Planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) systems with integrated despeckling mechanisms provided therein

US7527200B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Constantine J. Tsikos · Voorhees, US
• C. Harry Knowles · Moorestown, US
• Xiaoxun Zhu · Marlton, US
• Michael Schnee · Chester, US
• Ka Man Au · Philadelphia, US
• Allan Wirth · Bedford, US
• Timothy Good · Blackwood, US
• Andrew Jankevics · Westford, US
• Sankar Ghosh · Philadelphia, US
• Charles A. Naylor · Sewell, US
• Thomas Amundsen · Turnersville, US
• Robert Blake · Woodbury Heights, US
• William Svedas · Deptford, US
• Shawn Defoney · Runnemede, US
• Edward Skypala · Blackwood, US
• Pirooz Vatan · Lexington, US
• Russell Joseph Dobbs · Cherry Hill, US
• George Kolis · Pennsauken, US
• Mark Schmidt · Williamstown, US
• Jeffery Yorsz · Winchester, US
• Patrick Giordano · Glassboro, US
• Stephen J. Colavito · Westtown, US
• David Wilz · Sewell, US
• Barry E. Schwartz · Haddonfield, US
• Steven Y. Kim · Cambridge, US
• Dale Fisher · Willow View Lane, US
• Jon Tassell · Winchester, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 20, 2006
• Grant date: May 5, 2009
• Expiry date: Jun 20, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S5/02325
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A hand-supportable planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based device having hand-supportable housing with a light transmission aperture. A linear image formation and detection (IFD) module is mounted within the housing, and has a linear array of image detection elements and also image formation optics with a field of view (FOV). When an object is presented within the FOV, the FOV focuses a linear image of the object onto the linear array. At least one planar laser illumination module (PLIM) is mounted on the support platform, with the linear IFD module, and produces a planar laser illumination beam (PLIB) spatially aligned with respect to the FOV and arranged in a coplanar relationship with at least a portion of the FOV. A laser beam despeckling mechanism is integrated in the device, for reducing speckle-pattern noise observed the linear digital images formed and detected at the linear array of image detection elements.