Ncr Corporation

Ronald A Ferrante

Herbert D McClain

A compact optical scanning system comprises a portable enclosure structure having a cover portion which includes a glass enclosed aperture over which a UPC label attached to a purchased merchandise item is moved. Mounted within the enclosure below the cover portion is a laser whose output coherent light beam is reflected along a path extending in a direction parallel to the cover portion by mirrors mounted on a shelf extending between opposite side walls of enclosure. The laser beam is directed through an aperture in a collection mirror to a bifocal lens which includes a second lens for focusing the received laser beam at the aperture by directing the laser beam at a mirror mounted so as to reflect the laser beam at a six-sided multi-faceted rotating mirrored spinner mounted on the floor of the enclosure directly beneath the shelf and the bifocal lens. The rotating mirrored spinner directs the laser beam at a plurality of pattern mirrors which redirect the received laser beam towards the aperture, forming a scanning pattern thereat for scanning the UPC label. The reflected light beams from the label are retro-directed via the pattern mirrors, the rotating mirrors, the deflecting mirror and the bifocal lens which focuses the reflected light beams at a photodetector through a collection mirror which filters out light having a waveform greater than the waveform of the laser beam to a colored meniscus lens mounted on the photodetector member. The meniscus lens filters out light from the laser beam having wavelengths which are less than the wavelength of the laser beam, resulting in the transmission of reflected light beams to the photodetector member having a band pass centered on the wavelength of the laser light beam.

Compact laser scanner optical system

A holographic scanning system for scanning a bar coded label is disclosed in which the light beams of a laser are directed at a set of holograms located on a rotating disk in which each hologram will generate an individual scan beam having a slightly different focal length and direction angle from that of the other holograms. Each of the scanning beams is directed at a plurality of mirrors which reflect the beams in the form of a scanning pattern on a scanning area through which a coded label on an article will pass. Each of the scanning beams is projected in an overlapping relationship on the scanning area, thereby providing an enhanced depth of focus enabling a more effective reading operation. The light reflected from the bar coded label is collected by the holograms for collimating the reflected light beams. The collimated light beams are directed at a lens member which focuses the received light beams on a photodetector for use in reading the bar coded label.

Multidirectional holographic scanner

An optical reader control system includes a source of radiant energy mounted above a checkout counter and detecting means mounted adjacent an aperture in the supporting surface of the counter receives the radiant energy to control the operation of the optical reader mounted within the counter for projecting scanning beams through the aperture. One embodiment of the detecting means includes a pair of photodetectors mounted in the supporting surface of the counter on both sides of the aperture for turning the optical reader on and off. A second embodiment includes a single photodetector mounted in the supporting surface upstream of the aperture for turning on the optical reader and a timer operable upon the positioning of a merchandise item over the photodetector for turning off the optical reader after the expiration of a predetermined time period.

Optical scanner

A laser system, and method therefor, is disclosed which uses a single holographic bifocal lens element, comprised of non-overlapping first and second holographic lenses, to perform a plurality of different functions in the system. The field lens converges and focuses the first reconstructed beam on a desired target. Light reflected from the target back to the second holographic lens causes that lens to generate and focus a second reconstructed beam at a collection point. The holographic bifocal lens element is fabricated by initially producing a lenslet holographically by recording the interference of two point sources on a first portion of the same side of a hologram recording medium and then producing a collection lens holographically by recording the interference of two point sources on opposite sides of the hologram recording medium.

Method and apparatus for making and utilizing a holographic bifocal lens

A method for constructing an optical filter for use in a holographic scanner includes exposing a photographic film to a laser, developing the film and reinserting the developed film into the unexpanded output beam of the laser to provide a uniform illumination of the outputted beam. The filter is positioned in the reference beam in the construction of a hologram used in the holographic scanner.

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Senecaville, OH, United States of America

Ronald A Ferrante