KR102728254B1 - Hand-held scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand-held scanner is provided, comprising: a body having a longitudinal direction; and an optical engine section provided inside the body and outputting light, wherein the optical engine section includes: an illumination section that irradiates light generated from at least one light source along a first axis; and a projection section that projects light irradiated from the illumination section along a second axis parallel to the first axis, wherein the directions of the first axis and the second axis are the same.

Description

Hand-held scanner {HAND-HELD SCANNER}

The present disclosure relates to a hand-held scanner, and more particularly, to an optical engine section of a hand-held scanner.

Since the user must hold the oral scanner for a relatively long period of time when scanning an object using the oral scanner, the structure, size, and weight of the oral scanner may be included in the main specifications.

Oral scanners can use spatial light modulators to project two or more patterns. Light modulators can be divided into transmissive and reflective types. Reflective types tend to have higher efficiency and contrast than transmissive types, but the volume and shape of the optical engine section can be limited by the light path.

Therefore, there is a need to develop an oral scanner that provides a high degree of freedom in shape elements.

The present invention aims to provide a hand-held scanner having a structure that is easy for a user to grasp.

By making the internal structure of the optical engine section of a hand-held scanner lighter, we aim to provide a hand-held scanner that is easy to carry and hold.

The aim is to improve the quality/clarity of acquired images by blocking stray light and providing high pattern definition in the intraoral scanner.

According to one embodiment, a hand-held scanner is provided, including: a longitudinal body; and an optical engine unit provided inside the body and configured to output light, wherein the optical engine unit includes: an illumination unit configured to irradiate light generated from at least one light source along a first axis; and a projection unit configured to project light irradiated from the illumination unit along a second axis parallel to the first axis, wherein the first axis and the second axis are in the same direction.

According to one embodiment, the lighting unit includes a plurality of light sources, a first light source among the plurality of light sources is disposed on the first axis, and light sources other than the first light source among the plurality of light sources can be disposed in a space generated between the first axis and the second axis.

According to one embodiment, the lighting unit may further include a light source unit including a plurality of light sources including a first light source emitting a first light, a second light source emitting a second light, and a third light source emitting a third light; a first filter transmitting the first light and reflecting the second light to change a path of the second light to the first axis; and a second filter transmitting the first light and the second light and reflecting the third light to change a path of the third light to the first axis.

According to one embodiment, the lighting unit may further include a uniformization unit that allows light generated from the at least one light source to have a uniform distribution on a surface on which the light is irradiated; and a relay unit that transmits light output from the uniformization unit to the prism unit.

According to one embodiment, the relay unit includes a relay lens and a mirror that focus light output from the homogenizing unit onto a light modulation unit, wherein the relay lens is perpendicular to an optical axis, and the mirror can be positioned at a preset angle with respect to the first axis.

In one embodiment, the relay lenses may be plural, and at least one of the relay lenses may be a negative lens.

According to one embodiment, the preset angle may have a range of 30 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less.

According to one embodiment, the prism unit may include a first prism that changes the angle of light received from the lighting unit and transmits the same to the light modulation unit; and a second prism that transmits light received from the first prism to the light modulation unit and transmits light reflected from the light modulation unit to the projector.

In one embodiment, the first prism may include a vertex angle of a preset angle.

In one embodiment, the preset angle may have a range of 10 degrees or more and 25 degrees or less.

In one embodiment, the angle of refraction for a first region including the vertex angle of the first prism and the angle of refraction for a second region of the first prism not including the first region may be different.

According to one embodiment, a material that absorbs light may be coated on an area including the vertex angle of the first prism.

According to one embodiment, the optical engine unit may further include an optical modulation unit including a DMD (Digital micro-mirror device) that generates reflected light by reflecting light incident at a predetermined angle through the prism unit.

According to one embodiment, the oral scanner further includes a reflective member that reflects the projection light projected along the second axis and irradiates the reflection light onto the target object, and an optical axis of the reflective member can be perpendicular to the second axis.

According to one embodiment, the oral scanner further includes a tip case that can be inserted and withdrawn into the oral cavity, and the tip case may be provided with an opening that opens in a predetermined direction and the reflective member adjacent to the opening.

A hand-held scanner having a structure that is easy for a user to grasp can be provided.

By making the internal structure of the optical engine section of a hand-held scanner lightweight, a hand-held scanner that is easy to carry and hold can be provided.

It can provide excellent quality/clarity of acquired images by blocking stray light and providing high pattern definition in the oral scanner.

The present disclosure can be readily understood by the combination of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which reference numerals refer to structural elements.
FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the appearance of a hand-held scanner according to one embodiment.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are drawings for explaining the internal structure of an optical engine unit used in an oral scanner and other technical fields according to one embodiment.
FIG. 3a is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an optical engine section of a hand-held scanner, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 3b is a drawing for explaining the internal structure of the optical engine unit described in FIG. 3a according to one embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining the structure and operation of a prism section and a light modulation section according to one embodiment.
FIG. 5a is a drawing for explaining a case where stray light enters a projection unit according to one embodiment.
FIGS. 5b and 5c are drawings for explaining a prism section for blocking the inflow of stray light into a projector section according to one embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining the relationship between the optical axis of a projector and the optical axis of a reflective member, according to one embodiment.

Hereinafter, various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below may be modified and implemented in various different forms. In order to more clearly explain the features of the embodiments, detailed descriptions of matters that are widely known to those skilled in the art to which the embodiments below belong will be omitted.

Meanwhile, when it is said in this specification that a certain configuration is "connected" to another configuration, this includes not only the case where it is "directly connected" but also the case where it is "connected with another configuration in between." In addition, when it is said that a certain configuration "includes" another configuration, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other configurations but may include other configurations as well.

Additionally, terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first" or "second," used herein may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

Throughout the specification, a "hand-held scanner" may mean a device that acquires image data related to a subject. A hand-held scanner may mean a scanner that acquires image data related to an oral cavity used for oral treatment. For example, a hand-held scanner may be a scanner having a form that can be inserted into an oral cavity. Here, the hand-held scanner may have a form that can be held and carried with one hand.

An "object" is a subject of a photograph, which may include a human, an animal, or a part thereof. For example, the object may include a part of the body (such as an organ or system), an artificial structure attachable on or insertable into the object, or a phantom. For example, the object may include a tooth, a gingiva, at least a portion of the oral cavity, and/or an artificial structure insertable into the oral cavity (for example, an orthodontic device including a bracket and a wire, an implant, an artificial tooth, a dental restoration including an inlay and an onlay, an orthodontic assistive tool inserted into the oral cavity, etc.), a tooth or gingiva to which an artificial structure is attached, etc. In addition, the object may include an impression model/plaster model, etc.

FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the appearance of a hand-held scanner (10) according to one embodiment.

The hand-held scanner (10) illustrated in Fig. 1 has a pen-type shape. The hand-held scanner (10) may include a tip case (11) that can be inserted and withdrawn into the oral cavity and a main body (13) that includes components for oral scanning.

As shown in Fig. 1, a user can hold the hand-held scanner (10) by wrapping the hand-held scanner (10) around the thumb and index finger. In this case, if the user holds the hand-held scanner (10) for a long time, the user's wrist may be strained and fatigue may increase. Therefore, the hand-held scanner (10) needs to be designed to be compact while being easy for the user to hold.

Specifically, if the length of the main body of the hand-held scanner (10) is long or the height is high, it may not be easy for a user to hold the hand-held scanner (10). Therefore, by making the internal structure of the hand-held scanner (10) lightweight, a hand-held scanner (10) that is easy to carry and hold can be provided.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are drawings for explaining the internal structure of an optical engine unit used in a hand-held scanner and other technical fields, according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2a, the optical engine unit may include a plurality of light sources (21R, 21G, 21B), a plurality of lenses (221, 222), a plurality of filters (231, 232), a homogenizing unit (24), a relay unit (251, 252), a prism unit (262), a light modulating unit (27), and a projector unit (28). Not all of the components illustrated in FIG. 2a are essential components of the optical engine unit. The optical engine unit may be implemented by more components than the components illustrated in FIG. 2a, and may also be implemented by fewer components.

As illustrated in Fig. 2a, light output by multiple light sources (21R, 21G, 21B) can be irradiated along the illumination axis (201) and the projection axis (202). Here, the illumination axis (201) and the projection axis (202) can be in a vertical relationship.

If the internal structure of the optical engine part illustrated in Fig. 2a is applied to a hand-held scanner (10), it is difficult to miniaturize because the illumination axis (201) and the projection axis (202) are vertical, and it is not a pen-type shape. Accordingly, if the internal structure of the optical engine part illustrated in Fig. 2 is applied to a hand-held scanner (10), it may not be easy for a user to carry and hold the hand-held scanner (10).

Referring to FIG. 2b, the optical engine unit may include a plurality of light sources (11R, 11G, 11B), a plurality of lenses (121, 122), a plurality of filters (131, 132), a homogenizing unit (14), a relay unit (151, 152, 153), a prism unit (162), a light modulation unit (17), and a projector unit (18). Not all of the components illustrated in FIG. 2b are essential components of the optical engine unit. The optical engine unit may be implemented by more components than the components illustrated in FIG. 2b, and may also be implemented by fewer components.

As illustrated in FIG. 2B, light output by multiple light sources (11R, 11G, 11B) can be irradiated along an illumination axis (101) and a projection axis (102). Here, the illumination axis (101) and the projection axis (102) can be parallel. The relay unit (152) can be a mirror or a prism, and can bend the path of light along the illumination axis (101) in the direction of the projection axis (102).

When the internal structure of the optical engine part illustrated in FIG. 2B is applied to a hand-held scanner (10), since the illumination axis (101) and the projection axis (102) in the hand-held scanner (10) are parallel, miniaturization and a pen type are possible compared to when the internal structure of the optical engine part illustrated in FIG. 2A is applied to the hand-held scanner (10). However, since the directions of the illumination axis (101) and the projection axis (102) are opposite to each other, it is difficult to secure space for the light sources (11G, 11B) between the illumination axis and the projection axis, and the light sources are placed at the top of the illumination axis (101), so the height of the optical engine part becomes high, and it may not be easy for a user to hold the hand-held scanner (10).

Therefore, a structural design of a hand-held scanner (10) that is easy for a user to carry and hold is required. For example, the optical engine unit can be made lightweight by arranging a light source in the space created between the lighting unit and the projector unit by the structure of the relay unit and the prism unit. In FIGS. 3A to 9, a hand-held scanner (10) that is easy for a user to hold and has a lightweight internal structure of the optical engine unit is described.

FIG. 3a is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an optical engine unit (300) of a hand-held scanner (10) according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3a, the optical engine unit (300) of the hand-held scanner (10) may include a lighting unit (1010), a prism unit (1020), a light modulation unit (1030), and a projector unit (1040). In addition, the lighting unit (1010) may include a light source unit (910), a homogenizer unit (920), and a relay unit (930). Not all of the components illustrated in FIG. 3a are essential components of the optical engine unit (300). The optical engine unit (300) may be implemented by more components than the components illustrated in FIG. 3a, and may also be implemented by fewer components. Hereinafter, the above components will be described.

The hand-held scanner (10) may include an optical engine unit (300) inside the longitudinal body, and the optical engine unit (300) may output light.

For example, the optical engine unit (300) may include a lighting unit (1010), a prism unit (1020), and a projector unit (1040). For example, the lighting unit (1010) may irradiate light generated from at least one light source along a first axis. The first axis may represent an illumination axis. The prism unit (1020) may receive light from the lighting unit (1010) and change a path of the light. The projector unit (1040) may project reflected light generated based on the changed path along a second axis parallel to the first axis. The second axis may represent a projection axis.

For example, the lighting unit (1010) may include a light source unit (910). For example, the light source unit (910) may include a plurality of light sources. A first light source among the plurality of light sources may be arranged on a first axis, and light sources other than the first light source among the plurality of light sources may be arranged in a space generated between the first axis and the second axis. The first axis and the second axis may be parallel, and the directions of the first axis and the second axis may be in the same direction. A space may be formed between the lighting unit (101) and the projector (1040) by the positional relationship between the first axis and the second axis. By arranging the light source in the space generated between the lighting unit (1010) and the projector (1040), the height of the optical engine unit (300) may be prevented from increasing. A structure in which a plurality of light sources are arranged is described in FIG. 3B.

For example, among the multiple light sources, the light sources other than the first light source may be the second light source and the third light source. The second light source and the third light source may be arranged so that the irradiation directions of the second light irradiated from the second light source and the third light irradiated from the third light source are parallel. By arranging the second light source and the third light source in parallel, the space utilization can be increased.

For example, the lighting unit (1010) may include a plurality of light sources including a first light source irradiating a first light, a second light source irradiating a second light, and a third light source irradiating a third light, a first filter that passes the first light and reflects the second light to change the path of the second light to the first axis, and a second filter that passes the first and second lights and reflects the third light to change the path of the third light to the first axis.

For example, the light source unit (910) may include a light source. For example, the light source may be a light emitting diode (LED), a lamp, or a laser. Although a laser may be more efficient than an LED because it has a smaller divergence angle, it may appear as an image defect due to speckle. In addition, an LED may be used as a light source of the light source unit (910) because it is advantageous in securing uniform light due to its Lambertian characteristic of having a uniform amount of light in all directions, and also has a small volume.

For example, the first light source may be an LED (light emitting diode) that emits red light, the second light source may be an LED that emits blue light, and the third light source may be an LED that emits green light.

For example, the lighting unit (1010) may include a uniformization unit (920) that allows light generated from at least one light source to have a uniform distribution on the surface being irradiated.

For example, the lighting unit (1010) may include a relay unit (930) that transmits light output from the homogenizing unit (920) to the prism unit (1020). The relay unit (930) may include a relay lens and a mirror that allow light output from the homogenizing unit (920) to be focused onto the light modulating unit (1030). The relay lens may be perpendicular to the optical axis. For example, there may be at least two relay lenses. In addition, the mirror may be arranged at a preset angle with respect to the first axis.

For example, the prism unit (1020) may include a first prism that changes the angle of light received from the relay unit (930) and transmits it to the light modulation unit (1030), and a second prism that transmits the light received from the first prism to the light modulation unit (1030) and transmits the light reflected from the light modulation unit (1030) to the projector unit (1040).

For example, the first prism may have a vertex angle of a preset angle. For example, the preset angle may have a range of 10 degrees or more and 25 degrees or less. By arranging the first prism at a preset angle, the height of the optical engine section can be reduced and uniformity can be improved.

For example, the angle of refraction for a first region that includes the vertex angle of the first prism may be different from the angle of refraction for a second region that does not include the first region.

For example, the hand-held scanner (10) may further include a light modulation unit (1030) including a DMD (Digital micro-mirror device) that generates patterned light by reflecting light incident at a predetermined angle through a prism unit (1020).

For example, the hand-held scanner (10) may further include a reflective member that reflects the projection light projected along the second axis and irradiates it onto the target object. For example, the central axis of the reflective member may be aligned with the second axis, and the optical axis of the reflective member may be perpendicular to the second axis.

For example, the hand-held scanner (10) may further include a tip case that can be inserted and withdrawn into the oral cavity. The tip case may be provided with an opening that opens in a predetermined direction and a reflective member adjacent to the opening. For example, the reflective member may be a mirror, and may change the path of the projection light projected from the projection unit (1040) so that the projection light is irradiated onto the target object.

FIG. 3b is a drawing for explaining the internal structure of the optical engine unit (300) described in FIG. 3a according to one embodiment.

