Hand-held bar code scanner with jointly mounted scanning mirrors

Claim 2

A hand-held bar code scanning device for reading bar code symbols, comprising: (a) a laser light source mounted in the hand-held device for generating a light beam, said light beam being directed along a path toward a bar code symbol located exterior of the hand-held device to result in reflected light traveling back to the device; (b) a scanner in said hand-held device including a moving mirror assembly in said path driven by a motor, said scanner causing said light beam and a field of view for said reflected light to move along a scan line across the bar code symbol; (c) a sensor mounted in said hand-held device detecting said reflected light via said moving mirror assembly and generating an electrical signal responsive to said reflected light; (d) wherein said moving mirror assembly includes a curved mirror for focusing said reflected light on said sensor, and a generally-flat scan mirror different from said curved mirror for scanning said light beam along said scan line, and wherein said scan mirror and curved mirror are jointly supported and driven jointly by said motor; (e) a housing having a gun-like shape with a barrel portion containing said light source, said scanner and said sensor, the housing having a pistol-grip type of handle, said sensor being mounted in said barrel portion forward of said moving mirror assembly.

Claim 3

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 1 wherein said path of said reflected light includes a fixed mirror and said moving mirror assembly.

Claim 4

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 1 wherein said moving mirror is driven in an oscillating motion by said motor.

Claim 5

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 1 including a controller in said device responsive to a trigger switch mounted on said handle to activate said light source and said motor.

Claim 6

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 1 in combination with a remotely located receiver for receiving bar code data from said device.

Claim 7

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 1 wherein said light source is a laser.

Claim 8

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 1 wherein said pistol-grip type of handle is removable from said barrel portion.

Claim 9

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 1 wherein said curved mirror and said scan mirror are of one-piece construction.

Claim 10

A hand-held bar code scanning device for reading bar code symbols, comprising: (a) a gun-shaped housing having a barrel portion and a piston-grip type of handle, the forward end of the barrel portion being pointed toward the bar code symbol; (a) a light source mounted in said housing for generating a light beam, said light beam being directed along a path exiting a forward end of said barrel portion toward a bar code symbol located exterior of the hand-held device resulting in reflected light traveling back to the device; (b) a scanner in said housing including a moving mirror assembly in said path driven by a motor, said scanner moving said light beam and a field of view for said reflected light along a scan line across the bar code symbol; (c) a sensor mounted in said hand-held device detecting said reflected light for said scanned field of view via said moving mirror assembly, and generating electrical signals responsive to the reflected light, said sensor being positioned toward said forward end of said barrel portion of said housing with respect to said moving mirror assembly; (d) a trigger switch located at an upper part of said pistol-grip handle for activating said light source and said motor; (e) wherein said moving mirror assembly includes a curved mirror for focusing said reflected light on said sensor, and a scan mirror for scanning said light beam along said scan line, and wherein said scan mirror is different from said curved mirror, and said scan mirror and curved mirror are mounted and driven jointly.

Claim 11

A hand-held bar code scanning device for reading bar code symbols, comprising: (a) a gun-shaped housing having a barrel portion and a piston-grip type of handle, the forward end of the barrel portion being pointed toward the bar code symbol; (a) a light source mounted in said housing for generating a light beam, said light beam being directed along a path exiting a forward end of said barrel portion toward a bar code symbol located exterior of the hand-held device resulting in reflected light traveling back to the device; (b) a scanner in said housing including a moving mirror assembly in said path driven by a motor, said scanner moving said light beam and a field of view for said reflected light along a scan line across the bar code symbol; (c) a sensor mounted in said hand-held device detecting said reflected light for said scanned field of view via said moving mirror assembly, and generating electrical signals responsive to the reflected light, said sensor being positioned toward said forward end of said barrel portion of said housing with respect to said moving mirror assembly; (d) a trigger switch located at an upper part of said pistol-grip handle for activating said light source and said motor; (e) wherein said moving mirror assembly includes a curved mirror for focusing said reflected light on said sensor, and a scan mirror for scanning said light beam along said scan line, and wherein said scan mirror is different from said curved mirror, and said scan mirror and curved mirror are mounted and driven jointly.

Claim 12

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 9 wherein said sensor is mounted facing said moving mirror assembly and facing rearward away from said bar code symbol.

Claim 13

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 9 wherein said moving mirror assembly is driven in an oscillating motion by said motor.

Claim 14

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 9 including a controller in said device responsive to said trigger switch to activate said light source and said motor.

Claim 15

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 9 in combination with a remotely located receiver for receiving bar code data from said device.

Claim 16

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 9 wherein said light source is a laser.

Claim 17

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 9 wherein said flat mirror is smaller than, and mounted on, said curved mirror.

Claim 18

A hand-held bar code scanning device according to claim 9 wherein said curved mirror and said flat mirror are of one-piece construction.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 17 wherein said moving mirror assembly is driven in an oscillating motion by said motor.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 17 wherein said housing includes a pistol-grip type of handle, and including the step of activating said light source and motor by a trigger switch when the housing is pointed toward said indicia by a user.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 17 including the step of transmitting electrical signals representing an output of said sensor to a remotely-located data processing system.

Claim 24

An optical scanning apparatus including a light source and a light sensor for reading an indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, comprising: a) a movable optical scanning element for reflecting a light beam from said light source in a path toward said indicia and scanning the light beam in a path across said indicia; b) a movable, generally-concave optical collecting element for collecting light reflected from said indicia, and for directing said reflected light toward said sensor, said scanning element and said collecting element being mirrors secured to one another to move together; and c) a motor for jointly and simultaneously moving said scanning and collecting elements.

Claim 25

An optical scanning apparatus including a light source and a light sensor for reading an indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, comprising: a) a movable optical scanning element for reflecting a light beam from said light source in a path toward said indicia and scanning the light beam in a path across said indicia; b) a movable, generally-concave optical collecting element for collecting light reflected from said indicia, and for directing said reflected light toward said sensor, said scanning element and said collecting element being mirrors secured to one another to move together; and c) a motor for jointly and simultaneously moving said scanning and collecting elements.

Claim 26

Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said indicia is a bar code or the like.

Claim 27

Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said light source is a laser.

Claim 28

Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said scanning element is a flat mirror.

Claim 29

Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said motor reciprocally oscillates said scanning and collecting elements.

Claim 30

Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said light source, light sensor, scanning and collecting elements and motor are all contained in a hand-held housing.

Claim 31

Apparatus according to claim 26 wherein said housing includes a pistol-grip type of handle, and a trigger switch for activating said light source and motor when the housing is pointed toward said indicia by a user.

Claim 32

Apparatus according to claim 26 in combination with a remotely-located data processing system for receiving electrical signals representing an output of said sensor.

Claim 33

Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said motor for moving said elements is an electric motor.

Claim 36

A method according to claim 30 wherein said indicia is a bar code or the like.

Claim 37

A method according to claim 30 wherein said light source is a laser.

Claim 38

A method according to claim 30 wherein said step of moving includes reciprocally oscillating said scanning and collecting mirrors.

Claim 39

A method according to claim 30 wherein said light source, light sensor, scanning and collecting mirrors and motor are all contained in a hand-held housing.

Claim 40

A method according to claim 34 wherein said housing includes a pistol-grip type of handle, and including the step of activating said light source and motor by a trigger switch when the housing is pointed toward said indicia by a user.

Claim 41

A method according to claim 30 including the step of transmitting electrical signals representing an output of said light sensor to a remotely-located data processing system.

Claim 42

A lightweight bar code scanning device configured for reading bar code symbols, comprising: a. a housing; b. a laser light source supported in the housing for generating a laser beam, said laser beam being directed along a path towards the bar code located exterior to the housing to result in reflected light from the bar code traveling back to the housing; c. a sensor supported in the housing for receiving said reflected light and generating an electrical signal responsive thereto; d. a movably supported mirror assembly in said housing, said mirror assembly including (i) a curved collecting mirror for receiving said reflected light and directing it in a path to reach said sensor, and (ii) a scanning mirror for receiving the laser beam from the source and directing it toward the bar code symbols to be read, said scanning and collecting mirrors being supported for joint movement with one another, and e. a drive mechanism for moving the mirror assembly, thereby to scan the laser beam and the field of view of the sensor across the bar code symbol.

Claim 43

A lightweight bar code scanning device configured for reading bar code symbols, comprising: a. a housing; b. a laser light source supported in the housing for generating a laser beam, said laser beam being directed along a path towards the bar code located exterior to the housing to result in reflected light from the bar code traveling back to the housing; c. a sensor supported in the housing for receiving said reflected light and generating an electrical signal responsive thereto; d. a movably supported mirror assembly in said housing, said mirror assembly including (i) a curved collecting mirror for receiving said reflected light and directing it in a path to reach said sensor, and (ii) a scanning mirror for receiving the laser beam from the source and directing it toward the bar code symbols to be read, said scanning and collecting mirrors being supported for joint movement with one another, and e. a drive mechanism for moving the mirror assembly, thereby to scan the laser beam and the field of view of the sensor across the bar code symbol.

Claim 44

The bar code scanning device according to claim 37 wherein the scanning and collecting mirrors are supported one on the other for joint movement.

Claim 45

The bar code scanning device according to claim 37 wherein the scanning and collecting mirrors are of one piece construction.

Claim 46

The bar code scanning device according to claim 37 wherein the scanning mirror is smaller than the collecting mirror.

Claim 47

The bar code scanning device according to claim 37 wherein the scanning mirror is substantially planar.

Claim 48

The bar code scanning device according to claim 37 wherein the drive mechanism includes an electric motor.

Claim 49

The bar code scanning device according to claim 42 wherein the electric motor has its output shaft coupled to the mirror assembly and wherein said electric motor is operated to reciprocally oscillate its output shaft and the mirror assembly.

Claim 50

The bar code scanning device according to claim 37 wherein the housing is configured to be handheld.

Claim 51

The bar code scanning device according to claim 44 where the housing is gun-shaped.

Claim 52

The lightweight bar code scanning device according to claim 37 and including a trigger switch supported from said housing for allowing energization of said light source.