Optical information readout apparatus
AssigneeDenso Wave Incorporated
InventorKunihiko Itou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical information readout apparatus is disclosed having an image forming optical section 4 operative to shift first and second lenses 24, 25 along an optical axis “O” at areas in front of a photodetector 3. A cylindrical body 23 incorporates a lens holder means, including permanent magnets 26 to 28, by which the first lens 24 is halted and held in any of positions a1, a2 and the second lens 24 is halted and held in any of positions b1, b2. Coils 31, 32, 75, 76 and a control circuit 16 drivingly shift the lenses. The control circuit is operative to independently move the lenses to change a focusing range of the image forming optical section in four different stages in the occurrence of a failure in reading out a two-dimensional code.
Claims15
An optical information readout apparatus comprising:
- a readout device including a photodetector and an image forming optical section having first and second lenses disposed in front of the photodetector along a light receiving optical axis;
- a focus shift device operative to move the first and second lenses in linearly different positions to change a focusing zone for an information code present in a readout object;
- and
- a controller operative to control the focus shift device in the occurrence of a failure in reading out the information code from image data, picked up by the photodetector, so as to linearly move the first and second lenses in the different positions along the light receiving optical axis to automatically change a focal position of the image forming optical section,
- wherein the focus shift device includes drive means, associated with the first and second lenses, respectively, which are operative to independently move the first and second lenses in the different positions along the light receiving optical axis,
- wherein the focus shift device further includes lens holder means operative to hold the first and second lenses in the different positions, respectively, under a nonconductive state of the drive means.
An optical information readout apparatus comprising:
- a readout device including a photodetector and an image forming optical section having first and second lenses disposed in front of the photodetector to be movable in linearly different positions, respectively, along a light receiving optical axis of the photodetector;
- a focus shift device including first and second drive means operative to drivingly move the first and second lenses in the linearly different positions to change a focusing zone for an information code present in a readout object;
- and
- control means operative to control the first or second drive means so as to linearly move the first and second lenses along the light receiving optical axis to automatically change a focal position of the image forming optical section in the occurrence of a failure in reading out the information code from image data picked up by the photodetector,
- wherein the focus shift device includes drive means, associated with the first and second lenses, respectively, which are operative to independently move the first and second lenses in the different positions along the light receiving optical axis,
- wherein the focus shift device further includes lens holder means operative to hold the first and second lenses in the different positions, respectively, under a nonconductive state of the drive means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.