Imaging reader with improved illumination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9305198-B2
Application number	US-201313911854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2013
Priority date	Jun 8, 2012
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A data reading system, such as for reading optical codes being passed through a read zone, including one or more imagers, and at least one illumination module, all disposed in a reader housing, the illumination module in one configuration having a reflector housing comprised of a cone-shaped structure of generally rectangular cross-section, with a top inner surface and a bottom inner surface, wherein area of the cross-section of the cone-shaped structure increasing from a rear end to a front end, and an illumination source (such as a plurality of light emitting diodes) disposed at the rear end of the reflector housing and operative to generate illumination out through the reflector housing along an outgoing illumination path, the top inner surface of the reflector housing being a surface of high reflectivity relative to the bottom inner surface of the reflector housing which has a surface of relatively low reflectivity. Also disclosed are imager configurations for providing multiple fields of views of multiple imagers co-mounted on a common PCB.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A data reader comprising:
a reader housing constructed and arranged for installation at a checkstand, the reader housing having a window;
an illumination module disposed in the reader housing, the illumination module comprising
a reflector housing comprised of a pyramid-shaped structure of generally rectangular cross-section, with a top inner surface and a bottom inner surface, wherein the pyramid-shaped structure has an increasing cross-sectional area from a rear end to a front end,
a light source disposed at the rear end of the reflector housing and operative to generate illumination out through the reflector housing along an outgoing illumination path,

wherein the top inner surface of the reflector housing comprises a surface of high reflectivity relative to the bottom inner surface of the reflector housing that comprises a surface of low reflectivity.

2. A data reader according to claim 1 further comprising
a diffuser disposed in the reflector housing at a tilt angle relative to the outgoing illumination path, wherein a bottom of the diffuser is adjacent the light source and a top of the diffuser is distal to the light source.

3. A data reader according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom inner surface of the reflector housing is non-reflective.

4. A data reader according to claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

5. A data reader comprising:
a reader housing constructed and arranged for installation at a checkstand, the reader housing having a window;
an illumination module disposed in the reader housing behind the window, the illumination module having
a reflector housing comprised of a pyramid-shaped structure of generally rectangular cross-section, with opposing inner side surfaces comprising (1) a top inner surface and a bottom inner surface opposite thereto and (2) a left inner surface and a right inner surface opposite thereto, the pyramid-shaped structure increasing in cross-sectional area from a rear end to a front end,
a light source disposed proximate the rear end of the reflector housing and operative to generate illumination out through the reflector housing along an outgoing illumination path,

wherein a first inner surface of the reflector housing comprises a surface of high reflectivity and at least a portion of a corresponding second surface of the reflector housing opposite the first inner surface comprises a surface of relatively low reflectivity.

6. A method for data reading comprising the steps of
passing an object to be read through a scan region in front of a window of a data reader;
illuminating the scan region by the steps of
generating light from a light source disposed in the reader housing behind the window,
concentrating the light via an illumination module comprising a reflector housing comprised of a pyramid-shaped structure of generally rectangular cross-section, with opposing inner side surfaces comprising (1) a top inner surface and a bottom inner surface opposite thereto and (2) a left inner surface and a right inner surface opposite thereto, the cross-sectional area of the pyramid-shaped structure increasing from a rear end to a front end;
limiting the angular distribution of light emanating from the illumination module by forming the reflector housing with a first inner surface of high reflectivity and a corresponding second inner surface opposite the first inner surface of low reflectivity.

7. A method according to claim 6 further comprising diffusing the light emanating from the illumination module with a diffuser disposed in the reflector housing.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the diffuser is disposed in the reflector housing at a tilt angle relative to the outgoing illumination path, wherein a bottom of the diffuser is proximate to the light source and a top of the diffuser is distal to the light source.

9. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the second inner surface is non-reflective.

10. A method according to claim 6 , further comprising generating light from the light source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

11. A data reader comprising:
a reader housing constructed and arranged for installation at a checkstand, the reader housing having a window;
an illumination module disposed in the reader housing, the illumination module comprising
a reflector housing comprised of a pyramid-shaped structure of generally polygonal cross-section, with a top inner surface and a bottom inner surface, wherein the pyramid-shaped structure has an increasing cross-sectional area from a rear end to a front end,
a light source disposed at the rear end of the reflector housing and operative to generate illumination out through the reflector housing along an outgoing illumination path,

wherein the top inner surface of the reflector housing comprises a surface of high reflectivity relative to the bottom inner surface of the reflector housing that comprises a surface of low reflectivity.

12. A data reader according to claim 11 further comprising
a diffuser disposed in the reflector housing at a tilt angle relative to the outgoing illumination path, wherein a bottom of the diffuser is adjacent the light source and a top of the diffuser is distal to the light source.

13. A data reader according to claim 11 , wherein the bottom inner surface of the reflector housing is non-reflective.

14. A data reader according to claim 11 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

15. A data reader according to claim 11 , wherein the polygonal cross-section is selected from the group consisting of: triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, and hexagon cross-sections.

Assignees

• Datalogic Adc Inc

Inventors

• Thompson Ryan B
• Shearin Alan

Classifications

• G06K7/10841

  Particularities of the light-sensitive elements (semiconductor devices H10) · CPC title

• G06K7/1096

  the scanner having more than one scanning window, e.g. two substantially orthogonally placed scanning windows for integration into a check-out counter of a super-market · CPC title

• G06K7/10732

  Light sources · CPC title

• G06K7/10831 Primary

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