Patent ID: 6502753
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
A dual aperture scanner, comprising:a shallow horizontal cabinet including a horizontal aperture; a vertical cabinet including a vertical aperture; a laser source located in a lower portion of the vertical cabinet for producing a laser beam; a deflecting mirror located adjacent to the laser source for deflecting the laser beam to an upper portion of the vertical cabinet; a multifaceted spinner within an upper portion of the vertical cabinet in a path of the laser beam as deflected by the deflecting mirror, the spinner being operative to rotate within the path of the laser beam and scan the laser beam to produce a plurality of rays, the spinner being configured so as to direct the rays in desired directions while insuring that the space within the horizontal and vertical cabinets occupied by the paths traveled by the rays is relatively small and to direct the rays in such a way that the rays emerge from the horizontal aperture to create a scan pattern and the paths traveled by the rays occupy a relatively shallow volume fitting within the horizontal cabinet; and a combination of mirrors to receive the rays produced by the spinner and direct the rays to each of the horizontal and vertical apertures to produce a scan pattern emerging from each of the horizontal and vertical apertures, the mirrors being configured to insure that the volume occupied within the horizontal and vertical cabinets by the paths traveled by the rays is relatively small and to direct the rays such that the rays produce a scan pattern emerging from the horizontal aperture and the paths traveled by the rays occupy a relatively shallow volume within the horizontal cabinet.