Patent US6157027A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6157027A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Modular optical fiber color image scanner with all-optical scanner head having side-coupled light guide for providing illumination light to the scanner head
Assignee: NEC Corp
•
Filing: 1998-12-01
•
Granted: 2000-12-05
•
Expires: 2018-12-01
Abstract
Abstract A scanner has an optical-electric module, an incoherent fiber bundle, and a scanner head. The incoherent fiber bundle has illumination fibers and pickup fibers. The illumination fibers carry only illumination light from a light source in the O/E module toward the scanner head. The pickup fibers carry sensed light from the scanner head to a CCD array in the O/E module. The scanner head has a light guide that receives the illumination light from the illumination fibers. The light guide is in contact with the pickup fibers in an arrangement which permits the illumination light to enter the side of the illumination fibers near the end. Illumination light reflected back into the pickup fibers is guided to the CCD array.
Inventors
- 👤 Kojiro Watanabe
- 👤 Ting Wang
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:55
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/024; H04N1/028; H04N1/02815; H04N1/0282; H04N1/02835; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G02B6/28; G02B6/2804; G02B6/2852; H04N1/03; H04N1/031; H04N1/0311; H04N1/0312
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A scanner, comprising: an optical-electric module; an incoherent fiber bundle; and a light guide; said fiber bundle including illumination fibers carrying illumination light from said optical-electric module to said light guide, and pickup fibers carrying sensed light from a scanner head to said optical-electrical module; said light guide outputting said illumination light to one of said pickup fibers at a coupling area; and said illumination and pickup fibers being substantially uni-directional between said optical-electric module and said coupling area.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
A scanner, comprising: an optical-electric module; an incoherent fiber bundle; and a light guide; said fiber bundle including illumination fibers carrying illumination light from said optical-electric module to said light guide, and pickup fibers carrying sensed light from a scanner head to said optical-electrical module; said light guide outputting said illumination light to one of said pickup fibers at a coupling area; and said illumination and pickup fibers being substantially uni-directional between said optical-electric module and said coupling area.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The scanner as set forth in claim 1, further comprising said scanner head enclosing said coupling area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The scanner as set forth in claim 2, further comprising said scanner head being free of electronic components.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The scanner as set forth in claim 3, further comprising: said pickup fibers having a core refractive index of n1 and a cladding refractive index of n2; said light guide having a core refractive index of n3 and a cladding refractive index of n4; wherein n1=n3>n4>n2.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
86 words
The scanner as set forth in claim 4, further comprising: said light guide coupling to said pickup fibers at said coupling area with a coupling angle; said pickup fibers being free from said cladding layer in said coupling area; and said illumination light coming from said light guide having a launch angle which, when merged with one of said pickup fibers at said coupling angle, has a resulting angle that is less than or equal to half of a maximum acceptable angle of said pickup fiber.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3610891A
Cited
US4011007A
Cited
US3786181A
Cited
US3711723A
Cited
US3784794A
Cited
US3870396A
Cited
US3869599A
Cited
US4467196A
Cited
US4760421A
Cited
US4702552A
Cited
US4748680A
Cited
US4847490A
Cited
US4978850A
Cited
US5074641A
Cited
US5015064A
Cited
US5061036A
Cited
US5258858A
Cited
US5367596A
Cited
US5159656A
Cited
US5121459A
Cited
US5673344A
Cited
US6075240A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-12-05 | 2004-06-05 | 2004-12-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-12-05 | 2008-06-05 | 2008-12-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-12-05 | 2012-06-05 | 2012-12-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |