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US 5,059,779 AGranted
Scan pattern generators for bar code symbol readers
AssigneeSymbol Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMark Krichever, Boris Metlitsky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The scan pattern, scan direction of at least one scan line, the intensity of a light beam, and the scan rate are individually or collectively changeable in a scanner for reading bar code symbols.
Claims43
An arrangement in a light scanning system for reading symbols, comprising:
- (a) a housing having an exit port;
- (b) light means in the housing for generating a light beam;
- (c) optical means in the housing for directing the light beam along an optical path through the exit port;
- (d) scanning means in the housing for scanning the light beam in scans across successive symbols located exteriorly of the housing, said scanning means including a central rotary mirror mounted in the optical path for rotation about an axis, and a plurality of folding mirrors arranged in an annulus about the central mirror, said central mirror directing the light beam to the folding mirrors to generate a scan pattern;
- and
- (e) changing means in the housing operatively connected to one of the folding mirrors, for moving said one folding mirror, thereby changing the scan pattern to a different scan pattern.
3 more elements
A hand-held bar code symbol reader, comprising:
- a) a light source for generating a light beam and directing the light beam along a path toward a bar code symbol to be read;
- b) a hand-held unit for containing said light source, and an exit port in said unit to allow said light beam to be directed to said symbol and;
- c) a scan generator included in said unit in said path for moving the light beam to create a pattern of multiple scan lines for traversing said symbol to be read, the scan generator including a central mirror rotating about an axis and a plurality of folding mirrors spaced from said central mirror, said path including said central mirror and said folding mirrors, said scan generator altering said path and operative for moving at least one of said folding mirrors to change at least one of said scan lines.
A method of reading bar code symbols, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating a light beam in a hand-held unit and directing the light beam in a path through an exit port in the unit toward a bar code symbol to be read;
- b) scanning said light beam in a scan pattern of multiple scan lines extending across the symbol to be read by directing said beam within said unit through a rotating mirror to a plurality of folding mirrors spaced from said rotating mirror;
- c) and altering said scan pattern by changing the path of said light beam by movement of at least one of said folding mirrors.
A bar code symbol reader mounted in a hand-held housing, comprising:
- a) a light source in said housing for generating a light beam and directing the light beam along a path through an exit port in said housing toward a bar code symbol to be read;
- and
- b) a scanner in said housing in the path of said light beam for generating a scan pattern which includes a plurality of separate scan lines traversing each said symbol to be read, including means for directing said light beam to a moving mirror and to a plurality of folding mirrors spaced about said moving mirror, each folding mirror creating one of said plurality of scan lines, and means for moving at least one of said folding mirrors for dynamically altering said scan pattern upon command.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.