Patent ID: 7428991

Claim:
A scanner that processes indicia having an indicia area comprising: an aiming pattern generator that emits an aiming pattern that illuminates an area corresponding to a target portion of the indicia area, the aiming pattern generator includes a laser and an optical element that forms the aiming pattern, the aiming pattern comprising an illumination line having a thickness exceeding a thickness of the target portion of the indicia area to lessen the effect of any speckle noise present in an image of the target portion of the indicia area; an illumination source that illuminates an area corresponding to approximately the entire indicia area; a two-dimensional array of sensors capable of collecting data corresponding to an image of approximately the entire indicia area; a segment of the two-dimensional array of sensors capable of collecting data corresponding to the image of the target portion of the indicia area illuminated by the aiming pattern; and wherein the scanner activates the aiming pattern generator to illuminate the target portion of the indicia area; collects data in the segment of the two dimensional array of sensors corresponding to the target portion of the indicia area illuminated by the aiming pattern; and based on the data collected in the segment of the two dimensional array of sensors, determines if the data collected is sufficient to decode the indicia.