Patent EP0221545A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0221545A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical information reading apparatus
Assignee: Denso Corp
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Filing: 1986-11-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-11-05
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for reading optical information such as a bar code (2) capable of reflecting ambient light and including a hand-held reader containing an image sensor. The hand-held reader is constructed so that ambient light illuminates the optical information, whereby an image of the optical information is imaged by ambient light reflected from the optical information on the image sensor (8) so that the image is converted into an electric signal. The hand-held reader further includes a light detector (9) for detecting intensity of the ambient light and the image sensor (8) is controlled so that the exposure time thereof is changed in accordance with intensity of the ambient light detected by the light detector (9).
Inventors
- 👤 Takeshi Matsushima
- 👤 Atsutoshi Okamoto
- 👤 Hiromitsu Takai
- 👤 Tadao Ohshima
- 👤 Mutsushi Yamashita
- 👤 Hiroshi Yamamoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 19:19
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06V; G06V10/00; G06V10/10; G06V10/12; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/10544; G06K7/10821; G06K7/10881
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
120 words
Apparatus for reading optical information which reflects ambient light, comprising: a casing having a hand-holding portion made of non-transparent material and a head portion having an opening at one end thereof for facing said optical information; said head portion being constructed to allow illumination of said optical information by ambient light when said opening faces the optical information for a reading thereof; means disposed in said casing for imaging at a predetermined reading position in said casing an image of said optical information by ambient light reflected from said optical information when said opening faces said optical information; and means disposed at said predetermined reading position for converting said ambient light image of said optical information into an electric signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
120 words
Apparatus for reading optical information which reflects ambient light, comprising: a casing having a hand-holding portion made of non-transparent material and a head portion having an opening at one end thereof for facing said optical information; said head portion being constructed to allow illumination of said optical information by ambient light when said opening faces the optical information for a reading thereof; means disposed in said casing for imaging at a predetermined reading position in said casing an image of said optical information by ambient light reflected from said optical information when said opening faces said optical information; and means disposed at said predetermined reading position for converting said ambient light image of said optical information into an electric signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said head portion includes transparent means disposed adjacently to said opening for passing ambient light into said head portion and via said opening onto said optical information.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said head portion includes a lens means for passing said ambient light onto said optical information.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said lens means comprises a long lens disposed transversely of said casing adjacently to said opening.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said lens means comprises a round lens disposed adjacently to said opening.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said head portion has a partially open part which includes said opening passing ambient light directly onto said optical information.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said converting means comprises an image sensor for converting said ambient light image of said optical information into said electric signal, and means for driving said image sensor to perform electronic scanning of said electric signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising means for regulating an exposure time of said image sensor in accordance with an intensity of said ambient light.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said regulating means comprises a light detector for detecting the said intensity of said ambient light and producing an ambient light signal, and means responsive to said ambient light signal for increasing said exposure time of said image sensor when the intensity of said ambient light decreases.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said regulating means comprises means for increasing a scanning cycle of said image sensor when the intensity of said ambient light decreases.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
146 words
Apparatus for reading optical information in the form of a bar code having parallel bars which reflect ambient light, comprising: a casing having a head portion with an elongated opening at one end for facing said bar code, and a body portion made of non-transparent material elongating toward the other end; said head portion being constructed to allow illumination of said bars by ambient light when said opening faces the bar code for a reading thereof; a reflecting mirror disposed in said casing for reflecting ambient light reflected from said bar code toward said other end; first lens means disposed in said case for collecting ambient light reflected by said reflecting mirror and imaging at a predetermined reading position an image of said bar code; and means at said predetermined reading position for converting said ambient light image of said bar code into an electric signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
146 words
Apparatus for reading optical information in the form of a bar code having parallel bars which reflect ambient light, comprising: a casing having a head portion with an elongated opening at one end for facing said bar code, and a body portion made of non-transparent material elongating toward the other end; said head portion being constructed to allow illumination of said bars by ambient light when said opening faces the bar code for a reading thereof; a reflecting mirror disposed in said casing for reflecting ambient light reflected from said bar code toward said other end; first lens means disposed in said case for collecting ambient light reflected by said reflecting mirror and imaging at a predetermined reading position an image of said bar code; and means at said predetermined reading position for converting said ambient light image of said bar code into an electric signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said head portion includes transparent means disposed adjacently to said opening for passing said ambient light into said head portion and via said opening onto said bar code.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said head portion includes second lens means for passing said ambient light onto said bar code
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said head portion has a partially open part which includes said opening passing said ambient light directly onto said bar code.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said converting means comprises an image sensor for converting said ambient light image of said bar code into said electric signal, and means for driving said image sensor to perform electronic scanning of said electric signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising means for regulating an exposure time of said image sensor in accordance with an intensity of said ambient light.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
61 words
Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said regulating means comprises a light detector for detecting the said intensity of said ambient light and producing an ambient light signal, and means responsive to said detecting signal for increasing and decreasing said exposure time of said image sensor in accordance with increases and decreases, respectively, of the intensity of said ambient light decreasing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said regulating means comprises means for increasing a scanning cycle of said image sensor when the intensity of said ambient light decreases.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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