Abstract: High speed scanning arrangements in scanners for reading bar code symbols by oscillating a scanner component in single or multi-axis scan patterns.

Abstract: An optical scanning system for reading indicia of differing light reflectivity has an optical scan module which is adapted to be mounted on a finger of a user. A first peripheral module, preferably in the form of a wrist watch, has a receiver which detects the reflected light. A second peripheral module, mounted on the other arm of the user, communicates with the first module by radio frequency transmission. According to other aspects of the invention, the light detector may be mounted in a housing which is separate and part from the optical scan module. According to another aspect, a laser pointer or scanner is mounted to a ring which is arranged to be worn on a single finger of the user.

Abstract: A hand-held optical reader for reading printed indicia on a remote target includes a light source for generating a scanning light beam and a detector for detecting the light reflected from the printed indicia. The light source and detector are housed within a housing having a window through which the light beam passes from the source to the target for reflection from the target to the detector. The housing includes parallel front and rear faces, each being generally rectangular in shape and having a lower portion and upper portion. The front and rear faces are joined by a substantially planar base face at their lower edges. The window is disposed in the front face with the reader being ergonomically configured so as be comfortably held in the hand of a user, with the user's palm adjacent the rear face to enable the user to direct the scanning light beam at a remote target.

Abstract: An optical scan module, for example for an optical scanner, includes an integrally molded plastics material member which defines not only the laser focusing lens, but also the laser focusing aperture and the collection mirror. In addition, the molded member may act to house and to locate both a semiconductor laser and a photodetector, thereby ensuring easy and accurate placement of those elements within the scanning assembly. The optical assembly may be in modular form, mounted onto a common printed circuit board with a beam scanner.

Abstract: A multiple working range scanner includes a collection mirror which is segmented, with each segment having differing optical properties, such as focal length, optical axis, and so on. Differing segments or combinations of segments deal with reflected light received at differing working ranges, and direct it to a photodetector. In another embodiment, beam shaping may be applied to an astigmatic laser beam, for example by means of a part-concave mirror, to create an x waist in the beam which is further from the scanner than the y waist. This provides enhanced performance when the scanner is used on a bar code symbol which is not accurately aligned. In order to provide improved optical alignment within a bar code scanner, the collection mirror may be adjustable both in the x direction and in the y direction.

Abstract: A multiple working range scanner includes a collection mirror which is segmented, with each segment having differing optical properties, such as focal length, optical axis, and so on. Differing segments or combinations of segments deal with reflected light received at differing working ranges, and direct it to a photodetector. In another embodiment, beam shaping may be applied to an astigmatic laser beam, for example by means of a part-concave mirror, to create an x waist in the beam which is further from the scanner than the y waist. This provides enhanced performance when the scanner is used on a bar code symbol which is not accurately aligned. In order to provide improved optical alignment within a bar code scanner, the collection mirror may be adjustable both in the x direction and in the y direction.

Abstract: An optical scan module, for example for an optical scanner, includes an integrally molded plastics material member which defines not only the laser focusing lens, but also the laser focusing aperture and the collection mirror. In addition, the molded member may act to house and to locate both a semiconductor laser and a photodetector, thereby ensuring easy and accurate placement of those elements within the scanning assembly. The optical assembly may be in modular form, mounted onto a common printed circuit board with a beam scanner.

Abstract: A miniaturized electro-optical, retro-reflective scanning module. The module has a base, a first circuit board, and a second circuit board mounted substantially orthogonal to the first circuit board. The base supports a light emitter for producing a scanning beam and optical elements for directing and collecting light energy. The emitted beam reflects off a fold mirror onto a reflector mounted on a drive for oscillation. The oscillating reflector, in turn, redirects the beam onto an indicia being read. The reflected light is reflected off the oscillating reflector and directed to the collection mirror before reaching a detector. The detector included in the module senses light reflected from an indicia scanned by the beam. The reflector is driven by an electro-magnetiz driven system, including a flexure and an actuation arm.

Abstract: An alignment indication is provided in an optical scanner for reading a two-dimensional optical code by varying the scanning beam to provide a region of apparent greater brightness. In the case of a PDF417 bar code symbol, an elongated brighter region may be oriented so that it is parallel with rows of the PDF417 symbol. The apparent greater brightness may result because of the persistence of the scanning pattern in the user's vision. The region of apparent greater brightness may be achieved by providing a greater density of scan lines in the region. Because of the persistence in the user's vision, multiple scan lines appear simultaneously, and thus a region with a greater density of scan lines appears as a brighter region. The region of apparent greater brightness may also be achieved by providing a differently shaped scanning spot in the region (e.g., a larger, or more elongated spot).

Abstract: A scanner determines whether a target is a bar code symbol and, if so, whether that symbol is one-dimensional or two-dimensional. For two-dimensional symbols, the scanner aligns a scanning pattern with the symbol and expands the scanning pattern to reach only to the top and bottom edges of the symbol, not beyond. The scanner also has a microprocessor-control scanning engine that uses a coil to drive a scanning element and pick up feed back signals from the scanning element. A pulse-width-modulated regulator also provides fast and efficient operation for driving the coil. The scanning engine can also be designed to generate a pattern that precesses across the target, and a powerful interface to the scanning engine allows decoding and control logic to work efficiently with and independently of the scan engine.

Abstract: An integrated scanner for scanning a barcode omnidirectionally is formed an a common substrate. The scanner may include a mirror assembly or scan module, a laser diode, and a detector, mounted on a single substrate or several connected substrates. Lenses can be used to focus a laser beam from the laser diode as well as expand a laser beam deflected by the micro-machined mirror.

Abstract: The invention relates to systems and techniques for reading optical codes, and more particularly to code reading systems with plural imaging or scanning modules pointed in various directions toward a target volume, which increase the likelihood that a code symbol on an arbitrarily oriented object in the target volume will be read. Other aspects of the invention relate to use and configuration of hand held readers, docking devices, operator side rails, arched tunnels and mirrors for increasing the coverage of the system, Additional aspects of the invention relate to components associated with point of sale installations or code reading terminals including integrated scales, input pads, system controls and displays.

Abstract: A bar code reader has an integrated scanning component module which is mountable on a printed circuit board. In one embodiment, the module may include the digitizer/decoder electronics, enabling the module to be used with a generic PCB. In some embodiments, the module includes a high speed optical scanning arrangement having an optical element which extends longitudinally of a flexible member, secured at one end. In other embodiments, the invention extends to a hand-held optical scanner having a scanning assembly, detector and data transmission coupling all mounted to a common printed circuit board, preferably located within a manually-graspable handle. In yet a further embodiment, an abuse-detector or accelerometer is provided for determining when the device is exposed to deceleration above a predetermined limit, and optionally for automatically shutting down applications programs and for providing a black-box-record of a short time frame before the device was exposed to an unexpected shock.

Abstract: An arrangement for and a method of reading bar code symbols on a target to move a light beam emitted by a light source in a multiple line, scan pattern during a scan period in a first operational mode. Upon selection of a second operational mode by a user, a controller intermittently operates and energizes the light source to emit the light beam for a working time period which is less than, and a fraction of, the scan period to generate a single scan line across the symbol.

Abstract: High speed scanning arrangements in scanners for reading bar code symbols by oscillating a scanner component in single or multi-axis scan patterns.

Abstract: An integrated optical module for an optical scanner has a lens spaced from a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) by a spacer of defined dimensions. The module, in an alternative embodiment, includes a wafer frame, a suspended mirror mounted for oscillation on the frame, a wafer substrate bonded beneath the frame and a wafer cover bonded above the frame. The cover includes a mirror travel stop to protect the mirror against shocks. A VCSEL mounted to the wafer cover produces a beam which is shaped and deflected by a diffractive optical element onto the oscillating mirror. The reflected beam passes out of the module toward an indicia to be read. Large numbers of such devices may be fabricated relatively cheaply using wafer-scale processing and assembly technology. Three large wafers are fabricated corresponding respectively to arrays of substrates, frames and covers. The large wafers are bonded together in a sandwich arrangement, and are then diced to produce the individual scan modules.

Abstract: An arrangement for and a method of reading bar code symbols on a target to move a light beam emitted by a light source in a multiple line, scan pattern during a scan period in a first operational mode. Upon selection of a second operational mode by a user, a controller intermittently operates and energizes the light source to emit the light beam for a working time period which is less than, and a fraction of, the scan period to generate a single scan line across the symbol.

Abstract: An optical scanner for reading indicia having areas of different light reflectivity, such as bar code symbols includes a stationary, multi-surface, fold mirror having a first surface of a first aplanar profile and a second surface of a second, different aplanar profile.

Abstract: A bar code reader has an integrated scanning component module which is mountable on a printed circuit board. In one embodiment, the module may include the digitizer/decoder electronics, enabling the module to be used with a generic PCB. In some embodiments, the module includes a high speed optical scanning arrangement having an optical element which extends longitudinally of a flexible member, secured at one end. In other embodiments, the invention extends to a hand-held optical scanner having a scanning assembly, detector and data transmission coupling all mounted to a common printed circuit board, preferably located within a manually-graspable handle. In yet a further embodiment, an abuse-detector or accelerometer is provided for determining when the device is exposed to deceleration above a predetermined limit, and optionally for automatically shutting down applications programs and for providing a black-box-record of a short time frame before the device was exposed to an unexpected shock.

Abstract: An optical scanner for reading indicia of variable light reflectivity, such as bar code symbols, having a light source for producing a light beam for scanning a target; a sensor for collecting the reflected light from the target; and various light collection systems, including a louver formed from an array of thin slats positioned adjacent to the sensor so that light directed along substantially only one angle reaches the sensor, as well as imaging/diffusing optical systems.