Portable data collection device for reading fluorescent indicia
First Claim
1. A portable data collection device for reading fluorescent indicia comprising:
- a housing;
an image capture module in said housing having an aperture, optics, and a detector for capturing images from light received through said aperture and focused by said optics onto said detector;
a flash for providing light having one or more excitation wavelengths capable of fluorescing said indicia;
a display on said housing capable of viewing captured fluorescent images;
means for operating said flash to fluoresce said indicia, in which said detector receives light at one or more fluoresced wavelengths representing an image of said indicia; and
a sensor for measuring light, in which said means for operating said flash further comprises means for providing light from said flash for a duration in accordance with the measured light to provide proper exposure of the image by said detector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable data collection device is provided for reading fluorescent indicia, such as barcodes. The device includes a housing with a pivotable image capture module. The image capture module includes an adjustable aperture, a color detector array for imaging light received through the aperture, and a removable flash module to provide ultraviolet light. Optics in the image capture module focus the light received through the aperture onto the detector array, in which the detector array is movable with respect to the lens to provide proper focus of an image onto the detector array. The adjustable aperture has an iris wheel to control the amount of light received by the detector array. A programmed controller is provided in the housing which operates responsive to a user interface to image and decode indicia, or capture color digital images in memory. A display on the housing shows images received by the detector array in a non-fluorescent imaging mode to target indicia to be imaged and decoded, where the controller automatically adjusts the focus of the image by adjusting the focal distance between the detector array and the lens. In response to user actuation via the user interface, the controller energizes the flash module to emit light, including the excitation wavelength(s), which enable the indicia to fluoresce, and the detector array receives fluorescent light to capture an image frame of the indicia. The duration of the flash is in accordance with the amount of light measured by a light sensor in the image capture module. The indicia in the image frame is then decoded by the controller to provide data representative of the indicia.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A portable data collection device for reading fluorescent indicia comprising:
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a housing;
an image capture module in said housing having an aperture, optics, and a detector for capturing images from light received through said aperture and focused by said optics onto said detector;
a flash for providing light having one or more excitation wavelengths capable of fluorescing said indicia;
a display on said housing capable of viewing captured fluorescent images;
means for operating said flash to fluoresce said indicia, in which said detector receives light at one or more fluoresced wavelengths representing an image of said indicia; and
a sensor for measuring light, in which said means for operating said flash further comprises means for providing light from said flash for a duration in accordance with the measured light to provide proper exposure of the image by said detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for reading fluorescent indicia comprising:
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a housing;
an image capture module mounted in said housing for pivotal movement and having a two-dimensional detector and a fixed lens for focusing light onto said detector, in which said detector is located on a platform movable with respect to said lens to focus an image onto said detector;
a wheel for providing multiple openings of different diameter, and a filter for passing fluoresced light of the spectra of the indicia;
a flash module removable from said image capture module having a source of ultraviolet light, in which said image capture module has a socket into which said flash module is received, and said ultraviolet light is of one or more excitation wavelengths of the indicia;
a light sensor mounted in said housing; and
a controller for controlling a duration of a single strobe of said light source in response to an amount of light received by said light sensor, determining a distance between said detector and said lens for focusing said image onto said detector, receiving images from said detector representing fluorescent indicia illuminated by said ultraviolet light in a single strobe of said light source, and decoding said indicia to provide data representative of said indicia. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification