Patent ID: 8864035

Claim:
An optical information reader which reads a symbol and decodes information indicated thereby, comprising: an output device that outputs measuring light directed at the symbol to be read, wherein said output device outputs a laser light as said light for sensing the object to be read and measuring distance to the object to be read; an illuminator that illuminates the symbol to be read; an image pickup device that picks up an image of the symbol to be read, comprising an image sensor with a plurality of light responsive pixels, the image pickup having a shutter function controlling the start and stop of accumulation of charge substantially simultaneously in all pixels in accordance with an amount of light received by pixels; a first controller that, in a first mode of operation, performs control in a first mode of operation, when reading the symbol, instructs said image pickup device to start periodic image pickup by said image sensor while turning on the measuring light output by said output device; a distance measurement device that analyzes the image picked up by said image pickup device in said first mode and, when measuring light reflected by the symbol is detected in the image, measuring the distance to the symbol based on the position of the measuring light in the image; a second controller that sets the amount of illumination produced by said illuminator based on the distance to the symbol as measured by said distance measurement device; a third controller that, in a second mode of operation, turns on said illuminator with the illumination amount set by said second controller and causes said image pickup device to perform periodic image pickup via said image sensor, after distance measurement device detects measuring light in the image; and a decoder that analyzes the image picked up by said image pickup device in the second mode and decodes the information indicated by the symbol.