Modular optical fiber color image scanner with all-optical scanner head having side-coupled light guide for providing illumination light to the scanner head
US6157027A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 1, 1998 |
| Grant date | Dec 5, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 1, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N1/0312
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A scanner has an optical-electric module, an incoherent fiber bundle, and a scanner head. The incoherent fiber bundle has illumination fibers and pickup fibers. The illumination fibers carry only illumination light from a light source in the O/E module toward the scanner head. The pickup fibers carry sensed light from the scanner head to a CCD array in the O/E module. The scanner head has a light guide that receives the illumination light from the illumination fibers. The light guide is in contact with the pickup fibers in an arrangement which permits the illumination light to enter the side of the illumination fibers near the end. Illumination light reflected back into the pickup fibers is guided to the CCD array.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.