Method of and apparatus for multiplying raster scanning lines by modulating a multi-cavity laser diode
First Claim
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1. A laser scanning bar code symbol reading system operable to scan and read bar code symbols, said laser scanning bar code symbol reading system having a working range and comprising:
- a housing having a light transmission window;
a multi-cavity visible laser diode (VLD) having multiple laser cavities that are sequentially activated and driven to produce multiple laser beams; and
a laser scanning mechanism including a rotating scanning element, having multiple reflective facets, for scanning said multiple laser beams as said rotating scanning element rotates about its axis of rotation;
wherein each of said laser beams produced by each cavity of said multi-cavity VLD is spaced apart along an optical axis, and directed towards said rotating scanning element to generate multiple sets of parallel raster scanning lines which are projected through said light transmission window and into a scanning field defined external to said light transmission window, andwherein when a bar code symbol is presented within said scanning field, the bar code symbol is scanned by one or more of said multiple sets of raster scanning lines, and said system reads the bar code symbol.
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Abstract
A method of and apparatus for generating a multiple raster-type scanning pattern by modulating a multi-cavity laser diode in such a way that it sequentially generates different laser beams synchronously during different laser scanning cycles, while the output laser beams are directed incident upon a rotating polygonal laser scanning element. The system does not require additional moving parts beyond the rotating polygon scanning element so as to reduce complexity and simplify construction of the laser scanning mechanism.
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15 Claims
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1. A laser scanning bar code symbol reading system operable to scan and read bar code symbols, said laser scanning bar code symbol reading system having a working range and comprising:
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a housing having a light transmission window; a multi-cavity visible laser diode (VLD) having multiple laser cavities that are sequentially activated and driven to produce multiple laser beams; and a laser scanning mechanism including a rotating scanning element, having multiple reflective facets, for scanning said multiple laser beams as said rotating scanning element rotates about its axis of rotation; wherein each of said laser beams produced by each cavity of said multi-cavity VLD is spaced apart along an optical axis, and directed towards said rotating scanning element to generate multiple sets of parallel raster scanning lines which are projected through said light transmission window and into a scanning field defined external to said light transmission window, and wherein when a bar code symbol is presented within said scanning field, the bar code symbol is scanned by one or more of said multiple sets of raster scanning lines, and said system reads the bar code symbol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of scanning and reading a bar code symbol using a laser scanner, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) in a housing, sequentially activating and driving a plurality of laser cavities of a multi-cavity laser diode to generate, along an optical axis, multiple laser beams, each laser beam being generated from a different laser cavity of said multi-cavity laser diode; (b) within said housing, rotating a polygonal scanning element, with multiple reflective facets, about an axis of rotation; (c) directing said multiple laser beams towards said rotating polygonal scanning element to generate multiple sets of parallel raster scanning lines within said housing; (d) projecting said multiple sets of parallel raster scanning lines through said light transmission window within a scanning field defined external to said light transmission window; and (e) presenting a bar code symbol within said scanning field for scanning by one or more of said multiple sets of parallel raster scanning lines. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification