Optical information reading apparatus

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Apparatus for reading optical information such as a bar code capable of reflecting ambient light and including a hand-held reader containing an image sensor. The hand-held reader is constructed so that ambient light illuminates the optical information, whereby an image of the optical information is imaged by ambient light reflected from the optical information on the image sensor so that the image is converted into an electric signal. The hand-held reader further includes a light detector for detecting intensity of the ambient light and the image sensor is controlled so that the exposure the thereof is changed in accordance with intensity of the ambient light detected by the light detector.