INDICIA READER FOR SIZE-LIMITED APPLICATIONS

• US 20150254485A1
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Feng, Chen, Bremer, Edward C., Xian, Tao, Kearney, Sean Philip, Patel, Mehul
• Granted Patent: US 9,665,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1011 Aiming
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03

Abstract

An indicia-reading module is capable of integration into the smallest face of thin-profile smart device. The module employs chip-on-board packaging and a customized sensor enclosure to eliminate the stack-up height found in conventional packaging. The module also employs a customized frame to reduce volume by integrating circuit subassembly circuit boards into a unique architecture and by serving as the lenses for the illuminator and the aimer, thereby eliminating the need for any extra lenses or holders.

Claims

1. An indicia-reading module, comprising:

a sensor module including an adjustable imaging lens for imaging the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view onto a sensor circuit that includes a plurality of pixels;

an illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly (i) for projecting electromagnetic radiation toward indicia within the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view and (ii) for projecting a sighting pattern that corresponds with the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view;

a processing circuit subassembly for rendering indicia information; and

an interface circuit subassembly for connecting the indicia-reading module to a host device;

wherein the indicia-reading module is configured to facilitate narrow-edge integration into a thin-profile smart device.

2. The indicia-reading module according to claim 1, wherein the sensor module comprises a sensor integrated-circuit die attached to a substrate, the sensor integrated-circuit die hermetically sealed within a structure formed by the substrate, a housing, and a filter.

3. The indicia-reading module according to claim 2, wherein the sensor integrated-circuit die is electrically connected to the substrate via wire bonding with no wire crossover.

4. The indicia-reading module according to claim 1, wherein illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly comprises an illuminator light source, an illuminator aperture, and a corresponding illuminator lens for projecting electromagnetic radiation toward indicia within the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view.

5. The indicia-reading module according to claim 1, wherein illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly comprises an aimer light source, an aimer aperture, and a corresponding aimer lens for projecting a sighting pattern that corresponds with the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view.

6. The indicia-reading module according to claim 1, wherein the illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly is positioned on a single, rigid-flex circuit board.

7. The indicia-reading module according to claim 1, wherein the processor circuit subassembly is positioned on a single, rigid-flex circuit board.

8. The indicia-reading module according to claim 1, wherein the interface circuit subassembly is positioned on a single, rigid-flex circuit board.

9. The indicia-reading module according to claim 1, wherein:

the illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly is positioned on a first single, rigid-flex circuit board;

the processor circuit subassembly is positioned on a second single, rigid-flex circuit board; and

the interface circuit subassembly is positioned on a third single, rigid-flex circuit board.

10. The indicia-reading module according to claim 9, wherein the sensor module, the illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly, the processor circuit subassembly, and the interface circuit subassembly circuit boards are connected via flexible cable.

11. The indicia-reading module according to claim 10, wherein the sensor module, the illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly, the processor circuit subassembly, and the interface circuit subassembly circuit boards are positioned within and secured to a clear [polycarbonate] module frame using snap fittings.

12. The indicia-reading module according to claim 11, wherein the illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly comprises lenses integrated [molded] into the clear module frame to facilitate the projection of (i) electromagnetic radiation toward indicia within the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view and (ii) a sighting pattern that corresponds with the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view.

13. A smart phone having indicia-reading capability, comprising:

a smart phone including a computer, a display, and a indicia-reading module physically integrated within a slim hand-supportable housing, the smart phone possessing a substantially rectangular cuboid shape whose thickness is substantially smaller than both its height and its width;

wherein the indicia-reading module comprises (i) a sensor module including an adjustable lens for imaging the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view onto an imaging sensor that includes a plurality of pixels, (ii) an illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly for projecting electromagnetic radiation toward indicia within the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view and for projecting a sighting pattern that corresponds with the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view, (iii) a processing circuit subassembly for rendering indicia information, (iv) an interface circuit subassembly for connecting the indicia-reading module to a host device; and

wherein the indicia-reading module is narrow-edge integrated into the smart phone.

14. The smart phone according to claim 13, wherein the sensor module comprises a sensor integrated-circuit die that is (i) physically attached to a substrate, (ii) electrically connected to the substrate via wirebonds, and (iii) hermetically sealed within a structure formed by a substrate, a housing, and a filter.

15. The smart phone according to claim 13, wherein illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly comprises (i) an illuminator including an illuminator light source, an illuminator aperture, and a corresponding illuminator lens for projecting electromagnetic radiation toward indicia within the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view and (ii) an aimer including an aimer light source, an aimer aperture, and a corresponding aimer lens for projecting a sighting pattern that corresponds with the indicia-reading module'"'"'s field of view.

16. The smart phone according to claim 13, wherein the sensor module, the illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly, the processor circuit subassembly, and the interface circuit subassembly each utilize a distinct circuit board.

17. The smart phone according to claim 13, wherein the sensor module, the illuminator-aimer circuit subassembly, the processor circuit subassembly, and the interface circuit subassembly circuit boards are positioned within and secured to a clear [polycarbonate] module frame using snap fittings.

18. The smart phone according to claim 13, wherein the indicia-reading module'"'"'s frame is integrated with mounting pins and screws to prevent the deformation of the module frame.

19. The smart phone according to claim 13, wherein the smart phone'"'"'s thickness is no more than 20 percent of either the smart phone'"'"'s height or the smart phone'"'"'s width.