US 5,703,348 AGranted

Hand-held optical code reader

AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha TEC

InventorsMasashi Suzuki, Makoto Sugiyama

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Abstract

An optical code reader has of a reading window, a guide light source for guiding a two-dimensional code into a reading range outside the read window, an illumination light source for illuminating the two-dimensional code guided into the reading range, an optical system for focusing light reflected from the two-dimensional code illuminated by the illumination light source to form an image, an image sensor for sensing the image formed by the optical system, a read control circuit for reading the two-dimensional code on the basis of the sensed image, and a hand-held frame, having an opening which serves as the read window. The hand-held frame holds the guide light source, illumination light source, optical system, image sensor, and read control circuit. The optical system has a focal distance by which the image of the two-dimensional code is most clearly formed in a state where the two-dimensional code is located at a target point which is a specific distance away from the read window, and the guide light source has a group of light-emitting elements for projecting spotlight beams which intersect at the target point.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An optical code reader comprising:

a reading window;
a guide light source for guiding a two-dimensional code into a reading range outside said read window;
an illumination light source for illuminating the two-dimensional code guided into the reading range;
an optical system for focusing light reflected from the two-dimensional code illuminated by said illumination light source to form an image;
a reading unit for sensing the image formed by said optical system and which reads the two-dimensional code on the basis of the sensed image;
and
a hand-held frame member, having an opening which serves as said read window, for holding said guide light source, said illumination light source, said optical system, and said reading unit;
wherein:
said optical system has a focal distance by which the image of the two-dimensional code is most clearly formed in a state where the two-dimensional code is located at a target point which is a specific distance away from said read window;
said guide light source has a group of light-emitting elements for projecting spotlight beams which intersect at the target point;
said reading unit includes sensing means for sensing an image formed by said optical system;
and processing means for processing the image sensed by said sensing means;
said processing means includes instructing means for generating a read instruction when the location of said two-dimension code coincides with the target point;
driving means for driving said guide light source before generation of the read instruction, and for driving said illumination light source after generation of said read instruction;
and decoding means for decoding the image of the two-dimensional code illuminated by said illumination light source;
said instructing means includes detecting means for detecting a single spot formed by said spot light beams in the image sensed by said sensing means;
and
said detecting means includes registering means for registering each portion having predetermined features in the image sensed by said sensing means as a spot.

15 more elements

An optical code reader comprising:

a reading window;
a guide light source for guiding a two-dimensional code into a reading range outside said read window;
an optical system for focusing light reflected from the two-dimensional code guided into the reading range to form an image;
a reading unit for sensing the image formed by said optical system and which reads the two-dimensional code on the basis of the sensed image;
and
a hand-held frame member, having an opening which serves as said read window, for holding said guide light source, said optical system, and said reading unit;
wherein;
said optical system has a focal distance by which the image of the two-dimensional code is most clearly formed in a state where the two-dimensional code is located at a target point which is a specific distance away from said read window;
said guide light source has a group of light-emitting elements for projecting spotlight beams which intersect at the target point;
said reading unit includes sensing means for sensing an image formed by said optical system;
and processing means processing the image sensed by said sensing means;
said processing means includes instructing means for generating a read instruction when the location of said two-dimesional code coincides with the target point;
driving means for driving said guide light source before generation of the read instruction;
and decoding means for decoding the image of the two-dimensional code under environmental illumination;
said instructing means includes detecting means for detecting a single spot formed by said spot light beams in the image sensed by said sensing means;
and
said detecting means includes registering means for registering each portion having predetermined features in the image sensed by said sensing means as a spot.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.