OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR BARCODE SCANNER

Abstract

An optical system used in a barcode scanner is disclosed to include a light source for emitting a dot-shaped light beam in a slanting angle, a standing cylindrical lens for expanding the dot-shaped light beam produced by the light source as a line-shaped light beam onto a barcode of a product in a slanting angle, which line-shaped light beam showing a light intensity distribution curve that is asymmetric between the left side and the right side, a linear sensor array, and a focusing lens for focusing a reflective image of the barcode onto the linear sensor array. A reflector means can be provided for overlapping the light path to reduce the size of the barcode scanner. Further, a shaking means may be used to cause reciprocation of the light beam in direction perpendicular to the light path of the light source, thereby eliminating image noises due to existence of black holes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of an optical system used in a barcode scanner in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a schematic of light intensity curve obtained from the optical system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a schematic of image signal intensity curve obtained from the linear sensor array of the optical system according to the present invention (I).

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of an alternate form of the optical system according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the optical system shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a schematic of image signal intensity curve obtained from the linear sensor array of the optical system according to the present invention (II).

FIG. 6A is a schematic drawing showing another alternate form of the optical system according to the present invention (I).

FIG. 6B is a schematic drawing showing another alternate form of the optical system according to the present invention (II).

FIG. 6C is a schematic drawing showing another alternate form of the optical system according to the present invention (III).

FIG. 6D is a schematic drawing showing another alternate form of the optical system according to the present invention (IV).

FIG. 7 is a schematic top view showing the structure of a conventional barcode scanner.

FIG. 8A is a schematic drawing showing the distribution of light intensity of the conventional barcode scanner.

FIG. 8B is a schematic of image signal curve obtained from the barcode scanner according to the prior art.

FIG. 9 is a schematic side view showing another structure of barcode scanner according to the prior art (I).

FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing another structure of barcode scanner according to the prior art (II).

Claims

1. An optical system used in a barcode scanner for reading a barcode of a product, the optical system comprising: a light source adapted to emit a dot-shaped light beam onto the barcode of the product in a slanting angle;a standing cylindrical lens adapted to expand the dot-shaped light beam produced by said light source as a line-shaped light beam onto the barcode of the product in a slanting angle, said expanded light beam showing a light intensity distribution curve that is a deformation curve that is asymmetric between the left side and the right side;a focusing lens adapted to focus an image reflected by the barcode of the product; anda linear sensor array adopted to receive the image focused by the focusing lens, wherein the reflective image has different levels between the left side and the right side.

2. The optical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light source is comprised of a laser diode and a collimator.

3. The optical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light source is comprised of a light emitting diode and a collimator.

4. The optical system as claimed in claim 1, which uses a variable level line having a slope not equal to zero as a reference line for image signal processing.

5. An optical system used in a barcode scanner for reading a barcode of a product, the optical system comprising: a light source adapted to emit a dot-shaped light beam onto the barcode of the product;a standing cylindrical lens adapted to expand the dot-shaped light beam produced by said light source as a line-shaped light beam onto the barcode of the product in a slanting angle;a focusing lens adapted to focus an image reflected by the barcode of the product;a linear sensor array; andreflector means mounted in the midway of the focal distance of said focusing lens and adapted to reflect said image onto said linear sensor array, the light path of said reflector means being overlapped with the light path of said focusing lens to form a light path overlap region.

6. The optical system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said light source is comprised of a laser diode and a collimator.

7. The optical system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said light source is comprised of a light emitting diode and a collimator.

8. The optical system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said light source and said standing cylindrical lens are adapted to emit a line-shaped light beam onto the barcode of the product in a slanting angle; said line-shaped light beam shows a light intensity distribution curve that is a deformation curve that is asymmetric between the left side and the right side.

9. The optical system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said reflector means is comprised of at least one reflecting mirror.

10. An optical system used in a barcode scanner for reading a barcode of a product, the optical system comprising: a light source adapted to emit a dot-shaped light beam onto the barcode of the product;a standing cylindrical lens adapted to expand the dot-shaped light beam produced by said light source as a line-shaped light beam onto the barcode of the product in a slanting angle;a focusing lens adapted to focus an image reflected by the barcode of the product;a linear sensor array adapted to receive the image focused by said focusing lens; andshaking means adapted to cause reciprocation of the light beam in direction perpendicular to the light path of said light source.

11. The optical system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said light source is comprised of a laser diode and a collimator.

12. The optical system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said light source and said standing cylindrical lens are adapted to emit a line-shaped light beam onto the barcode of the product in a slanting angle; said line-shaped light beam shows a light intensity distribution curve that is a deformation curve that is asymmetric between the left side and the right side.

13. The optical system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising at least one reflector means mounted in the focal distance of said focusing lens and adapted to reflect the image focused by said focusing lens onto said linear sensor array, the light path of said reflector means being overlapped with the light path of said focusing lens to form a light path overlap region.

14. The optical system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shaking means to cause reciprocation of the light beam in direction perpendicular to the light path of said light source is adapted to reciprocate said standing cylindrical lens in direction perpendicular to the light path of said light source.

15. The optical system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shaking means to cause reciprocation of the light beam in direction perpendicular to the light path of said light source is to employ a voltage to said standing cylindrical lens to cause a change of crystal structure of said standing cylindrical lens, thereby resulting in reciprocation of the light beam expanded by said standing cylindrical lens in direction perpendicular to the light path of said light source.

16. The optical system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shaking means to cause reciprocation of the light beam in direction perpendicular to the light path of said light source is to reciprocate a proximity side of said light source relative to said standing cylindrical lens in direction perpendicular to the light path of said light source.

17. The optical system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shaking means to cause reciprocation of the light beam in direction perpendicular to the light path of said light source is to reciprocate a distal side of said light source relative to said standing cylindrical lens in direction perpendicular to the light path of said light source.