The light source unit (910) described in FIG. 3a corresponds to the light source unit described in FIG. 3b, the homogenization unit (920) described in FIG. 3a corresponds to the homogenization unit (34) described in FIG. 3b, the relay unit (930) described in FIG. 3a corresponds to the relay unit (351, 352, 353) described in FIG. 3b, the prism unit (1020) described in FIG. 3a corresponds to the prism unit (361, 362) described in FIG. 3b, the light modulation unit (1030) described in FIG. 3a corresponds to the light modulation unit (371, 372) described in FIG. 3b, and the projection unit (1040) described in FIG. 3a may correspond to the projection unit (38) described in FIG. 3b.

The lighting unit of the optical engine unit may include a light source unit, a uniformization unit, and a relay unit. Referring to FIG. 3B, the light source unit may include a plurality of light sources (31R, 31G, 31B), a plurality of lenses (321-1, 322-1, 321-2, 322-2, 321-3, 322-3), and a plurality of filters (331, 332).

For example, the plurality of light sources (31R, 31G, 31B) may include a first light source (31R) that irradiates a first light, a second light source (31G) that irradiates a second light, and a third light source (31B) that irradiates a third light. For example, the first light source (31R) may be an LED that emits red light, the second light source (31G) may be an LED that emits green light, and the third light source (31B) may be an LED that emits blue light. Meanwhile, the present disclosure is not limited to an embodiment in which a light source unit of a hand-held scanner includes a plurality of light sources.

In addition, the plurality of lenses (321-1, 322-1, 321-2, 322-2, 321-3, 322-3) can collimate light irradiated from the plurality of light sources (31R, 31G, 31B). Specifically, light irradiated from the first light source (31R) can be collimated by the lenses (321-1, 322-1), light irradiated from the second light source (31G) can be collimated by the lenses (321-2, 322-2), and light irradiated from the third light source (31B) can be collimated by the lenses (321-3, 322-3). Additionally, the plurality of lenses (321-1, 322-1, 321-2, 322-2, 321-3, 322-3) may be referred to as collimator lenses.

For example, the plurality of lenses (321-1, 321-2, 321-3) may be glass lenses having positive power with both curved surfaces being convex. In addition, the plurality of lenses (322-1, 322-2, 322-3) may be plastic lenses having positive power including an aspherical surface.

In addition, each of the plurality of filters (331, 332) may include a coating surface that reflects a predetermined light and a surface that transmits the predetermined light and other light. For example, the first filter (331) may include a surface that transmits the first light and a coating surface that reflects the second light. The first filter (331) may transmit the first light and reflect the second light to change the path of the second light to the first axis (301). For example, the second filter (332) may include a surface that transmits the first light and the second light and a coating surface that reflects the third light. The second filter (332) may transmit the first light and the second light and reflect the third light to change the path of the third light to the first axis (301). In addition, the plurality of filters (331, 332) may be dichroic filters. Light irradiated from each of the plurality of light sources (31R, 31G, 31B) can be synthesized by the plurality of filters (331, 332).

The homogenizing unit (34) can compensate for distortion of the synthesized light to make the light uniform. Since light irradiated from a light source is generally bright in the center and becomes dimmer as it goes outward, the homogenizing unit (34) can compensate for distortion so that light irradiated from multiple light sources (31R, 31G, 31B) has a uniform distribution.

For example, the uniformization unit (34) can emit light within a specific angle so that the light has a uniform illuminance distribution. That is, the uniformization unit (34) can perform the role of secondary lighting having a uniform divergence angle.

For example, the homogenizing portion (34) may include a light guide in the form of a glass rod. For example, light incident on one flat side of the glass rod may travel to the opposite side of the glass rod through total internal reflection.

For example, the uniformization unit (34) may include a micro-lens array. The micro-lens array is in the form of micro-meter-sized lenses arranged, and may be advantageous for miniaturization of the optical engine unit. Depending on the uniformity and size settings, the number of arrays may be adjusted.

For example, the homogenizing portion (34) may include a fly eye lens in which a plurality of lenses having a rectangular shape and having aspherical curvatures on both sides are arranged in a two-dimensional manner.

