Optical reader and use

• US 6,860,424 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2000
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jack A. Turpin, RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: LV Partners LP (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Philyaw, Jeffry Jovan, Davis, Douglas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, STEVEN SANGYUL
• Application Number:
  US09/580,848
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.32, 235/462.01, 235/462.14, 235/462.15, 235/462.24, 235/462.25, 235/462.41, 235/462.42, 235/462.45
• US Class Current: 235/462.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10762 Relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

An optical reader is provided for reading a symbol representing information having areas of different light reflectivity. The optical reader comprises a radiant energy source, a photodetector, an optical system and a decoder. The radiant energy source generates a radiant energy for illuminating a target region. The photodetector generates output electrical signals indicative of the radiant energy incident thereon. The optical system includes a projection portion and a collection portion. The projection portion directs the radiant energy along a projection path extending from the radiant energy source to the target region. The collection portion collects the radiant energy reflected from a symbol when the symbol occupies the target region and directs the collected radiant energy along a collection path extending from the target region to the photodetector. The collection portion includes one pinhole aperture disposed upstream on the collection path from the photodetector without intervening refraction or diffraction and one magnifying lens disposed upstream on the collection path from the pinhole aperture without intervening refraction or diffraction. The decoder decodes the output electrical signals of the photodetector to provide indication of the information contained in the symbol.

Claims

1. An optical reader for reading a symbol representing information having areas of different light reflectivity, the reader comprising:

a radiant energy source for generating a radiant energy for illuminating a target region as a spot illumination;

a photodetector for generating output electrical signals indicative of the radiant energy incident thereon;

an optical system having

a projection portion for directing the radiant energy along a projection path extending from the radiant energy source to the target region at a fixed angle to the surface thereof such that light reflected therefrom is directed along the longitudinal axis in a diverging manner;

a collection portion for collecting the radiant energy reflected from a symbol along the longitudinal axis when the symbol occupies the target region and directing the collected radiant energy along a collection path extending from the target region to the photodetector along the longitudinal axis as a column of parallel rays, the collection portion including;

one pinhole aperture disposed upstream and parallel to the collection path from the photodetector without intervening refraction or diffraction and centered along the longitudinal axis; and

one magnifying lens disposed upstream on the collection path from the pinhole aperture without intervening refraction or diffraction for collimating reflected light perpendicular to the aperture and along the longitudinal axis; and

a decoder for decoding the output electrical signals of the photodetector to provide an indication of the information contained in the symbol.

2. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the collection portion includes no other refracting or diffracting elements disposed along the collection path.

3. An optical reader in accordance with claim 2, further comprising a protective window disposed upstream on the collection path from the magnifying lens, the protective window having parallel surfaces disposed perpendicular to the collection path.

4. An optical reader in accordance with claim 3, wherein the collection portion includes no other elements disposed along the collection path.

5. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the magnifying lens is a double-convex lens.

6. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the magnifying lens is a plano-convex lens.

7. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the collection portion provides to the photodetector a dimensionally magnified image of the symbol occupying the target region.

8. An optical reader in accordance with claim 7, wherein the image of the symbol occupying the target region provided to the photodetector is dimensionally magnified by a factor within the range of about 0.5×

to about 5×

.

9. An optical reader in accordance with claim 8, wherein the image of the symbol occupying the target region provided to the photodetector is dimensionally magnified by a factor within the range of about 1.5×

to about 2.5×

.

10. An optical reader in accordance with claim 9, wherein the image of the symbol occupying the target region provided to the photodetector is dimensionally magnified by a factor within the range of about 1.9×

to about 2.1×

.

11. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the photodetector is a photo-diode.

12. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the photodetector is a photo-transistor.

13. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the photodetector is a photo-resistor.

14. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the photodetector is a charge coupled device (CCD).

15. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the photodetector and the pinhole aperture are packaged together as a discrete detector unit.

16. An optical reader in accordance with claim 15, wherein the discrete detector unit further comprises:

a base having a top surface upon which the photodetector is mounted; and

a cap mounted to the base and having a top portion spaced apart from the top surface of the base to define an interior cavity containing the photodetector, the cap having a single pinhole formed therethrough at a predetermined distance from the photodetector and being otherwise light-tight.

17. An optical reader in accordance with claim 16, wherein the cap of the detector unit is a cylindrical metallic canister having a flat top.

18. An optical reader in accordance with claim 17, wherein the cap of the detector unit has a diameter within the range of about 3 mm to about 20 mm.

19. An optical reader in accordance with claim 18, wherein the cap of the detector unit has a diameter within the range of about 4 mm to about 8 mm.

20. An optical reader in accordance with claim 19, wherein the cap of the detector unit has a diameter within the range of about 5.5 mm to about 6.5 mm.

21. An optical reader in accordance with claim 16, wherein the predetermined distance between the photodetector and the pinhole is within the range of about 1 mm to about 10 mm.

22. An optical reader in accordance with claim 21, wherein the predetermined distance between the photodetector and the pinhole is within the range of about 3 mm to about 7 mm.

23. An optical reader in accordance with claim 22, wherein the predetermined distance between the photodetector and the pinhole is within the range of about 4.5 mm to about 6 mm.

24. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the radiant energy source is a light-emitting diode (LED).

25. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal which emulates keyboard keystrokes.

26. An optical reader in accordance with claim 25, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the PS/2 keyboard interface standard.

27. An optical reader in accordance with claim 25, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the AT keyboard interface standard.

28. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard.

29. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the RS-232 standard.

30. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the RS423 standard.

31. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the IEEE 1394 (FIREWIRE) interface.

32. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interface standard.

33. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE) interface standard.

34. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) transmission standard.

35. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) interface standard.

36. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the 8-bit Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus standard.

37. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the 16-bit Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus standard.

38. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the VL-Bus bus standard.

39. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus standard.

40. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) bus standard.

41. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the Centronics Parallel Port standard.

42. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) standard.

43. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the Extended Capabilities Port (ECP) standard.

44. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, Wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with the Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) interface standard.

45. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with an Ethernet network standard.

46. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decoder provides an output signal in accordance with a token ring network standard.