CONTACT APERTURE FOR IMAGING APPARATUS

• US 20110186639A1
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Kearney, Sean Philip
• Application Number:
  US12/699,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20110186639A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/06 to obtain multicolour or other optical effects B05D5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation

Abstract

Disclosed is an optical imaging apparatus for focusing an image of an encoded symbol character onto an image sensor. The optical imaging apparatus includes a housing having a user input interface and a user output interface. An imaging module disposed within the housing is adapted to receive a cone of bundled light rays reflected from the encoded symbol character. The image sensor has a multiple pixel image sensor array disposed on a printed circuit board. The optical imaging apparatus further includes a focus element disposed within the imaging module, wherein the focus element is adapted to form and project the encoded symbol character upon the image sensor. A lens holding assembly is disposed within the focus element, and includes a barrel housing having a distal end for receiving the cone of bundled light rays and a proximal end for projecting an apertured cone of bundled light rays onto the image sensor. An optical lens element is disposed within an interior bore of the barrel housing. The optical lens element has a first lens surface and an opposing second lens surface; the first lens surface has a clear region and an opaque region. The opaque region is formed by a contact aperture disposed on the first lens surface, wherein the contact aperture is adapted to modify a cone angle of the bundle of light rays projected on the image sensor.

Claims

1. An optical imaging apparatus for focusing an image of an encoded symbol character onto an image sensor, the optical imaging apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising a user input interface and a user output interface;

an imaging module disposed within the housing and adapted to receive a cone of bundled light rays reflected from the encoded symbol character, the imaging module comprising the image sensor having a multiple pixel image sensor array disposed on a printed circuit board;

a focus element disposed within the imaging module, the focus element adapted to form and project the encoded symbol character upon the image sensor;

a lens holding assembly disposed within the focus element, the lens holding assembly comprising a barrel housing having a distal end for receiving the cone of bundled light rays and a proximal end for projecting an apertured cone of bundled light rays onto the image sensor; and

an optical lens element disposed within an interior bore of the barrel housing, the optical lens element having a first lens surface and an opposing second lens surface, the first lens surface having a clear region and an opaque region, the opaque region formed by a contact aperture disposed on the first lens surface, the contact aperture adapted to modify a cone angle of the bundle of light rays projected on the image sensor.

2. The optical imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is a hand-supportable housing.

3. The optical imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact aperture is applied directly to the first lens surface.

4. The optical imaging apparatus of claim 3, wherein the contact aperture comprises paint.

5. The optical imaging apparatus of claim 3, wherein the contact aperture comprises a thin film coating.

6. The optical imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens holding assembly further comprises an image formation optics assembly comprising a plurality of optical lens elements, the plurality forming a triplet, the triplet comprising a first optical lens element at the distal end of the barrel housing, a second optical lens element near the proximal end of the barrel housing, and a third optical lens element positioned between the first optical lens element and the second optical lens element.

7. The optical imaging apparatus of claim 6, wherein the contact aperture is applied to the third optical lens element.

8. The optical imaging apparatus of claim 7, wherein the contact aperture is applied to the proximal lens surface.

9. The optical imaging apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first optical lens element is biconvex lens, the second optical lens element is a positive meniscus lens having a concavity and an optical power, and the third optical lens element is a biconcave lens.

10. The optical imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the focus element comprises a variable position lens holder adapted for use with a moveable lens system, a base element to accept the variable position lens holder, and an actuator to provide movement of the variable position lens holder relative to the base element.

11. A method for focusing an image of encoded symbol characters onto an image sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an optical imaging apparatus comprising a housing, an imaging module disposed within the housing, the imaging module including the image sensor and a lens holding assembly;

illuminating the encoded symbol characters;

focusing a cone of bundled rays reflected from the encoded symbol characters through an optical lens element onto the image sensor, the optical lens element disposed within the lens holding assembly; and

modifying a cone angle of the bundled rays projected on the image sensor by applying a contact aperture directly to lens surface of the optical lens element.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of applying a contact aperture comprises the steps of:

applying a mask to a portion of the optical lens element;

coating the lens element with an opaque material; and

removing the mask.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the coating is paint.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the coating is a thin film deposition.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein an illumination pattern light source bank provides the illumination in the step of illuminating the encoded symbol characters.