System for reading two-dimensional images using ambient and/or projected light

(54) SYSTEM FOR READING

TWO-DIMENSIONAL IMAGES USING
AMBIENT AND/OR PROJECTED LIGHT

(75) Inventor: Alexander R. Roustaei, La Jolla, CA (US)

(73) Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc., Holtsville, NY (US)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term ol this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

(21) Appl. No.: 08/444,387

(22) Filed: May 19, 1995

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 08/329,257, filed on Oct. 26, 1994.

(51) Int. C I. G06K 9/00

4,818,847 A 4/1989 Hara et al 235/455

4,841,132 A 6/1989 Kajitani et al 235/472

4,850,009 A 7/1989 Zook et al 379/96

(List continued on next page.)

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

"CCD Bar Code Scanner;" ZB-1000/2000 Plus Series, Zebex Industries, Inc., 1992 Zebex Catalog No. 920802 (specifications).

"CCD Bar Code Handy Scanner Model BHS—6000 Series;" Nippondenso Co., LTD., Mar. 1992 brochure (specifications).

"Get a Head with Denso's Reading Edge Technology;" ID Systems, Apr. 1987, vol. 7, No. 3 (specifications). "Information Encoding with Two-Dimenisonal Bar Codes" Theo Pavlidis, et al., Computer, vol. 25, No. 6, Jun., 1992, pp. 18-28.

Primary Examiner—Andrew W. Johns

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Clifford Chance Rogers &

Wells

(57) ABSTRACT

A system for reading a two-dimensional image, and for comparing the two-dimensional image to stored data representative ol a known image. The optical scanning device comprises a sensor for capturing the two-dimensional image, which sensor includes a light source for projecting an emitted light towards the two-dimensional image and an optical assembly for focussing light, which may be ambient and or emitted light from the light source, reflected from the framed two-dimensional image onto a CMOS or CCD detector for detecting the focussed light, the detector including a photodiode array for sensing the focussed light and generating a signal therefrom. Aiming of the sensor to read the two-dimensional image is facilitated by a frame locator consisting of a laser diode which emits a beam that is modified by optics, including diffractive optics, to divide the beam into beamlets which having a spacing therebetween that expands to match the dimensions of the field of view of the sensor, forming points of light at the target to define the edges of the field of view.

20 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

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