Data reader apparatus having an adaptive lens
Systems and methods for making and using handheld data readers comprising one or more fluid lenses. One or more fluid lenses are provided to allow a handheld data reader to perform such operations as reading indicia, including such additional operations as zooming, reorienting a viewing direction, focusing, adjusting an optical axis, and correcting for the effects of motion such as hand jitter. The fluid lens or lenses can be operated for example by applying electrical signals to fluid lenses comprising a plurality of fluids including at least one that is conductive and at least one that is non-conductive.
1. A data reader for reading an indicium, comprising:
a case configured to be held in a hand of a user of the data reader, said case configured to house components of said data reader, said components comprising:
a lens system for focusing illumination representing an image of said indicium, said lens system comprising a fluid lens;
a fluid lens control module configured to apply a fluid lens control signal to said fluid lens to control an operational parameter thereof;
an image sensor configured to receive said focused illumination representing said image of said indicium;
an image sensor control module configured to operate said image sensor to capture data comprising at least a portion of a frame of image data from said focused illumination representing said image of said indicium;
a processing module configured to process said at least a portion of said frame of image data to extract therefrom information of said indicium; and
a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the fluid lens, wherein said fluid lens control module is configured to apply to said fluid lens a fluid lens control signal based on information output by said temperature sensor to effect operation of the fluid lens, without effecting a temperature change of the fluid lens, as the temperature of the fluid lens changes over time.
2. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , wherein said fluid lens is configured to adjust a focal length thereof in response to said fluid lens control signal.
3. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
a) a user operated trigger for commanding a read operation to commence;
b) an input configured to accept a command from an external system;
c) an output configured to provide an output datum as output information;
d) a battery;
e) a power supply;
f) a microprocessor with at least one of a memory, a bus, and a direct memory access module;
g) a wireless communication module;
h) an illumination source for illuminating an indicium;
i) an aiming system comprising a laser; and,
j) a power supply configured to supply at least two signal levels, each signal level causing said fluid lens to assume a distinct focal length.
4. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , wherein said data reader includes an input configured to accept a command from an external system, wherein said input configured to accept the command from the external system accepts a command from a computer.
5. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , wherein said data reader includes an input configured to accept a command from an external system, wherein said input configured to accept the command from the external system accepts a command configured to control the operation of said fluid lens.
6. The data reader for reading an indicium claim 1 , wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output information, wherein said output datum is a selected one of an indication of a good read and a value of said good read.
7. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 6 , further comprising a read termination module that discontinues a read operation upon the occurrence of a good decode.
8. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 3 , wherein said output datum is a parameter of said fluid lens.
9. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output information, wherein said output datum is a status of said data reader.
10. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , wherein said data reader includes a wireless communication module comprising a radio.
11. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , wherein said data reader includes an illumination source, wherein said illumination source provides illumination in the red portion of the spectrum.
12. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 11 , further comprising illumination optics for focusing said illumination on said indicium.
13. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , further comprising an aimer illuminator for identifying an aiming point of said data reader relative to said indicium.
14. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 13 , wherein said aimer illuminator provides illumination in a selected one of the green portion of the illumination spectrum and the red portion of the illumination spectrum.
15. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply configured to supply at least two signal levels, each signal level causing said fluid lens to assume a distinct focal length, wherein said power supply is an inductive boost supply comprising an inductor.
16. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply configured to supply at least two signal levels, each signal level causing said fluid lens to assume a distinct focal length, wherein said at least two signal levels are voltages.
17. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply configured to supply at least two signal levels, each signal level causing said fluid lens to assume a distinct focal length, wherein said power supply is configured to supply a signal comprising a two phase square wave component having a first state and a second state.
18. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 17 , wherein said signal comprising said two phase square wave component has a substantially 50% duty cycle with a repetition rate of greater than 500 Hz.
19. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 17 , wherein said signal comprising said two phase square wave component has a transition time from one of said first state and said second state to the other of said first state and said second state in substantially 50 microseconds or less.
20. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 17 , wherein said first state and said second state have substantially equal and opposite amplitudes.
21. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 17 , wherein said first state and said second state are switched substantially in synchronization with a data collection period of said image sensor.
22. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 21 , wherein said data collection period of said image sensor is an integration period.
23. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply configured to supply at least two signal levels, each signal level causing said fluid lens to assume a distinct focal length, wherein said power supply is controlled to switch a supply signal between a first of said at least two signal levels and a second of said at least two signal levels after a frame of image data is read out.
24. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 23 , wherein said power supply is controlled to switch the supply signal between the first of said at least two signal levels and the second of said at least two signal levels after every frame of image data is read out.
25. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , wherein said fluid lens control module is configured to apply to said fluid lens a fluid lens control signal based on information recorded in a calibration table to control a focal length of said fluid lens.
26. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , wherein said captured data comprises a portion of a total field of view of said image sensor.
27. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , wherein said fluid lens is configured to adjust an optical axis thereof in response to said fluid lens control signal.
28. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1 , wherein said indicium is a bar code, an optically recognizable character, or a graphical image.
29. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 28 , wherein said indicium is a 1D, 2D, or stacked bar code.
30. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 28 , wherein said indicium is an alphanumeric character, a punctuation mark, or an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) character.
31. A data reader for reading an indicium of claim 28 , further comprising:
a power supply for supplying a power supply signal to said fluid lens, wherein said fluid lens has a first terminal and a second terminal,
wherein for performance of a reading cycle the power supply supplies the power supply signal so that the power supply signal is a state changing signal characterized by a first state and a second state, the power supply signal in said first state comprising a relatively higher voltage applied to the first terminal and a relatively lower voltage applied to the second terminal, the power supply signal in said second state comprising a relatively lower voltage applied to the first terminal and a relatively higher voltage applied to the second terminal.
32. The data reader of claim 31 , wherein for performance of the reading cycle the power supply supplies the power supply signal so that the power supply signal is a state changing signal characterized by a first state and a second state, the power supply signal in said first state comprising a positive voltage applied to the first terminal and a negative voltage applied to the second terminal, the power supply signal in said second state comprising a negative voltage applied to the first terminal and a positive voltage applied to the second terminal.
33. The data reader of claim 31 , wherein the power supply signal has transition periods between states, and wherein for performance of the reading cycle the data reader integrates the image sensor during first and second subsequent integration periods wherein the data reader commences each of the first and second subsequent integration periods subsequent to a transition period.
34. The data reader of claim 33 , wherein the data reader includes a light source for illuminating a target, wherein the data reader controls the light source to be on during the first integration period and during the second integration period and wherein the data reader controls the light source to be off during a time between the first integration period and the second integration period.
35. The data reader of claim 34 , wherein the data reader controls the light source to be on for an illumination period occurring during the first integration period, the illumination period commencing prior to the commencement of the first integration period.
36. The data reader of claim 31 , wherein the control signal has transition periods between states, and wherein during the reading cycle the data reader integrates the image sensor during first and second successive integration periods wherein the data reader commences each of the first and second successive integration periods subsequent to a transition period.
37. The data reader of claim 36 , wherein the terminal includes a light source for illuminating a target, wherein the data reader controls the light source to be on during the first integration period and during the second integration period and wherein the data reader controls the light source to be off during a time between the first integration period and the second integration period.
38. The data reader of claim 31 , wherein the power supply signal has transition periods between states, and wherein for performance of the reading cycle the data reader integrates the image sensor during an integration period, wherein the data reader commences the integration period subsequent to a first transition period and terminates the integration period prior to a second transition period, the second transition period succeeding the first transition period.
39. The data reader of claim 31 , wherein the power supply signal is characterized by transition periods and stable voltage periods, wherein for performance of the reading cycle the data reader integrates the image sensor during first and second subsequent integration periods, each of the first and second integration periods occurring during a stable voltage period of the power supply signal, wherein a magnitude of the power supply signal is larger during the second integration period than during the first integration period.
