Anamorphic lens system for a hand-held symbology reader
AssigneeUnited Parcel Service of America, Inc.
InventorJohn W. Sussmeier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable symbology reader utilizing an anamorphic lens system. The anamorphic lens system allows a low cost, high volume CCD sensor to be used in a hand-held, point and shoot, portable imaging system. The anamorphic lens system provides vertical sensor resolution equal to the horizontal while providing a maximum field of view.
Claims20
A symbology reader for detecting a coded symbol on an object, the coded symbol requiring at least a first predetermined object resolution along a vertical plane and requiring an exposure time of no greater than a predetermined time;
- the reader comprising:
- a two-dimensional array, two-field CCD sensor, the CCD sensor defining a horizontal sensor resolution and a vertical sensor resolution;
- an exposure controller configured for selectively adjusting an exposure time of the CCD sensor;
- an optical system designed to focus rays from the symbol onto the CCD sensor;
- the CCD sensor, the optical system, and the exposure controller being configured such that when the reader is positioned within a predetermined range of distance from the object, and the exposure controller is set for an exposure time of no greater than the predetermined time, the CCD sensor uses only one field and the vertical sensor resolution is halved such that the CCD sensor projects from the symbol through the optical system (1) a vertical object resolution no less than the first predetermined vertical object resolution, (2) a horizontal object resolution, and (3) a horizontal object size;
- and
- an anamorphic lens system interposed between the CCD sensor and the symbol, the anamorphic lens system designed to increase the horizontal object size projected to the CCD sensor and thereby decrease the horizontal object resolution while maintaining the vertical object resolution at no less than the first predetermined vertical object resolution.
A method of reading a coded symbol on an object with a reader having a two-dimensional array CCD sensor, the coded symbol requiring at least a first predetermined object resolution along a vertical plane, comprising the steps of:
- exposing the CCD sensor to rays from the object through an optical system such that a horizontal sensor resolution of the CCD sensor is greater than the vertical sensor resolution and such that the CCD sensor projects from the symbology through the optical system when the object is within a predetermined range of distance from the reader (1) a vertical object resolution no less than the first predetermined vertical object resolution, (2) a horizontal object resolution, and (3) a horizontal object size;
- and
- increasing the horizontal object size projected by the CCD sensor with an anamorphic lens system such that the horizontal object resolution is decreased while maintaining the vertical object resolution at no less than the predetermined object resolution.
A symbology reader for detecting a coded symbol on an object, the coded symbol requiring at least a first predetermined object resolution along a vertical plane;
- the reader comprising:
- a two-dimensional array CCD sensor, the CCD sensor defining a horizontal sensor resolution and a vertical sensor resolution, the horizontal sensor resolution being greater than the vertical sensor resolution;
- an optical system designed to focus rays from the symbol onto the CCD sensor;
- the CCD sensor and the optical system being configured such that when the reader is positioned within a predetermined range of distance from the object, the CCD sensor projects from the symbol through the optical system (1) a vertical object resolution no less than the first predetermined vertical object resolution, (2) a horizontal object resolution, and (3) a horizontal object size;
- and
- an anamorphic lens system configured to be interposed between the CCD sensor and the symbol, the anamorphic lens system designed to increase the horizontal object size projected to the CCD sensor and thereby decrease the horizontal object resolution while maintaining the vertical object resolution at no less than the first predetermined vertical object resolution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.