Apparatus and method for dispersive fourier-transform imaging
US8376218B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 6, 2011 |
| Grant date | Feb 19, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 6, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06K7/14
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A barcode reading apparatus and method in which the spectrum of a probe light is first Fourier-transformed into space, directed upon a barcode, and then Fourier-transformed converting the spectrally encoded barcode pattern to a time domain waveform. In one implementation, the Fourier transformation from the spectrum domain into a spatial domain is performed by a dispersive element, while the Fourier transformation from the spectrally encoded barcode pattern to a time domain waveform is performed by group-velocity dispersion (GVD). The temporally encoded barcode pattern is detected by a photodetector, digitized by a digitizer, and analyzed by a digital signal processor. The invention is applicable to a number of fields which involve the reading of one- and two-dimensional barcodes, displacement sensing, surface measurements, measurement of width and gap, flow cytometry, reading of optical media, presence or absence detection, and other related fields.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.