Attachment including a targeting optic system that directs illumination from a white light source towards a target area

An attachment for a smartphone, the smartphone comprising:

• i) a camera with an image sensor and a focusing lens located on a back side of the smartphone for capturing an image of a target area at the back side of the smartphone;
• and ii) a white light source on the back side of the smartphone for projecting a field of illumination towards the target area, the attachment comprising:
• a targeting optic system which, when the attachment is secured to the back side of the smartphone, receives illumination emitted by the white light source and directs the illumination towards the target area from a position different from a location of the white light source;
• wherein the attachment:
• directs the illumination from the white light source to the position different from the location of the white light source, the position being at a distance from the camera's image sensor that is greater than a distance between the white light source and the camera's image sensor;
• and
• directs the illumination into the target area via the targeting optic system.

A method of reading a barcode using a smartphone, the smartphone comprising:

• i) a camera with an image sensor and a focusing lens located on a back side of the smartphone for capturing an image of a target area at the back side of the smartphone;
• and ii) a white light source on the back side of the smartphone for projecting a field of illumination towards the target area, the method comprising:
• securing an attachment to the back side of the smartphone over the white light source, wherein the attachment, when secured to the back side of the smartphone, directs illumination emitted by the white light source towards the target area from a position offset from a location of the white light source in order to reduce glare;
• and
• using the camera's image sensor to capture the image of the target area to read the barcode positioned within the target area;
• wherein the attachment:
• directs illumination from the white light source to the position offset from the location of the white light source, the position being at a first distance from the focusing lens that is greater than a second distance between the white light source and the focusing lens when the first distance and the second distance are measured parallel to the back side of the smartphone;
• and
• directs the illumination into the target area via a targeting optic system.