Image capture apparatus and method

• US 20060255143A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Ehrhart, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,543,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10712 Fixed beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence

Abstract

There is provided an image capture apparatus and method. An image capture device can be used in the decoding of a decodable indicia, e.g., bar code symbols and/or text characters and can further be used in the capture of one or more images that may or may not be subjected to decoding processes. In one embodiment, an image captured with use of an image capture device is an image of an item bearing a decodable indicia. In one embodiment, an image capture device can have a plurality of user selectable modes of operation.

Claims

1. An imaging device configured to capture a frame of image data corresponding to a present field of view of said device in response to an image capture command, said device comprising:

an imaging assembly; and

a control circuit having an associated memory in communication with said imaging assembly, wherein said control circuit is configured to operate said device in at least “

message only”

, “

image only”

, and “

two step message and image”

modes of operation so that

when said “

message only”

mode is selected, said control circuit captures a frame of image data into said memory, decodes decodable indicia represented in said frame, and stores into a designated message memory location of said memory a decoded-out message corresponding to said decodable indicia in response to an image capture command,

when said “

image only”

mode is selected, said control circuit stores a frame of image data into a designated frame storage location of said memory without attempting to decode decodable indicia represented in said frame in response to receipt of an image capture command, and

when said “

two step message and image”

mode is selected, said control circuit captures a first frame of image data, generates a decoded-out message from said first captured frame of image data in response to receipt of a first image capture command, stores a second frame of image data into a designated frame storage memory location in response to receipt of a second image capture command, and associates said decoded-out message with said second frame of image data stored in said designated frame storage memory location.

2. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein said control circuit is adapted to receive said second image capture command of said “

two step message and image”

mode subsequent to receiving said first image capture command of said “

two step message and image”

mode.

3. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein said device includes a trigger for actuation of said image capture command.

4. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein said control circuit when operating in said “

two step message and image”

mode associates said decoded-out message with said frame of image data stored in said designated frame storage memory location by converting said decoded-out message into an image representation of said decoded-out message and stitching said image representation of said decoded-out message into said frame of image data stored in said designated frame storage memory location.

5. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein said control circuit when operating in said “

two step message and image”

mode associates said decoded-out message with said frame of image data stored in said designated frame storage memory location by storing said decoded-out message in an allocated open byte of an image file representing said frame of image data stored in said designated frame storage memory location.

6. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein said control circuit when operating in said “

two step message and image”

mode associates said decoded-out message with said frame of image data stored in said designated frame storage memory location by converting said decoded-out message into an image representation of said decoded-out message and stitching said image representation of said decoded-out message into said frame of image data stored in said designated frame storage memory location, and by storing said decoded-out message in an allocated open byte of an image file representing said frame of image data stored in said designated frame storage memory location.

7. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein said designated frame storage memory location referred to with reference to said “

two step message and image”

mode is a memory location characterized in that said designated frame storage memory location is not a decode buffer memory location.

8. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein said designated frame storage memory location referred to with reference to said “

two step message and image”

mode is a memory location characterized in that said designated frame storage memory location comprises a designation flag indicating that the memory location includes a frame that is to be subjected to further processing in addition to decoding processing.

9. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein said device further is operable in a “

message and image”

mode characterized such that when said “

message and image mode”

is selected, said device captures a frame of image data into said memory in response to receipt of an image capture command, decodes decodable indicia represented in said frame to generate a decoded-out message, stored said frame of image data into a designated frame storage memory location and associated said decoded-out message with said frame stored in said designated frame storage memory location.

10. The imaging device, of claim 1, wherein said device is a digital camera configured to decode decodable indicia of image representations.

11. A method for tracking the shipment of a package from a first location to a second location remote from said first location, said package having a symbol affixed thereto, wherein said first location has a first imaging and decoding device, and said second location has a second imaging and decoding device, and wherein each of said first imaging and decoding device and said second imaging and decoding device are in communication with a common remote processor assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) at said first location, actuating said first imaging and decoding device to decode said symbol affixed to said package to determine a decoded-out message corresponding to said symbol;

(b) at said first location, actuating said first imaging and decoding device to store an image representation of said package;

(c) associating said image representation stored in step (b) with said decoded-out message determined in step (a);

(d) sending said associated decoded-out message and said image representation associated in step (b) to said common remote processor assembly;

(f) at said second location, actuating said second imaging and decoding device to decode said symbol affixed to said package to determine said decoded-out message; and

(g) communicating said decoded-out message decoded by actuation of said second imaging and decoding device to said common remote processor assembly to access said image representation of said package correlated with said decoded-out message at step (c) for comparison between said image representation stored at step (b) and an actual condition of said package.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said communicating step (g) includes the step of communicating via the Internet.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said communicating step (g) includes the step of wirelessly communicating said correlated image representation and decoded-out message data.