Hand Held Products, Inc.

Welch Allyn Data Collection, Inc.

Thomas Ruhlman

William H Havens

Robert M Hussey

Michael Allan Ehrhart

Melvin D McCall

Charles Paul Barber

Colleen P Gannon

Robert C Gardiner

Robert J Hennick

Vivian Loomis Hunter

Eric C Coleman

Timothy P Meier

Matthew William Pankow

Andrew E Reynolds

James A Parker

David M Holzhauer

Bradley A Randolph

John A Pettinelli

Joseph Guszcza

Louis Bruno

David Marrs

Joseph Walczyk

An apparatus for use in optical reading can comprise an image sensor and a circuit board, and can further comprise a support assembly. An apparatus for use in optical reading can also comprise a light source and imaging optics.

Image sensor based optical reader

There is set forth herein an optical reader for reading target indicia. The said optical reader in one embodiment can comprise an imaging subsystem including an image sensor and a lens assembly for focusing light on said image sensor. The optical reader in one embodiment can comprise a control circuit in communication with said imaging subsystem. The optical reader in one embodiment can comprise an illumination subsystem in communication with a control circuit. The illumination subsystem in one embodiment can comprise at least one multiple color-emitting light source. The at least one multiple color-emitting light source in one embodiment can comprise at least two independently drivable light emitting elements.

An optical reader can include an image sensor. In one embodiment an optical reader can be configured to have different operating modes, the different operating modes optimizing the reader for reading different indicia. In another embodiment an optical reader can comprise a multiple color emitting light source. In another embodiment an optical reader can be provided in a specialized form factor including an enlarged head portion and an elongated body portion extending from the head portion.

An imaging module can comprise an image sensor and first and second circuit boards. A support assembly can also be included in the imaging module. Further included in the imaging module can be a support post.

Imaging module comprising support post for optical reader

An imaging module in one embodiment includes at least one multiple color emitting light source comprising a plurality of different colored LED dies each independently driveable so that the overall color emitted by the light source can be controlled and varied. The multiple color emitting light source can be controlled so that the color emitted by the light source is optimized for imaging or reading in a present application environment of the module. Further, the module can be configured so that control of the multiple color emitting light source automatically varies depending on a sensed condition, such a color present in a field of view of the module, the distance of the module to a target, and/or a predetermined criteria being met so that feedback is provided to a user. The module in a further aspect can include illumination light sources and aiming light sources which project light in different wavelength emission bands.

Optical reader comprising multiple color illumination

The invention is a multiterminal data collection network including a plurality of terminals and a base station configured so that each data collection terminal can be programmed in accordance with one of a predetermined number of available application. When a data collection terminal such as a bar code reader is programmed to operate in accordance with a particular application, the reader operates according to a data collection protocol that is the same as the data collection protocol of each other reader in the network programmed to operate in accordance with that same application. In another aspect of the invention, a base station normally transmits messages received from different readers according to different transmission protocols if the readers are programmed to operate in accordance with different applications, and transmits messages received from different readers according to the same protocol if the readers are programmed in accordance with the same application. A reader of the network can be associated with a new application group by reading of a specially designed application selector symbol.

Multiple application multiterminal data collection network

Growing community of inventors

Skaneateles, NY, United States of America

Thomas Ruhlman