Portable scanner with tilting body design

• US 6,292,274 B1
• Filed: 12/11/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bohn, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Cheukfan
• Application Number:
  US09/210,067
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 358/473, 358/472, 358/474, 358/471, 358/486, 385/313, 385/312
• US Class Current: 358/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

Hand-held image scanner apparatus may comprise a body having first and second side walls positioned in spaced-apart relation so that the second side wall is located a spaced distance from the first side wall. The body also includes a convex face portion that extends between the first and second side walls and defines a contact axis that extends along a lateral direction and that is located longitudinally between the first and second side walls. The convex face portion allows the body to be tilted about the contact axis when the convex face portion is in contact with an object to be scanned. An image sensing system mounted within the body is responsive to image light reflected by the object being scanned and produces an image signal based on the image light. The image sensing system is optically coupled to an image light opening in the convex face portion of the body so that image light passing through the image light opening is received by the image sensing system.

Claims

1. Hand-held image scanner apparatus, comprising:

a body having;

a first side wall extending in a lateral direction and oriented so that it is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal direction;

a second side wall extending in the lateral direction and oriented so that it is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said second side wall being positioned a spaced distance from said first side wall;

a convex face portion extending between said first and second side walls and having an opening therein, the convex face portion defining a first contact axis extending along a lateral direction and located longitudinally between said first and second side walls, said convex face portion allowing said body to be tilted in a first direction about the first contact axis when said convex face portion is in contact with an object to be scanned; and

an image sensing system mounted within said body, said image sensing system being responsive to image light reflected by the object being scanned and producing an image signal based on the image light, said image sensing system being optically coupled to the opening in the convex face portion of said body so that image light passing through the image light opening is received by said image sensing system.

2. The hand-held image scanner apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first navigation sensor responsive to first navigation light reflected by the object being scanned and producing a first navigation data signal based on the first navigation light, said first navigation sensor being optically coupled to the opening in the convex face portion of said body so that first navigation light passing through the opening is received by said first navigation sensor; and

a second navigation sensor responsive to second navigation light reflected by the object being scanned and producing a second navigation data signal based on the second navigation light, said second navigation sensor being optically coupled to the opening in the convex face portion of said body so that second navigation light passing through the opening is received by said second navigation sensor.

3. The hand-held image scanner apparatus of claim 2, wherein the opening in the convex face portion of said body comprises a generally elongate slot that extends along the lateral direction, the generally elongate slot having first and second lengthwise ends.

4. The hand-held image scanner apparatus of claim 3, wherein the convex face portion of said body further comprises a first navigation sensor opening and a second navigation sensor opening positioned in spaced apart relation adjacent the generally elongate slot and wherein said first navigation sensor is optically coupled to said first navigation sensor opening and wherein said second navigation sensor is optically coupled to said second navigation sensor opening.

5. The hand-held image scanner apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first contact axis is located longitudinally between the generally elongate slot and said first and second navigation sensor openings.

6. The hand-held image scanner apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first and second navigation sensor openings are positioned a spaced-distance apart, the spaced-distance being less than a distance separating the first and second lengthwise ends of the generally elongate slot.

7. The hand-held image scanner of claim 6, wherein said convex face portion defines a second contact axis that extends along the lateral direction so that both the first and second contact axes are located longitudinally between said first and second side walls, said convex face portion allowing said body to be tilted in a second direction about the second contact axis when said convex face portion is in contact with the object to be scanned.

8. The hand-held image scanner apparatus of claim 7, wherein said image sensing system comprises a contact image sensor having a length extending substantially between the first and second lengthwise ends of the elongate slot in the convex face portion of said body.

9. The hand-held image scanner apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of said first and second navigation sensors comprise:

an illumination system for directing light onto the object being scanned;

a two dimensional array of optical sensor elements; and

a focusing system positioned between said two dimensional array of optical sensor elements and the object for collecting and focusing light reflected by the object being scanned onto said two dimensional array of optical sensor elements.

10. The hand-held image scanner apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a processing system operatively associated with said image sensing system, said first navigation sensor, and said second navigation sensor, said processing system being responsive to the image signal and to the first and second navigation data signals, said processing system transforming said image signal based upon relative movement between said image sensing system and the object being scanned as determined by the first and second navigation data signals produced by said first and second navigation sensors to produce a transformed image data signal.

11. A body for a hand-held image scanner apparatus, comprising:

a first side wall extending in a lateral direction and oriented so that it is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal direction;

a second side wall extending in the lateral direction and oriented so that it is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said second side wall being positioned a spaced distance from said first side wall;

a convex face portion extending between said first and second side walls and having an image light opening therein to allow image light to pass therethrough, said convex face portion defining a first contact axis extending along the lateral direction and located longitudinally between said first and second side walls, said convex face portion allowing said body to be tilted in a first direction about the first contact axis when said convex face portion is in contact with an object to be scanned.

12. The body of claim 11, wherein the image light opening comprises a generally elongate slot extending along the lateral direction, the generally elongate slot having first and second lengthwise ends.

13. The body of claim 12, further comprising a first navigation sensor opening and a second navigation sensor opening, said first and second navigation sensor openings being positioned in spaced apart relation adjacent the generally elongate slot.

14. The body of claim 13, wherein the first contact axis is located longitudinally between the generally elongate slot and said first and second navigation sensor openings.

15. The body of claim 14, wherein the first and second navigation sensor openings are positioned a spaced-distance apart, the spaced-distance being less than a distance separating the first and second lengthwise ends of the generally elongate slot.

16. The body of claim 11, wherein said convex face portion defines a second contact axis that extends along the lateral direction so that both the first and second contact axes are located longitudinally between said first and second side walls, said convex face portion allowing said body to be tilted in a second direction about the second contact axis when said convex face portion is in contact with the object to be scanned.

17. The body of claim 16, wherein the image light opening comprises a generally elongate slot extending along the lateral direction, the generally elongate slot having first and second lengthwise ends.

18. The body of claim 17, further comprising a first navigation sensor opening and a second navigation sensor opening, said first and second navigation sensor openings being positioned in spaced apart relation adjacent the generally elongate slot.

19. The body of claim 18, wherein the generally elongate slot and said first and second navigation sensor openings are located longitudinally between the first and second contact axes.

20. The body of claim 19, wherein the first and second navigation sensor openings are positioned a spaced-distance apart, the spaced-distance being less than a distance separating the first and second lengthwise ends of the generally elongate slot.