Retro-reflective scanner with return path free of collection optics

Abstract: A retro-reflective electro-optical scanner (10) has a laser diode (18) which directs a light beam onto an oscillating mirror (22). The light beam from the mirror impinges upon an indicia to be read, and the light is reflected back along a return path (26) to the mirror (22). After further reflection at the mirror, the light reaches a detector (24). With the present invention, the collection optics which are usually included in the light's return path are entirely eliminated.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention generally relates to a retro-reflective scanner operative for electro-optically reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, for example, bar code symbols, and, more particularly, to eliminating converging optical components in the return path along which light reflected off the indicia travels. 2. Description of Related Art Various optical readers and optical scanners have been developed heretofore to optically read bar code symbols applied to objects in order to identify the object by optically reading the symbol thereon. The bar code symbol itself is a coded pattern comprised of a series of bars of various widths and spaced apart from one another to bound spaces of various widths, the bars and spaces having different light reflecting properties. The readers and scanners electro-optically decoded the coded patterns to multiple digit representations descriptive of the objects. Scanners of this general type have been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,251,798; 4,360,798; 4,369,361; 4,387,297; 4,593,186; 4,496,831; 4,409,470; 4,460,120; 4,607,156; 4,673,805; 4,736,095; 4,758,717; 4,760,248; 4,806,742; 4,808,804; 4,825,057; 4,816,661; 4,816,660; 4,835,374; 4,845,350; 4,871,904; 4,896,026 and 4,923,281, all of said patents having been assigned to the same assignee as the instant invention. As disclosed in the above-identified patents, a particularly advantageous embodiment of such a scanner resided, inter alia , in emitting a light beam, preferably a laser beam, emitted from a light source, preferably a gas laser or a laser diode, and in directing the laser beam along an outgoing path to a symbol to be read. En route to the symbol, the laser beam was directed to, and reflected off, a light reflector of a scanning component. The scanning component moved the reflector in a cyclical fashion and caused the laser beam to repetitively scan the symbol. The symbol reflected the laser beam incident thereon. In a retro-reflective scanner, a portion of the incident light reflected off the symbol was collected in a return path by converging optics, and detected by a detector component, e.g. a photodetector, of the scanner, having a field of view. The purpose of the converging optics is to increase the amount of light reaching the detector, and to limit the field of view of the detector to minimize the amount of ambient light that reaches the detector. The detected light over the field of view was converted into an electrical signal which, in turn, as decoded by electrical decode circuitry into data descriptive of the symbol for subsequent processing. The cyclically movable reflector swept the laser beam across the symbol and swept the field of view during scanning. Further, attention is drawn to the patent abstracts of Japan vol. 8 no. 259 (page 317) 28 November 1984 and JP-A-59 128 674, 24 July 1984, where a laser bar code scanner is shown. Said laser bar code scanner comprises a laser beam generating device, a half mirror, a reflector and a photodetecting circuit which are arranged in a housing. Also a rotary mirror is provided for outputting an incident beam transmitted from the laser beam generating device through the half mirror as an output beam with a fixed reading width. A light beam reflected from the bar code to be read is reflected by said rotary mirror to the photodetector via the half mirror and the reflector. Further, US-A-4 916 318 shows a scan type optical reader having a laser source used for reading information on a subject such as for example a bar code. A deflecting optical member deflects a laser beam emitted from the laser source to the subject to be scanned. In the reader there is a projecting lens placed between the laser source and the deflecting optical member. A light receiving member receives the returned beam reflected by the subject-matter scanned in order to read the information on the subject-matter. The returned beam is reflected from the deflecting optical member, passes through a lens and is received by the light receiving member. Hence, the return path is not free of converging optical components. An optical member such as a plane parallel plate is moved back and forth in the beam of the laser source to change the beam waist of the laser beam. There were several different types of collection optics disclosed in the known retro-reflective scanners. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,470 disclosed a convex lens in the return path. U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,660 disclosed a concave collecting mirror in the return path. Such optical components occupied space, were required to be accurately positioned, and represented an expense, not only in manufacturing, but in assembly, costs --all factors which are desired to be avoided. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 1. Objects of the Invention It is an object of this invention to eliminate converging optical components in the return path of reflected light in a retro-reflective scanner. It is another object of this invention to render a retro-reflective scanner more compact in size, and less expensive both in terms of manufacturing and assembly costs. 2. Features of the Invention In keeping with these objects, and others which will become apparent hereinafter, this invention resides in a retro-reflective electro-optical scanner for, and a method of, reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity as set forth in claims 1 and 7, respectively. Prefered embodiments of the invention are claimed in the dependent claims. The embodiment of the invention includes means for generating and directing a light beam along an outgoing path, and a reflector mounted in the outgoing path for reflecting the light beam toward the indicia for reflection therefrom. The embodiment of the invention also includes detector means for detecting light reflected off the indicia over a field of view in a return path free of converging optical components, and for generating an electrical signal representative of the indicia. The reflector is also mounted in the return path for directly receiving the reflected light, and for directly reflecting the reflected light to the detector means. The reflector is moved to simultaneously scan the light beam and the field of view. In a preferred embodiment, the light beam generating means includes a laser diode having an outlet facing the reflector, and the detector means includes a photodetector having an inlet facing the reflector. The reflector includes a generally planar mirror extending across the outgoing and return paths. The outgoing and return paths intersect at, or are side by side, or adjacent, the reflector. In accordance with this invention, the elimination of collection optics in the return path renders the scanner smaller in size. The photodetector need not be as finely positioned as in the prior art. Tolerances on aiming the laser diode are also eased. The expenses involved in manufacturing and assembling collection optics are avoided. The scanner can be