Automatic laser projection scanner with improved laser beam scanning efficiency
First Claim
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.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an automatic projection laser scanning system for reading bar code symbols. The system supportable on or above a countertop surface, and includes a laser scanning device having a compact housing from which it automatically produces an object detection field of volumetric expanse for automatic detection of objects, and a scan field including at least one scanning plane for automatic laser scanning of the code symbols on detected objects. Both the object detection field and the scan field spatially arranged with respect to each other and the compact housing to facilitate easy scanning of a bar code symbol presented within the scan field after the associated object has been detected within the object detection field, thereby improving the scanning efficiency of the system.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. An automatic code symbol reading system comprising:
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(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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 43)
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22. An automatic code symbol reading system comprising:
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(A) a laser projection scanning device supportable within a workspace, and including (1) a compact housing having a light transmissive window through which light can exit and enter said hand-supportable housing, (2) an activatable scan data producing means, disposed in said compact housing, for producing scan data from a code symbol, comprising graphical indicia of different light relectivity said activatable scan data producing means including (2) (a) laser beam source for producing a laser beam projected through said light transmissive window and into a scan field defined external to said compact housing, (2) (b) a scanning mechanism for scanning 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, and (2) (c) light detection means for detecting the intensity of laser light reflected off a code symbol as said 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 (3) 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 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. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. An automatic code symbol reading system comprising:
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(A) a laser projection scanning device supportable within a workspace, and including (1) a housing having a light transmissive window through which light can exit and enter said hand-supportable housing, (2) scan data producing means disposed in said housing, for producing scan data from a code symbol, comprising graphical indicia of different light relectivity, said scan data producing means including (2) (a) laser beam source for producing a laser beam projected through said light transmissive window and into a scan field defined external to said compact housing, (2) (b) a scanning mechanism for scanning 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, and (2) (c) light detection means for detecting the intensity of laser light reflected off a code symbol as said 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 (3) object detection means in said compact housing for detecting the presence of an object within an object detection field definable external to said 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. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An automatic code symbol reading system comprising:
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(A) a laser projection scanning device supportable within a workspace, and including (1) a housing having a light transmissive window through which light can exit and enter said compact housing, (2) scan data producing means, disposed in said housing, for producing scan data from a code symbol, comprising graphical indicia of different light relectivity, said scan data producing means including (2) (a) laser beam source for producing a laser beam projected through said light transmissive window and into a scan field defined external to said compact housing, (2) (b) a scanning mechanism for scanning 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, and (2) (c) light detection means for detecting the intensity of laser light reflected off a code symbol as said 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 (3) 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 distant in front of said light transmissive window out towards a region within scan field, and said object detection field being proximate to 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. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification