Imaging devices having progressive magnification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514524-B2
Application number	US-201715720307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

A method and apparatus for capturing an image of at least one object appearing in a field of view (FOV). A housing has an image sensor and a base lens assembly fixedly mounted relative thereto. A moveable lens assembly is movably mounted relative to the housing. The moveable lens, the base lens assembly, and the image sensor are aligned such that light received within the FOV passes through the moveable lens and the base lens assembly and impinges onto the image sensor. The light received from the FOV forms an original image prior to entering the movable lens and the base assembly. Light from the FOV impinging onto the sensor forms an impinging image.

First claim

We claim:

1. An imaging assembly for capturing an image of at least one object appearing in a field of view (FOV), the imaging assembly comprising:
a housing;
an image sensor fixedly mounted relative to the housing;
a base lens assembly fixedly mounted relative to the housing; and
a moveable lens movably mounted relative to the housing,
wherein:
the moveable lens, the base lens assembly, and the image sensor are aligned such that light received within the FOV (i) passes through the moveable lens and the base lens assembly, and (ii) impinges onto the image sensor;
prior to entering any one of the moveable lens and the base lens assembly, the light received from the FOV forms an original image;
the light received from the FOV that impinges onto the image sensor forms an impinging image; and
at least one of the moveable lens and the base lens assembly is operable to simultaneously magnify at a first magnification value and magnify at a second magnification value such that a first part of the impinging image is magnified at the first magnification value relative to the original image and a second part of the impinging image is magnified at the second magnification value relative to the original image.

2. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base lens assembly is positioned between the moveable lens and the image sensor.

3. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the moveable lens is moveable via a voice coil motor.

4. The imaging assembly of claim 3 , wherein the base lens assembly and the voice coil motor are mounted at least partially within a lens holder.

5. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base lens assembly includes a base lens having a first side and a second side, the light received from the FOV passing through the first side and further through the second side, wherein at least a portion of the first side is concave, and wherein at least a portion of the second side is concave and convex.

6. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base lens assembly includes a base lens having a first side and a second side, the light received from the FOV passing through the first side and further through the second side, wherein at least a portion of the first side is concave and convex, and wherein at least a portion of the second side is concave and convex.

7. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base lens assembly includes:
a first base lens having a first side and a second side, at least a portion of the first side of the first base lens being concave, at least a portion of the second side of the first base lens being concave and convex; and
a second base lens having a first side and a second side, at least a portion of the first side of the second base lens being concave and convex, at least a portion of the second side of the second base lens being concave and convex.

8. The imaging assembly of claim 7 , wherein the second base lens is positioned between the first base lens and the image sensor.

9. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the impinging image includes a barrel distortion of about and including 30% relative to the original image.

10. The imaging assembly of claim 1 ,
wherein the image sensor includes a central imaging axis that is normal to a surface of the image sensor that is exposed to the light received within the FOV, and
wherein the at least one of the moveable lens and the base lens assembly is further operable to progressively magnify from the first part of the impinging image and the first magnification value to the second part of the impinging image and the second magnification value.

11. The imaging assembly of claim 10 , wherein the second part of the impinging image is defined by central imaging axis, and wherein the second magnification value is greater than the first magnification value.

12. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first magnification value provides a negative magnification, and wherein the second magnification value provides a positive magnification.

13. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the FOV is static.

14. An imaging scanner for capturing an image of at least one object appearing in a field of view (FOV), the imaging scanner comprising:
a housing;
an image sensor fixedly mounted relative to the housing;
a base lens assembly fixedly mounted relative to the housing; and
a moveable lens movably mounted relative to the housing,
wherein:
the moveable lens, the base lens assembly, and the image sensor are aligned such that light received from the FOV (i) passes through the moveable lens and the base lens assembly, and (ii) impinges onto the image sensor;
prior to entering any one of the moveable lens and the base lens assembly, the light received within the FOV forms an original image;
the light received from the FOV that impinges onto the image sensor forms an impinging image; and
the base lens assembly includes a first base lens having a first side that is at least partially concave and a second side that is at least partially both concave and convex.

15. The imaging scanner of claim 14 , wherein the first base lens is configured to at least partially cause a first part of the impinging image to be magnified relative to the original image at a first magnification value, and wherein the first base lens is further configured to at least partially cause a second part of the impinging image to be magnified relative to the original image at a second magnification value.

16. The imaging scanner of claim 15 , wherein the first magnification value provides a negative magnification, and wherein the second magnification value provides a positive magnification.

17. The imaging scanner of claim 14 , wherein the FOV is static.

18. The imaging scanner of claim 14 , wherein the image sensor includes a central imaging axis that is normal to a surface of the image sensor that is exposed to the light received from the FOV, and
wherein at least one of the moveable lens and the base lens assembly is operable to progressively magnify from a first part of the impinging image to a second part of the impinging image, the first part of the impinging image being magnified at a first magnification value relative to the original image and the second part of the impinging image being magnified at a second magnification value relative to the original image.

19. The imaging scanner of claim 14 , wherein the second part of the impinging image is defined by central imaging axis, and wherein the second magnification value is greater than the first magnification value.

20. A method of capturing an image of at least one object appearing in a field of view (FOV) of an imaging device, the method comprising:
providing a housing;
fixedly mounting an image sensor relative to the housing;
fixedly mounting a base lens assembly relative to the housing;
movably mounting a moveable lens relative to the housing;
aligning the moveable lens, the base lens assembly, and the image sensor such that light received within the FOV (i) passes through the moveable lens and the base lens assembly, and (ii) impinges onto the image sensor;
prior to entering any one of the moveable lens and the base lens assembly, forming an original image with the light received from the FOV;
forming an impinging image with the light impinging onto the image sensor; and
simultaneously magnifying the original image via at least one of the moveable lens and the base lens assembly at a first magnification value and a second magnification value such that a first p

Assignees

• Symbol Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Vinogradov Igor
• Shi David T
• Giordano Joseph D

Classifications

• G06K7/10831 Primary

  Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms (optical elements per se G02B) · CPC title

• G02B13/08

  Anamorphotic objectives · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title