said section is disposed at an interface between said enlarged head portion and said elongated body portion, and wherein said body external to said section is said elongated body portion of said housing.

6. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein said solid state image sensor is a 2D image sensor.

7. A bar code decoding optical reader comprising:

an imaging module of generally rectangular parallelepiped configuration supporting in combination a solid state image sensor, imaging optics for focusing an image onto said solid state image sensor, and at least one light source, wherein said optical reader has a field of view, and wherein said imaging module is adapted so that light from said at least one light source is projected toward a target defined by said field of view; and

a housing having an enlarged head portion and a straight elongated body portion, the straight elongated body portion extending from the head portion and having a shorter circumference than a circumference of said enlarged head portion, said optical reader further being configured so that said straight elongated body portion is adapted to be held in a hand, said optical reader further being configured so that said straight elongated body portion extends rearward from said enlarged head portion in direction substantially parallel with sides of said imaging module,

wherein disposed at said enlarged head portion of said housing is a trigger for actuation of decoding operations, and wherein said imaging module is disposed within said enlarged head portion, and further

wherein said optical reader is configured to capture an electronic representation of said target while said optical reader is at a distance spaced apart from said target.

8. The optical reader of claim 7, wherein said housing encapsulates circuitry for wirelessly sending data to a device external from said housing.

9. The optical reader of claim 7, wherein said optical reader is configured so that said field of view is a two dimensional field of view.

10. The optical reader of claim 7, wherein a section of said housing is configured to be detachably attachable with a body external to said section.

11. The optical reader of claim 10, wherein said section is disposed at an interface between said enlarged head portion and said elongated body portion, and wherein said body external to said section is said elongated body portion of said housing.

12. The optical reader of claim 7, wherein said solid state image sensor is a 2D image sensor.

13. The bar code decoding optical reader of claim 7, wherein said imaging module includes conductive support posts.

14. The bar code decoding optical reader of claim 7, wherein said at least one light source comprises at least two light sources emitting light in different wavelength emission bands.

15. The bar code decoding optical reader of claim 7, wherein said at least one light source comprises an illuminating light source capable of emitting red light and an aiming light source capable of emitting green light.