40. The data reader of claim 39 , wherein the stable voltage period is maintained for a duration of the second integration period.
41. The data reader of claim 31 , wherein the power supply signal is characterized by first and second square wave components so that the power supply signal includes a succession of transition periods and stable voltage periods, wherein for performance of the reading cycle the data reader integrates the image sensor during first and second successive integration periods, each of the first and second integration periods occurring during a stable voltage period of the power supply signal, wherein the power supply signal has a first magnitude during the first integration period, and a second magnitude during the second integration period wherein the data reader is operative so that the power supply signal is at the second magnitude for a stable voltage period of the power supply signal occurring subsequent to the termination of the first integration period and prior to the commencement of the second integration period.
42. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said fluid lens is configured to adjust a focal length thereof in response to said fluid lens control signal.
43. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , further comprising at least one of:
a) a user operated trigger for commanding a read operation to commence;
b) an input configured to accept a command from an external system;
c) an output configured to provide an output datum as output information;
d) a battery;
e) a power supply;
f) a microprocessor with at least one of a memory, a bus, and a direct memory access module;
g) a wireless communication module;
h) an illumination source for illuminating the indicium; and
i) an aiming system comprising a laser.
44. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said data reader includes an input configured to accept a command from an external system, said input configured to accept the command from the external system accepts the command from a computer.
45. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 44 , wherein said input configured to accept the command from the external system accepts the command configured to control the operation of said fluid lens.
46. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output information, wherein said output datum is a selected one of an indication of a good read and a value of said good read.
47. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output information, and further comprising a read termination module that discontinues a read operation upon the occurrence of a good decode.
48. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output information, wherein said output datum is a parameter of said fluid lens.
49. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output information, wherein said output datum is a status of said reader.
50. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said data reader includes wireless communication module comprising a radio.
51. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said data reader includes an illumination source, wherein said illumination source provides illumination in the red portion of the spectrum.
52. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 51 , further comprising illumination optics for focusing said illumination on said indicium.
53. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , further comprising an aimer illuminator for identifying an aiming point of said data reader relative to said indicium.
54. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 53 , wherein said aimer illuminator provides illumination in a selected one of the green portion of the illumination spectrum and the red portion of the illumination spectrum.
55. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said power supply is an inductive boost supply comprising an inductor.
56. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said power supply is configured to supply the power supply signal comprising a two phase square wave component having said first state and said second state.
57. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 56 , wherein the power supply signal comprising the two phase square wave component has a substantially 50% duty cycle with a repetition rate of greater than 500 Hz.
58. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 56 , wherein the power supply signal comprising the two phase square wave component has a transition time from one of said first state and said second state to the other of said first state and said second state in substantially 50 microseconds or less.
59. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 56 , wherein said first state and said second state have substantially equal and opposite amplitudes.
60. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 56 , wherein said first state and said second state are switched substantially in synchronization with a data collection period of said image sensor.
61. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 60 , wherein said data collection period of said image sensor is an integration period.
62. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said power supply is controlled to switch the power supply signal between said first of said at least two signal levels and said second of said at least two signal levels after said frame of image data is read out.
63. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 62 , wherein said power supply is controlled to switch the power supply signal between said first of said at least two signal levels and said second of said at least two signal levels after every frame of image data is read out.
64. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said fluid lens control module is configured to apply to said fluid lens said fluid lens control signal based on information recorded in a calibration table to control a focal length of said fluid lens.
65. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said captured data comprises a portion of a total field of view of said image sensor.
66. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said fluid lens is configured to adjust an optical axis thereof in response to said fluid lens control signal.
67. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31 , wherein said indicium is a bar code, an optically recognizable character, or a graphical image.
68. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 67 , wherein said indicium is a 1D, 2D, or stacked bar code.
69. The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 67 , wherein said indicium is an alphanumeric character, a punctuation mark, or an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) character.