Method and apparatus for providing omnidirectional lighting in a scanning device

• US 9,298,960 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Inventors: Gerst, Carl W. III, Equitz, William H., Testa, Justin, Nadabar, Sateesha
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US14/278,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20150014415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 235/455, 235/462.42, 235/462.01, 235/462.45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/146 the method including quality enhancement steps

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for selectively controlling the illumination, and particularly dark field illumination, applied to a symbol to be decoded, and for determining a suitable or optimized level of lighting for decoding the symbol. A method includes providing a light source comprising a plurality of individually-controllable lighting elements for providing low angle dark field illumination; activating an image sensor for detecting image data reflected from an encoded data symbol when the encoded data symbol is illuminated by the light source; and providing a controller connected to each of the individually-controllable lighting elements, the controller being programmed for: selectively activating the individually-controllable lighting elements to vary the direction of the low angle dark field illumination provided by the light source; and processing the image data detected by the image.

Claims

1. An illumination assembly of a handheld scanning device comprising:

a first passive light pipe terminating in an angled tip;

a second passive light pipe terminating in a square tip;

a first illuminator that is aligned with the first passive light pipe wherein the first passive light pipe transmits light from the first illuminator to an area of interest;

a second illuminator that is aligned with the second passive light pipe wherein the second passive light pipe transmits light from the second illuminator to the area of interest; and

wherein at least one of the first or second light pipes are removably mounted to a body section of the handheld scanning device.

2. The handheld scanning device of claim 1 wherein the first and second passive light pipes have a cross section with a predetermined shape.

3. The handheld scanning device of claim 2 wherein the predetermined shape is one of a circle, a rectangle, or a curved shape.

4. The handheld scanning device of claim 1 wherein the first passive light pipe and the second passive light pipe are mounted together with a securing ring sized and arranged to secure to a camera assembly.

5. The handheld scanning device of claim 4 wherein the mounting ring is constructed and arranged to removably secure the first passive light pipe and the second passive light pipe to the camera assembly.

6. The handheld scanning device of claim 1 wherein the first passive light pipe is nested within the second passive light pipe.

7. The handheld scanning device of claim 1 wherein the second passive light pipe is nested within the first passive light pipe.

8. The handheld scanner device of claim 1 wherein the first and second ring illuminator has four quadrants that are configured to be modulated separately.

9. The handheld scanner of claim 1 wherein the angled tip is configured to generate low angle illumination on the area of interest.

10. The handheld scanner of clam 1 wherein the square tip is configured to generate bright field illumination on the area of interest.