EP0122126A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Light-beam scanning apparatus
Assignee: Fujitsu Ltd
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Filing: 1984-04-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-04-06
Abstract
Abstract Light-beam scanning apparatus mainly used for a bar-code reader in a point-of-sale system to identify sold articles. The apparatus comprises at light-beam emitting device (3), a hologram disk (1) having a plurality of hologram segments with different diffraction characteristics mounted along its circumference and being rotated at a predetermined speed, and deflecting means (5, 16, 19) for directing the emitted light beam from the light-beam emitting device to one side of the hologram disk at a first direction. The scanning apparatus further comprises a first mirror group (20) including a plurality of mirrors placed at a second direction corresponding to the other side of the hologram disk, each of which mirrors is arranged to receive a diffracted light beam from a corresponding hologram segment, and a second mirror group (30) including a plurality of mirrors, each of which mirrors is placed to receive a light beam reflected by a corresponding mirror of the first mirror group and to reflect the incident light beam to a predetermined space (50). positioned in the first direction where an article (14) having a bar-code label (15) is moved. In the apparatus, a light path from the other side of the hologram disk to the predetermined space has a predetermined length to form a predetermined scanning light pattern in the space.
Inventors
- 👤 Kozo Yamazaki
- 👤 Fumio Yamagishi
- 👤 Hiroyuki Ikeda
- 👤 Hiroshi Watanuki
- 👤 Mitsuharu Ishii
- 👤 Ichiro Sebata
- 👤 Takefumi Inagaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 15:31
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/08; G02B26/10; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/10544; G06K7/10821; G06K7/10861; G06K7/10871
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus comprising: a light-beam emitting means; a hologram disk having a plurality of hologram segments with different diffraction characteristics, mounted along its circumference and being rotated at a predetermined speed; a deflecting means, positioned in a first direction, for directing the emitted light beam from the light-beam emitting means to one side of the hologram disk; a first mirror means including a plurality of mirrors, positioned in a second direction corresponding to the other side of the hologram disk, each of which mirrors is arranged to receive a diffracted light beam from a corresponding hologram segment; and a second mirror means including a plurality of mirrors, each of which mirrors is arranged to receive a reflected light beam from a corresponding mirror of the first mirror means and to reflect the incident light beam to a predetermined space positioned in the first direction; wherein a light path from the other side of the hologram disk to the predetermined space has a predetermined length to form a predetermined scanning light pattern in the space.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
176 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus comprising: a light-beam emitting means; a hologram disk having a plurality of hologram segments with different diffraction characteristics, mounted along its circumference and being rotated at a predetermined speed; a deflecting means, positioned in a first direction, for directing the emitted light beam from the light-beam emitting means to one side of the hologram disk; a first mirror means including a plurality of mirrors, positioned in a second direction corresponding to the other side of the hologram disk, each of which mirrors is arranged to receive a diffracted light beam from a corresponding hologram segment; and a second mirror means including a plurality of mirrors, each of which mirrors is arranged to receive a reflected light beam from a corresponding mirror of the first mirror means and to reflect the incident light beam to a predetermined space positioned in the first direction; wherein a light path from the other side of the hologram disk to the predetermined space has a predetermined length to form a predetermined scanning light pattern in the space.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of mirrors of the second mirror means is less than that of the first mirror means, and one of the mirrors of the second mirror means receives a plurality of light beams reflected by at least three mirrors of the first mirror means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
3for A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim/2, wherein the first mirror means includes five mirrors, and the second mirror means includes three mirrors, the center mirror of which is arranged and has a predetermined size to receive three incident light beams reflected from the three mirrors of the first mirror means and to reflect them to the space.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
251 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein first and second mirrors of the first mirror means are arranged near the side of the hologram disk, symmetric with a center axis and inclined inward horizontally and vertically with respect to the center axis; third and fourth mirrors of the first mirror means are arranged adjacent to said first and second mirrors away from the hologram disk, symmetric with the center axis and inclined inward at least vertically with respect to the center axis; a fifth mirror is disposed between said third and fourth mirrors approximately parallel to the plane of the hologram disk; first and second mirrors of the second mirror means are respectively arranged near the third and fourth mirrors of the first mirror means symmetric each with the center axis inclined horizontally and vertically inward with respect to the center axis and facing the corresponding first and second mirrors of the first mirror means to receive the corresponding reflected light beams therefrom; and a third mirror of the second mirror means is disposed between said first and second mirrors and arranged approximately perpendicularly to the center axis to receive reflected light beams from the third to fifth mirrors of the first mirror means; and wherein each of the hologram segments included in the hologram disk has a predetermined diffraction characteristic to sweep diffracted light beams thereof on corresponding mirrors of the first mirror means so that five lines of scanning light beams are formed in the predetermined space.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
116 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said five lines of scanning light beams are a horizontal line reflected from the third mirror of the second mirror means, parallel to the plane of the hologram disk and perpendicular to the center axis, slanted lines reflected from the third mirror of the second mirror means to the horizontal line at a predetermined angle and symmetric with each other, a slanted line reflected from the first mirror of the second mirror means parallel to the first slanted line from the third mirror, and a slanted line reflected from the second mirror of the second mirror means parallel to the second slanted line from the third mirror.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each of the five lines of scanning light beams includes at least two lines parallel to and adjacent to each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to preceding claim any / , wherein a reading window passing the scanning light beams and the reflecting light beams scattered by an object in the space is disposed between the second mirror means and the space.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said reading window is mounted and is inclined to have a small incident angle of the emitted light beams.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said reading window is mounted parallel to the horizontal plane.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 7 ,8 or 9, wherein said reading window is placed near one end of the light-beam scanning apparatus in the longitudinal direction thereof to obtain a predetermined travelling length of articles to be scanned.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said reading window is placed near one end of the light-beam scanning apparatus in the longitudinal direction thereof to obtain a predetermined travelling length of the object for scanning.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
47 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to preceding claim ,any / ., said apparatus further including a convex lens having a small hole disposed between second and third mirrors of the deflecting means to pass the light emitted from said second mirror and to converge the scattered light.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
54 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 11, said apparatus further including a mirror having a small hole disposed between second and third mirrors of the deflecting means to pass the light emitted from the second mirror of said deflecting means and to change the direction of the scattered light.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said light-beam emitting means is a helium·neon laser tube.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deflecting means includes at least a beam expander or a collimator and a deflecting mirror between the light emitting means and the hologram disk.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deflecting means includes a beam expander or a collimator and at least two deflecting mirrors between the light emitting means and the hologram disk.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deflecting means includes a beam expander or a collimator and three deflecting mirrors between the light emitting means and the hologram disk.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
90 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said beam expander or collimator receives the light emitted from the light-beam emitting means, the first mirror of said deflecting means receives the expanded light and reflects the incident light upward, the second mirror receives the incident light reflected at said first mirror and directs the received light in the same direction of the center axis; and the third mirror receives the light reflected at the second mirror and applies the received light to one side of the hologram disk perpendicularly.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
A light-beam scanning apparatus according to any of claims 7 to 10, wherein a height from the bottom of the apparatus to the reading window is less than approximately 170 mm.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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