Apparatus having hybrid monochrome and color image sensor array

• US 10,002,272 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ynjiun P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D
• Application Number:
  US15/244,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20170169265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 23546244, 23546245, 23546246, 23547201, 23547202, 23547203
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10752 Exposure time control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 Focalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/10 for generating image signals from different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/42 by switching between different modes of operation using different resolutions or aspect ratios, e.g. switching between interlaced and non-interlaced mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/532 by controlling global shutters in CMOS SSIS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors

Abstract

There is provided in one embodiment an apparatus having an image sensor array. In one embodiment, the image sensor array can include monochrome pixels and color sensitive pixels. The monochrome pixels can be pixels without wavelength selective color filter elements. The color sensitive pixels can include wavelength selective color filter elements.

Claims

1. A method for operating a bar code reading device, the bar code reading device comprising a two-dimensional image sensor array, the two-dimensional image sensor array comprising a first subset of pixels comprising a plurality of first pixels configured for use in generation of a frame of image data and a second subset of pixels;

the method comprising;

selectively addressing the first subset of pixels independently of the second subset of pixels to read out the frame of image data; and

decoding representations of a bar code captured in the frame of image data;

wherein at least the first subset of pixels is operated in a global shutter mode, wherein all or substantially all of at least the first subset of pixels in the image sensor array are exposed in the image sensor array in response to an exposure control timing pulse.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second subset of pixels comprises:

a plurality of polarized pixels configured to generate a frame of polarized image data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising combining different frames including the frame of image data having image data corresponding to the first subset pixels and a secondary frame of image data having image data corresponding to the second subset of pixels to generate a full frame of image data having pixel positions corresponding to the first subset of pixels and pixel positions corresponding to the second subset of pixels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the bar code reading device further comprises at least one illumination light source;

wherein the method further comprises illuminating at least a portion of a bar code in response to an illumination control timing pulse;

wherein the exposure control timing pulse and the illumination control timing pulse are coordinated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bar code reading device further comprises a micro lens disposed proximate each pixel of the plurality of monochrome pixels, and wherein the method further comprises focusing light onto each pixel of the plurality of monochrome pixels.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of monochrome pixels are uniformly distributed in a two-dimensional checkerboard pattern.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

an optically shielded storage element disposed on each pixel of the plurality of monochrome pixels and configured to facilitate the global shutter mode by storing a charge temporarily.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively addressing the first subset of pixels comprises driving the second subset of pixels into reset while exposing the first subset of pixels.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein decoding representations of the bar code captured in the frame of image data comprises transferring the frame of image data to a bar code symbol decoding circuit.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the decoding representations of a bar code captured in the frame of image data comprises transferring the frame of image data to an autodiscrimination circuit;

the method further comprising;

searching the frame of image data for one or more markers indicating the bar code, and when at least one marker of the one or more markers is detected, decoding the frame of image data in accordance with a decoding algorithm associated with the at least one marker.

11. A method comprising:

capturing a frame of image data with an image sensor array by selectively addressing and exposing at least a plurality of monochrome pixels configured for use in generation of monochrome image data, wherein the frame of image data has pixel positions corresponding to at least the plurality of monochrome pixels; and

wherein the plurality of monochrome pixels in the image sensor array are exposed substantially simultaneously in the image sensor array in response to an exposure control timing pulse;

transferring the frame of image data to an indicia decode module; and

decoding representations of a decodable indicia in the frame of image data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicia decode module comprises an autodiscrimination module configured to search the frame of image data for one or more markers indicating the decodable indicia, wherein the method further comprises:

when at least one marker of the one or more markers is detected, decoding the frame of image data in accordance with a decoding algorithm associated with the one or more markers.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicia decode module comprises a bar code symbol decoding circuit, and wherein the method further comprises decoding representations of a bar code in the representations of the decodable indicia with the bar code symbol decoding circuit.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating color image data with a color subset of pixels comprising color sensitive pixels that include wavelength selective filter elements a; and

generating a second frame of image data having pixel positions corresponding to the color subset of pixels.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the color subset of pixels is configured to be operated in the global shutter mode;

and wherein the method further comprises;

decoding representations of the decodable indicia captured by at least one of the plurality of monochrome pixels and the color subset of pixels.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein for generation of the frame of image data having pixel positions corresponding to the plurality of monochrome pixels and pixel positions corresponding to the color subset of pixels, the method further comprises combining image data of different frames;

wherein the different frames include a monochrome image data frame having image data corresponding to the plurality of monochrome pixels and a color image data frame having image data corresponding to the color subset of pixels.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising at least one illumination light source, wherein the method further comprises illuminating at least a portion of the decodable indicia in response to an illumination control timing pulse;

wherein the exposure control timing pulse and the illumination control timing pulse are coordinated.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a frame of polarized image data using a subset of polarized pixels.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein generating the fame of polarized image data comprises selectively addressing the subset of polarized pixels, and wherein the method further comprises decoding representations of a decodable indicia captured using the polarized subset of pixels.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein selectively addressing the at least the plurality of monochrome pixels comprises driving a plurality of secondary pixels into reset while exposing the plurality of monochrome pixels;

wherein the plurality of secondary pixels comprises at least one of monochrome pixels or color pixels.