Patents Assigned to Datalogic S.p.A.
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Patent number: 7195162Abstract: An automatic optical reading apparatus (1) having a light emitting section (26), a light receiving section (27) and an outside interface section (36). A first unit (2) houses at least one of the emitting section (26) and the receiving section (27) and a second unit (3) houses at least the outside interface section (36). The first unit (2) and the second unit (3) are mutually connectable in at least two different mutual orientations.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2002Date of Patent: March 27, 2007Assignee: Datalogic, S.p.A.Inventors: Claudio Mazzone, Lorenzo Girotti, Marco Mallegni
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Patent number: 7161685Abstract: A method for measuring the distance of an object from a measuring device is disclosed, said method comprising the following steps: a) emitting a signal; b) directing the signal towards an object; c) detecting the signal diffused by the object; d) comparing the detected signal with the emitted signal so as to obtain a comparison signal representing the distance travelled by the emitted signal and the object diffused signal. The method of the invention is characterized in that it comprises the steps of: e) carrying out before step a) a measuring device calibration step so as to associate a prefixed comparison signal value to a prefixed distance value; f) identifying the distance value associated, in the previous calibration step, to the value of said comparison signal obtained in step d); g) associating the distance value identified in step f) to the comparison signal obtained in step d).Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 1999Date of Patent: January 9, 2007Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventor: Antonio De Renzis
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Patent number: 7131590Abstract: A compact laser module (1) for reading optical codes including a scanning illumination section having at least one source (8) for generating a laser beam and a scanner (9, 10) for scanning the optical code (C) to be read with a laser spot, and a receiving section (20–24) for collecting at least a portion of the light diffused by the code (C) and detecting the collected light, the receiving section and the scanning illumination section being spatially distinct.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2004Date of Patent: November 7, 2006Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventors: Guido M. Oliva, Kurt Vonmetz, Stefano Amorosi
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Patent number: 7102116Abstract: The device for the acquisition and automatic processing of data obtained from optical codes comprises a CMOS optical sensor; an analog processing unit connected to the optical sensor; an analog/digital conversion unit connected to the analog processing unit; a logic control unit connected to the CMOS optical sensor, the analog processing unit and the analog/digital conversion unit; and a data-processing unit connected to the logic control unit and the analog/digital conversion unit. The CMOS optical sensor and at least one of the analog processing, analog/digital conversion, logic control and data processing units are integrated in a single chip. The data processing unit processes the digital signals corresponding to the image acquired by the CMOS sensor and e the optically coded data.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2004Date of Patent: September 5, 2006Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventors: Federico Canini, Marco Piva, Rinaldo Zocca
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Patent number: 7063259Abstract: An optical device which emits a laser light beam (3) comprises a laser light beam emission source (20)(for example, a semiconductor laser diode) including a source of the laser light beam housed in a package (6) provided with a light beam emission window (11). The emission window is shaped so as to be a diaphragm (12) which selects a predetermined portion of the light beam. The size of the window is smaller than the size of the light beam in a transversal cross section taken at the emission window. Moreover, the device comprises a lens (13) for focusing the portion of the light beam. The focusing lens can in turn be housed in the emission window and be itself a diaphragm. In particular, the lens is a Fresnel or diffractive lens.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2001Date of Patent: June 20, 2006Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventor: Guido Maurizio Oliva
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Patent number: 7053954Abstract: This invention relates to a process for regulating the exposure time of a light sensor, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) setting the exposure time of the sensor to a value selected in a first range of M prefixed values defined between a minimum and a maximum value; b) acquiring an image of an object on the sensor, such image comprising a plurality of luminous pixels; c) analyzing the acquired image in order to detect its level of luminosity; d) comparing the detected level of luminosity with a prefixed higher (lower) global threshold level representative of a condition of overexposure (under-exposure) of the image; e) varying the exposure time of the sensor and iteratively repeating the previous steps until an optimum exposure time equal to the highest (lowest) exposure time is found, amongst the ones set, for which the image presents a level of luminosity which is smaller (greater) than the prefixed higher (lower) global threshold level.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1999Date of Patent: May 30, 2006Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventor: Federico Canini
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Patent number: 7025267Abstract: A method for reading a graphic pattern by illuminating the graphic pattern with at least two groups of light sources, each of the at least two groups of light sources having at least one light source operating according to an illumination cycle that comprises an illumination cycle-portion and a non-illumination cycle-portion. The light sources of one of the at least two groups of light sources are activated according to equal illumination cycles. The illumination cycles of the light sources belong to different ones of the at least two groups of light sources having a reciprocally different timing. Light is gathered from the light sources having been diffused by the graphic pattern on a sensor having a plurality of sensitive points. Light impinging on the plurality of sensitive points is converted, through a conversion cycle of the sensor, point by point into electric signals representative of single points of the graphic pattern, at a same time for all of the plurality of sensitive points.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2003Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventor: Michele Benedetti
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Patent number: 6997385Abstract: In an apparatus and a method for acquiring and reading optical codes, the indication of the reading result is carried out projecting a luminous figure onto the optical code, that is to say in the position on which the attention of the operator is focused. The luminous figure can have an information content also more complex than the simple indication of the end of the reading.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2004Date of Patent: February 14, 2006Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventors: Valeria Palestini, Nicola Alessi, Giacomo Rigoni, Cristiano Oliva
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Patent number: 6877664Abstract: A device for the aiming and the visual indication of a reading area of a coded information reader includes an emitter which emits a preferably collimated light beam towards a reading area of a coded information reader, as well as a refractive optical element. The refractive optical element deflects at least one first portion of the light beam so as to generate at least two different beam portions active on at least two different zones of the reading area along at least two different optical paths. The refractive optical element includes opposed first and second faces which respectively collect the light beam and project the at least two beam portions onto the reading area. The second face includes at least one (preferably more than one) first surface portion inclined by a predetermined angle ? with respect to the first face and adapted to deflect the at least one first light beam portion by a predetermined deflection angle ? with respect to the optical axis Z.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2000Date of Patent: April 12, 2005Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventor: Guido M. Oliva
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Patent number: 6871785Abstract: The method for compensating undesired variations in an electrical signal generated by a sensor of an optical code reader comprises the steps of generating an envelope signal starting from the electrical signal generated by the sensor and normalizing the electrical signal with respect to the envelope signal. Preferably, the envelope signal is filtered with a low-pass filter before being normalized so as to eliminate steps and edges which may cause distortions during normalization, and the normalized signal is amplified in a controlled way so as to supply an output signal ranging between two values having preset amplitudes. Normalization is carried out by dividing, point by point, the electrical signal by the envelope signal, in the case of continuous analog processing; alternatively, in presence of discrete-time signals, normalization is carried out by subtracting the envelope signal from the electrical signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2000Date of Patent: March 29, 2005Assignee: Datalogic S.p.AInventors: Marco Piva, Maurizio Bianchi
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Publication number: 20050040236Abstract: There is described a compact laser module (1) for reading optical codes, comprising: a scanning illumination section having at least one source (8) for generating a laser beam, and a scanner (9, 10) for scanning the optical code (C) to be read with a laser spot, and a receiving section (20-24) for collecting at least a portion of the light diffused by the code (C) and detecting the collected light, the receiving section and the scanning illumination section being spatially distinct.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2004Publication date: February 24, 2005Applicant: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventors: Guido Oliva, Kurt Vonmetz, Stefano Amorosi
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Patent number: 6834806Abstract: For reading bar and stacked codes, transitions between code elements are determined by crossing points between a sampled video signal, representative of the intensity of light diffused by a code along a scan line thereof, and a low-pass filtered version thereof, or between two low-pass filtered versions thereof. The method is suitable to be implemented through analog or digital hardware, and via software.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2001Date of Patent: December 28, 2004Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventor: Michele Benedetti
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Publication number: 20040232238Abstract: In an apparatus and a method for acquiring and reading optical codes, the indication of the reading result is carried out projecting a luminous figure onto the optical code, that is to say in the position on which the attention of the operator is focused. The luminous figure can have an information content also more complex than the simple indication of the end of the reading.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2004Publication date: November 25, 2004Applicant: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventors: Valeria Palestini, Nicola Alessi, Giacomo Rigoni, Cristiano Oliva
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Patent number: 6817525Abstract: An apparatus and a method for reading an optical code has a casing with a reading window. The casing includes an illumination device acting through the reading window on an optical code to be read, a detection device responsive to light scattered from the illuminated optical code into the casing through the reading window, and an objective lens interposed between the reading window and the detection device, in a position to pick up the light scattered from the illuminated optical code and project this light onto the detection device. The detection device has a plurality of light-sensitive elements effective to convert the light to electric signals representing the light image, wherein the illumination device has a first array of light sources active in a first illumination configuration, and at least a second array of light sources active in at least a second illumination configuration different from the first one.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 1999Date of Patent: November 16, 2004Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventors: Marco Piva, Maurizio Bianchi
