Bar code symbol reading system employing an extremely elongated laser scanning beam capable of reading poor and damaged quality bar code symbols with improved levels of performance

A laser scanning system for scanning poor quality or damaged bar code symbols, said laser scanning system having a working range and comprising:

• a housing having a light transmission window;
• an extremely-elongated laser beam production module for producing an extremely-elongated laser beam having (i) a direction of propagation extending along a z reference direction, (ii) a height dimension being indicated by the y reference direction, and (iii) a width dimension being indicated by the x reference direction, where x, y and z reference directions are orthogonal to each other;
• wherein said extremely-elongated laser beam is characterized by an elongation ratio (ER) that is defined as Y/X>4.5 for any point within said working, range of said laser scanning bar code symbol reading system, extending along said z reference direction;
• where (i) Y indicates the beam height of said extremely-elongated laser beam measured in said y reference direction, and X indicates the beam width of said extremely-elongated laser beam measured in the x reference direction, and (iii) said beam height (Y) and said laser beam width (X) are measured at 1/e2 intensity clip level;
• wherein said elongation ratio (ER) is greater than 4.5 over the entire working range of said laser scanning bar code symbol reading system, along said z reference direction, and
• wherein said elongation ratio (ER) has a maximum value greater than 9.0 at or near the waist portion of said extremely-elongated laser beam, occurring within the working distance of said laser scanning bar code symbol reading system, so as to help optimize the reading of bar code symbols when scanned by the waist portion of said extremely-elongated laser beam;
• and
• a laser scanning mechanism for scanning said extremely-elongated laser beam out said light transmission window and across a scanning field defined external to said housing, in which a bar code symbol is present for scanning by said extremely-elongated laser scanning beam.

A method of laser scanning a bar code symbol comprising the steps:

• (a) producing from a hand-supportable housing, an extremely-elongated laser beam having (i) a direction of propagation extending along a z reference direction, (ii) a height dimension being indicated by the y reference direction, and (iii) a width dimension being indicated by the x reference direction, where x, y and z reference directions are orthogonal to each other;
• wherein said extremely-elongated laser beam is characterized by an elongation ratio (ER) that is defined as Y/X>4.5 for any point within said working range of said laser scanning bar code symbol reading system, extending along said z reference direction;
• where (i) Y indicates the beam height of said extremely-elongated laser beam measured in said y reference direction, and X indicates the beam width of said extremely-elongated laser beam measured in the x reference direction, and (iii) said beam height (Y) and said laser beam width (X) are measured at 1/e2 intensity clip level;
• and
• (b) scanning said extremely-elongated laser beam across a scanning field defined external to said hand-supportable housing, in which a bar code symbol is present for scanning by said extremely-elongated laser scanning beam;
• wherein said elongation ratio (ER) is greater than 4.5 over the entire working range of said laser scanning bar code symbol reading system, along said z reference direction, and
• wherein said elongation ratio (ER) has a maximum value greater than 9.0 at or near the waist portion of said extremely-elongated laser beam, occurring within the working distance of said laser scanning bar code symbol reading system, so as to help optimize the reading of bar code symbols when scanned by the waist portion of said extremely-elongated laser beam.