Handheld code reader having a motion sensor

• US 10,482,296 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2018
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Inventors: Joussen, Mario, Kesten, Jorg, Nunnink, Laurens
• Primary Examiner(s): Gudorf, Laura A
• Application Number:
  US16/122,133
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1091 means to wake up the scanner from a sleep mode, e.g. using an acceleration sensor indicating that the scanner is being picked up by a user

Abstract

A code reader includes an image acquisition system to acquire a plurality of images. A sensor detects motion of the code reader, and a processor is operatively coupled to the image acquisition system and the sensor. The processor performs a plurality of steps including associating a first detected motion data with one of the plurality of acquired images; associating a second detected motion data with a subsequent one of the plurality of acquired images; attempting to decode the one of the plurality of acquired images; determining if the second detected motion data is preferred over the first detected motion data; and attempting to decode the subsequent one of the plurality of acquired images when the second detected motion data is preferred over the first detected motion data.

Claims

1. A code reader comprising:

an image acquisition system, the image acquisition system to acquire low resolution images and high resolution images, and to acquire a brightness level for at least one of the low resolution images and high resolution images;

a sensor to detect motion of the code reader;

a processor operatively coupled to the image acquisition system and the sensor, the processor to perform the steps of;

instructing the image acquisition system to acquire a first image at a first exposure time;

determining if a brightness level of the first image at the first exposure time provides an acceptable exposure time for image decoding;

determining if a motion level of the code reader is above or below a motion level threshold, the motion level threshold based on the acceptable exposure time;

when the motion level of the code reader is below the motion level threshold, and when the exposure time provides the acceptable exposure time, determining if the first image is a low resolution image or a high resolution image; and

if the first image is a high resolution image, attempting to decode the high resolution image.

2. The code reader of claim 1, further including, if the first image is a low resolution image, acquiring a new high resolution image.

3. The code reader of claim 2, further including when the motion level of the code reader is below the motion level threshold, and when the exposure time provides the acceptable exposure time, attempting to decode the high resolution image.

4. The code reader of claim 1, further including instructing the image acquisition system to acquire at least one high resolution image at the acceptable exposure time.

5. The code reader of claim 1, further including:

monitoring at least one of movement and orientation of the code reader; and

changing from a first recipe to a second recipe based on the at least one of movement and orientation of the reader.

6. The code reader of claim 1, further including:

instructing the image acquisition system to acquire a second image at a second exposure time; and

prioritizing the first image and the second image based on the motion level of the code reader during acquiring the first image and the motion level of the code reader during acquiring the second image.

7. The code reader of claim 1, further including if the brightness level of the first image at the first exposure time does not provide the acceptable exposure time for image decoding, acquiring additional images using progressively longer exposure times until the acceptable exposure time is determined.

8. The code reader of claim 1, further including if the motion level is above the predetermined threshold, discarding the first image and acquiring a new image.

9. The code reader of claim 1, wherein the code reader is a handheld code reader.

10. The code reader of claim 1, further including associating detected motion data with each of a plurality of acquired images.

11. The code reader of claim 1, further including:

determining detected motion data is below a predetermined detected motion data threshold; and

instructing the image acquisition system to acquire a plurality of images when the detected motion is below the predetermined threshold.

12. The code reader of claim 1, further including determining if image decoding is in process on the first image.

13. A method for use with a code reader, the method comprising:

providing an image acquisition system, the image acquisition system acquiring low resolution images and high resolution images, and acquiring a brightness level for at least one of the low resolution images and high resolution images;

providing a sensor detecting motion of the code reader;

providing a processor operatively coupled to the image acquisition system and the sensor, the processor performing the steps of;

instructing the image acquisition system to acquire a first image at a first exposure time;

determining if a brightness level of the first image at the first exposure time provides an acceptable exposure time for image decoding;

determining if a motion level of the code reader is above or below a motion level threshold, the motion level threshold based on the acceptable exposure time;

when the motion level of the code reader is below the motion level threshold, and when the exposure time provides the acceptable exposure time, determining if the first image is a low resolution image or a high resolution image; and

if the first image is a high resolution image, attempting to decode the high resolution image.

14. A system comprising:

an image acquisition system, the image acquisition system to acquire a plurality of images;

a sensor to detect motion of the image acquisition system; and

a processor operatively coupled to the image acquisition system and the sensor, the processor to perform the steps of;

instructing the image acquisition system to acquire a first image at a first exposure time, wherein the first image has a first resolution;

determining if a brightness level of the first image at the first exposure time provides an acceptable exposure time for image decoding;

determining if a motion level of the image acquisition system during acquisition of the first image is above or below a motion level threshold, the motion level threshold based on the acceptable exposure time;

when the motion level of the image acquisition system is below the motion level threshold, and when the first exposure time provides the acceptable exposure time,

determining if the first image is a low resolution image or a high resolution image based on the first resolution;

when the first image is the low resolution image, instructing the image acquisition system to acquire a second image at the first exposure time, wherein the second image has a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution; and

attempting to decode the second image.

15. The system of claim 14, further including:

determining a second motion level of the image acquisition system during acquisition of the second image;

instructing the image acquisition system to acquire a third image at the first exposure time;

comparing a third motion level of the image acquisition system during acquisition of the third image to the motion level of the image acquisition system during acquisition of the second image; and

when the third motion level is preferred compared to the second motion level, aborting the image decoding of the second image.

16. The system of claim 14, further including indicating, during decoding of the second image, at least one of a progress value and a likelihood of successful processing of the second image.

17. The system of claim 16, further including determining if the image decoding of the second image should be aborted based on at least one of the progress value and the likelihood of successful processing.

18. The system of claim 14, further including:

determining if a motion level of the image acquisition system during acquisition of a subsequent image is lower than the motion level of the image acquisition system during acquisition of the second image; and

attempting to decode the subsequent image when the motion level associated with the subsequent image is preferred over the motion level associated with the second motion level.

19. The system of claim 14, further including:

determining if a motion level of the image acquisition system during acquisition of a subsequent image is preferred to the motion level associated with the second image; and

continuing image decoding of the second image if the motion level associated with the subsequent image is not preferred.

20. The system of claim 14, further including:

instructing the image acquisition system to acquire a third image at a second exposure time, wherein the third image has the first resolution; and

when the second exposure time does not provide the acceptable exposure time, instructing the image acquisition system to acquire the first image at the first exposure time.