System for generating an extended specular lighting field
AssigneeIntermec IP Corp.
InventorSerge Thuries
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for generating an extended specular lighting field for reading symbols on a reflective background surface is described. A scanner generates illumination for illuminating the symbols. Reflection of the illumination incident upon the reflective surface is retroreflected onto the symbols on the reflective surface. Reflection of the retroreflected light by the reflective surface is received by the scanner for processing information about the symbols. By using the reflective surface to help illuminate the symbols, an ordinary scanner can be used to read the symbols.
Claims19
An apparatus for reading a symbol on a specular surface, the apparatus comprising:
- a reader configured to generate illumination from a point light source or sources to illuminate the symbol on the specular surface, wherein the specular surface reflects the illumination;
- and
- retroreflective material coupled to a housing of the reader and positioned to retroreflect the reflected illumination back towards the symbol when the reader housing is located away from and out of contact with the specular surface,
- wherein the retroreflective material comprises multiple reflector components that reflect light back in a direction from which the light originated, and
- further wherein the retroreflected illumination is reflected again from the specular surface and received at the reader for processing.
An apparatus for illuminating a symbol on a reflective surface, the apparatus comprising:
- a reader configured to generate light from a point light source or sources to illuminate a symbol on a reflective surface, wherein the reflective surface specularly reflects the light that illuminates the symbol;
- and
- a passive auxiliary reflector positioned to diffusely re-reflect the reflected light from the reflective surface back towards the reflective surface when the reader is located away from and out of contact with the reflective surface,
- wherein the re-reflected light is reflected again from the reflective surface to be received at the reader, for the reader to read the illuminated symbol despite the reflective surface.
A method of reading a symbol on a specular background with a reader located away from and out of contact with the specular background, comprising:
- generating light from a point light source or sources of a reader to illuminate the symbol on the specular background, wherein the reader is located away from and out of contact with the specular background;
- using retroreflective material, retroreflecting the light reflected from the specular background away from the reader and back towards the symbol,
- wherein the retroreflective material comprises multiple reflector components that reflect light back in a direction from which the light originated;
- receiving the retroreflected light re-reflected from the specular background;
- and
- processing the received light based on the received retroreflected light.
A method of scanning a symbol on a reflective background with a reader located away from and out of contact with the reflective background, comprising:
- generating illumination from a point light source or sources of a reader to illuminate the symbol on the reflective background, wherein the reader is located away from and out of contact with the reflective background;
- using means for retroreflecting, retroreflecting the illumination reflected from the specular background away from the reader and back towards the symbol,
- wherein the means for retroreflecting comprises multiple retroreflecting components that reflect light back in a direction from which the light originated;
- and
- receiving the retroreflected illumination re-reflected from the reflective background.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.