1. A planar light illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based system comprising:
a system housing having first, second and third light transmission apertures linearly aligned with and optically isolated from each other, and said third light transmission aperture being disposed between said first and second light transmission apertures;
an area-type image formation and detection module disposed in system housing, and having image forming optics with a field of view projectable through said third light transmission aperture and within a 3-D scanning region in which an object is present during object illumination and imaging operations;
a pair of planar light illumination arrays (PLIAs) disposed in said system housing, each said PLIA including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged together in a linear manner and said PLIAs being arranged in relation to said area-type image formation and detection module, and for producing a pair of planar light illumination beams (PLIBs); and
a pair of planar light beam foldingsweeping mirrors for folding and sweeping said pair of PLIBs so that the optical paths of said PLIBs are oriented in an imaging direction that is coplanar with a section of said field of view of said area-type image formation and detection module as said PLIBs are swept through the 3-D scanning region during object illumination and imaging operations so that thee object can be simultaneously illuminated by said PLIBs and imaged within said field of view of said area-type image formation and detection module,
whereby a series of linear images of said object are sequentially detected by said area-type image formation and detection module over the photo-integration time period thereof so as to construct a two-dimensional image of said object.
2. The PLIIM based system of claim 1, which further comprises:
an image frame grabber for grabbing images formed and detected by said area-type image formation and detection module,
an image data buffer for buffering said grabbed images;
an image processing computer operably associated with said image data buffer, for processing said buffered images; and
a camera control computer for controlling said area-type image formation and said detection module, and said pair of PLIAs.
3. The PLIIM-based system of claim 2, which further comprises:
an image processing computer, operably connected to said image data buffer, for receiving and buffering said 2-D image, and for carrying out image processing algorithms and operators on said two-dimensional digital images.
4. The PLIIM-based t of claim 1, wherein said image forming optics have a fixed focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view.
5. The PLIIM-based system of claim 1, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view.
6. The PLIIM-based system of claim 1, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a variable focal length providing a variable field of view.
7. The PLIIM-based system of claim 1, wherein said area-type image formation and detection module further comprises a 2-D array of photo-electronic detectors realized,
wherein each said PLIA comprises an array of planar light illumination modules (PLIMs), and
wherein each said PLIM comprises a visible light emitting diode (LED) source and optics for producing a planar light illumination beam (PLIB) component.
8. The PLIIM-based system of claim 1, wherein said system housing has a unitary construction.
9. A hand supportable bar code symbol reading system embodying the PLIIM-based system of claim 1.
10. A planar light illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based system comprising:
a system housing having first, second and third light transmission apertures linearly aligned with and optically isolated from each other, and said third light transmission aperture being disposed between said first and second light transmission apertures;
an area-type image formation and detection module disposed in system housing, and having image forming optics with a field of view projectable through said third light transmission aperture and within a 3-D scanning region in which an object is present during object illumination and imaging operations;
a stationary field of view folding mirror, disposed in said system housing, for folding the field of view of said area-type image formation and detection module in a predetermined direction with respect to said third light transmission aperture;
a pair of planar light illumination arrays (PLIAs) disposed in said system housing, each said planar light array (PLIA) including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged together in a linear manner and said PLIAs being arranged in relation to said area-type image formation and detection module, and for producing a pair of planar light illumination beams (PLIBs); and
a pair of planar light beam foldingsweeping mirrors for folding and sweeping said pair of PLIBs so that the optical paths of said PLIBs are oriented in an imaging direction that is coplanar with a section of said field of view of said area-type image formation and detection module as said PLIBs are swept through the 3-D scanning region during object illumination and imaging operations so that the object can be simultaneously illuminated by said PLIBs and imaged within said field of view of said area-type image formation and detection module
whereby a series of linear images of said object are sequentially detected by said area-type image formation and detection module over the photo-integration time period thereof so as to construct a two-dimensional image of said object.
11. The PLIIM-based system of claim 10 which further comprises:
an image frame grabber for grabbing images formed and detected by said area-type image formation and detection module,
an image data buffer for buffering said grabbed images;
an image processing computer operably associated with said image data buffer, for processing said buffered images; and
a camera control computer for controlling said area-type image formation and said detection module, and said pair of PLIAs.
12. The PLIIM-based system of claim 11 which further comprises:
an image processing computer, operably connected to said image data buffer, for receiving and buffering said 2-D image, and for carrying out image processing algorithms and operators on said two-dimensional digital images.
13. The PLIIM-based system of claim 10, wherein said image forming optics have a fixed focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view.
14. The PLIIM-based system of claim 10, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view.
15. The PLIIM-based system of claim 10, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a variable focal length providing a variable field of view.
