Patent ID: 11966811
Assignee: COGNEX CORPORATION
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus for automatically focusing a reader having an optical axis in a vision system, the apparatus comprising:
an optics assembly having at least one lens and an image sensor;
an on-axis aimer and distance measurement assembly comprising:
a light source configured to generate a first light beam along a first axis, the first light beam configured to project an aimer pattern on an object;
a receiver configured to receive reflected light from the object based on the first light beam, the reflected light provided to the receiver along a second axis;
a reflecting assembly configured to direct the first light beam received from the light source so that the first light beam is projected onto the object coaxially with the reader optical axis and configured to direct the reflected light from the optical axis to the second axis; and

a processor device in communication with the receiver and the optics assembly and configured to determine a distance between the at least one lens and the object based on the reflected light and to focus the at least one lens based on the determined distance;
wherein the reflecting assembly comprises at least two elements and at least one of the at least two elements is positioned in front of the at least one lens and wherein at least one of the at least two elements directs the first light beam received from the light source so that the first light beam is projected onto the object coaxially with the reader optical axis and at least one of the at least two elements receives the reflected light along the optical axis and directs the reflected light from the optical axis to the second axis.