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.

Claims

69 · 1 independent · depth 6

69 granted claims

›1.independentA data reader for reading an indicium, comprising:na case configured to be held in a hand of a user of the data reader, said case configured to house …+68

›2.↳ 1The 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 l…d2

›3.↳ 1The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:na) a user operated trigger for commanding a read operation to …d2+1

›4.↳ 1The 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,…d2

›5.↳ 1The 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,…d2

›6.↳ 1The data reader for reading an indicium claim 1, wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output informati…d2+1

›9.↳ 1The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1, wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output inform…d2

›10.↳ 1The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1, wherein said data reader includes a wireless communication module comprising a radio.d2

›11.↳ 1The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1, wherein said data reader includes an illumination source, wherein said illumination source provide…d2+1

›13.↳ 1The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1, further comprising an aimer illuminator for identifying an aiming point of said data reader relati…d2+1

›15.↳ 1The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1, further comprising a power supply configured to supply at least two signal levels, each signal lev…d2

›16.↳ 1The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1, further comprising a power supply configured to supply at least two signal levels, each signal lev…d2

›17.↳ 1The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1, further comprising a power supply configured to supply at least two signal levels, each signal lev…d2+5

›23.↳ 1The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1, further comprising a power supply configured to supply at least two signal levels, each signal lev…d2+1

›25.↳ 1The 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 cont…d2

›26.↳ 1The 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.d2

›27.↳ 1The 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 …d2

›28.↳ 1The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 1, wherein said indicium is a bar code, an optically recognizable character, or a graphical image.d2+41

›29.↳ 28The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 28, wherein said indicium is a 1D, 2D, or stacked bar code.d3

›30.↳ 28The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 28, wherein said indicium is an alphanumeric character, a punctuation mark, or an Optical Character R…d3

›31.↳ 28A data reader for reading an indicium of claim 28, further comprising:na power supply for supplying a power supply signal to said fluid lens, wherein …d3+38

›32.↳ 31The 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 s…d4

›33.↳ 31The data reader of claim 31, wherein the power supply signal has transition periods between states, and wherein for performance of the reading cycle t…d4+2

›36.↳ 31The data reader of claim 31, wherein the control signal has transition periods between states, and wherein during the reading cycle the data reader in…d4+1

›38.↳ 31The data reader of claim 31, wherein the power supply signal has transition periods between states, and wherein for performance of the reading cycle t…d4

›39.↳ 31The data reader of claim 31, wherein the power supply signal is characterized by transition periods and stable voltage periods, wherein for performanc…d4+1

›41.↳ 31The data reader of claim 31, wherein the power supply signal is characterized by first and second square wave components so that the power supply sign…d4

›42.↳ 31The 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 …d4

›43.↳ 31The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31, further comprising at least one of:na) a user operated trigger for commanding a read operation to…d4

›44.↳ 31The 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…d4+1

›46.↳ 31The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31, wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output infor…d4

›47.↳ 31The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31, wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output infor…d4

›48.↳ 31The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31, wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output infor…d4

›49.↳ 31The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31, wherein said data reader includes an output configured to provide an output datum as output infor…d4

›50.↳ 31The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31, wherein said data reader includes wireless communication module comprising a radio.d4

›51.↳ 31The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31, wherein said data reader includes an illumination source, wherein said illumination source provid…d4+1

›53.↳ 31The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31, further comprising an aimer illuminator for identifying an aiming point of said data reader relat…d4+1

›55.↳ 31The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31, wherein said power supply is an inductive boost supply comprising an inductor.d4

›56.↳ 31The 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 …d4+5

›62.↳ 31The 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 s…d4+1

›64.↳ 31The 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 …d4

›65.↳ 31The 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.d4

›66.↳ 31The 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…d4

›67.↳ 31The data reader for reading an indicium of claim 31, wherein said indicium is a bar code, an optically recognizable character, or a graphical image.d4+2

Classifications

8 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section G — Physics

G02B1/06
G02B5/08
G02B3/12

USPC · US Patent Classification

235/462.35359/665359/666235/462.1359/667

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Pendency

7.3 y

2,665 days filing → grant

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after a restriction

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2 RCE

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Examiner

Michael G Lee

art unit 2876 · TC 2800

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Priority chain

2 priority documents

Priority

14 Sep 2005

earliest claimed

›Priority documents — 2

Type	Document	Date
provisional	US 60717583	14 Sep 2005
related publication	US 20070063048 A1	22 Mar 2007

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