16. The PLIIM-based system of claim 10, wherein said system housing has a unitary construction.
17. A hand-supportable bar code symbol reading system embodying the PLIIM-based system of claim 10.
18. A planar light illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based system comprising:
a system housing having first, second and third light transmission apertures linearly aligned with and optically isolated from each other, and said third light transmission aperture being disposed between said first and second light transmission apertures;
an area-type image formation and detection module disposed in system housing, and having image forming optics with a field of view projectable through said third light transmission aperture and within a 3-D scanning region in which an object is present during object illumination and imaging operations;
a planar light illumination array (PLIA) disposed in said system housing, each said planar light array (PLIA) including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged together in a linear manner and said PLIAs being arranged in relation to said area-type image formation and detection module, and for producing a planar light illumination beam (PLIB); and
a planar light beam foldingsweeping mirror for folding and sweeping said PLIB so that the optical path of said PLIB is oriented in an imaging direction that is coplanar with a section of said field of view of said area-type image formation and detection module as said PLIB is swept through the 3-D scanning region during object illumination and imaging operations so that the object is simultaneously illuminated by said PLIB and imaged within said field of view of said area-type image formation and detection module,
whereby a series of linear images of said object are sequentially detected by said area-type image formation and detection module over the photo-integration time period thereof so as to construct a two-dimensional image of said object.
19. The PLIIM-based system of claim 18, which further comprises:
an image frame grabber for grabbing images formed and detected by said area-type image formation and detection module,
an image data buffer for buffering said grabbed images;
an image processing computer operably associated with said image data buffer, for processing said buffered images; and
a camera control computer for controlling said area-type image formation and said detection module, and said pair of PLIAs.
20. The PLIIM-based system of claim 18, which further comprises:
an image processing computer, operably connected to said image data buffer, for receiving and buffering said 2-D image, and for carrying out image processing algorithms and operators on said two-dimensional digital images.
21. The PLIIM-based system of claim 18, wherein said image forming optics have a fixed focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view.
22. The PLIIM-based system of claim 18, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a fixed focal length providing a fixed field of view.
23. The PLIIM-based system of claim 18, wherein said image forming optics have a variable focal distance and a variable focal length providing a variable field of view.
24. The PLIIM-based system of claim 18, wherein said system housing has a unitary construction.
25. A hand-supportable bar code symbol reading system embodying the PLIIM-based system of claim 18.
26. The PLIIM-based system of claim 18, wherein said area-type image formation and detection module further comprises a 2-D array of photo-electronic detectors,
wherein each said PLIA comprises an array of planar light illumination modules (PLIMs), and
wherein each said PLIM comprises a visible light emitting diode (LED) source and optic for producing a planar light illumination beam (PLIB) component.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A resistance change element storing data by utilizing change in a resistance value, comprising:
a ground-side electrode made of a transition metal;
a positive polarity-side electrode made of any one of a noble metal and a noble metal oxide; and
a transition metal oxide film disposed between the ground-side electrode and the positive polarity-side electrode.
2. The resistance change element according to claim 1, wherein a transition metal in the transition metal oxide film is of the same kind as a transition metal constituting the ground-side electrode.
3. The resistance change element according to claim 1, wherein the ground-side electrode is made of Ni while the transition metal oxide film is made of NiOx (where x is any positive number).
4. The resistance change element according to claim 1, further comprising an oxide film, which is capable of supplying the transition metal oxide film with oxygen, between the transition metal oxide film and the positive polarity-side electrode.
5. The resistance change element according to claim 1, wherein the positive polarity-side electrode is made of a noble metal while a noble metal oxide film is formed between the positive polarity-side electrode and the transition metal oxide film.
6. A method of manufacturing a resistance change element, comprising:
forming a transition metal film above a semiconductor substrate;
forming a transition metal oxide film on the transition metal film; and
forming a noble metal film made of any one of a noble metal and a noble metal oxide on the transition metal oxide film.
7. The method of manufacturing a resistance change element according to claim 6, wherein all of the transition metal film, the transition metal oxide film, and the noble metal film are formed by a sputtering method.
8. The method of manufacturing a resistance change element according to claim 6, wherein the transition metal oxide film is formed by oxidizing a surface of the transition metal film.
9. The method of manufacturing a resistance change element according to claim 6, wherein a transition metal in the transition metal oxide film is of the same kind as a transition metal constituting the transition metal film.
10. The method of manufacturing a resistance change element according to claim 6, wherein the transition metal film is formed of Ni while the transition metal oxide film is formed of NiOx (where x is any positive number).
11. The method of manufacturing a resistance change element according to claim 6, wherein an oxide film is formed on the transition metal film and the noble metal film is further formed on the oxide film.
12. The method of manufacturing a resistance change element according to claim 11, wherein the oxide film is formed of a noble metal oxide while the noble metal film is formed of a noble metal.