Patent · US Expired

Bar code readers using surface emitting laser diode

US6062476A · kind A · utility

52Cited by
8References
48Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 21, 1997
Grant dateMay 16, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 21, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S5/423
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A scanning device incorporates a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). The laser diode may be mounted directly on an Si substrate which is adapted for movement to produce a scan pattern. A collimating lens may be directly mounted on the emitting surface of the laser. A plurality of lasers may be mounted on the substrate and operated in sequence without movement of the substrate to produce the effect of a scan. The scanning device emits visible or invisible light towards a target such as a bar code and a detector (mounted on the same or an adjacent substrate) senses the light reflected by the target to produce data which is decoded for further processing. A VCSEL uses low current and emits light from a relatively large area so that a relatively large amount of light is emitted for relatively small heat generation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.