Optical scanners, such as hand-held optical scanners

• US 9,313,349 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: King, Martin T., Mannby, Claes-Fredrik, Arends, Thomas C., Bajorins, David P., Fox, Daniel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, JON CARLTON
• Application Number:
  US13/965,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00331 with an apparatus performing optical character recognition character recognition G06V30/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00525 Providing a more compact apparatus, e.g. sheet discharge tray in cover
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/02815 Means for illuminating the original, not specific to a particular type of pick-up head
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0282 Using a single or a few point light sources, e.g. a laser diode

Abstract

A hand-held optical scanner is described. The hand-held optical scanner has an image sensor, as well as a scan window through which image light is directed toward the image sensor.

Claims

1. A hand-held optical scanner, comprising:

a scan window;

a first light source and a second light source that are positioned within the handheld optical scanner, wherein the first light source and the second light source emit light for passing through the scan window to illuminate an adjacent document, the first light source illuminating a first portion of the document and the second light source illuminating a second portion of the document different from the first portion;

a controller operatively connected to the first light source and the second light source, wherein the controller is configured to cause the first light source and the second light source to cycle on and off in sequence such that no more than one of the first light source and the second light source is on at any time;

an image sensor that captures light that passes from the adjacent document into the hand-held optical scanner through the scan window and provides an electrical signal based on the captured light; and

scanner circuitry that is operatively connected to the image sensor, wherein the scanner circuitry is configured to;

selectively record a first portion of light captured by a first region of the image sensor when the first light source is on and the second light source is off and record a second portion of light captured by a second region of the image sensor when the second light source is on and the first light source is off, the first portion of light defining a first image of the first portion of the document and the second portion of light defining a second image of the second portion of the document; and

combine the first and second images to form a complete image.

2. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, further comprising:

a light shield that is configured to block at least a portion of the emitted light from reaching the scan window.

3. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the first light source and the second light source each include a diffuse light source.

4. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, further comprising:

a first light polarizing filter through which at least a portion of the emitted light passes; and

a second light polarizing filter through which at least a portion of the emitted light that is reflecting off the scan window passes, the first and second polarizing filters being rotationally aligned in a way that produces a cross-polarization effect.

5. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the scan window has an inner surface spaced apart from an outer surface to define a cross-sectional thickness of the scan window, and wherein the cross-sectional thickness of the scan window varies in a first direction.

6. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the scan window has an inner surface spaced apart from an outer surface to define a cross-sectional thickness of the scan window, and wherein the cross-sectional thickness of the scan window varies in a first direction and a second direction.

7. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the scan window is configured to magnify at least a portion of a scan image that is focused on the image sensor.

8. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the scan window is configured to reduce the size of at least a portion of a scan image that is focused on the image sensor.

9. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the scan window has a thickness of from about 0.50 inch to about 1.0 inch.

10. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, further comprising a single light polarizing filter through which at least a portion of the emitted light that is reflecting off the scan window passes.

11. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the scanning window comprises a translucent material.

12. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the scanning window comprises a transparent material.

13. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, further comprising a reflection-reducing component configured to reduce an amount of emitted light that reflects off of the scan window.

14. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the scan window comprises a convex shape.

15. The hand-held optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the scan window comprises a concave shape.