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Automatic laser projection scanner with improved laser beam scanning efficiency

  • US 5,925,871 A
  • Filed: 08/25/1997
  • Issued: 07/20/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An automatic code symbol reading system comprising:

  • (A) laser projection scanning device supportable above a work space, and including(1) a compact housing having a light transmissive window through which visible light can exit and enter said hand-supportable housing,(2) an activatable laser beam source in said compact housing for producing, when activated, a laser beam projected through said light transmissive window and into a scan field defined external to said compact housing,(3) an activatable scanning mechanism in said compact housing for scanning, when activated, said laser beam across said scan field according to a laser scanning pattern characterized as having at least one scanning plane of essentially planar extent,(4) light detection means in said compact housing for detecting the intensity of laser light reflected off a code symbol as said visible laser beam is scanned across said scan field and said code symbol therein, and for automatically producing scan data indicative of the detected intensity of said reflected laser light, and(5) object detection means in said compact housing for detecting the presence of an object within an object detection field definable external to said compact housing, and producing in response thereto an activation signal, said object detection field being characterized as having a volumetric extent and said laser projection scanning device having an operative scanning range measured from a distance in front of said light transmissive window out towards a region within scan field, and said object detection field spatially encompassing at least a portion of said scan field within said operative scanning range;

    (B) processing means for processing produced scan data so as to decode said code symbol on said detected object, and upon decoding said code symbol on said detected object, automatically producing symbol character data representative of said decoded code symbol; and

    (C) control means for controlling the operation of said automatic code symbol reading system.

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