Abstract: In order to generate a Bessel beam at a location remote from an optical arrangement, the optical arrangement includes, a first beam converging element which is illuminated by a collimated beam, a second beam converging element which is illuminated by a beam which has passed through the first beam converging element. The first and second beam converging elements ere arranged in a manner to radiate a ring beam which is parallel with an optical axis. A third beam converging element is further provided which is illuminated by the ring beam. The third beam converging element is arranged to generate a non-diffractive beam at a location which is remote therefrom. Further, an improvement of a bar code reader is disclosed, which includes a laser source for producing a laser beam. A laser beam deflecting member is provided to deflect the laser beam so as to form a scan pattern comprised of two scan lines. The two scan lines are oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to one another.

Abstract: A bar code reading apparatus includes a light source device including at least one laser diode light source and having a function of emitting a plurality of laser beams, a mirror device, allowing the laser beams to pass therethrough, and directing reflected light in a specific direction, a deflection device having a deflector for receiving the laser beams passing through the mirror device and forming scanning lines for scanning a bar code symbol on an object to be read, a photoelectric transducer device for receiving reflection light corresponding to the laser light reflected by the object to be read through the deflection device and the mirror device, and a decoding device for decoding a signal obtained by the photoelectric transducer device. The laser beams radiated from the light source devices are emitted at different timings. The decoding device decodes the signal obtained by the transducer device in accordance with the timings of the laser beams emitted from the light source device.

Abstract: An apparatus for reading a bar code generally, and a Universal Product Code specifically, eliminates noise from spots on a blank area which is peripheral to the bar code. Each of the bar code characters has the same uniform width. The entire surface containing a bar code is scanned to read each of the code characters. The signal delivered from the scanning means successively indicates the widths of a white bar and a black bar adjacent thereto and the wdiths of a black bar and a white bar adjacent thereto, in order to alternately deliver width data corresponding to the adjacent white and black bars and to the adjacent black and white bars. These width signals are added and compared to the uniform width in order to deliver the output signal responsive to a sequential analysis of the width signals.