Light passing through the homogenizing unit (34) can be focused at an arbitrary angle onto the light modulating unit (371, 372) through the relay unit (351, 352, 353) and the prism unit (361, 362). The relay unit (351, 352, 353) can include a plurality of lenses that collimate the light output from the homogenizing unit (34) and transmit it to the prism unit (361, 362). The relay unit (351, 352, 353) can collect the light emitted through the homogenizing unit (34) into an appropriate size so that the light is positioned on the light modulating unit (371, 372).

For example, the relay unit (351, 353) is configured with a lens having positive (+) refractive power and can focus light according to the size of the light modulation unit (371, 372). For example, as the optical engine unit becomes smaller, the relay path becomes shorter, so the lenses must be arranged in a narrow space. Accordingly, by using the lens of the relay unit (351, 535) as an aspherical lens, the light focusing efficiency can be increased while using a smaller number of lenses in a narrow space. For example, the relay unit (351, 353) can be perpendicular to the optical axis.

For example, in order to lower the height of the optical engine unit (300), the relay unit (352) can be tilted at a preset acute angle range with respect to the first axis (301). Since the path of light from the homogenizing unit (34) to the light modulating unit (371, 372) becomes longer and space for arranging the relay unit (352) must be secured, the relay unit (351) can be a glass lens having negative power, and the relay unit (353) can be a plastic lens having positive power including an aspherical surface. That is, in order to miniaturize the optical engine unit (300), the relay unit (353) can be arranged as shown in FIG. 3B, and the relay unit (351) can be used as a glass lens having negative power, and the relay unit (353) can be used as a plastic lens having positive power including an aspherical surface.

The prism portion (361, 362) can receive light from the lighting portion and change the path of the light. For example, the prism portion (361, 362) can change the path of the light in order to focus the light at an arbitrary angle on the light modulation portion (371, 372). Specifically, the prism portion (361, 362) can include a first prism (361) that changes the angle of the light received from the lighting portion and transmits the light to the light modulation portion (371, 372), and a second prism (362) that transmits the light received from the first prism (361) to the light modulation portion (371, 372) and transmits the light reflected from the light modulation portion (371, 372) to the projector (38). The second prism (362) can separate the incident light incident on the light modulation unit (371, 372) and the reflected light reflected from the light modulation unit (371, 372) according to the operation of the light modulation unit (371, 372).

The light modulation unit (371, 372) can generate reflected light by reflecting the incident light when the light output from the lighting unit is incident at an arbitrary angle through the prism unit (361, 362). For example, the light modulation unit (371, 372) can be composed of a glass film (371) and a panel (372).

For example, the panel (372) may include a DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) or MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) that generates a pattern of light. For example, the panel (372) including the DMD may include a plurality of mirrors, and may control light incident on the panel (372) in units of pixels corresponding to each mirror by turning each mirror on or off according to a control signal. In addition, the glass film (371) may protect the panel (372). The glass film (371) may be arranged on the outside of the light modulation unit (372).

For example, among the lights incident on the DMD, the lights reflected from the mirror in the ON state can be totally reflected on the inclined surface of the second prism (362) and transmitted to the projector (38). Since the DMD does not use an LCD panel, there is no polarization loss. In addition, since the DMD individually controls the micro-mirrors, it can obtain high resolution without chromatic dispersion.

The reflected light reflected from the light modulation unit (371, 372) is transmitted to the second prism (362), and the reflected light totally reflected from the second prism (362) can be transmitted along the second axis (302) of the projection unit (38). The projection unit (38) can project the light reflected or projected from the light modulation unit (371, 372) onto an object by enlarging or reducing it according to a magnification.

FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining in more detail the structure and operation of a prism section and a light modulation section according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the structure of the optical engine unit (300) illustrated in FIG. 3b, including the relay unit (353), prism unit (361, 362), and optical modulation unit (371, 372).

The first prism (361) can lower the height of the optical engine section by partially bending the angle of the light received from the relay section (353). In addition, as the height of the optical engine section is lowered, the grip feeling in a fan-type hand-held scanner can be improved.

For example, if the first prism (361) is not present, the angle of the light becomes an angle corresponding to the direction (402), and thus the height of the optical engine section becomes high. Accordingly, by arranging the first prism (361) within the optical engine section, the angle of the light is bent to an angle corresponding to the direction (401), and thus the height of the optical engine section can be reduced.