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Patent number: 6808114Abstract: In an apparatus and a method for acquiring and reading optical codes, the indication of the reading result is carried out projecting a luminous figure onto the optical code, that is to say in the position on which the attention of the operator is focused. The luminous figure can have an information content also more complex than the simple indication of the end of the reading.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2000Date of Patent: October 26, 2004Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventors: Valeria Palestini, Nicola Alessi, Giacomo Rigoni, Cristiano Oliva
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Patent number: 6758399Abstract: The method comprises the steps of determining initially the structure of the code being read, to identify the number of rows and columns of the code; generating an ideal rectangular grid formed by rows and columns unambiguously defining the coordinates of notable points corresponding to the central point of each code element; determining, on the basis of reference points of known position, the homographic transformation linking notable points of the rectangular grid and characteristic points on the deformed image; calculating the coordinates of the characteristic points; and generating a transformed image to be decoded, the pixels of transformed image having the coordinates of the grid notable points and a value equal to the binarized brightness value of the corresponding characteristic points.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 1999Date of Patent: July 6, 2004Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventors: Elena Brunelli, Marco Bottazzi
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Patent number: 6742710Abstract: A method of reconstructing successive scans of bar codes having a plurality of dark elements separated from light elements, comprising the steps of: performing a first scan of the bar code thereby determining the position and the width of the elements in the first scan with respect to an absolute reference position; calculating the position which the elements in the first scan will take with respect to the absolute reference position in a subsequent scan; making a second scan of the bar code thereby determining the position and the width of the elements in the second scan with respect to the absolute reference position; carrying out a correspondence search step for finding at least one reference element for the first scan and one reference element for the second scan, which have substantially the same position with respect to the absolute reference position and substantially the same width; and combining the elements in the first scan with the elements in the second scan, generating a reconstructed scan.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2002Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventor: Antonio De Renzis
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Patent number: 6712271Abstract: The invention relates to a device for reading coded information, comprising illumination means, means for picking-up a luminous signal diffused by an illuminated support containing coded information, means for detecting the luminous signal intended to generate an electrical signal that is proportional to said luminous signal (for example, an electrical signal with an amplitude variable, along at least one reading direction, between at least one maximum value Vmax and at least one minimum value Vmin), and means for processing said electrical signal, intended to extract the information content from it. The device further comprises means for varying, preferably point by point, the amplitude pattern of said electrical signal along said at least one reading direction so as to generate an electrical signal having a predetermined amplitude pattern, for example, substantially constant.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2001Date of Patent: March 30, 2004Assignee: Datalogic S.P.A.Inventor: Maurizio Bianchi
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Patent number: 6688524Abstract: The method for reconstructing a bar code through consecutive scans comprises the following steps: a) carrying out at least one scan of the bar code; b) determining a reconstructed wave form representative of the at least one scan; c) carrying out an actual scan of the bar code; d) determining an actual wave form representative of the actual scan; e) aligning the reconstructed and actual wave forms; and f) combining the aligned wave forms by updating the reconstructed wave form with the actual wave form. The method can directly operate on the photo-sensor signal before carrying out any digitization of it.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2000Date of Patent: February 10, 2004Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.Inventors: Marco Bottazzi, Elena Brunelli, Rinaldo Zocca
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Patent number: 6665125Abstract: The invention relates to an optical device for focusing a substantially elliptical laser beam comprising: means for collimating a substantially elliptical laser beam so to generate a collimated beam of substantially elliptical profile; means for circularizing the collimated beam so to generate a beam of substantially circularized profile; and means for focusing the circularized beam. The device according to the invention allows on one side to achieve better results in terms of increasing the depth of focus and overall efficiency of the system, and on the other side to allow reading of optical codes also when these are tilted with respect to the scan direction of an angle up to 45° (tilt angle).Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2001Date of Patent: December 16, 2003Assignee: Datalogic, S.p.A.Inventor: Guido Maurizio Oliva