incorporated in many different configurations, e.g. hand-held or fixed mount. The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hand-held head of a scanner in accordance with this invention; and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the head of FIG. 1 taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally identifies a hand-held, gun-shaped, retro-reflective scanner head having a barrel 11 and a handle 12. A manually-operable trigger 13 is situated below the barrel 11 on an upper, forwardly-facing part of the handle 12. As known from the above-identified patents, a light source component, typically, but not necessarily, a laser diode 18 (see FIG. 2), is mounted inside the head 10. The light source 18 emits a light beam along an outgoing path 20 to a generally planar reflector 22 which, in turn, reflects the light beam outwardly through a window 14 that faces indicia, e.g. bar code symbols, located at plane P, to be read. Also mounted within the head is a photodetector component, e.g. a photodiode 24, having a field of view, and operative for detecting reflected light returning through the window 14 along a return path 26 (shown in dashed lines), from the symbol. An optional optical filter 28 is mounted in front of the photodiode. The filter 28 and the photodiode 24 are mounted in a tube 30 having an aperture stop 32 through which the reflected light passes en route to the photodiode. The reflected light first impinges on the reflector 22 which, in turn, reflects the impinging light directly to the photodiode. The aperture stop 32 is optional and is used to limit the field of view of the photodiode to a relatively small area around the laser spot formed by the light beam on the symbol. This helps to reject ambient light from reaching the photodiode. In moderate lighting conditions, the aperture stop can be eliminated. A scanning component 34 is mounted within the head 10, and is operative for simultaneously scanning the symbol and the field of view of the photodetector. The reflector 22 is mounted on and driven by an electrically-operated drive, either in alternate circumferential directions, or rotated completely around an axis of rotation. The photodetector generates an electrical analog signal indicative of the variable intensity of the reflected light. This analog signal is converted into a digital signal by an analog-to-digital converter circuit. This digital signal is conducted along an electrical cable 15 to a decode module 16 located exteriorly of the head 10. The decode module 16 decodes the digital signal into data descriptive of the symbol. The cable 15 is eliminated in case the decode module 16 is located within the head 10. An external host device 17, usually a computer, serves mainly as a data store in which the data generated by the decode module 16 is stored for subsequent processing. In use, each time a user wishes to have a symbol read, the user aims the head at the symbol and pulls the trigger 13 to initiate reading of the symbol. The symbol is repetitively scanned a plurality of times per second, e.g. 40 times per second. As soon as the symbol has been successfully decoded and read, the scanning action is automatically terminated, thereby enabling the scanner to be directed to the next symbol to be read in its respective turn. The scanner need not comprise a hand-held head, but could be a fixed mount in which no trigger is used to initiate reading. A fixed mount scanner may run continuously or be controlled by an external signal to initiate reading. In accordance with the embodiment of this invention, no converging optics, such as lenses or concave collecting mirrors, are located in the return path. The same reflector 22 is located in both the outgoing path 20 and the return path 26. The field of view of the photodetector is limited not optically as in the case of retro-reflective systems having converging optics, but mechanically by the dimensions of the aperture stop 32 of the tube 30. The lack of converging optics causes the electrical signal generated by the detector to be smaller in magnitude and, of course, the ambient light level is larger. However, this weaker signal can be compensated for by the analog-to-digital converter circuit mentioned above and assisted, if necessary, by a low-noise amplifier. What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims: A retro-reflective electro-optical scanner (10) for reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, the scanner comprising: means (18) for generating and directing a light beam (20) along an outgoing path; reflector means (22) mounted in the outgoing path for reflecting the light beam towards the indicia for reflection therefrom; detector means (24) for detecting light reflected off the indicia over a field of view in a return path (26) free of converging optical components, and for generating an electrical signal representative of the indicia, the reflector means (22) also being mounted in the return path (26) for receiving the reflected light and moving means (34) for moving the reflector means (22) to simultaneously scan the light beam and the field of view; characterised in that said reflector means is arranged to directly reflect the reflected light to the detector means (24) without any intervening reflective elements. A retro-reflective scanner according to Claim 1, wherein the light beam generating means includes a laser diode (18) having an outlet facing the reflector means (22), and wherein the detector means includes a photodetector (24) having an inlet facing the reflector means (22). A retro-reflective scanner according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the reflector means (22) includes a generally planar mirror extending across the outgoing and return paths. A retro-reflective scanner according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the moving means (34) reciprocally oscillates the reflector means (22). A retro-reflective scanner according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outgoing and return paths intersect adjacent to the reflector means (22). A retro-reflective scanner according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the reflector means (22) is mounted in the return path (26) for directly receiving the light reflected from the indicia, without any intervening reflective elements. A method of electro-optically reading indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, comprising: generating and directing a light beam (20) along an outgoing path; reflecting the light beam via a reflector (22) mounted in the outgoing path toward the indicia for reflection therefrom ; detecting by means of a photodetector (24) light reflected off the indicia over a field of view in a return path (26) free of converging optical components, and generating an electrical signal representative of the indicia; and moving the reflector (22) to simultaneously scan the light beam and the field of view characterised by said reflector directly reflecting the light in the return path (26) to the photodetector (24) without any intervening reflective elements. A method according to Claim 7, wherein the directing is performed by pointing a laser diode (18) at the reflector (22), and wherein the detecting is performed by pointing the photodetector (24) at the reflector (22). A method according to Claim 7 or Claim 8 wherein the moving is performed by reciprocally oscillating the reflector (22).

Inventors: BARKAN EDWARD, SHEPARD HOWARD M, BARKAN, EDWARD, SHEPARD , HOWARD M.
Applicants: SYMBOL TECHNOLOGIES INC, SYMBOL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: G06K7
IPC codes: G06K7