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:
Jul. 27, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 23, 1997
James B Williamson, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Gregory M Cutler, Cupertino, CA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
The optical scanner comprises a light source, an image sensor, a planar array of elongate optical waveguides, and input and output coupling optics for communicating light to and from the image transmission optics. The light source is adapted to direct light toward and reflect light from an object to be scanned. The planar array of elongate optical waveguides is formed in a substrate. Each of the waveguides include an input end and an output end and can be tapered along the length of the waveguide. The input optics disposed between the object and the waveguide array can include tubes, single lenses per waveguide, larger lenses per cluster of waveguides, a GRIN lens array or comparable mirror systems for directing light reflected from the object to be scanned to the input ends of the waveguides. The output optics disposed between the waveguide array and the image sensor can include lenses or mirror systems similar to that used for the input coupling optics.