The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 16, 1996
Filed:
Dec. 15, 1993
Joseph M Lindacher, Duluth, GA (US);
Stephen J Ames, Lawrenceville, GA (US);
NCR Corporation Information Solutions Company, Dayton, OH (US);
Abstract
A multiple depth of field optical scanner which produces a plurality of scan beams having different focal distances. The optical scanner includes a laser beam having a centerline, a mirrored spinner having a plurality of facets with different curvatures, a detector, and a microcontroller. The optical scanner may additionally include a deflector mirror for changing the direction of the laser beam, collecting optics for equalizing the optical coupling of the reflected light across the field of view of the facets, a distance selection circuit for instructing the microcontroller within the scanner to decode bar code information from a predetermined range of focal distances and an amplification circuit for amplifying the electrical signals from the detector enough to produce other electrical signals having substantially equal amplitudes. The microcontroller may also include the feature of reducing laser power when the scan beams focus more than a predetermined distance from the centerline of the laser beam.