Hand-supported planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based systems with laser despeckling mechanisms integrated therein

US7832643B2 · 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: Oct 30, 2007
• Grant date: Nov 16, 2010
• Expiry date: Aug 21, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06K7/10732
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A hand-supportable planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based code symbol reader includes: a hand-supportable housing having light transmission aperture; a linear image formation and detection module having a linear image detection array; and a planar laser illumination beam (PLIB) producing device having at least one visible laser diode (VLD) for producing a planar light illumination beam (PLIB). The code symbol reader further includes image grabber for grabbing digital linear images formed and detected by the image formation and detection module, an image data buffer for buffering the digital linear images grabbed by the image grabber and constructing a two-dimensional image from a series of buffered linear digital images, and an image processing computer for processing the buffered two-dimensional digital image so as to read code symbols graphically represented in the two-dimensional digital linear image. During object illumination and imaging operations, a controller automatically controls the linear image formation and detection module, the PLIB producing device, the image frame grabber, and the image data buffer.