Patent ID: 8201740

Claim:
A reader for electro-optically reading symbols, comprising: a housing movable by an operator; a solid-state imager supported by the housing, for capturing light over a field of view from a symbol, and for generating an electrical signal indicative of the captured light; an illumination assembly for providing an illumination field for the solid-state imager; a controller supported by the housing, for processing the electrical signal into data indicative of the symbol being read; and an aiming light assembly supported by the housing for projecting an aiming light pattern on the symbol, and operatively connected to the controller, for modulating the aiming light pattern at a modulation frequency that is less than twenty five Hertz to enable the operator to position the aiming light pattern on the symbol prior to reading, wherein the aiming light assembly includes a pattern shaping optical element comprising at least one of a diffractive optical element (DOE) and a refractive optical element (ROE).