Optical reader and use

• US 7,240,840 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 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:
  US11/069,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20060032922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 235/455, 235/454, 235/462.14, 235/462.15, 235/462.24, 235/462.42
• US Class Current: 235/455
• 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 an optically encoded symbol, the reader comprising:

a housing having an opening;

a radiant energy source contained within said housing for illuminating a target region with a beam of radiant energy through said opening when said opening is disposed proximate the target region;

a photodetector contained within said housing for detecting the radiant energy incident received thereby;

an optical system contained within said housing having;

a projection portion for directing the output of the radiant energy source as a beam along a projection path at a predetermined fixed angle to the opening and thus to the surface of the target region extending from the radiant energy source to the target region through said opening in said housing, wherein said housing is operable to be placed in close proximity to the target region;

a collection portion for collecting the radiant energy reflected from a symbol when the symbol occupies at least a portion of the target region and directing the collected radiant energy along a collection path extending from the target region through said opening to the photodetector, the collection portion including;

one pinhole aperture disposed upstream on the collection path from the photodetector, and

one magnifying lens disposed upstream on the collection path from the pinhole aperture wherein the pinhole aperture and photodetector comprise a discrete detector; and

a decoder for decoding the output 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 9, wherein said radiant energy source is operable to illuminate the target region as a spot illumination.

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

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

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

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

16. An optical reader in accordance with claim 1, 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.