Barcode-reading system

• US 10,360,484 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2018
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Code Corporation (Brady Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Code Corporation (Brady Corporation)
• Inventors: Powell, George, Lei, Ming, Hoobler, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Seung H
• Application Number:
  US15/895,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20180181850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/089 hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A barcode reader is disclosed. The barcode reader may include a semiconductor package and an optic system. The semiconductor package may include a plurality of silicon dies stacked vertically and interconnected by through-silicon vias (TSVs) or wires. A first die positioned on top of the plurality of stacked silicon dies includes a photo sensor array and image read-out circuitry. The image read-out circuitry is coupled to the photo sensor array and configured to generate a frame of image data, wherein the frame of image data is a sequence of values, each value representing an intensity of illumination focused on one of the photo sensors. The optic system is configured to focus an image of a barcode on the photo sensor array. The optic system includes a lens assembly and a mirror. The mirror folds an optical path behind the lens assembly onto the array of photo sensors.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a photo sensor array;

a lens assembly for capturing an image of a barcode, wherein the lens assembly has an object side facing the barcode to be captured and an image side facing a direction opposite the object side;

a mirror located on the image side of the lens assembly, wherein the mirror is configured to reflect the image of the barcode received via the lens assembly onto the photo sensor array, and wherein both the lens assembly and the mirror are positioned above the photo sensor array;

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor;

a barcode-reading application stored in the memory, wherein the barcode-reading application comprises a relay function configured to transmit data decoded from the image of the barcode to a remote server via a wireless connection; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to download the barcode-reading application to the mobile device from a remote application server.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, the barcode-reading application further comprising a decoder function configured to receive the image of the barcode, decode the image of the barcode, and generate data decoded from the image of the barcode.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the barcode-reading application requires a license key from a license server to enable operation of the decoder function.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, the barcode-reading application further comprising a licensing function configured to establish a network connection to the license server and obtain the license key from the license server.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, the memory further comprising an operating system that comprises an application retrieval system, wherein the application retrieval system is configured to download the barcode-reading application to the mobile device from the remote application server.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the application retrieval system is further configured to obtain a decoder application from the remote application server.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the decoder application requires a license key from a license server to enable operation.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mirror is a flat mirror.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mirror is a convex mirror.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile device comprises a face surface and a back-side surface;

the face surface and the back-side surface are parallel;

the photo sensor array is parallel to the face surface and the back-side surface;

the mirror is positioned on an axis that extends from a center of the photo sensor array, perpendicular to the photo sensor array; and

the lens assembly is displaced from the mirror in a direction parallel to the photo sensor array and by a distance that is less than half of a dimension of the photo sensor array.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the lens assembly has a field of view beyond a top edge of the mobile device, and wherein the top edge of the mobile device is substantially perpendicular to the face surface and the back-side surface.

12. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mirror is placed in the center of the photo sensor array.

13. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the photo sensor array is included in an integrated circuit package.

14. A barcode reader, comprising:

a photo sensor array;

an optic system for focusing an image of a barcode on the photo sensor array, the optic system including a lens assembly and a mirror, wherein both the mirror and the lens assembly are positioned above the photo sensor array, and wherein the mirror is located on an image side of the optic system and folds an optical path onto the photo sensor array;

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

a barcode-reading application stored in the memory, wherein the barcode-reading application comprises a relay function configured to transmit data decoded from the image of the barcode to a remote server via a wireless connection.

15. The barcode reader of claim 14, the barcode-reading application further comprising a decoder function configured to receive the image of the barcode, decode the image of the barcode, and generate data decoded from the image of the barcode.

16. The barcode reader of claim 15, wherein the barcode-reading application requires a license key from a license server to enable operation of the decoder function.

17. The barcode reader of claim 16, the barcode-reading application further comprising a licensing function configured to establish a network connection to the license server and obtain the license key from the license server.

18. The barcode reader of claim 14, the memory further comprising an operating system that comprises an application retrieval system, wherein the application retrieval system is configured to obtain the barcode-reading application from a remote application server.

19. The barcode reader of claim 18, wherein the application retrieval system is further configured to obtain a decoder application from the remote application server.

20. The barcode reader of claim 19, wherein the decoder application requires a license key from a license server to enable operation.