PLANAR LIGHT ILLUMINATION AND IMAGING (PLIIM) BASED SYSTEM HAVING A LINEAR IMAGE DETECTION CHIP MOUNTING ASSEMBLY WITH MEANS FOR PREVENTING MISALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE FIELD OF VIEW (FOV) OF SAID LINEAR IMAGE DETECTION CHIP AND THE CO-PLANAR LASER ILLUMINATION BEAM (PLIB) PRODUCED BY SAID PLIIM BASED SYSTEM, IN RESPONSE TO THERMAL EXPANSION AND/OR CONTRACTION WITHIN SAID PLIIM BASED SYSTEM

• US 6,978,935 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Good, Timothy A., Knowles, C. Harry, Schmidt, Mark S., Au, Ka Man, Ghosh, Sankar, Kolis, George, Colavito, Stephen J., Amundsen, Thomas, Vatan, Pirooz, Naylor, Charles A., Defoney, Shawn, Van Tassell, Jon, Skypala, Edward, Schwartz, Barry E., Jankevics, Andrew, Schnee, Michael D., Wilz, David W. Sr., Blake, Robert, Tsikos, Constantine J., Giordano, Patrick A., Yorsz, Jeffery, Wirth, Allan, Kim, Steven Y., Dobbs, Russell Joseph, Svedas, William, Fisher, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/131,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20030034395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 23546201-46247, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/454, 235/455, 235/494, 235/375, 235/470
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0014 at least one surface having optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0052 the light source comprising a laser diode coupling into light guides using intermediate optical elements G02B6/4204; semiconductor lasers having optical devices external to the laser cavity H01S5/005
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0085 for use with both a detector and a source , e.g. in a transceiver, G02B19/009, G02B19/0095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/009 for use with infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0095 for use with ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/095 Refractive optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/48 Laser speckle optics
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10594 Beam path
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/146 the method including quality enhancement steps
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/62 Text, e.g. of license plates, overlay texts or captions on TV images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/144 using a slot moved over the image; using discrete sensing elements at predetermined points; using automatic curve following means
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/005 Optical components external to the laser cavity, specially adapted therefor, e.g. for homogenisation or merging of the beams or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping H01S5/026, H01S5/18388 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02325 Mechanically integrated components on mount members or optical micro-benches
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4025 Array arrangements, e.g. constituted by discrete laser diodes or laser bar H01S5/42 takes precedence

Abstract

A planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based system comprising a linear image formation and detection module having (i) an image sensing chip having a plurality of conductive pins establishing electrical interconnections with conductive elements within a chip mounting socket mounted on an electronic camera board, and (ii) image forming optics with a field of view. The system also includes a heat-exchanging structure, rigidly connected to the image formation optics, and having (i) a body portion provided with heat exchanging elements, (ii) a plurality of apertures through which the plurality of conductive pins on the image sensing chip pass to establish electrical interconnections with the conductive elements within the chip mounting socket, and (III) a plurality of mechanical elements for releasably engaging the package of the image sensing chip so as to rigidly maintain the image sensing chip in alignment with the image forming optics.

Claims

1. A planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based system comprising:

a system housing having at least first and second light transmission apertures;

a linear image formation and detection module disposed in said system housing and having

(i) a linear detection array realized on an image sensing chip having a plurality of conductive pins establishing electrical interconnections with conductive elements within a chip mounting socket mounted on an electronic camera board having electronic image scanning and buffering circuits, and

(ii) image forming optics with a field of view projectable through said first light transmission aperture and onto an object moving relative to said first and second light transmission apertures during object illumination and imaging operations;

a heat-exchanging structure, rigidly connected to said image forming optics, and having

(a) a body portion provided with heat exchanging elements,

(b) a planar surface portion disposed in thermal communication with said body portion,

(c) a plurality of apertures formed in said planar surface portion, and through which said plurality of conductive pins on said image sensing chip pass so that said plurality of conductive pins can establish said electrical interconnections with the conductive elements within said chip mounting socket, and

(d) a plurality of mechanical elements for releasably engaging the package of said image sensing chip so as to rigidly maintain said image sensing chip in alignment with said image forming optics; and

a planar laser illumination array (PLIA) disposed in said system housing, and including a plurality of laser diodes arranged together in a linear manner and in relation to said linear image formation and detection module, for producing a planar laser illumination beam (PLIB), and projecting said PLIB through said second light transmission aperture and oriented such that the plane of said PLIB is coplanar with the field of view of said linear image formation and detection module so that the object can be simultaneously illuminated by said PLIBs and imaged within said field of view of said linear image formation and detection module,

whereby a series of linear digital images of said object are sequentially detected by said linear image formation and detection module as said object moves past first and second light transmission apertures, so that said series of linear digital images can be grabbed and buffered for subsequent use in constructing two-dimensional digital images of said object.

