Optical scanner for bar code scanning

An apparatus for scanning bar code data records on a target, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a source emitting a substantially circular beam of radiation;
• b) beam expander optics, optically coupled to the source, for expanding the diameter of the circular beam;
• c) a cylindrical lens, optically coupled with said beam expander optics, for deflecting the expanded beam along an axis normal to the expanded beam;
• d) an electronic shutter element, optically coupled to the cylindrical lens, said shutter element defining a plurality of adjacent regions, each region independently capable of assuming a substantially transparent state;
• e) a digital processor, coupled to said electronic shutter, for causing said adjacent regions of the electronic shutter to assume said substantially transparent state in a sequential, directional manner along said axis, to affect directional transmission of less than all of the deflected beam onto the target;
• f) bending optics, optically coupled with said electronic shutter, for focusing less than all the deflected beam onto the target;
• g) filter optics responsive to radiation reflected from the target;
• h) a detector responsive to the presence of radiation reflected from the target and for converting radiation detected into electrical signals;
• i) decode logic, responsive to said detector, for processing said converted electrical signals;
• j) means, optically coupled with said filter optics, for converting the radiation received by the filter optics to a beam, and for focusing the beam onto the detector;
• and
• k) a baffle optically isolating the detector from the source, said baffle further optically partitioning each of said plurality of regions of the electronic shutter element into an emission subregion and a detection subregion to affect simultaneous transmission through one of said regions the deflected beam toward the target and said reflected radiation toward said detector.