Portable laser diode scanning head

• US 4,806,742 A
• Filed: 01/26/1988
• Issued: 02/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Cable Technologies Corporation (General Cable Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Barkan, Edward, Swartz, Jerome, Metlitsky, Boris, Barkan, Eric F., Shepard, Howard M., Adelson, Alexander M., Krichever, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US07/148,438
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1011 Aiming
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10633 by oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

A portable laser diode scanning head, aimable at each symbol to be read, emits and receives non-readily-visible laser light, and is equipped with a trigger-actuated aiming light arrangement for visually locating and tracking each symbol. A compact laser diode optical train and an optical folded path assembly, as well as an interchangeable component design and an integral window construction for the head also are disclosed.

Claims

1. In a laser scanning system for reading symbols, a laser scanning head comprising:

(a) a generally gun-shaped housing including a hollow barrel portion, and means for detachably and interchangeably mounting one of a set of hollow handle portions to the barrel portion;

(b) means including an actuatable laser light source mounted in the barrel portion and operative, when actuated, for generating an incident laser beam;

(c) optic means mounted in the barrel portion for optically forming and directing said incident laser beam toward a reference plane located exteriorly of the housing, and to a symbol located in a working distance range in the vicinity of the reference plane, thereby reflecting off the symbol reflected laser light, at least a returning portion of which travels away from the symbol back toward the head;

(d) scanning means mounted in the barrel portion for scanning the symbol in a scan across the symbol, said returning portion of said reflected laser light having a variable intensity over the scan;

(e) sensor means mounted in the barrel portion for detecting the variable intensity of said returning portion of said reflected laser light over a field of view, and for generating an electrical analog signal indicative of the detected variable light intensity;

(f) said scanning means being operative for scanning at least one of said incident laser beam and said field of view;

(g) signal processing means mounted in the barrel portion for processing the analog electrical signal, and for generating a digitized signal indicative of the symbol;

(h) decode means mounted in said one handle portion and operative for decoding the digitized signal to data descriptive of the symbol being read;

(i) manually-actuatable trigger means on the housing and operatively connected to, and operative for actuating, the laser beam generating means, optic means, scanning means, sensor means and decode means to initiate a reading of the symbol upon manual actuation of the trigger means by the user, said trigger means being actuatable for each symbol to be read, each symbol in its respective turn; and

(j) an electrical interlock between the barrel portion and said one handle portion and operative for electrically connecting the decode means in said one handle portion to the signal processing means in the barrel portion when said one handle portion is mounted on the latter.

2. The head as recited in claim 1;

and further comprising a second decode means identical to said first-identified decode means, and a local data storage means operatively connected to the second decode means and operative for storing multiple data from the symbols which have been read, said second decode means and said local data storage means being mounted in another of the set of handle portions, said other handle portion being interchangeably mounted on the barrel portion.

3. A configurable arrangement in a laser scanning system for reading symbols, the system being of the type including:

(a) a housing including a hollow main body portion, and a main handle portion;

(b) means including an actuatable laser light source mounted in the housing and operative, when actuated, for generating an incident laser beam;

(c) optic means mounted in the housing for optically forming and directing said incident laser beam toward a reference plane located exteriorly of the housing, and to a symbol located in a working distance range in the vicinity of the reference plane, thereby reflecting off the symbol reflected laser light, at least a returning portion of which travels away from the symbol back toward the housing;

(d) scanning means mounted in the housing for scanning the symbol in a scan across the symbol, said returning portion of said reflected laser light having a variable intensity over the scan;

(e) sensor means mounted in the housing for detecting the variable intensity of said returning portion of said reflected laser light over a field of view, and for generating an electrical analog signal indicative of the detected variable light intensity;

(f) said scanning means being operative for scanning at least one of said incident laser beam and said field of view;

(g) signal processing means mounted in the housing for processing the analog electrical signal, and for generating a digitized signal indicative of the symbol;

(h) decode means operatively connected to the signal processing means, and operative for decoding the digitized signal to data descriptive of the symbol being read; and

(i) manually actuatable trigger means on the housing and operatively connected to, and operative for actuating, the laser beam generating means, scanning means, sensor means and decode means to initiate a reading of the symbol upon manual actuation of the trigger means by the user, said trigger means being actuatable for each symbol to be read, each symbol in its respective turn;

said configurable arrangement comprising;

(A) an auxiliary handle portion; and

(B) mounting means for detaching said main handle portion, and for interchangeably mounting said auxiliary handle portion to said main body portion.

4. The arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein said signal processing means and said decode means are mounted within said main body and handle portions, respectively, and wherein said mounting means includes connector means for electrically connecting said decode means in said main handle portion to said signal processing means in said main body portion when said main handle portion is mounted on said main body portion.

5. The arrangement as recited in claim 4, wherein auxiliary decode means are mounted within said auxiliary handle portion, and wherein said connector means electrically connects said auxiliary decode means in said auxiliary handle portion to said signal processing means in said main body portion when said auxiliary handle portion is interchanged with said main handle portion on said main body portion.

6. The arrangement as recited in claim 5, wherein said auxiliary decode means includes a local data storage means.