Indicia reading device

• US 20020191830A1
• Filed: 07/29/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Pidhirny, John M., Casey, John L., Jost, Kevin R., Britton, Thomas D.
• Application Number:
  US10/207,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191830A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/16 Handling flexible sheets, e.g. cheques
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/084 sensing magnetic material by relative movement detecting flux changes without altering its magnetised state
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2253 Recognition of characters printed with magnetic ink G06V30/2247 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention is an improved indicia reader which, in addition to having magnetically encoded information reading capabilities in one embodiment, includes image sensing capabilities. A compact housing is provided which receives an indicia bearing member. Mounted on the housing in one embodiment are an imaging assembly, and a magnetically encoded information reader, which form an indicia-determining unit, and a transport mechanism for transporting the indicia-determining unit and a received member relative to one another. The reader may further includes a data format engine in communication with the indicia-determining unit.

Claims

1. A data collection device for reading indicia of an indicia bearing member, said data collection device comprising:

a housing;

a feed path at least partially defined by said housing;

an automatic transporter disposed in said housing, said automatic transporter automatically transporting said document through said feed path;

an imaging assembly disposed in said housing in such position relative to said automatic transporter that said device captures image information based on an output of said imaging assembly while said member is manually moved proximate said feed path prior to being automatically moved by said automatic transporter; and

a data format engine coupled with said imaging assembly for decoding decodable indicia represented in said image information.

2. The data collection device of claim 1, further comprising an information reader disposed in said housing in such position relative to said transporter that said information reader reads information of said document while said document is automatically transported by said automatic transporter.

3. The data collection device of claim 2, wherein said information reader comprises a magnetically encoded information reader.

4. The data collection device of claim 1, wherein said automatic transport included at least one roller, wherein said feed path extends forwardly from said at least one roller, and wherein said imaging assembly is disposed in said housing forwardly of said at least one roller.

5. The data collection device of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a loading platform extending forwardly from said transporter and partially defining said feed path, and wherein said imaging assembly is disposed so that said device captures image information based on an output of said imaging assembly wile said document is manually moved over said loading platform.

6. The data collection device of claim 1, wherein said automatic transport transports said documents in a first direction, and wherein said imaging assembly includes a 1D image sensor disposed to capture a slice image extending in a direction transverse to said first direction.

7. The data collection device of claim 1, wherein said imaging assembly includes a 2D camera type image sensor.

8. A portable data collection device for reading indicia of an indicia-bearing member, said data collection device comprising:

a housing;

a feed path at least partially defined by said housing;

an automatic transporter disposed in said housing, said automatic transporter automatically transporting said indicia-bearing member through at least a part of said feed path;

a first information reader disposed in said housing for reading information from sad member while said document is automatically moved by said automatic transport; and

a second information reader disposed in said housing in such position relative to said automatic transporter that said second information reader reads information of said document while said document is manually moved proximate said feed path prior to being automatically moved by said automatic transporter.

9. The data collection device of claim 8, wherein said first information reader includes a magnetically-encoded information reader.

10. The data collection device of claim 8, wherein said second information reader includes an imaging assembly.

11. The data collection device of claim 8, wherein second information reader includes an imaging assembly, wherein said device is adapted to capture image information based on an output of said imaging assembly, and wherein said device further includes a data format engine coupled with said imaging assembly for decoding decodable indicia represented in image information captured by said device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said device further includes a data format engine, said data format engine decoding decodable indicia which is represented in said image information.

14. The device of claim 12, further comprising an a automatic transporter for automatically transporting said indicia bearing member through said feed slot.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein said feed path is further partially defined by a loading platform extending forwardly from said inlet slot, wherein said imaging assembly is disposed in said housing in such position that said device captures image information of said member while said member is manually moved proximate said loading platform.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein said device is a desk top device.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein said device is battery powered.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein said loading platform is horizontally oriented.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein said device further includes a data format engine, said data format engine decoding decodable indicia which is represented in said image information.

21. The device of claim 18, further comprising an automatic transporter for automatically transporting said indicia bearing member through said feed slot.

22. The device of claim 18, wherein said feed path is further partially defined by a loading platform extending forwardly from said inlet slot, wherein said imaging assembly is disposed in said housing in such position that said device captures image information of said member while said member is manually moved proximate said loading platform.

23. The device of claim 18, wherein said device is a desk top device.

24. The device of claim 18, wherein dais device is battery powered.

26. The data collection device of claim 25, further comprising a data format engine, said data format engine decoding decodable indicia represented in said complete side image.

27. The data collection device of claim 25, wherein said data collection device is adapted to upload said complete side image to a host system.

28. The data collection device of claim 25, wherein said data collection device is adapted to upload said complete side image to a host system.

29. The data collection device of claim 25, further comprising a display.

30. The data collection device of claim 25, further including a keyboard for entering information into said device.

12. A data collection device comprising:

a housing having a feed path partially defined by an inlet slot for receiving a transportable member bearing encoded information; and

an imaging assembly including a 2D matrix camera disposed in said housing, wherein said device is adapted to capture information based on an output of said imaging assembly, wherein said imaging assembly is disposed so that said device captures said image information of said member while said member is manually moved relative to said inlet slot prior to being received in said inlet slot.

18. A data collection device comprising:

a housing having a feed path partially defined by an inlet slot for receiving a transportable member bearing encoded information, and partially defined by a loading platform extending forwardly from said inlet slot; and

an imaging assembly disposed in said housing and being directed toward said loading platform, wherein said device is adapted to capture image information based on an output of said imaging assembly, wherein said imaging assembly is disposed so that said device captures said image information while said member is manually moved proximate said loading platform.

25. A data collection device for collecting data from an indicia bearing transportable member, said device comprising:

a desk top housing including a feed path partially defined by an inlet slot;

a magnetically encoded information reader disposed in said housing proximate said feed path, said magnetically encoded information reader generating an output corresponding to magnetically encoded information of said member; and

an imaging assembly disposed in said housing proximate said feed path, wherein said device is adapted to capture a complete side image corresponding to a complete side of said transportable member; and

a battery for powering said data collection device.

31. An identification system comprising:

an indicia bearing member, wherein said indicia bearing member includes a decodable indicia encoding information which when decoded results in a near-photograph quality electronic representation of a person authorized to present said indicia-bearing member being generated;

a data collection device, adapted to receive and process said indicia-bearing member, said data collection device comprising;

a housing including an inlet slot for receiving said indicia-bearing member;

an imaging assembly disposed in said housing, wherein said device is adapted to capture an image corresponding to a complete side of said member including said decodable indicia based on an output of said imaging assembly;

a display incorporated in said housing;

a data format engine in communication with said imaging assembly, said data form at engine decoding said decodable indicia of said complete side image to generate said near-photograph quality electronic representation of said authorized presenter of said indicia-bearing member;

wherein said device is adapted to display on said display said electronic representation of said authorized presenter, and wherein said device further is adapted to upload said image corresponding to a complete side of said member to a host system.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said indicia bearing member included magnetically encoded information and wherein said device further includes a magnetically encoded information reader.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein said member is provided by a personal check.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein said data collection device is battery powered.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein said member comprises paper.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein said device is portable.