Optoelectronic device for acquisition of images, in particular of bar codes

• US 6,375,076 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Puech, Jean-Michel, Massieu, Jean-Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nowlin, April
• Application Number:
  US09/403,483
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/462.35, 235/462.43, 235/462.45, 235/462.23, 235/462.22
• US Class Current: 235/462.22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B

Abstract

An optoelectronic device for acquisition of images, such as images of bar codes, includes a case which contains an electronic scanning sensor, an illumination source and optics including a diaphragm that permit the formation of images on the sensor. The optics include at least two diopters disposed between the diaphragm and the sensor. For example, the diopters may take the form of a revolved symmetrical lens, the useful part of which is convex, and a cylindrical lens which does not create any deflection in a plane parallel to the optical plane, and is convergent in a plane perpendicular to the parallel plane.

Claims

1. An optoelectronic device for acquisition of images, in particular of bar codes, comprising a case which is provided with a reading window, and contains an electronic scanning sensor, lighting means, and optical means which comprise a diaphragm, and are designed to ensure that images are formed on the sensor, and to obtain, in a plane parallel to the optical plane, enlargement m1 which is greater than the enlargement m2 in a plane perpendicular to the optical plane, the sensor and the optical means defining an optical plane relative to which the reading window is centered, and the said sensor, reading window and optical means delimiting a useful optical reading field, wherein the optical means comprise, disposed between the diaphragm and the sensor:

first optical means, comprising a first, converging lens, consisting of a symmetrical lens which is revolved around the optical axis, the useful part of which is convex; and

second optical means, comprising a cylindrical lens with a semi-cylindrical diopter, which is designed not to create any deflection in the plane parallel to the optical plane, and to converge in the plane perpendicular to the said optical plane.

2. The optoelectronic device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first optical means comprise a correction lens, which is associated with the cylindrical lens which is revolved.

3. The optoelectronic device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optical means are designed so that the ratio of m1/m2 is such that 3<

m1/m2<

5.

4. The optoelectronic device as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the ratio of the enlargements m1/m2 of the first and second optical means is such that m1/m2 is greater than 1; and

the first optical means are disposed in the vicinity of the diaphragm, between the said diaphragm and the second optical means.

5. The optoelectronic device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lens which is revolved is of the aspherical type, and has the shape of an ogive.

6. The optoelectronic device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sensor and the diaphragm are disposed such that they are centered on axes at right angles relative to one another, a mirror which is inclined by an angle of 45°

relative to the said axes being positioned such as to reflect the images on the said sensor.

7. The optoelectronic device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the diaphragm has an aperture in the direction (Y) which is greater than that in the direction (X).

8. An optics system for an optoelectronic imager, comprising:

a diaphragm;

a cylindrical lens positioned after the diaphragm along an optical path;

a converging lens positioned between the diaphragm and the cylindrical lens along the optical path, where the combination of the cylindrical lens and converging lens combine to produce an image having a first magnification in a first plane and a second magnification in a second plane, the second plane being substantially perpendicular to the first plane and the first magnification being greater than the second magnification; and

a corrective lens positioned along the optical path.

9. The optics system of claim 8 comprising:

an optical sensor positioned after the cylindrical lens along the optical path, the optical sensor having an optical plane substantially parallel to the first plane.

10. The optics system of claim 8, further comprising:

a mirror positioned after the cylindrical along the optical path; and

an optical sensor positioned after the mirror along the optical path, the optical sensor having an optical plane substantially parallel to the first plane.

11. An optoelectronic device for imaging, comprising:

a housing having a window formed therein;

an elongated optical sensor received in the housing, the optical sensor having a length and a width where the length is greater than the width;

a diaphragm received in the housing between the window and the sensor and the optical sensor; and

an optical lens system received in the housing between the window and the optical sensor, the optical lens system having a first magnification factor along a first axis substantially parallel to the length of the optical sensor and a second magnification along a second axis substantially parallel to the width of the optical sensor, where the ratio of the first magnification to the second magnification is greater than 1.

12. The optoelectronic device of claim 11 wherein the ratio of the first magnification to the second magnification is greater than 3 and less than 5.

13. The optoelectronic device of claim 11 wherein the optical lens system comprises:

a converging lens received in the housing between the diaphragm and the optical sensor; and

a cylindrical lens received in the housing between the converging lens and the optical sensor.

14. The optoelectronic device of claim 11 wherein the optical lens system comprises:

a converging lens received in the housing between the diaphragm and the optical sensor;

a mirror received in the housing between the converging lens and the optical sensor; and

a cylindrical lens received in the housing between the mirror and the optical sensor.

15. The optoelectronic device of claim 11, further comprising:

a converging lens received in the housing between the diaphragm and the optical sensor;

a mirror received in the housing between the converging lens and the optical sensor;

a cylindrical lens received in the housing between the mirror and the optical sensor; and

a correction lens received in the housing between the window and the diaphragm, the correction lens being shaped to cancel at least a portion of the magnification of the combination of the converging and the cylindrical lenses along the second axis.

16. The optoelectronic device of claim 11, further comprising:

a converging lens received in the housing between the diaphragm and the optical sensor;

a mirror received in the housing between the converging lens and the optical sensor;

a cylindrical lens received in the housing between the mirror and the optical sensor; and

a flat/concave cylindrical correction lens received in the housing between the window and the diaphragm, the correction lens matched with the converging lens to be substantially neutral with respect to the magnification of the combination of the converging and the cylindrical lenses along the first axis and to cancel at least a portion of the magnification of the converging and the cylindrical lens combination along the second axis.

17. The optoelectronic device of claim 11, further comprising:

a converging lens received in the housing between the diaphragm and the optical sensor;

a mirror received in the housing between the converging lens and the optical sensor, wherein the converging lens is ogive shaped; and

a cylindrical lens received in the housing between the mirror and the optical sensor.

18. An optoelectronic device for imaging, comprising:

a housing having a window formed therein;

an optical sensor received in the housing, the optical sensor having an optical plane for receiving light therealong; and

an optical lens combination received in the housing between the window and the optical sensor, the optical lens combination having a first magnification in a first plane parallel to the optical plane and a second magnification in a second plane perpendicular to the optical plane, where a ratio of the first magnification and the second magnification is greater than 1.

19. The optoelectronic device of claim 18, further comprising:

a diaphragm received in the housing along an optical path extending between the window and the optical sensor.