Optical code reader for producing video displays

• US 20040211836A1
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Bianculli, Thomas, Patel, Mehul, Poloniewicz, Paul, He, Duanfeng, Joseph, Eugene, Correa, Mark, Shepard, Howard
• Granted Patent: US 7,946,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.11
• 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: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An imaging optical code reader is adapted for use in producing video displays and for use in motion detection surveillance using video compression and narrow band width communication links. An optical system including a plane parallel plate may be employed to change the system focal distance. The imaging optical code reader is also adapted for measurement of physical parameters of a target object including motion, distance, weight and dimensions.

Claims

1-5. -5. (Canceled)

6. An optical code decoding system comprising:

an imaging apparatus for obtaining and displaying video image signals comprising;

an optical code reader including;

a two dimensional image sensor for sensing light incident on the image sensor and generating image data corresponding to the sensing when operating in an optical code reading mode the image data including data corresponding to at least a portion of a captured optical code, and video data corresponding to the sensing when operating in a video data communication mode, the video data output at at least three frames per second,

means for compressing said video data;

a host terminal with a communication port and display;

a narrow band width data link over which compressed video data from the optical code reader are communicated to the communication port of the host terminal; and

at least one processor for decoding the optical code captured at least partially by at least the image data.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises means for detecting and processing a command bar code for switching the optical code reader between the optical code reading mode and the video data communication mode.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the optical code reader includes a microprocessor and output driver for communication with the host terminal, and wherein the communication port of the host terminal is a serial communication port for receiving the compressed video data and for receiving decoded information corresponding to optical codes read by the optical code reader.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the narrow band width data link is a cable connected between the optical code reader and the communication port of the host terminal.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the narrow band width data link is a radio frequency transmitter and receiver.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the narrow band width data link is an infrared transmitter and receiver.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises means for detecting motion in a field of view of the optical code reader.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein motion is detected by monitoring the bandwidth of the compressed video signal.

36. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor further measures a physical parameter of an object from at least one of the image data and the video data.

37. The system of claim 6, wherein the imaging apparatus is used to perform optical code reading and to perform area surveillance.

14. A method for reading an optical code disposed on an object and obtaining at least one physical parameter of said object, comprising the steps of:

providing an optical code reader configured for acquiring image data including data corresponding to at least a portion of a target optical code and video data, and outputting the video data at at least three frames per second; and

performing motion detection using the optical code reader comprising the steps of;

positioning an image sensor of the optical code reader so that a field of view of the image sensor includes a region to be monitored for motion;

switching the optical code reader from an optical code reading mode for processing the image data to a video mode for processing the video data;

analyzing video data corresponding to the field of view of the image sensor comprising;

identifying changes between sets of frames of the video data corresponding to the field of view; and

monitoring the frequency of the changes between the sets of frames of the video data corresponding to the field of view to identify frequency changes indicative of the movement of objects of interest in the field of view.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

compressing the video data corresponding to the field of view;

transmitting the compressed video data from the optical code reader to a terminal; and

displaying an image corresponding to the field of view of the image sensor at the terminal based on detection of motion in the field of view in accordance with the identification of frequency changes.

31. The method of claim 14, farther comprising the steps of:

measuring orthogonal dimensions of a rectangular solid object in the field of view of the image sensor, comprising the steps of;

obtaining pixel information for the field of view of the image sensor;

determining a distance between the object and the image sensor;

determining the angles between edges of the rectangular solid meeting at a nearest corner of the object and determining an imaged length of edges of the rectangular solid to be measured from the pixel information; and

scaling the determined image length of the edges responsive to the determined angles and determined distance between the rectangular solid and the image sensor to obtain an approximation of the actual length of said edges.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the distance between the object and the image sensor is determined from a detected image of an aiming pattern projected onto the object.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the distance between the object and the image sensor is determined from at least one image dimension of an optical code symbol of known size on the object.

16-30. -30. (Canceled)

34-35. -35. (Canceled)

38. An imaging device for reading optical codes and providing video image signals comprising:

an image sensor having a field of view;

a manually actuated trigger switch for initiation of reading an optical code in the field of view of the image sensor;

output circuitry for selectively outputting one of video data generated by the image sensor at at least three image frames per second corresponding to a dynamic two dimensional image in the field of view of the image sensor; and

data corresponding to the reading of the optical code.

39. The imaging device of claim 38, further comprising:

means for monitoring the frequency of changes between frames of video data to identify frequency changes indicative of the movement of objects of interest in the field of view.

40. The imaging device of claim 38, further comprising a display at a remote terminal for monitoring and displaying an image corresponding to the field of view of the image sensor.