Patent ID: 6367699
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
An apparatus for reading a low contrast symbol on a target, comprising:a wand; a light source disposed in said wand and positioned to illuminate the target when the wand is positioned in proximity to the target, whereby light from said light source is reflected from the target as specular light concentrated along a path; an imaging element disposed in said wand and positioned to receive the specular light when said wand is in a predetermined orientation with respect to the target; and means for determining whether an amount of light received by said imaging element exceeds a predetermined threshold indicative of receiving the specular light; wherein said imaging element is adapted to provide a data signal from the specular light when said predetermined threshold is exceeded, whereby data from the low contrast symbol is encoded in the data signal when the low contrast symbol is illuminated by said light source and said wand is in the predetermined orientation.