Optical reader having a color imager

• US 20040155110A1
• Filed: 01/26/2004
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Data Collection Inc (Welch Allyn Incorporated)
• Inventors: Longacre, Andrew Jr., Ehrhart, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,287,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/469
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40062 Discrimination between different image types, e.g. two-tone, continuous tone

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for managing mail/parcel item delivery. The mail/parcel item includes an optical indicia disposed thereon. The method includes capturing a first color image of the item. The first color image is stored in an electronic memory. A second color image of the optical indicia is captured. The optical indicia is decoded to thereby generate decoded data. The first color image is associated with the second color image and/or the decoded data. As a result, the first color image and the second color image and/or the decoded data are linked in the electronic memory. An image is displayed that includes the first color image and at least the decoded data.

Claims

1. A method for managing mail/parcel item delivery, the mail/parcel item including an optical indicia disposed thereon, the method comprising:

capturing a first color image of the item;

storing the first color image in an electronic memory;

capturing a second color image of the optical indicia;

decoding the optical indicia to thereby generate decoded data;

associating the first color image with the second color image and/or the decoded data, the first color image and the second color image and/or the decoded data being linked in the electronic memory; and

displaying an image including the first color image and at least the decoded data.