Patent ID: 6394349
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
An optical information reader comprising:light irradiating means comprising a plurality of point light sources, said light irradiating means directly irradiating a display pattern as an object to be read with illumination light selectively from one of a plurality of irradiation directions; image reading means for reading an image by light reflected from said display pattern; mirror reflection discriminating means for discriminating whether mirror reflection regions exist or not in the image read by said image reading means; and information reading means which causes said image reading means to read a new image by causing said light irradiating means to select an alternative combination of said irradiation directions, and to emit illumination light as a compensating process, when said light irradiating beems is discriminated by said mirror reflection discriminating means that at least one of the mirror reflection regions exist in the image obtained by said image reading means, said information reading means using said new image to compensate for the mirror reflection regions of the image obtained before said new image by combining portions of said image having minimal mirror reflection regions and said new image having minimal mirror reflection regions to generate a final image having minimal mirror reflection regions, said information reading means reading said final image as an object from which information is read.