For example, the range of the vertex angle of the first prism (361) can be designed to be 10 degrees or more and 25 degrees or less. Meanwhile, if the angle of the vertex angle of the first prism (361) is increased further, the optical path difference increases, so the optical efficiency and uniformity may deteriorate, so the first prism (361) can be placed within the above angle range.

Meanwhile, if the relay lens (353) is tilted, the light efficiency may increase, but the uniformity may decrease because the optical path difference increases. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 4, by not tilting the relay unit (353) and using the first prism (361) having a preset vertex angle, the height of the optical engine unit can be lowered, and light efficiency and appropriate uniformity can be secured. Here, not tilting the relay unit (353) may indicate that the relay unit (353) is arranged so that the plane of the relay unit (353) and the incident light are perpendicular. According to the structure of the optical engine unit (300) illustrated in FIG. 4, a miniaturized hand-held scanner (10) can be provided.

In addition, the relay unit (352) illustrated in FIG. 3 may be a mirror, and the mirror may be arranged within a range of 30 degrees to 60 degrees clockwise with respect to the first axis (301). By arranging the angle of the mirror within a preset range, the illumination light may be incident on the first prism at an appropriate incline, thereby lowering the height of the optical engine unit and improving uniformity.

FIG. 5a is a drawing for explaining a case where stray light enters a projection unit according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5A, since the first axis (301) of the lighting unit and the second axis (302) of the projector are parallel to each other, light (511) obliquely incident on the first prism (361) can directly enter the projector (38) through the second prism (362). If stray light entering the projector (38) occurs, light can be output from a pixel position that is turned off in the DMD, and since the projected pattern is not clear, the quality or clarity of the acquired image can be degraded. Therefore, a design for blocking stray light entering the projector (38) is required.

FIGS. 5b and 5c are drawings for explaining a prism section for blocking the inflow of stray light into a projector section according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5b, the first prism (361) may be designed such that the refractive index of the first region (522) including the vertex angle of the first prism (361) and the refractive index of the second region not including the first region (522) are different. Here, the second region may be a region excluding the first region (522) within the first prism (361).

For example, in the first prism (361), the shape of the vertex angle of the first prism (361) illustrated in FIG. 5a may be designed to be changed to the shape of the vertex angle of the first prism (361) illustrated in FIG. 5b. The refractive index near the vertex angle of the first prism (361) illustrated in FIG. 5b may be different from the refractive index near the vertex angle of the first prism (361) illustrated in FIG. 5a. Here, the refractive index of the region not including the vertex angle is the same as the refractive index near the vertex angle of the first prism (361) illustrated in FIG. 5a. Therefore, light (521) obliquely incident on the first prism (361) may not be introduced into the projector (38), but may be irradiated to the second prism (362).

Or, referring to FIG. 5c, the first prism (361) may be coated with a material (e.g., black pigment) that absorbs light in a region (532) including the vertex of the first prism (361). For example, the light may be coated from an end point of the vertex to a predetermined point of the corner. Accordingly, light (521) obliquely incident on the first prism (361) is absorbed by the light-absorbing material and is not transmitted to the first prism (361), the second prism (362), and the projector (38).

FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining the relationship between the optical axis of a projector and the optical axis of a reflective member, according to one embodiment.

Image (610) of Fig. 6 illustrates the external appearance of the hand-held scanner. Image (620) of Fig. 6 illustrates the internal structure of the optical engine section of the hand-held scanner.

The configuration of the plurality of light sources (31R, 31G, 31B), the plurality of lenses (321-1, 322-1, 321-2, 322-2, 321-3, 322-3), the plurality of filters (331, 332), the homogenizing unit (34), the relay unit (351, 352, 353), the prism unit (361, 362), the light modulating unit (371, 372), and the projection unit (38) illustrated in the image (620) of FIG. 6 is the same as the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3b. Duplicate descriptions are omitted.

