Laser scanner module having integral interfacing with hand-held data capture terminal

• US 5,313,053 A
• Filed: 12/08/1992
• Issued: 05/17/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Norand Corporation (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Hanson, George E., Miller, Phillip, Koenck, Steven E., Krunnfusz, Jeffrey S., Schultz, Darald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITTS, HAROLD I
• Application Number:
  US07/987,574
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 235/467, 235/470, 235/472
• US Class Current: 235/472.02
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10574 Multiple sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10702 Particularities of propagating elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors G06K7/10831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 Focalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10841 Particularities of the light-sensitive elements semiconductor devices H01L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1098 the scanning arrangement having a modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 : by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 : with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 : Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 : Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/14 : Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/156 : with demodulation using temporal properties of the received signal, e.g. detecting pulse width
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 : Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 : Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 : comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A portable, hand-held data terminal of modular structure includes a base module with a keyboard and a display screen. A data collection and communications module includes a stacked arrangement of a communications interface main circuit board, a radio and a laser scanner assembly which are housed in a housing shell which is attachable to the base module. The radio is mounted in spaced relationship to one side of the main circuit board, while the laser scanner assembly is mounted to the other side of the main circuit board. A support frame and a plurality of ground planes in the sandwiched main circuit board and a routing circuit board form an RF cage for shielding RF interference which may be generated by the radio.

Claims

1. A motor assembly for a laser scanning apparatus comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a cylinder formed from a non-magnetic material, said cylinder having a central cavity;

a plurality of mirrors formed in a peripheral wall of said cylinder;

a magnetic element disposed in said central cavity, said magnetic member having a plurality of alternately disposed magnetic fields;

means for connecting said cylinder to said printed circuit board to allow rotation of said cylinder; and

,

a plurality of coils disposed on said printed circuit board for forming magnetic fields which cooperate with said magnetic fields of said magnetic element to rotate said cylinder.

2. A motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for connecting comprises:

a shaft disposed in said central cavity, a first end of said shaft fixedly engaging said armature; and

a bearing connected to said printed circuit board and engaging a second end of said shaft.

3. A motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said motor assembly further comprises a magnetically conductive plate disposed on a side of said printed circuit board opposite said plurality of coils, said plate serving as a magnetic flux shunt to return flux to said plurality of coils.

4. A data collection and communications module including means for mounting said module to a hand-held data terminal, the module comprising:

a housing shell including a scanning window;

a main circuit board mounted within the housing shell;

a radio attached to a first side of the main circuit board; and

a laser scanning assembly attached to a second side of said main circuit board opposite said first side of said main circuit board, laser scanning assembly including a motor assembly having

a printed circuit board,

a cylinder formed from a non-magnetic material, said cylinder having a central cavity,

a plurality of mirrors formed in a peripheral wall of said cylinder,

a magnetic element disposed in said central cavity, said magnetic member having a plurality of alternately disposed magnetic fields,

means for connecting said cylinder to said printed circuit board to allow rotation of said cylinder, and

a plurality of coils disposed on said printed circuit board for forming magnetic fields which cooperate with said magnetic fields of said magnetic element to rotate said cylinder.

5. A data collection and communications module as claimed in claim 4 wherein said main circuit board has a ground plane to isolate said laser scanning assembly from RF signals produced by said radio.

6. A data communications and data collection module as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means for connecting comprises:

a shaft disposed in said central cavity, a first end of said shaft fixedly engaging said armature;

a bearing connected to said printed circuit board and engaging a second end of said shaft.

7. A data communications and data collection module as claimed in claim 4 wherein said motor assembly further comprises a magnetically conductive plate disposed on a side of said printed circuit board opposite said plurality of coils, said plate serving as a magnetic flux shunt to return flux to said plurality of coils.

8. A data collection and communications module including means for detachably mounting said module to a hand-held data terminal, the module comprising:

a housing shell including a scanning window;

a main circuit board mounted within the housing shell;

a radio attached to a first side of the main circuit board; and

a laser scanning assembly attached to a second side of said main circuit board opposite said first side of said main circuit board to allow laser scanning through said scanning window.

9. The data collection and communications module according to claim 8, wherein the laser scanning assembly comprises a support frame, a laser diode mounted to the support frame, a first circuit board mounted to one side of the support frame, the first circuit board comprising a plurality of rotatably driven mirrors, and means for directing a laser beam emitted from the laser diode against said plurality of the rotatably driven mirrors for subjecting the laser beam to a scanning motion, and a second circuit board mounted to a second side of the support frame, the second circuit board including receiving optics for receiving a reflection of the laser beam.

10. The data collection and communications module according to claim 8, wherein the laser scanning assembly comprises a motor, the motor having an armature and a plurality of coils forming a field for rotatably driving the armature, a plurality of mirrors disposed in the peripheral wall of the armature of the motor, and a circuit board, said armature being rotatably mounted to rotate in a plane with respect to said circuit board, and the coils being mounted to the circuit board.

11. The data collection and communications module according to claim 10, wherein the armature comprises a cylinder of non-magnetic material, the mirrors being formed in a peripheral wall of the non-magnetic material, the cylinder having a central cavity, and a magnet having a plurality of alternately disposed field mounted within the cavity, whereby the height of the motor is substantially the combined height of the mirrors and the coils.