EFFICIENT OPTICAL ILLUMINATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN IMAGING READER

1 . An optical illumination system for illuminating a target to be read by image capture, comprising:

an illumination light source component for emitting illumination light; and

a hybrid lens component including a first lens portion centered on an optical axis, and a second total internal reflection (TIR) lens portion surrounding the first lens portion about the optical axis, both lens portions being operative for intercepting, bending and collimating the emitted illumination light to generate an illumination light pattern on the target, and wherein the first lens portion has a convex surface facing the illumination light source.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the light source component constitutes a light emitting diode (LED).

3 . The system of claim 2 , and a printed circuit board on which the LED is mounted, and a support for supporting the hybrid lens component in a fixed position relative to the LED on the printed circuit board.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first lens portion constitutes a positive lens having a convex surface on which the emitted illumination light is incident, and wherein the TIR lens portion constitutes a parabolic reflector element.

5 . The system of claim 1 , and a lenslet component including an array of lenslets generally arranged in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the optical axis.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the hybrid lens component has a cavity in which the lenslet component is mounted.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the lenslets have individual input aspherical surfaces on which the collimated illumination light is incident, and individual output aspherical surfaces for forming the illumination light pattern.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the lenslets are arranged in mutually orthogonal rows and columns, and wherein the lenslets at the ends of the rows and columns have different optical properties than the remaining lenslets to form the illumination light pattern with regions of different light intensity.

9 . An imaging module for illuminating and imaging an illuminated target to be read by image capture, comprising:

an illuminating light assembly including an illumination light source for emitting illumination light, and a hybrid lens component including a first lens portion centered on an optical axis, and a second total internal reflection (TIR) lens portion surrounding the first lens portion about the optical axis, both lens portions being operative for intercepting, bending and collimating the emitted illumination light to generate an illumination light pattern on the target, and wherein the first lens portion has a convex surface facing the illumination light source; and

an imaging assembly including a solid-state imager having an imaging array of image sensors and an imaging lens assembly for capturing return light over a field of view from the illuminated target, and for projecting the captured return light onto the imaging array.

10 . The module of claim 9 , and a printed circuit board on which the light source component is mounted, and a support for supporting the hybrid lens component in a fixed position relative to the light source component on the printed circuit board.

11 . The module of claim 9 , wherein the first lens portion constitutes a positive lens having a convex surface on which the emitted illumination light is incident, and wherein the TIR lens portion constitutes a parabolic reflector element.

12 . The module of claim 9 , and a lenslet component including an array of lenslets generally arranged in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the optical axis.

13 . The module of claim 12 , wherein the hybrid lens component has a cavity in which the lenslet component is mounted.

14 . The module of claim 12 , wherein the lenslets have individual input aspherical surfaces on which the collimated illumination light is incident, and individual output aspherical surfaces for forming the illumination light pattern.

15 . The module of claim 14 , wherein the lenslets are arranged in mutually orthogonal rows and columns, and wherein the lenslets at the ends of the rows and columns have different optical properties than the remaining lenslets to form the illumination light pattern with regions of different light intensity.

16 . A method of illuminating and imaging an illuminated target to be read by image capture, comprising:

emitting illumination light;

intercepting, bending and collimating the emitted illumination light to generate an illumination light pattern on the target by configuring a hybrid lens component with a first lens portion centered on an optical axis, and with a second total internal reflection (TIR) lens portion surrounding the first lens portion about the optical axis, and wherein the first lens portion has a convex surface facing the illumination light source; and

capturing return light from the illuminated target over a field of view of an imaging array, and projecting the captured return light onto the imaging array.

17 . The method of claim 16 , and configuring the first lens portion as a positive lens having a convex surface on which the emitted illumination light is incident, and configuring the TIR lens portion as a parabolic reflector element.

18 . The method of claim 16 , and arranging a lenslet component including an array of lenslets in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the optical axis.

19 . The method of claim 18 , and mounting the hybrid lens component in a cavity of the lenslet component.

20 . The method of claim 18 , and arranging the lenslets in mutually orthogonal rows and columns, and configuring the lenslets at the ends of the rows and columns with different optical properties than the remaining lenslets to form the illumination light pattern with regions of different light intensity.