Optical reading apparatus having variable settings

1. An indicia reading apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a laser diode assembly;

a scanning mechanism for scanning a laser beam in a scan pattern across a target substrate;

a lens assembly for adjusting a waist distance of a laser beam canned by the scanning mechanism;

an adjustable aperture assembly positioned between the laser diode assembly and the lens assembly, the adjustable aperture assembly adjusting a beam diameter of emitted laser light;

wherein the indicia reading apparatus is operative to output image data representing reflected light; wherein the indicia reading apparatus is operative to process image data output by the indicia reading apparatus for attempting to decode decodable indicia;

a first configuration in which the adjustable aperture assembly is set to a first aperture assembly setting and the lens assembly is set to a first best focus distance setting;

a second configuration in which the adjustable aperture assembly is set to a second aperture assembly setting and the lens assembly is set to a second best focus distance setting, the second aperture assembly setting being a larger diameter aperture assembly setting than the first aperture assembly setting, and wherein the second best focus distance setting is a best focus distance setting longer than the first best focus distance setting;

wherein the indicia reading apparatus is operative to output first image data representing reflected laser light reflected from a target substrate with the first configuration active and is further operative to output second image data representing reflected light reflected from the target substrate with the second configuration active;

wherein the apparatus is operative to attempt to decode decodable indicia utilizing the first image data and the second image data.

2. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is adapted so that the first configuration can be selected responsively to a user input control and further so that the first configuration remains active for a duration of a trigger signal activation period of the apparatus.

3. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is adapted so that each of the first configuration and second configuration are active during a trigger signal activation period.

4. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is adapted so that the indicia reading apparatus changes between at least the first configuration and the second configuration on an open loop basis during a trigger signal activation period.

5. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is adapted so that the indicia reading apparatus changes between at least the first configuration and the second configuration on a closed loop basis during a trigger signal activation period.

6. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is adapted so that the indicia reading apparatus changes between at least the first configuration and the second configuration on a closed loop basis responsively to a detected apparatus to target substrate distance during a trigger signal activation period.

7. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes a supplementary configuration in which the aperture assembly setting is set to a setting intermediate the first and second aperture assembly setting and the lens setting is set to a best focus distance between the first and second best focus distance.

8. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is adapted so that the supplementary configuration can be selected responsively to a user input control and further so that the supplementary configuration remains active for a duration of a trigger signal activation period of the apparatus.

9. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 7 , wherein apparatus is adapted so that each of the first configuration, the supplementary configuration and the second configuration are active during a trigger signal activation period.

10. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable aperture assembly is an electronic aperture assembly.

11. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable aperture assembly is a liquid crystal display (LCD) electronic aperture assembly.

12. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lens assembly includes a fluid lens.

13. The indicia reading apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the fluid lens is an electro-wetting fluid lens.