Handheld imaging device employing planar light illumination and linear imaging with image-based velocity detection and aspect ratio compensation
First Claim
1. A hand-held imaging device comprising:
- a plurality of linear imaging arrays and image formation optics that provide field of views corresponding to the plurality of linear image arrays;
at least one illumination module that produces planar light illumination that substantially overlaps the field of views corresponding to the plurality of linear imaging arrays; and
image processing circuitry that analyzes pixel data values of a plurality of composite 2D images each derived from sequential image capture operations of a corresponding one linear imaging array to derive velocity data that represents an estimated velocity of the imaging device with respect to a target object disposed in said field of views, and produces a first image of portions of said target object having substantially constant aspect ratio based upon said velocity data; and
wherein said plurality of linear imaging arrays, image formation optics, at least one illumination module, and image processing circuitry are embodied within a hand-holdable housing that is moved by hand movement past the target object to produce the first image of portions of said target object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-held imaging device includes a plurality of linear imaging arrays, image formation optics, at least one illumination module and image processing circuitry that are embodied within a hand-holdable housing that is moved by hand movement past a target object to capture images of the target object. The plurality of linear imaging arrays and image formation optics provide field of views corresponding to the plurality of linear image arrays. The at least one illumination module produces planar light illumination that substantially overlaps the field of views corresponding to the plurality of linear imaging arrays. The image processing circuitry performs image-based velocity estimation operations, which analyzes pixel data values of a plurality of composite 2D images each derived from sequential image capture operations of a corresponding one linear imaging array to derive velocity data that represents an estimated velocity of the imaging device with respect to target object. The image processing circuitry produces a first image of portions of the target object, the first image having substantially constant aspect ratio, utilizing image transformation operations (or camera control operations) that are based upon the velocity data, to thereby compensate for aspect ratio distortions that would otherwise result from variations in velocity of the imaging device with respect to the target object(s). In addition, the image processing circuitry preferably carries out image-based horizontal jitter estimation and compensation operations, which estimate the horizontal jitter of the imaging device relative to the target object over the image capture operations from which the first image is derived, and transform the first image utilizing shift operations that are based upon such estimated horizontal jitter to produce a second image of portions of the target object which compensates for horizontal jitter distortion that would otherwise result therefrom. The first image, second image (or image derived from sharpening the first or second images) is preferably subject to image-based bar code detection operations and/or OCR operations carried out by the image processing circuitry, or output for display to a display device.
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Citations
76 Claims
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1. A hand-held imaging device comprising:
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a plurality of linear imaging arrays and image formation optics that provide field of views corresponding to the plurality of linear image arrays;
at least one illumination module that produces planar light illumination that substantially overlaps the field of views corresponding to the plurality of linear imaging arrays; and
image processing circuitry that analyzes pixel data values of a plurality of composite 2D images each derived from sequential image capture operations of a corresponding one linear imaging array to derive velocity data that represents an estimated velocity of the imaging device with respect to a target object disposed in said field of views, and produces a first image of portions of said target object having substantially constant aspect ratio based upon said velocity data; and
wherein said plurality of linear imaging arrays, image formation optics, at least one illumination module, and image processing circuitry are embodied within a hand-holdable housing that is moved by hand movement past the target object to produce the first image of portions of said target object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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Specification