Patent ID: 6483095
Filing Date: 2002-11-19
Classification: G07D

Abstract:
An apparatus for identifying a light-transmitting object, the apparatus comprising:a light-emitting device having light-emitting elements for emitting light beams having at least two different wavelengths; a light receiver for converting light beams received from said light-emitting device into corresponding electrical signals; an emission controller for activating and deactivating each of said light-emitting elements independently; a detector for detecting arrival of an identification target at a position between said light-emitting device and said light receiver; an adjustment unit for adjusting an intensity of light beam emitted from at least one of said light-emitting elements such that a difference between intensities of light beams emitted from the respective light-emitting elements falls within a predetermined range; a fixing unit for fixing an adjustment state of said adjustment unit; a mode controller for controlling said emission controller to alternately activate said light-emitting elements and said adjustment unit to be activated, in a first mode, and said emission controller to deactivate all of said light-emitting elements and said adjustment unit to be deactivated, in a second mode, and for repeating a set of said first mode and said second mode while said detector does not detect the arrival of the identification target; and an identifying unit for identifying the identification target in response to the detection of the arrival of the identification target by said detector, based on electrical signals converted by said light receiver from the emitted light beams which are emitted from said light-emitting elements according to the fixed adjustment state and transmitted through the identification target.