Focus module and components with actuator

• US 8,687,282 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Feng, Chen, Wang, Ynjiun P., Havens, William H., Li, Jianhua
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOI, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US13/245,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20120248195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 359/665, 359/666, 235/454
• US Class Current: 359/666
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/004 based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/646 compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/02 with non-spherical faces G02B3/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/12 Fluid-filled or evacuated lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/028 with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/36 using image sharpness techniques , e.g. image processing techniques for generating autofocus signals image data processing per se G06T; in cameras having a solid state image sensor H04N23/67
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device

Abstract

A focus module containing a boundary element and a focus element. The focus element includes a fluid and a deformable membrane, with the fluid being entrapped between the boundary element and the deformable membrane. The focus module also includes a pressure element, which is capable of deforming the focus element by pressing on the deformable membrane in the direction of the boundary element.

Claims

1. A portable data collection device comprising:

an illumination source for illuminating a target with a light source;

a focus module capturing light from the light source reflecting from the target, the focus module comprising,

a boundary element;

a focus membrane; and

a focus fluid entrapped between said boundary element and said focus membrane;

a deforming element in communication with said focus module; and

a lens controller coupled to the deforming element,

wherein the lens controller provides a control signal to the deforming element so as to vary a force applied by the deforming element to said focus membrane, wherein the deforming element comprises a ring shaped structure that supports a plurality of tabs that extend inward from the ring shaped structure, the plurality of tabs curling in the direction of the focus membrane to change a curvature of the focus membrane when the deforming element is activated.

2. A portable data collection device according to claim 1, wherein said deforming element is in direct contact with said focus membrane.

3. A portable data collection device for imaging a target at an object distance from said device, the object distance comprising a first object distance and a second object distance that is different from the first object distance, said portable data collection device comprising:

an illumination source for illuminating the target with a light source;

a variable focus module capturing light from the light source reflecting from the target, the variable focus module comprising a boundary element and a focus membrane communicating with said boundary element in a manner forming a fluid chamber defining an optical axis, the fluid chamber having a focus fluid disposed therein;

a deforming element in communication with said focus module, wherein the deforming element comprises a ring shaped structure that supports a plurality of tabs that extend inward from the ring shaped structure, the plurality of tabs curling in the direction of the focus membrane to change a curvature of the focus membrane when the deforming element is activated; and

a lens controller coupled to the deforming element, the lens controller providing a control signal to said deforming element in a manner varying a force applied by said deforming element on said focus membrane in a direction parallel to the optical axis, the force adapting the focus membrane for the first object distance and the second object distance.

4. A portable data collection device according to claim 3, wherein the difference between the first object distance and the second object distance is at least 20 cm.

5. A portable data collection device according to claim 3, further comprising at least one inelastic element positioning the deforming element relative to the deformable membrane, wherein said deforming element comprises an outer portion anchored by the inelastic element, and an inner portion moveable with respect to the outer portion.

6. A portable data collection device according to claim 5, wherein said inner portion has a first position and a second position, the deforming element configured in a manner that causes the first position to change to the second position in response to the control signal.

7. A portable data collection device according to claim 6, wherein the inelastic element comprises at least one contact element that conveys the control signal to the deforming element.

8. A portable data collection device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a spacer positioned between the boundary element and the focus membrane in a manner spacing the boundary element from the focus membrane; and

a pressure element adjacent the focus membrane,

wherein the deforming element includes at least one element configured to flex in a direction towards the pressure element in response to the control signal.

9. A for imaging a target at an object distance, said reader comprising:

an illumination assembly comprising a light source for illuminating the target with light;

an imaging assembly responsive to the light reflected by the target from the light source;

a variable focus module conveying the reflected light to the imaging assembly, the variable focus module comprising a focus element having an optical axis, and a deforming element communicating with the focus element, the deforming element comprising a ring shaped structure that supports a plurality of tabs that extend inward from the ring shaped structure, the plurality of tabs curling in the direction of the focus membrane to change a curvature of the focus membrane when the deforming element is activated; and

a control element coupled to the variable focus module, the control element comprising a lens controller providing a control signal to said deforming element in a manner varying a force applied by said deforming element along the optical axis of the focus element in the direction of a boundary element,

wherein the object distance comprises a first object distance and a second object distance that is at least about 20 cm from the first object distance, and the force adapts the focus module so as to accommodate the first object distance and the second object distance, and wherein said reader is adapted to be hand held.

10. A reader according to claim 9, wherein said light source comprises a first source and a second source.

11. A reader according to claim 10, further comprising optics for distributing the light from the first source and the second source, wherein the optics comprises one or more of a collimator lens and a diffractive element.

12. An optical system for a data reader configured for decoding an encoded indicia on a target located an object distance from the data reader, the object distance comprising a first object distance and a second object distance that is different from the first object distance, said optical system comprising:

an illumination assembly comprising a light source for illuminating a target with light;

an imaging assembly responsive to the light reflected by the target from the light source;

a liquid lens conveying the reflected light to the imaging assembly, the liquid lens comprising a boundary element and a deformable membrane communicating with said boundary element in a manner forming a fluid chamber having an optical axis, the fluid chamber having a focus fluid disposed therein;

a deforming element adjacent the fluid chamber, wherein the deforming element comprises a ring shaped structure that supports a plurality of tabs that extend inward from the ring shaped structure, the plurality of tabs curling in the direction of the focus membrane to change a curvature of the focus membrane when the deforming element is activated;

a control element coupled to the deforming element, the control element comprising a lens controller providing a control signal to the deforming element deforming the deforming element relative to the fluid chamber in a manner accommodating the first object distance and the second object distance,

wherein the difference between the first object distance and the second object distance is at least about 20 cm.

13. An optical system according to claim 12, further comprising at least one inelastic element positioning the deforming element relative to the deformable membrane, wherein said deforming element comprises an outer portion anchored by the inelastic element, and an inner portion moveable with respect to the outer portion.

14. An optical system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a spacer positioned between the boundary element and the deformable membrane in a manner spacing the boundary element from the deformable membrane; and

a pressure element adjacent the deformable membrane,

wherein the deforming element includes at least one element configured to flex in a direction towards the pressure element in response to the control signal.

15. An optical system according to claim 12, wherein said light source comprises a first source and a second source.

16. An optical system according to claim 15, further comprising optics for distributing the light from the first source and the second source, wherein the optics comprises one or more of a collimator lens and a diffractive element positioned so as to receive the light at the second wavelength.

17. An optical system according to claim 12, further comprising at least one inelastic element positioning the deforming element relative to the deformable membrane, wherein said deforming element comprises an outer portion anchored by the inelastic element, and an inner portion moveable with respect to the outer portion.