Scanner and method for sweeping a beam across a target
First Claim
1. A scanner, comprising:
- a beam generator operable to generate a scan beam;
a beam-reflector assembly having a first magnet and operable to sweep the scan beam; and
a beam-sweep mechanism having a permanent second magnet and operable to activate the beam-reflector assembly by exerting a first magnetic force and only the first magnetic force on the beam-reflector assembly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A scanner such as a bar-code scanner includes a scan-beam generator, a beam reflector having a first magnet, and a beam-sweep mechanism having a second magnet. The beam-sweep mechanism causes the reflector to sweep the scan beam across a target such as a bar-code symbol by exerting a force on the first magnet with the second magnet. In one example, attraction between the magnets holds the reflector steady in a non-sweep position. Conversely, in a sweep position, repulsion between the magnets causes the reflector to oscillate and sweep the scan beam across a target such as a bar-code symbol. Because it does not include a motor for rotating a beam-sweep mirror, the scanner is often smaller and uses less electrical energy than motorized bar-code scanners.
43 Citations
44 Claims
-
1. A scanner, comprising:
-
a beam generator operable to generate a scan beam; a beam-reflector assembly having a first magnet and operable to sweep the scan beam; and a beam-sweep mechanism having a permanent second magnet and operable to activate the beam-reflector assembly by exerting a first magnetic force and only the first magnetic force on the beam-reflector assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
10. A scanner, comprising:
-
a beam generator operable to generate a scan beam; a beam detector operable to read a return beam reflected from a target; a beam-reflector assembly having a mirror, a shaft, and a first magnet, the mirror operable to sweep the scan beam across the target; and a beam-sweep mechanism having a permanent second magnet and operable to, retain the mirror of the beam-reflector assembly in and return the mirror to a home position by attracting the first magnet with the second magnet, and rotate the mirror of the beam-reflector assembly back and forth about the shaft in an underdamped manner by repelling the first magnet with the second magnet. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A scanner, comprising:
-
a beam generator operable to generate a scan beam; a beam-reflector assembly having a first magnet and operable to sweep the scan beam; and a beam-sweep mechanism having a second magnet configured for mechanical movement between a first position in which the second magnet attracts the first magnet and a second position in which the second magnet repels the first magnet. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method, comprising:
-
generating a scan beam; and sweeping the beam across a target by moving a magnet to exert a first magnetic force and only the first magnetic force on a beam reflector, the magnet being unattached to the beam reflector. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A method, comprising:
-
retaining a mirror in a home position with an attractive magnetic force from a magnet; rotating the mirror back and forth about a shaft with a repelling magnetic force from the magnet to sweep a scan beam across a target and to direct a return beam reflected from the target to a beam detector; and returning the mirror to the home position with the attractive magnetic force from the magnet. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
-
-
33. A scanner, comprising:
-
a beam generator operable to generate a scan beam; a beam-reflector assembly having a first magnet and operable to sweep the scan beam; and a non-motorized beam-sweep mechanism having a permanent second magnet and operable to activate the beam-reflector assembly by exerting a first force on the first magnet with the second magnet. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
-
-
36. A method, comprising:
-
retaining a mirror in a home position with an attractive magnetic force from a magnet, the mirror rotatable about an axis; moving the magnet in a dimension that is substantially parallel to the axis such that the magnet exerts a repelling magnetic force on the mirror, the repelling magnetic force causing the mirror to rotate back and forth about a shaft such that the mirror sweeps a scan beam across a target and directs a return beam reflected from the target to a beam detector; and moving the magnet in the dimension such that the magnet exerts the attractive magnetic force on the mirror, the attractive magnetic force causing the mirror to return to the home position. - View Dependent Claims (37)
-
-
38. A scanner, comprising:
-
a beam generator operable to generate a scan beam; a beam detector operable to read a return beam reflected from a target; a beam-reflector assembly having a mirror, a shaft, and a first magnet, the mirror operable to sweep the scan beam across the target; and a beam-sweep mechanism having a second magnet configured for mechanical movement between a first position in which the second magnet attracts the first magnet and a second position in which the second magnet repels the first magnet, the beam-sweep mechanism operable to, retain the mirror of the beam-reflector assembly in and return the mirror to a home position when the beam-sweep mechanism is in the first position, and rotate the mirror of the beam-reflector assembly back and forth about the shaft in an underdamped manner when the beam-sweep mechanism is in the second position.
-
-
39. A scanner, comprising:
-
a beam generator operable to generate a scan beam; a beam-reflector assembly having a first magnet and a shaft and operable to sweep the scan beam; and a beam-sweep mechanism having a second magnet configured for mechanical movement between a first position in which the second magnet attracts the first magnet and a second position in which the second magnet repels the first magnet, the beam-sweep mechanism operable when in the first position to retain the mirror of the beam-reflector assembly in and return the mirror to a home position, the beam-reflector assembly operable when in the second position to rotate the mirror of the beam-reflector assembly back and forth about the shaft in an underdamped manner.
-
-
40. A scanner, comprising:
-
a beam generator operable to generate a scan beam; a beam-reflector assembly having a first magnet and a shaft and operable to sweep the scan beam; and a beam-sweep mechanism having a second magnet configured for mechanical movement between a first position in which the second magnet exerts a first magnetic force on the first magnet and a second position in which the second magnet exerts a second magnetic force on the first magnet, the beam-sweep mechanism operable when in the first position to retain the mirror of the beam-reflector assembly in and return the mirror to a home position, the beam-reflector assembly operable when in the second position to rotate the mirror of the beam-reflector assembly back and forth about the shaft in an underdamped manner.
-
-
41. A method, comprising:
-
retaining a mirror in a home position with a first magnetic force from a magnet; rotating the mirror back and forth about a shaft with a second magnetic force from the magnet to sweep a scan beam across a target and to direct a return beam reflected from the target to a beam detector; and returning the mirror to the home position with the first magnetic force from the magnet.
-
-
42. A method, comprising:
-
moving a magnet into a first position to retain a mirror in a home position with a first magnetic force; moving the magnet into a second position to rotate the mirror back and forth about a shaft with a second magnetic force to sweep a scan beam across a target with the mirror and to direct a return beam reflected from the target to a beam detector with the mirror; and moving the magnet into the first position to return the mirror to the home position with the first magnetic force. - View Dependent Claims (43)
-
-
44. A scanner, comprising:
-
a beam generator operable to generate a scan beam; a beam-reflector assembly having a first magnet and operable to sweep the scan beam by rotating about an axis; and a beam-sweep mechanism having a second magnet configured for mechanical movement in a dimension substantially parallel to the axis between a first position in which the second magnet attracts the first magnet and a second position in which the second magnet repels the first magnet.
-
Specification