Reader for optical indicia presented under two or more imaging conditions within a single frame time

• US 10,114,997 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Giordano, Patrick A., Good, Timothy, Van Horn, Erik, Kearney, Sean P., Colavito, Stephen J., Xian, Tao, Feng, Chen, Bremer, Edward C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D
• Application Number:
  US15/352,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20180137319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 2354621, 23546211, 23546212, 23546241, 23546242
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10554 Moving beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes

Abstract

The present invention embraces an optical indicia reader, e.g., barcode scanner, that captures images of optical indicia under multiple imaging conditions within the span of a single frame. The reader includes an image sensor having selectively-addressable pixels that can be divided into groups having regions of interest (ROIs) within the reader field of view. Each pixel group is shuttered separately to obtain independent partial frame images under separate imaging conditions.

Claims

1. An optical indicia reader comprising:

an image sensor having a plurality of pixels for selectively obtaining image data from a field of view of the reader;

an illuminator operable to illuminate the field of view of the reader; and

a processor configured by software to execute instructions stored in a memory, whereby the instructions cause the processor to perform the steps of;

exposing a first group of pixels of the image sensor to obtain a first partial frame of image data from a first region of interest of the field of view, and

exposing a second group of pixels of the image sensor separately from the first group of pixels to obtain a second partial frame of image data from a second region of interest of the field of view;

wherein the first and second partial frames of image data are obtained within a single frame time, and the step of exposing the first group of pixels has a different start time and end time from the step of exposing the second group of pixels.

2. The optical indicia reader according to claim 1, wherein the illuminator is operable to provide first and second illumination profiles during the steps of exposing of the first and second groups of pixels.

3. The optical indicia reader according to claim 2, wherein the first and second illumination profiles are different from each other.

4. The optical indicia reader according to claim 3, wherein one of the first and second illumination profiles is a single illumination pulse.

5. The optical indicia reader according to claim 3, wherein one of the first and second illumination profiles is no illumination pulse.

6. The optical indicia reader according to claim 2, wherein the step of exposing a first group of pixels occurs during a first exposure period and the step of exposing a second group of pixels occurs during a second exposure period.

7. The optical indicia reader according to claim 6, wherein the first and second exposure period partially overlap within the single frame time.

8. The optical indicia reader according to claim 6, wherein the first and second exposure periods occur sequentially within the single frame time.

9. The optical indicia reader according to claim 6, wherein the illumination profile and exposure period for the first group of pixels is optimized for reading optical indicia printed on a physical substrate.

10. The optical indicia reader according to claim 9, wherein the illumination profile and exposure period for the second group of pixels is optimized for reading optical indicia electronically displayed.

11. The optical indicia reader according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pixels are selectively addressable.

12. The optical indicia reader according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first and second regions of interest are interlaced.

13. The optical indicia reader according to claim 12, wherein the first and second regions of interest do not overlap.

14. The optical indicia reader according to claim 1, wherein the processor further performs the step of:

processing the first and second partial frames of image data to identify and decode at least one optical indicia visually depicted therein.

15. An image-based reader of optical indicia presented under two or more separate imaging conditions within a single frame time, the reader comprising:

an image sensor having a plurality of addressable pixels split between a first and second pixel groups and an electronic shutter mechanism operable to separately expose the first and second pixel groups to obtain partial frames of image data;

an illuminator operable to provide illumination to the field of view; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory whereby executing the instructions causes the processor to perform one or more of the following steps to;

configure imaging settings for the first pixel group to a first predetermined scanning mode optimized for reading optical indicia presented in one form, and

configure imaging settings for the second pixel group to a second predetermined scanning mode optimized for reading optical indicia presented in another form,

wherein the imaging settings for each of the first and second predetermined scanning modes include an exposure period, the exposure period for the first predetermined scanning mode having a different start time and end time from the exposure period for the second predetermined scanning mode.

16. The optical indicia reader of claim 15, wherein the first predetermined scanning mode includes imaging settings optimized for reading optical indicia printed on a physical substrate and the second predetermined scanning mode includes imaging settings optimized for reading optical indicia digitally displayed with an electronic device.

17. The optical indicia reader of claim 16, wherein the imaging settings of the first predetermined scanning mode include a single illumination pulse directed to the field of view.

18. The optical indicia reader of claim 17, wherein the imaging settings for the second predetermined scanning mode include an exposure period for the second pixel group having a start time after the first pixel group has received the reflected light of the illumination pulse.

19. The optical indicia reader of claim 15 wherein the processor also performs a step to:

process each of the partial frames of image data to identify and read optical indicia from at least one of the images obtained with optimized image settings.

20. A barcode reader for scanning and decoding paper printed and digital barcodes with a single frame of image data obtained from a field of view of the reader, the barcode reader comprising:

an image sensor having a plurality of addressable pixels and an electronic shutter mechanism, wherein the pixels are divided into two or more pixel groups with regions of interest in the field of view and wherein the electronic shutter mechanism is operable to separately expose the two or more pixel groups to obtain partial frames of image data;

an illuminator operable to provide illumination of varying intensity and duration to the field of view; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory whereby executing the instructions causes the processor to perform one or more of the following steps;

configure imaging settings for a first pixel group to a first predetermined scanning mode optimized for reading paper barcodes, and

configure imaging settings for a second pixel group to a second predetermined scanning mode optimized for reading digital barcodes,

wherein the imaging settings for each of the first and second predetermined scanning modes include an exposure period, the exposure period for the first predetermined scanning mode having a different start time and end time from the exposure period for the second predetermined scanning mode.

21. The barcode reader of claim 20, wherein the imaging settings for the first and second predetermined scanning modes include at least one of the exposure period, illumination intensity, and illumination duration.