Bar code scanner system and scanner circuitry therefor
First Claim
1. In an optical scanner system,scanner means having controllable light source means for illuminating a surface containing optical information to be scanned during a scanning operation, and controllable for emitting light of adjustable intensity,optical sensor means for supplying an information signal varying in accordance with input optical information as it is scanned during a scanning operation, anda scanner circuit comprising:
- information signal translating means coupled with said optical sensor means and supplying an output signal as a function of the intensity of the input optical information, andcontrol loop means coupled with said information signal translating means and controlling said light source means such that the light output from the light source means is reduced with increased average illumination of the optical sensor means, but said control loop means having a response time such that the information content of the optical information being scanned is reliably transmitted,said information signal translating means comprising variable gain signal amplifier means, and further control loop means coupled with said optical sensor means and responsive to intensities of the input optical information exceeding an effective operating range of the first mentioned control loop means for progressively reducing the gain of the signal amplifier means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an exemplary wand type bar code scanner the scanner circuit includes a first control loop for reducing the LED driving current as the D.C. voltage level supplied to the digitizer tends to exceed a selected D.C. reference value; a second control loop becomes active when the LED is shut off by the first control loop, e.g. in the presence of sunlight. The second control loop controls the gain of the scanner amplifier so that the D.C. reference level at the input to the digitizer circuit is maintained as the scanner scans bar codes in the presence of sunlight but with the LED de-energized.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. In an optical scanner system,
scanner means having controllable light source means for illuminating a surface containing optical information to be scanned during a scanning operation, and controllable for emitting light of adjustable intensity, optical sensor means for supplying an information signal varying in accordance with input optical information as it is scanned during a scanning operation, and a scanner circuit comprising: -
information signal translating means coupled with said optical sensor means and supplying an output signal as a function of the intensity of the input optical information, and control loop means coupled with said information signal translating means and controlling said light source means such that the light output from the light source means is reduced with increased average illumination of the optical sensor means, but said control loop means having a response time such that the information content of the optical information being scanned is reliably transmitted, said information signal translating means comprising variable gain signal amplifier means, and further control loop means coupled with said optical sensor means and responsive to intensities of the input optical information exceeding an effective operating range of the first mentioned control loop means for progressively reducing the gain of the signal amplifier means.
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2. In an optical scanner system,
scanner means having controllable light source means for illuminating a surface containing optical information to be scanned during a scanning operation, and controllable for emitting light of adjustable intensity, optical sensor means for supplying an information signal varying in accordance with input optical information as it is scanned during a scanning operation, and a scanner circuit comprising: -
information signal translating means coupled with said optical sensor means and supplying an output signal as a function of the intensity of the input optical information, and control loop means coupled with said information signal translating means and controlling said light source means such that the light output from the light source means is reduced with increased average illumination of the optical sensor means, but said control loop means having a response time such that the information content of the optical information being scanned is reliably transmitted, further control loop means for essentially shutting off said light source means in the presence of ambient light sufficient to provide for maintaining a desired dynamic range of the information signal supplied by the optical sensor means, said information signal translating means comprising variable gain signal amplifier means, and said further control loop means being coupled with said optical sensor means and responsive to intensities of the input optical information exceeding an effective operating range of the first mentioned control loop means for progessively reducing the gain of the signal amplifier means such that the system is reliably operative in the presence of sunlight. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
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5. In an optical scanner system,
scanner means having controllable light source means for illuminating a surface containing optical information to be scanned during a scanning operation, and controllable for emitting light of adjustable intensity, optical sensor means for supplying an information signal varying in accordance with input optical information as it is scanned during a scanning operation, and a scanner circuit comprising: -
information signal translating means coupled with said optical sensor means and supplying an output signal as a function of the intensity of the input optical information, and control loop means coupled with said information signal translating means and controlling said light source means such that the light output from the light source means is reduced with increased average illumination of the optical sensor means, but said control loop means having a response time such that the information content of the optical information being scanned is reliably transmitted, said control loop means having reference circuit means for defining a reference signal level for determining a desired output signal level from the scanner circuit for the case of scanning a black region of a bar code and reference signal adjusting means for automatically adjusting the reference signal level to compensate for optical offset due to optical leakage between said light source means and said optical sensor means, said reference signal adjusting means comprising further control loop means coupled between the output of the scanner circuit and said reference circuit means for adjusting the reference signal level in accordance with an output signal from the scanner circuit during an active mode of the light source means. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In an optical scanner system,
scanner means having controllable light source means for illuminating a surface containing optical information to be scanned during a manual scanning operation, and controllable for emitting light of adjustable intensity, optical sensor means for supplying an information signal varying in accordance with input optical information as it is scanned during a manual scanning operation, and a scanner circuit comprising: -
information signal translating means coupled with said optical sensor means and supplying an output signal as a function of the intensity of the input optical information, and control loop means coupled with said information signal translating means and controlling said light source means such that the light output from the light source means is reduced with increased average illumination of the optical sensor means, but said control loop means having a response time such that the information content of the optical information being scanned is reliably transmitted, said information signal translating means having a bandwidth in the kilohertz range and at least in the order of a hundred times that required for transmission of the manually scanned optical information in order to also transmit information received by the optical sensor means from a host computer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification