Imaging method and apparatus for object identification

• US 20060043188A1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Psion Teklogix Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Psion Teklogix Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kricorissian, Gregg
• Application Number:
  US10/927,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20060043188A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.80
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/14 using light-responsive detecting means for information carriers G06K7/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/96 Management of image or video recognition tasks

Abstract

The system for identifying objects comprises an imaging system, such as a CMOS imager or a CCD camera, for capturing images of the objects and for identifying certain objects from the captured images. An external processor, which is coupled to imaging system by a high-speed communications link, is adapted to identify objects from the captured images that are transmitted to it by the imaging system. The imaging system thus captures images of the objects passed by it and then identifies certain of the objects from the images due to its processing capacity. The external processor with its superior processing capacity identifies the objects from the captured images transmitted to it by the imaging system. The imaging system may be adapted to transmit the captured images of the objects that it cannot identify or to transmit all of the captured images of the objects to the external processor for parallel processing. The targets for the imaging system may be one or more regions of interest on the object such as symbology, barcodes, text, graphics or shapes.

Claims

1. A system for identifying objects comprising:

an imaging system for capturing images of the objects, the imaging system including a processor having means for identifying certain objects from the captured images;

an external processor having image recognition means for identifying the objects from the captured images; and

a high speed communications link coupling the imaging system and the external processor for carrying captured image data from the imaging system to the external processor.

2. A system for identifying objects as claimed in claim 1 wherein the imaging system further includes means for transmitting the captured images of the objects unidentified by the imaging system to the external processor.

3. A system for identifying objects as claimed in claim 1 wherein the imaging system further includes means for transmitting the captured images of the objects to the external processor.

4. A system for identifying objects as claimed in claim 1 wherein the imaging system comprises:

an image sensor;

an image processor;

a high speed port; and

a bus linking the sensor, image processor and the port.

5. A system for identifying objects as claimed in claim 4 wherein the imaging system comprises:

a memory for storing the captured images;

a memory for storing application software; and

a user interface.

7. A system for identifying objects as claimed in claim 1 wherein the imaging system is an electronic camera.

8. A system for identifying objects as claimed in claim 7 wherein the electronic camera is a CMOS imager.

9. A system for identifying objects as claimed in claim 7 wherein the electronic camera is a CCD camera.

10. A system for identifying objects as claimed in claim 1 wherein the objects are symbology, barcodes, text, graphics or shapes.

11. A system for identifying objects as claimed in claim 1 wherein the objects have regions of interest.

6. A system for identifying objects as claimed 5 in claim wherein the imaging system is contained in a handheld unit.

12. In an object identification system, having an imaging system, an external processor and a high-speed link coupling the imaging system and the processor, a method of identifying objects comprising:

passing the objects before the imaging system;

capturing images of the objects;

directing the imaging system to identify certain of the objects from the images;

transmitting images of the objects to the external processor; and

directing the external processor to identify the objects from the transmitted images.

13. The method of identifying objects as claimed in claim 12 comprising transmitting all of the captured images of the objects to the external processor.

14. The method of identifying objects as claimed in claim 12 comprising transmitting the captured images of the objects unidentified by the imaging system to the external processor.

15. The method of identifying objects as claimed in claim 12 wherein the objects are symbology, barcodes, text, graphics or shapes.

16. The method of identifying objects as claimed in claim 12 wherein the objects have regions of interest.

17. In an object identification system, having an imaging system, an external processor and a high speed link coupling the imaging system and the processor, a method of identifying objects comprising:

passing the objects before the imaging system;

capturing images of the objects;

identifying certain of the objects by the imaging system from the captured images;

transmitting the images of the unidentified objects to the external processor; and

identifying the unidentified objects by the external processor.

18. In an object identification system, having an imaging system, an external processor and a high speed link coupling the imaging system and the processor, a method of identifying objects comprising:

feeding objects into the identification system;

scanning the objects to capture images of the objects;

attempting to identify the objects from the captured images;

directing the objects of the identified images out of the system;

directing the remaining unidentified images to the external processor;

attempting to identify the remaining images by the external processor; and

directing the objects of the identified remaining images out of the system.

19. The method of identifying objects as claimed in claim 18 comprising notifying an operator of objects unidentified by the external processor.

20. The method of identifying objects as claimed in claim 19 wherein the objects are symbology, barcodes, text, graphics or shapes.

21. The method of identifying objects as claimed in claim 19 wherein the objects have regions of interest.

22. The method of identifying objects as claimed in claim 19 comprising printing labels for the the objects of the identified remaining images.

23. In an object identification system, having an imaging system, an external processor and a high speed link coupling the imaging system and the processor, a method of identifying objects comprising:

feeding objects into the identification system;

scanning the objects to capture images of the objects;

attempting to recognize regions of interest on the objects;

directing the captured images with unrecognized regions of interest to the external processor;

attempting to decode the recognized regions of interest by the imaging system;

directing the captured images with undecoded regions of interest to the external processor;

attempting to recognize the regions of interest unrecognized by the imaging system and to decode the undecoded regions of interest by the external processor; and

directing the objects with the decoded regions of interest of the captured images out of the system.

24. The method of identifying objects as claimed in claim 23 comprising notifying an operator of objects with undecoded regions of interest.

25. The method of identifying objects as claimed in claim 23 wherein the regions of interest are symbology, barcodes, text, graphics or shapes.

26. The method of identifying objects as claimed in claim 23 comprising printing labels for the objects with the decoded regions of interest of the captured images.