Amber Filter for Barcode Scanner White LED Blue Light Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transition from red LEDs to white LEDs in barcode engines for illumination introduced a blue light component, causing eye discomfort and excessive brightness, while traditional red filters reduced overall illumination, affecting barcode image capture.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an amber filter over the white LEDs in the barcode scanner, which blocks the blue light spectrum (340-500 nm), allowing only light above 500 nm to pass, thereby reducing eye discomfort and maintaining optimal barcode image capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If white LEDs are used for illumination, then barcode recognition is improved, but eye discomfort increases due to blue light component
Solution Approach 1:
An amber filter is introduced as an intermediary component between the white LED illumination source and the target object. This filter selectively transmits wavelengths above 500nm while blocking the harmful blue light component (340-500nm), thereby mediating between the need for effective illumination and the need to protect user eyes from discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The spectral parameters of the illumination light are changed by filtering. The white LED emits a broad spectrum including blue light, but the amber filter modifies this spectrum to transmit only wavelengths above 500nm, effectively changing the illumination characteristics to eliminate eye discomfort while preserving barcode scanning capability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional red filters are used to block blue light, then eye discomfort is reduced, but overall illumination is reduced affecting barcode image capture
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a red filter that would block useful wavelengths, an amber filter is used that selectively transmits wavelengths above 500nm. This parameter change in the filter's transmission characteristics allows sufficient illumination intensity to be maintained while still blocking the harmful blue light component that causes eye discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter is designed with specific local optical properties - it has high transmission in the 500nm+ range (useful for illumination) and high blocking in the 340-500nm range (harmful blue light). This local differentiation of transmission quality allows simultaneous achievement of eye protection and adequate illumination.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The amber filter significantly improves user experience by reducing eye irritation and discomfort from blue light, while ensuring the quality and clarity of barcode images captured by the scanner.
Implementation Method 1
The implementation of an amber filter over the white LEDs in the barcode scanner, which blocks the blue light spectrum (340-500 nm), allowing only light above 500 nm to pass
Data Source
AI summary
A scanner is provided having an integrated or retrofitted amber filter placed in front of white illumination LEDs. When an object/item is placed within a field of view of a lens of the scanner, the white illumination LEDs are illuminated and pass through the amber filter, which filters out light in the light spectrum of approximately 340-500 nm. The object/item is illuminated with light approximately above 500 nm and reflected back through a portion of the lens that covers an imaging sensor resulting in an object/item image in the light spectrum approximately above 500 nm, which improves the user experience by removing the glaring blue light component of the white LEDs illumination while not impacting the performance of the object/item recognition when processed for a transaction being conducted at a transaction terminal that is interfaced to the scanner.