Reading pen

• US 6,509,893 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2000
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: C Technologies AB (Anoto Group AB)
• Inventors: Lonn, Fredrik, Akhlagi, Noroz Nader, Wittrup, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jennifer T.
• Application Number:
  US09/605,096
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 382/312, 382/313, 382/314, 382/59, 382/65, 382/67, 382/318, 345/165, 345/166, 345/179, 358/473
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/02805 with photodetectors arranged in a two-dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0282 Using a single or a few point light sources, e.g. a laser diode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0303 with the scanned line and the photodetector array lying in non-parallel planes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/02456 Scanning element, e.g. CCD array, photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/02462 Illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/02479 Mounting or supporting means

Abstract

A reading pen for reading text has an elongate casing with a reading opening (3) formed in one end thereof, a printed circuit board (5) which is arranged inside the casing, light-emitting diodes (7a, 7b)) arranged inside the reading opening and adapted to illuminate the text that is to be read, and a light-sensitive sensor (9) arranged inside the reading opening and adapted to read the illuminated text. The printed circuit board (5) has an end portion at said one end of the casing. The end portion essentially corresponds to the form of the casing. The light-emitting diodes (7a, 7b) and the light-sensitive sensor (9) are arranged on said end portion.

Claims

1. A handheld device for reading an image such as printed text on a substrate, said device having an elongate casing with a reading opening arranged in one end thereof, a printed circuit board arranged inside the casing, light-emitting diodes arranged inside the reading opening and adapted to illuminate the image to be read, and a light-sensitive sensor arranged inside the reading opening and adapted to read the illuminated image, the printed circuit board having an end portion at said one end of the casing, said end portion substantially corresponding to the form of the casing, the longitudinal extension of the circuit board being directed towards the image;

and the light-emitting diodes are arranged at a first side of said circuit board on said end portion directing light essentially parallel with said circuit board towards said image; and

the light-sensitive sensor being arranged on said end portion at a second side of said circuit board to receive light from said image illuminated by said light-emitting diodes.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a reflector is arranged in the reading opening to reflect and diffusely spread the light emitted by the light-emitting diodes.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-emitting diodes are juxtaposed and essentially cover the width of the reading opening.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said one end of the elongate casing has a narrowing shape.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a mirror is arranged to angle a ray path essentially 90 degrees to the surface of the sensor.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sensor is a two-dimensional sensor having a sensor surface, which is arranged parallel to the circuit board at said second side of said circuit board, and that a mirror arrangement is adapted to divert light rays emanating from the image illuminated by said light emitting diodes essentially 90 degrees towards said sensor surface, and a focusing arrangement for focusing said image at said sensor surface.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a focusing device for focusing said image at said sensor surface, said focusing device comprising at least one mirror arrangement for diverting light rays from said image substantially 90 degrees towards said sensor surface.

8. A handheld device for reading an image such as printed text on a substrate, said device comprising:

an elongated casing with a reading opening arranged in one end thereof,

a printed circuit board arranged inside the casing, said printed circuit board having an end portion at said one end of the casing, an extension of the circuit board being directed towards the image;

at least one light-emitting diode arranged inside the reading opening and adapted to illuminate the image to be read, said light-emitting diode being arranged at a first side of said circuit board on said end portion directing light essentially parallel with said circuit board towards said image;

a light-sensitive two-dimensional sensor having a sensor surface arranged inside the reading opening and adapted to read the illuminated image, said sensor being arranged on said end portion at a second side of said circuit board with said sensor surface parallel to the circuit board to receive light from said image illuminated by said light-emitting diodes; and

a focusing device for focusing said image at said sensor surface, said focusing device comprising at least one mirror arrangement for diverting light rays from said image essentially 90 degrees towards said sensor surface.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein a reflector is arranged in the reading opening to reflect and diffusely spread the light emitted by the light-emitting diodes.

10. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the light-emitting diodes are juxtaposed and essentially cover the width of the reading opening.

11. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the said one end of the elongate casing has a narrowing shape.

12. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein a mirror is arranged to angle a ray path essentially 90 degrees to the surface of the sensor.