Sorting/scanning system camera upgrade apparatus with backwards compatibility

• US 10,366,299 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bull HN Information Systems Incorporated (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Bull HN Information Systems Incorporated (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Bowne, David Lowell, Kiani, Shahrom, Macia, Carlos, Guenthner, Russell W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yentrapati, Avinash
• Application Number:
  US13/650,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20140105452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,482 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/20 Image preprocessing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/94 Hardware or software architectures specially adapted for image or video understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition

Abstract

A scanning camera upgrade adaptor system provides backwards compatibility when an existing scanning camera subsystem is replaced or upgraded in automated sorting equipment with a newer camera having a different data format. The adaptor system allows sorting equipment such as mail sorting equipment to be upgraded or repaired with a new camera while providing compatibility and optional fallback to a previous mode of operation of the existing equipment. The upgrade system enables legacy equipment and newly added sorting/processing equipment to be utilized in conjunction, while reducing cost of upgrade and necessity for completely new equipment as desirable features are added.

Claims

1. An apparatus for improving a scanning and sorting system that processes a plurality of postal items having printed physical address identification image data on a surface thereof, the scanning and sorting system including a legacy lower resolution camera for generating image data in legacy data formats and reduced resolutions and legacy image processing equipment for processing the legacy image data, the apparatus comprising:

a camera generating higher resolution image data than the legacy lower resolution camera, the higher resolution camera adapted to capture higher resolution images of the physical address identification image data from the surface of the postal items being scanned including the printed physical address identification data; and

a scanning adaptor device interposed between the higher resolution camera and the legacy image processing equipment to provide compatibility between the higher resolution camera and the legacy image processing equipment, the scanning adaptor device including;

an input connector arranged to couple the scanning adaptor device to the higher resolution camera and to enable reception of the higher resolution image data from the higher resolution camera via a higher resolution data signal;

an image format conversion apparatus configured to convert the higher resolution image data including the physical address identification image data received via the higher resolution signal into legacy-compatible image data, the legacy compatible image data having a data format and reduced resolution that is compatible with the legacy image processing equipment and including the physical address identification image data; and

a backward-compatible legacy connector arranged to couple the scanning adaptor device to the legacy image processing equipment and to enable transmission of the legacy-compatible image data from the scanning adaptor device to the legacy image processing equipment via a legacy data signal,

wherein the legacy data signal is consistent with the data format and electrical signaling characteristics required by the legacy image processing equipment, and

wherein the backward-compatible legacy connector is dimensionally configured to facilitate physical attachment to the legacy image processing equipment,

wherein the input connector is further configured to accommodate reception of one or more control signals from the higher resolution camera in a first format compatible with the higher resolution camera,

the image format conversion apparatus is further configured to convert the one or more control signals from the first format into a one or more control signals in a second format compatible with the legacy camera; and

the backward-compatible legacy connector is further configured to accommodate transmission of the control signals in the second format.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an image stamping apparatus configured to generate and embed in the legacy-compatible image data, an image identification stamp uniquely identifying each image and to associate it with a respective postal item being scanned and sorted.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a connector configured to provide higher resolution data that is equivalent to the higher resolution image data received from the higher resolution camera.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a connector configured to provide as an output from the scanning adaptor device, the higher resolution image data received from the higher resolution camera.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a tag generating apparatus configured to generate a plurality of higher resolution image identification tags that associate one or more of the higher resolution image data with corresponding one or more of the legacy-compatible image data that contain the embedded reduced resolution image identification stamp; and

at least one additional connector configured to provide as an output from the scanning adaptor device, the higher resolution image data along with their higher resolution image identification tags.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, further including a mechanism for selectively disabling the generation and embedding of the reduced resolution image identification tags within the legacy-compatible image data.

7. A scanning adaptor device for improving a scanning and sorting system that processes a plurality of postal items having printed physical address image identification data on a surface thereof, the scanning and sorting system including legacy image processing equipment for processing legacy image data in data formats and reduced resolutions provided by a legacy lower resolution camera and a higher resolution camera adapted to capture images of the physical address identification image data from the surface of the postal items being scanned including the printed physical address identification data at a higher resolution than the legacy lower resolution camera, the scanning adaptor device interposed between the higher resolution camera and the legacy image processing equipment and comprises:

an input connector arranged to couple the scanning adaptor device to the higher resolution camera and to enable reception of the higher resolution image data from the higher resolution camera via a higher resolution data signal;

an image format conversion apparatus configured to convert the higher resolution image data including the physical address identification image data received via the higher resolution signal into legacy-compatible image data, the legacy compatible image data having a data format and reduced resolution that is compatible with the legacy image processing equipment and including the physical address identification image data; and

a backward-compatible legacy connector arranged to couple the scanning adaptor device to the legacy image processing equipment and to enable transmission of the legacy-compatible image data from the scanning adaptor device to the legacy image processing equipment via a legacy data signal,

wherein the legacy data signal is consistent with the data format and electrical signaling characteristics required by the legacy image processing equipment, and

wherein the backward-compatible legacy connector is dimensionally configured to facilitate physical attachment to the legacy image processing equipment,

wherein the input connector is further configured to accommodate reception of one or more control signals from the higher resolution camera in a first format compatible with the higher resolution camera;

the image format conversion apparatus is further configured to convert the one or more control signals from the first format into a one or more control signals in a second format compatible with the legacy camera; and

the backward-compatible legacy connector is further configured to accommodate transmission of the control signals in the second format.

8. The scanning adaptor device of claim 7, further including an image stamping apparatus configured to generate and embed in the legacy-compatible image data, an image identification stamp uniquely identifying each image and to associate it with a respective postal item being scanned and sorted.

9. The scanning adaptor device of claim 7, further including a connector configured to provide higher resolution data that is equivalent to the higher resolution image data received from the higher resolution camera.

10. The scanning adaptor device of claim 7, further including a connector configured to provide as an output from the scanning adaptor device, the higher resolution image data received from the higher resolution camera.

11. The scanning adaptor device of claim 8, further comprising:

a tag generating apparatus configured to generate a plurality of higher resolution image identification tags that associate one or more of the higher resolution image data with corresponding one or more of the legacy-compatible image data that contain the embedded reduced resolution image identification stamp; and

at least one additional connector configured to provide as an output from the scanning adaptor device, the higher resolution image data along with their higher resolution image identification tags.

12. The scanning adaptor device of claim 8, further including a mechanism for selectively disabling the generation and embedding of the reduced resolution image identification tags within the legacy-compatible image data.

13. A method for improving a scanning and sorting system that processes a plurality of postal items having printed physical address image identification data on a surface thereof, the scanning and sorting system including a legacy lower resolution camera for generating image data in legacy data formats and reduced resolutions and legacy image processing equipment for processing the legacy image data, the method comprising:

providing a camera generating higher resolution image data than the legacy lower resolution camera, the higher resolution camera adapted to capture higher resolution images of the physical address identification image data from the surface of the postal items being scanned including the printed physical address identification data; and

interposing a scanning adaptor device between the higher resolution camera and the legacy image processing equipment to provide compatibility between the higher resolution camera and the legacy image processing equipment, the scanning adaptor device configured for;

coupling, via an input connector, the scanning adaptor device to the higher resolution camera;

enabling, via the input connector, reception of the higher resolution image data from the higher resolution camera through a higher resolution data signal;

converting, via an image format conversion apparatus, the higher resolution image data including the physical address identification image data received through the higher resolution signal into legacy-compatible image data, the legacy compatible image data having a data format and reduced resolution that is compatible with the legacy image processing equipment and including the physical address identification image data;

coupling, via a backward-compatible legacy connector, the scanning adaptor device to the legacy image processing equipment; and

enabling, via the backward-compatible legacy connector, transmission of the legacy-compatible image data from the scanning adaptor device to the legacy image processing equipment via a legacy data signal,

wherein the legacy data signal is consistent with the data format and electrical signaling characteristics required by the legacy image processing equipment, and

wherein the backward-compatible legacy connector is dimensionally configured to facilitate physical attachment to the legacy image processing equipment,

configuring the input connector to accommodate reception of one or more control signals from the higher resolution camera in a first format compatible with the higher resolution camera,

configuring the image format conversion apparatus to convert the one or more control signals from the first format into a one or more control signals in a second format compatible with the legacy camera; and

configuring the backward-compatible legacy connector to accommodate transmission of the control signals in the second format.

14. The method of claim 13, further including generating and embedding in the legacy-compatible image data, via an image stamping apparatus, an image identification stamp uniquely identifying each image and to associate it with a respective postal item being scanned and sorted.

15. The method of claim 13, further including providing connector configured to provide higher resolution data that is equivalent to the higher resolution image data received from the higher resolution camera.

16. The method of claim 13, further including providing a connector configured to provide as an output from the scanning adaptor device, the higher resolution image data received from the higher resolution camera.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating, via tag generating apparatus, a plurality of higher resolution image identification tags that associate one or more of the higher resolution image data with corresponding one or more of the legacy-compatible image data that contain the embedded reduced resolution image identification stamp; and

providing at least one additional connector configured to provide as an output from the scanning adaptor device, the higher resolution image data along with their higher resolution image identification tags.

18. The method of claim 14, further including providing a mechanism for selectively disabling the generation and embedding of the reduced resolution image identification tags within the legacy-compatible image data.

19. A method for improving a scanning and sorting system that processes a plurality of postal items having printed physical address image identification data on a surface thereof, the scanning and sorting system including legacy image processing equipment for processing legacy image data in data formats and reduced resolutions provided by a legacy lower resolution camera and a higher resolution camera adapted to capture images of the physical address identification image data from the surface of the postal items being scanned including the printed physical address identification data at a higher resolution than the legacy lower resolution camera, the method comprising:

interposing a scanning adaptor device between the higher resolution camera and the legacy image processing equipment to provide compatibility between the higher resolution camera and the legacy image processing equipment, the scanning adaptor device configured for;

coupling, via an input connector, the scanning adaptor device to the higher resolution camera;

enabling, via the input connector, reception of the higher resolution image data from the higher resolution camera through a higher resolution data signal;

converting, via an image format conversion apparatus, the higher resolution image data including the physical address identification image data received through the higher resolution signal into legacy-compatible image data, the legacy compatible image data having a data format and reduced resolution that is compatible with the legacy image processing equipment and including the physical address identification image data;

coupling, via a backward-compatible legacy connector, the scanning adaptor device to the legacy image processing equipment; and

enabling, via the backward-compatible legacy connector, transmission of the legacy-compatible image data from the scanning adaptor device to the legacy image processing equipment via a legacy data signal,

wherein the legacy data signal is consistent with the data format and electrical signaling characteristics required by the legacy image processing equipment, and

wherein the backward-compatible legacy connector is dimensionally configured to facilitate physical attachment to the legacy image processing equipment,

configuring the input connector to accommodate reception of one or more control signals from the higher resolution camera in a first format compatible with the higher resolution camera,

configuring the image format conversion apparatus to convert the one or more control signals from the first format into a one or more control signals in a second format compatible with the legacy camera; and

configuring the backward-compatible legacy connector to accommodate transmission of the control signals in the second format.

20. The method of claim 19, further including generating and embedding in the legacy-compatible image data, via an image stamping apparatus, an image identification stamp uniquely identifying each image and to associate it with a respective postal item being scanned and sorted.

21. The method of claim 19, further including providing connector configured to provide higher resolution data that is equivalent to the higher resolution image data received from the higher resolution camera.

22. The method of claim 19, further including providing a connector configured to provide as an output from the scanning adaptor device, the higher resolution image data received from the higher resolution camera.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

generating, via tag generating apparatus, a plurality of higher resolution image identification tags that associate one or more of the higher resolution image data with corresponding one or more of the legacy-compatible image data that contain the embedded reduced resolution image identification stamp; and

providing at least one additional connector configured to provide as an output from the scanning adaptor device, the higher resolution image data along with their higher resolution image identification tags.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, further including providing a mechanism for selectively disabling the generation and embedding of the reduced resolution image identification tags within the legacy-compatible image data.