Decoder board for an optical reader utilizing a plurality of imaging formats

• US 20040134989A1
• Filed: 01/09/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Longacre, Andrew Jr., Izzo, John, Gardiner, Robert C., Pettinelli, John, Meier, Timothy P., Koziol, Thomas J., Harper, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,086,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10574 Multiple sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1098 the scanning arrangement having a modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1439 including a method step for retrieval of the optical code

Abstract

The invention is a microprocessor-based decoder board for an optical reader having a plurality of imaging modules that provide frames of image data having a plurality of formats. In one method for operating the decoder board of the invention, and a multiple imaging module reader comprising the decoder board, a frame of image data captured by a selected imaging module is decoded. The decoder board determines the format of the frame of image data from information about which of the plurality of imaging modules provided the frame of image data or from information about the frame of image data, activates as necessary a command to prepare the decoder board to decode the frame of image data according to the format provided by the imaging module, and performs the decoding.

Claims

1. A circuit component for an optical reader, the optical reader utilizing a selected one of a one-dimensional (1D) imaging module and a two-dimensional (2D) imaging module, comprising:

a microprocessor-based decoder module that, when operative, decodes a frame of image data provided by a selected one of said one-dimensional (1D) imaging module and said two-dimensional (2D) imaging module;

said decoding being responsive to information selected from one of information relating to said selected imaging module and information relating to said frame of image data.

2. The circuit component of claim 1, wherein said information relating to said selected imaging module comprises at least one of a bus address of said module, an ID code of said module, a model identifier of said module, and an electrical characteristic of said module.

3. The circuit component of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor-based decoder module, when operative, determines which of said 1D imaging module and said 2D imaging module provides a particular frame of image data.

4. The circuit component of claim 3, wherein the microprocessor-based decoder module, when operative, decodes said frame of image data according to said determination of which imaging module provided said frame.

5. The circuit component of claim 1, wherein said information relating to said frame of image data comprises information representing a frame size, information identifying a frame format, information identifying a word size, and information identifying a source of said frame.

6. The circuit component of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor-based decoder module decodes said frame of image data in a time period less than or equal one second.

7. The circuit component of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor-based decoder module decodes said frame of image data in a time period less than or equal to {fraction (1/30)}th of a second.

8. The circuit component of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor-based decoder module decodes said frame of image data in a time period less than or equal to {fraction (1/270)}th of a second.

9. The circuit component of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor-based decoder module comprises a microprocessor, a random access memory (RAM), and a read only memory (ROM).

10. The circuit component of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor-based decoder module comprises at least one of a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

11. The circuit component of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor-based decoder module comprises an integrated circuit device having integrated therein a microprocessor, an analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter, a direct memory access (DMA) channel, a bi-directional communication line for communication with an imaging module, and a channel for data receipt from an imaging module.

12. The circuit component of claim 11, wherein said integrated circuit device comprises a selected one of a semiconductor, an optical material, and a photonic bandgap material.

13. An optical reader comprising the circuit component of claim 1.

14. A method of decoding a frame of image data, the frame of image data having one of a 1D format and a 2D format, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one imaging module selected from a one-dimensional (1D) imaging module and a two-dimensional (2D) imaging module;

acquiring a frame of image data in said selected imaging module;

communicating said frame of image data to a microprocessor-based decoder module;

determining the format of the frame of image data;

as necessary, activating at least one command to prepare said microprocessor-based decoder module to decode said communicated frame of image data; and

decoding said communicated frame of imaging data accordingly.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the format of the frame of image data is determined in response to one of information about the selected imaging module that acquired the communicated frame of imaging data, and information about the communicated frame of image data.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said decoding step comprises converting 2D image data to at least one 1D representation of image data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said decoding step further comprises converting said at least one 1D representation of image data to transition location information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the steps of converting 2D image data to at least one 1D representation of image data, and converting said at least one 1D representation of image data to transition location information are performed iteratively.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining which of said 1D and said 2D imaging modules acquired said communicated frame further comprises evaluating a parameter characteristic of one of said 1D and said 2D imaging modules.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the decoding step further comprises executing a selected one of at least one computer instruction which when operating on a computer decodes a frame of image data acquired by said 1D imaging module and at least one computer instruction which when operating on a computer decodes a frame of image data acquired by said 2D imaging module.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said at least one computer instruction which when operating on a computer decodes a frame of image data acquired by said 1D imaging module comprises a plurality of computer instructions executed in sequence.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said at least one computer instruction which when operating on a computer decodes a frame of image data acquired by said 2D imaging module comprises a plurality of computer instructions executed in sequence.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein a time period of less than or equal to one second elapses in performing the steps of determining which of said selected imaging modules acquired said communicated frame of imaging data;