2. The PLIIM based system of claim 1, which further comprises:

an image frame grabber for grabbing two-dimensional digital images formed and detected by said image formation and detection module,

an image data buffer for buffering said grabbed two-dimensional digital images;

an image processing computer operably associated with said image data buffer, for processing said buffered two-dimensional digital images; and

a camera control computer for controlling said linear image formation and said detection module, and said pair of PLIA.

3. The PLIIM-based system of claim 1, wherein said image forming optics have a fixed focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view (FOV).

4. The PLIIM-based system of claim 1, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view (FOV).

5. The PLIIM-based system of claim 1, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a variable focal length providing a variable field of view (FOV).

6. The PLIIM-based system of claim 1, wherein said system housing has a unitary construction.

7. A planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based system comprising:

a system housing having first, second and third light transmission apertures linearly aligned with and optically isolated from each other, and said third light transmission aperture being disposed between said first and second light transmission apertures;

a linear image formation and detection module disposed in said system housing and having

a linear detection array realized on an image sensing chip having a plurality of conductive pins establishing electrical interconnections with conductive elements within a chip mounting socket mounted on an electronic camera board having electronic image scanning and buffering circuits, and

image forming optics with a field of view projectable through said third light transmission aperture and onto an object moving relative to said first, second and third light transmission apertures during object illumination and imaging operations;

a heat-exchanging structure, rigidly connected to said image forming optics, and having

(i) a body portion provided with heat exchanging elements,

(ii) a planar surface portion disposed in thermal communication with said body portion,

(iii) a plurality of apertures formed in said planar surface portion, and through which said plurality of conductive pins on said image sensing chip pass so that said plurality of conductive pins can establish said electrical interconnections with the conductive elements within said chip mounting socket; and

(iv) a plurality of mechanical elements for releasably engaging the package of said image sensing chip so as to rigidly maintain said image sensing chip in alignment with said image forming optics;

a pair of planar laser illumination, arrays (PLIAs) disposed in said system housing, each said planar laser array (PLIA) including a plurality of laser diodes arranged together in a linear manner and said planar laser illumination arrays being arranged in relation to said linear image formation and detection module, and for producing a pair of planar laser illumination beams (PLIBs), and projecting said pair of PLIBs through said first and second light transmission apertures and oriented such that the plane of said PLIBs is coplanar with the field of view of said linear image formation and detection module so that the object can be simultaneously illuminated by said PLIBs and imaged within said field of view of said linear image formation and detection module,

whereby a series of linear digital images of said object are sequentially detected by said linear image formation and detection module as said object moves past first, second and third light transmission apertures, so that said series of linear digital images can be grabbed and buffered for subsequent use in constructing two-dimensional images of said object.

8. The PLIIM based system of claim 7, which further comprises:

an image frame grabber for grabbing two-dimensional digital images formed and detected by said image formation and detection module,

an image data buffer for buffering said grabbed two-dimensional digital images;

an image processing computer operably associated with said image data buffer, for processing said buffered two-dimensional digital images; and

a camera control computer for controlling said linear image formation and said detection module, and said pair of PLIAs.

9. The PLIIM-based system of claim 7, wherein said image forming optics have a fixed focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view (FOV).

10. The PLIIM-based system of claim 7, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view (FOV).

11. The PLIIM-based system of claim 7, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a variable focal length providing a variable field of view (FOV).

12. The PLIIM-based system of claim 7 wherein said system housing has a unitary construction.

13. An over-the-conveyor belt package identification system embodying the PLIIM-based system of claim 7.

14. A hand-supportable bar code symbol reading system embodying the PLIIM-based system of claim 7.

15. A planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based system comprising:

a system housing having first, second and third light transmission apertures linearly aligned with and optically isolated from each other, and said third light transmission aperture being disposed between said first and second light transmission apertures;

a linear image formation and detection module disposed in said system housing and having

(i) a linear detection array realized on an image sensing chip having a plurality of conductive pins establishing electrical interconnections with conductive elements within a chip mounting socket mounted on an electronic camera board having electronic image scanning and buffering circuits, and

(ii) image forming optics with a field of view projectable through said third light transmission aperture and onto an object moving relative to said first, second and third light transmission apertures during object illumination and imaging operations;

a heat-exchanging structure, rigidly connected to said image forming optics, and having

(d) a body portion provided with heat exchanging elements,

(e) a planar surface portion disposed in thermal communication with said body portion

(f) a plurality of apertures formed in said planar surface portion, and through which said plurality of conductive pins on said image sensing chip pass so that said plurality of conductive pins can establish said electrical interconnections with the conductive elements within said chip mounting socket, and

