Hand-supportable imaging-based bar code symbol reader having a multi-mode bar code symbol image processor dynamically reconfigurable in response to real-time image processing operations carried out on captured images
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-supportable Digital Imaging-Based Bar Code Symbol Reading Device comprises: an IR-based Object Presence and Range Detection Subsystem; a Multi-Mode Area-type Image Formation and Detection Subsystem having narrow-area and wide area image capture modes of operation; a Multi-Mode LED-based Illumination Subsystem having narrow-area and wide area illumination modes of operation; an Automatic Light Exposure Measurement and Illumination Control Subsystem; an Image Capturing and Buffering Subsystem; a Multi-Mode Image-Processing Bar Code Symbol Reading Subsystem; an Input/Output Subsystem; a manually-activatable trigger switch; a System Mode Configuration Parameter Table; and a System Control Subsystem integrated with each of the above-described subsystems. The digital imaging-based bar code reading device employs a multi-mode bar code symbol image processor that is dynamically reconfigurable in response to real-time image processing operations carried out on captured digital images.
106 Citations
76 Claims
-
1-56. -56. (canceled)
-
57. A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading device supporting narrow-area and wide-area modes of illumination and image capture, said hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading device comprising:
-
a hand-supportable housing;
a multi-mode area-type image formation and detection subsystem having image formation optics for producing a field of view (FOV) upon an object to be imaged and an area-type image sensing array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations in either (i) a narrow-area image capture mode in which a few central rows of pixels on the image sensing array are enabled, or (ii) a wide-area image capture mode in which substantially all rows of the image sensing array are enabled;
a multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem for producing narrow and wide area fields of narrow-band illumination within the FOV of said image formation and detection subsystem during narrow and wide area modes of image capture, respectively;
an image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering 2-D images detected by the image formation and detection subsystem;
a multimode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem for automatically processing images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and reading 1D and 2D bar code symbols represented therein;
an input/output subsystem for outputting processed image data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device, and a system control subsystem for controlling and coordinating each said subsystem component described above in accordance with a method of controlled subsystem operation including the steps of, (i) said multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem producing a narrow area field of narrow-band illumination within the FOV of said image formation and detection subsystem, (ii) said image capturing and buffering subsystem automatically capturing and buffering a 1d digital image during a narrow image capture mode of said image capturing and buffering subsystem, (iii) said multi-mode image processing bar code symbol reading subsystem processing said 1D digital image in effort to read a 1D bar code symbol represented therein, but upon said multi-mode image processing bar code symbol reading subsystem failing to successfully read said 1D bar code symbol represented therein, (iv) said multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem automatically producing a wide area field of narrow-band illumination within the FOV of said image formation and detection subsystem, (v) said image capturing and buffering subsystem capturing and buffering a 2D digital image during a wide image capture mode of said image capturing and buffering subsystem, and (vi) said multi-mode image processing bar code symbol reading subsystem being dynamically reconfigured in real-time so as to process said 2D digital image in effort to read a 1D or 2D bar code symbol represented therein. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
-
Specification