as necessary, activating at least one command to prepare said microprocessor-based decoder module to decode said communicated frame of image data; and

decoding said communicated frame of imaging data accordingly.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein a time period of less than or equal to {fraction (1/30)}th of a second elapses in performing the steps of determining which of said selected imaging modules acquired said communicated frame of imaging data;

as necessary, activating at least one command to prepare said microprocessor-based decoder module to decode said communicated frame of image data; and

decoding said communicated frame of imaging data accordingly.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein a time period of less than or equal to {fraction (1/270)}th of a second elapses in performing the steps of determining which of said selected imaging modules acquired said communicated frame of imaging data;

as necessary, activating at least one command to prepare said microprocessor-based decoder module to decode said communicated frame of image data; and

decoding said communicated frame of imaging data accordingly.

26. A computer program, recorded on a machine-readable medium, which when operative on a programmable computer performs the steps of:

receiving a frame of image data acquired by a selected one of a 1D imaging module and a two-dimensional (2D) imaging module;

determining which of said selected imaging modules acquired said received frame of imaging data; and

decoding said frame of imaging data accordingly.

27. The computer program of claim 26, wherein said decoding step comprises converting 2D image data to at least one 1D representation of image data.

28. The computer program of claim 27, wherein said decoding step further comprises converting said at least one 1D representation of image data to transition location information.

29. The computer program of claim 28, wherein the steps of converting 2D image data to at least one 1D representation of image data, and converting said at least one 1D representation of image data to transition location information are performed iteratively.

30. An optical reader comprising the computer program of claim 26.

31. A computer program, recorded on a machine-readable medium, comprising:

a module that receives a frame of image data acquired by a selected one of a 1D imaging module and a two-dimensional (2D) imaging module;

a module that determines which of said selected imaging modules acquired said received frame of imaging data; and

a module that decodes said frame of imaging data accordingly.

32. A dynamically linked library module for communicating information from the computer program of claim 31 to said selected imaging module.

33. A dynamically linked library module for communicating image data from said selected imaging module to the module of the computer program of claim 31 that receives a frame of image data.

34. An optical reader comprising the computer program of claim 31.

35. A circuit board component for an optical reader, the optical reader utilizing at least one of a one-dimensional (1D) imaging module and a two-dimensional (2D) imaging module, comprising:

a circuit board substrate having at least one plane of electrical connecting structures thereon; and

an integrated circuit comprising a microprocessor-based decoder mounted on and electrically connected to the circuit board substrate to form a circuit board component, that, when operative, decodes a frame of image data provided by a selected one of said one-dimensional (1D) imaging module and said two-dimensional (2D) imaging module.

36. The circuit board component of claim 35, further comprising:

a connector in electrical communication with said integrated circuit;

wherein said connector provides the ability to demountably electrically connect said integrated circuit and at least one of said 1D imaging module and said 2D imaging module.

37. The circuit board component of claim 36, further comprising:

at least one of said 1D imaging module and said 2D imaging module.

38. An optical reader comprising the circuit board component of claim 35.

39. An electrical component for an optical reader, the optical reader utilizing at least one of a one-dimensional (1D) imaging module and a two-dimensional (2D) imaging module, comprising:

means for, when operative, decoding a frame of image data provided by a selected one of said one-dimensional (1D) imaging module and said two-dimensional (2D) imaging module.

40. The electrical component of claim 39, further comprising:

connector means, in electrical communication with said electrical component, that provides the ability to demountably electrically connect said electrical component and at least one of said 1D imaging module and said 2D imaging module.

41. The electrical component of claim 39, further comprising:

at least one of said 1D imaging module and said 2D imaging module.

42. An optical reader comprising the electrical component of claim 39.