(iii) a plurality of mechanical elements for releasably engaging the package of said image sensing chip so as to rigidly maintain said image sensing chip in alignment with said image forming optics;

a pair of planar laser illumination arrays (PLIAs) disposed in said system housing, each said PLIA including a plurality of laser diodes arranged together in a linear manner and said PLIAs being arranged in relation to said linear image formation and detection module, and producing first and second planar laser illumination beams (PLIBs);

a stationary field of view folding mirror, disposed in said system housing, for folding the field of view of said linear image formation and detection module in predetermined direction with respect to said third light transmission aperture;

a pair of stationary planar laser beam folding mirrors disposed in said system housing, and arranged so as to fold the optical paths of said first and second PLIBs such that the planes of said first and second PLIBs are projected through said first and second light transmission apertures and oriented in a direction that is substantially coplanar with the field of view of said linear image formation and detection module so that the object can be simultaneously illuminated by said first and second PLIBs and imaged within the field of view of said linear image formation and detection module,

whereby a series of linear digital images of said object are sequentially detected by said linear image formation and detection module as said object moves past said first, second and third light transmission apertures, so that said series of linear digital images can be grabbed and buffered for subsequent use in constructing two-dimensional digital images of said object.

16. The PLIIM-based system of claim 15, which further comprises:

an image frame grabber, disposed within said system housing, for grabbing images formed and detected by said linear image formation and detection module,

an image data buffer, disposed within said system housing, for buffering said grabbed image;

an image processing computer, operably connected to said image data buffer, for processing said buffered two-dimensional digital image; and

a camera control computer, disposed within said system housing , for controlling said linear image formation and said detection module.

17. The PLIIM-based system of claim 15, wherein said image forming optics have a fixed focal distance and a fixed focal length fixed field of view (FOV).

18. The PLIIM-based system of claim 15, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view (FOV).

19. The PLIIM-based system of claim 15, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a variable focal length providing a variable field of view (FOV).

20. The PLIIM-based system of claim 15, wherein said system housing has a unitary construction.

21. An over-the-conveyor belt package identification system embodying the PLIIM-based system of claim 15.

22. A hand-supportable bar code symbol reading system embodying the PLIIM-based system of claim 15.

23. A planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based system comprising:

a system housing having first, second and third light transmission apertures linearly aligned with and optically isolated from each other, and said third light transmission aperture being disposed between said first and second light transmission apertures;

a linear image formation and detection module disposed in said system housing and having

(i) a linear detection array realized on an image sensing chip having a plurality of conductive pins establishing electrical interconnections with conductive elements within a chip mounting socket mounted on an electronic camera board having electronic image scanning and buffering circuits, and

(ii) image forming optics with a field of view projectable through said third light transmission aperture and onto an object moving relative to said first, second and third light transmission apertures during object illumination and imaging operations;

a heat-exchanging structure, rigidly connected to said image formation optics, and having

(f) a body portion provided with heat exchanging elements,

(g) a planar surface portion disposed in thermal communication with said body portion,

(h) a plurality of apertures formed in said planar surface portion, and through which said plurality of conductive pins on said image sensing chip pass so that said plurality of conductive pins can establish said electrical interconnections with the conductive elements within said chip mounting socket, and

(iii) a plurality of mechanical elements for releasably engaging the package of said image sensing chip so as to rigidly maintain said image sensing chip in alignment with said image forming optics;

a pair of planar laser illumination arrays (PLIAs) disposed in said system housing, each said PLIA including a plurality of laser diodes arranged together in a linear manner and said PLIA being arranged in relation to said linear image formation and detection module, and producing first and second planar laser illumination beams (PLIBs); and

a pair of stationary planar laser beam folding mirrors disposed in said system housing and arranged so as to fold the optical paths of said first and second PLIBs such that the planes of the first and second stationary PLIBs are projected through said first and second light transmission apertures and oriented in a direction that is coplanar with the field of view of said linear image formation and detection module so that the object can be simultaneously illuminated by said PLIBs and imaged within said field of view of said linear image formation and detection module;

whereby a series of linear digital images of said object are sequentially detected by said linear image formation and detection module as said object moves past said first, second and third light transmission apertures, so that said series of linear digital images can be grabbed and buffered for subsequent use in constructing two-dimensional digital images of said object.

24. The PLIIM-based system of claim 23, which further comprises:

an image frame grabber, disposed within said system, for grabbing two-dimensional digital images framed and detected by said image formation and detection module,

an image data buffer, disposed within said system housing, for buffering said grabbed two-dimensional digital image;

an image processing computer, operably associated therewith, for processing said buffered two-dimensional digital image; and

a camera control computer for controlling said linear image formation and said detection module.

25. The PLIIM-based system of claim 23, wherein said image forming optics have a fixed focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view (FOV).

26. The PLIIM-based system of claim 23, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view (FOV).

27. The PLIIM-based system of claim 23, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a variable focal length providing a variable field of view (FOV).

28. The PLIIM-based system of claim 23, wherein said system housing has a unitary construction.

29. An over-the-conveyor belt package identification system embodying the PLIIM-based system of claim 23.

30. A hand-supportable bar code symbol reading system embodying the PLIIM-based system of claim 23.