Integrated illumination assembly for symbology reader
First Claim
1. An illumination assembly for a mark reader comprising:
- a passive light transmitter including an inner lumen through which at least a portion of a mark is detectable, the passive light transmitter having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end comprising a chamfered surface, the chamfered surface having a diffusive surface texture;
at least one light element positioned adjacent the proximal end and adapted to transmit light into the proximal end, at least a portion of the transmitted light internally reflecting through the light transmitter to the chamfered surface and, at the chamfered surface, reflecting out of the light transmitter through an interior wall of the light transmitter facing the inner lumen as dark field illumination; and
at least a different portion of the transmitted light internally reflecting through the light transmitter to the chamfered surface and being refracted out of the light transmitter and through the diffusive surface texture of the chamfered surface as bright field illumination.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A light transmitter (e.g., pipe) is constructed from polycarbonate for increased shock resistance and can define a rectangular cross section. A chamfered end of the light pipe is textured or frosted to further diffuse refracted light passing through the end to present a more even effect. A conical/tapered diffuser within the light pipe is illuminated by a reflector that reflects a plurality of rear-ward-directed illumination sources back into the diffuser. The reflector can direct light into the forwardmost, remote regions of the diffuser to generate a better spread of light and alleviate spotting effects. The illumination sources can be multi-colored sources that respond to a controller to project a color and/or blink in a pattern to indicate various conditions. The controller can operate individual portions of the ring so that only corresponding portions of the light pipe perimeter are illuminated in a particular color at a given time. Different quadrants may be simultaneously illuminated in different colors.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An illumination assembly for a mark reader comprising:
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a passive light transmitter including an inner lumen through which at least a portion of a mark is detectable, the passive light transmitter having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end comprising a chamfered surface, the chamfered surface having a diffusive surface texture; at least one light element positioned adjacent the proximal end and adapted to transmit light into the proximal end, at least a portion of the transmitted light internally reflecting through the light transmitter to the chamfered surface and, at the chamfered surface, reflecting out of the light transmitter through an interior wall of the light transmitter facing the inner lumen as dark field illumination; and at least a different portion of the transmitted light internally reflecting through the light transmitter to the chamfered surface and being refracted out of the light transmitter and through the diffusive surface texture of the chamfered surface as bright field illumination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An illumination assembly for a mark reader comprising:
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a passive light transmitter including an inner lumen through which at least a portion of a mark is detectable, the passive light transmitter having a proximal end and a distal end; at least one forward projecting light element positioned adjacent the proximal end and adapted to transmit a first light in a first direction into the proximal end, at least a portion of the transmitted first light internally reflecting through the light transmitter to the distal end and exiting the light transmitter as dark field illumination; and at least one rearward projecting light element positioned so as to transmit a second light in a second direction so that the second light exits the assembly as direct light onto at least a portion of the mark. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. An illumination assembly for a mark reader comprising:
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a passive light transmitter including an inner lumen through which at least a portion of a mark is detectable, the passive light transmitter having a proximal end and a distal end; at least one forward projecting light element positioned adjacent the proximal end and adapted to transmit a first light in a first direction into the proximal end, at least a portion of the transmitted first light internally reflecting through the light transmitter to the distal end and exiting the light transmitter as dark field illumination; a tapered diffuser positioned within the inner lumen, the diffuser diffusing a second light so that the diffused second light exits the diffuser as diffuse light onto at least a portion of the mark; and wherein at least one rearward projecting light element is positioned so as to transmit the second light in a second direction to spread the second light toward the diffuser positioned within the inner lumen, the diffuser diffusing the second light so that the diffused second light exits the diffuser as a diffuse light onto at least a portion of the mark. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A mark reader comprising:
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a light transmitter defined by a central axis and including at least a first light transmitter segment and a second light transmitter segment, the first light transmitter segment being spaced further from the central axis than the second light transmitter segment; at least one light source adjacent a proximal end of the light transmitter; the light transmitter further including a distal end, the distal end adapted to direct light from the at least one light source onto a surface as dark field illumination; and the distal end of the first light transmitter segment directing the dark field illumination at a first convergence distance, and the distal end of the second light transmitter segment directing the dark field illumination at a second convergence distance, the second convergence distance being different than the first convergence distance. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An illumination assembly for a mark reader comprising:
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a passive light transmitter including an inner lumen through which at least a portion of a mark is detectable, the passive light transmitter having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end comprising a chamfered surface, the chamfered surface having a diffusive surface texture; at least one light element positioned adjacent the proximal end and adapted to transmit light into the proximal end, at least a portion of the transmitted light internally reflecting through the light transmitter to the chamfered surface and being refracted out of the light transmitter and through the diffusive surface texture of the chamfered surface as bright field illumination; and a diffuser positioned within the inner lumen, the diffuser diffusing a different portion of the transmitted light so that the diffused transmitted light exits the diffuser as a spread of diffuse light onto at least a portion of the mark. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of illuminating at least a portion of a mark to obtain an image, the method comprising:
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providing a passive light transmitter including an inner lumen through which at least a portion of a mark is detectable, the passive light transmitter having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end comprising a chamfered surface; illuminating at least one light element positioned adjacent the proximal end; transmitting light from the at least one light element into the proximal end, at least a portion of the transmitted light internally reflecting through the light transmitter to the chamfered surface and being refracted out of the light transmitter and through the chamfered surface to illuminate at least a portion of the mark with bright field illumination; obtaining a first image of the at least a portion of the mark with the bright field illumination; transmitting a different portion of the light from the at least one light element toward a diffuser, the diffuser diffusing the at least a different portion of the light so that the diffused light exits the diffuser to illuminate the at least a portion of the mark as diffuse light; and obtaining a second image of the at least a portion of the mark with the diffuse light.
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23. The method according to 22 wherein the diffused light exits the diffuser as diffuse bright field illumination.
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24. The method according to 22 wherein the chamfered surface includes a diffusive surface texture.
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25. The method according to 22 wherein the diffuser is positioned within the inner lumen.
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26. The method according to 22 wherein the at least one light element includes at least a first light element for transmitting light into the proximal end, and at least a second light element for transmitting light toward the diffuser.
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27. The method according to 22 further including internally reflecting at least a different portion of the transmitted light through the light transmitter to the chamfered surface and, at the chamfered surface, reflecting the different portion of the transmitted light out of the light transmitter through an interior wall of the light transmitter facing the inner lumen to illuminate the at least a portion of the mark with dark field illumination.
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28. The method according to 27 further including obtaining a third image of the at least a portion of the mark with the dark field illumination.
Specification