US Patent 6837433 Variable focal length imaging device

A variable focal length imaging device. The device has an image-sensing component and a variable focal length lens in visual cooperation with the image-sensing component. The variable focal length lens has a focal length that varies across its surface such that a different portion of the lens focuses, onto different regions of the sensing component, objects at different distances from the lens. In this fashion, the device is able to read symbols at varying distances from the device.