For example, the hand-held scanner may further include a reflective member (611) that reflects the projection light projected along the second axis (302) and irradiates it onto the target object. Here, the optical axis (612) of the reflective member (611) may be perpendicular to the second axis (302).

For example, the reflective member (611) may be a mirror or a prism. The reflective member (611) may reflect the light perpendicular to the second axis (302) of the projection unit (38) and project it onto the target object. Since the optical axis (612) of the reflective member (611) and the second axis (302) are perpendicular, light can be easily irradiated onto the target object.

The hand-held scanner described in the present disclosure may be implemented by hardware components, software components, and/or a combination of hardware components and software components. In addition, it may be provided in the form of a computer program stored on a computer-readable storage medium so as to perform a method of operating an oral scanner. It may be written as a program that can be executed on a computer, and may be implemented on a general-purpose digital computer that operates such a program using a computer-readable storage medium.

Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (15)

A longitudinal body; and an optical engine section provided inside the body and outputting light,
The above optical engine part,
An illumination unit that irradiates light generated from at least one light source along a first axis;
A prism section including a first prism that changes the angle of the light incident through the first surface from the lighting section and transmits the light to a second prism through the second surface, and a second prism that transmits the light received from the first prism to a light modulation section and transmits the light reflected from the light modulation section to a projector; and
It includes a projection unit that projects the light transmitted by the second prism along a second axis parallel to the first axis,
A hand-held scanner, wherein the directions of the first axis and the second axis are in the same direction. In the first paragraph,
The above lighting unit includes a plurality of light sources,
Among the plurality of light sources, the first light source is arranged on the first axis,
A hand-held scanner, characterized in that the light sources, excluding the first light source among the plurality of light sources, are positioned in a space created between the first axis and the second axis. In the first paragraph,
The above lighting unit,
A plurality of light sources including a first light source irradiating a first light, a second light source irradiating a second light, and a third light source irradiating a third light;
A first filter that passes the first light and reflects the second light to change the path of the second light to the first axis; and
A hand-held scanner comprising a light source unit including a second filter that passes the first light and the second light and reflects the third light to change the path of the third light to the first axis. In the first paragraph,
The above lighting unit,
A uniformization unit that allows light generated from at least one light source to be uniformly distributed on a surface on which the light is irradiated; and
A hand-held scanner further comprising a relay unit that transmits the light output from the homogenizing unit to the prism unit. In paragraph 4,
The above relay unit includes a relay lens and a mirror that allows the light output from the homogenizing unit to be focused onto the light modulation unit.
The above relay lens is perpendicular to the optical axis,
A hand-held scanner, characterized in that the mirror is positioned at a preset angle with respect to the first axis. In paragraph 5,
The above relay lenses are plural,
A hand-held scanner, characterized in that at least one of the relay lenses is a negative lens. In paragraph 5,
A hand-held scanner, characterized in that the preset angle has a range of 30 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less. delete In the first paragraph,
A hand-held scanner, characterized in that the vertex angle formed by the first surface and the second surface of the first prism has a preset angle. In Article 9,
A hand-held scanner, characterized in that the preset angle has a range of 10 degrees or more and 25 degrees or less. In Article 9,
A hand-held scanner, characterized in that the refraction angle for a first region including the vertex angle of the first prism and the refraction angle for a second region of the first prism not including the first region are different. In Article 9,
A hand-held scanner, characterized in that a material that absorbs light is coated in an area including the vertex angle of the first prism. In the first paragraph,
A hand-held scanner, wherein the light modulation unit includes a DMD (Digital micro-mirror device) that generates reflected light by reflecting the light received from the first prism. In the first paragraph,
The above hand-held scanner further includes a reflective member that reflects the projection light projected along the second axis and irradiates it onto the target object,
A hand-held scanner, characterized in that the optical axis of the reflective member is perpendicular to the second axis. In Article 14,
The above hand-held scanner further includes a tip case that can be inserted and withdrawn into the oral cavity,
A hand-held scanner, characterized in that the tip case has an opening that opens in a predetermined direction and a reflective member adjacent to the opening.

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