Bar code reading device having image processing mode

• US 20070080229A1
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Longacre, Andrew, Hussey, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,523,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.450
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1017 Programmable
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10712 Fixed beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1456 determining the orientation of the optical code with respect to the reader and correcting therefore

Abstract

The invention relates to a bar code reading device of the type having an imaging assembly including a two dimensional image sensor and which may be moved between varying positions, orientations and angles relative to a substrate. In one embodiment a bar code reading device can be used to obtain an area electronic representation of a substrate including bar code indicia and a signature, and can output an area representation including a representation of a signature. In another embodiment, the bar code reading device can process and output a processed area electronic representation to an output destination. In one embodiment an output destination to which a bar code reading device outputs a processed area electronic representation is a display.

Claims

1. A portable bar code reading device of the type which may be moved between various distances, orientations, and angles with respect to a substrate that carries a bar code symbol, said portable bar code reading device comprising:

an imaging assembly, said imaging assembly having a two-dimensional solid state image sensor and an optical assembly focusing an image onto said two dimensional solid state image sensor, wherein said portable bar code reading device has a user-initiated operating mode in which said portable bar code reading device, in response to a trigger actuation

(a) obtains an area electronic representation having a first pixel resolution, said area electronic representation including a representation of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol;

(b) processes said area electronic representation obtained in step (a) to decode a decodable bar code symbol representation represented in said area electronic representation obtained in step (a);

(c) processes an area electronic representation obtained by said bar code reading device having said first pixel resolution into such form that a processed area electronic representation is produced having a second pixel resolution that is different from said first pixel resolution; and

(d) outputs to an output destination said processed area electronic representation produced at step (c) that includes a second pixel resolution different from said first pixel resolution.

2. The portable bar code reading device of claim 1, wherein said bar code reading device in executing processing function (c) processes said area electronic representations obtained by said portable bar code reading device in executing obtaining function (a).

3. The portable bar code reading device of claim 1, wherein said bar code reading device in executing processing function (c), processes an area electronic representation obtained by said portable bar code reader device subsequent to said portable bar code reading device executing obtaining function (a).

4. The portable bar code reading device of claim 1, wherein said portable bar codes reading device is configured to be driven into said user-initiated operating mode by reading specially encoded programming bar code indicia.

5. The portable bar code reading device of claim 4, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to execute functions (c) and (d) conditionally on the condition that in executing processing function (b) said specially encoded programming bar code symbol is recognized by said portable bar code reading device.

6. The portable bar code reading device of claim 1, wherein said output function (d) includes the function of outputting to said output destination an area electronic representation representing a smaller portion of said substrate than said area electronic representation obtained at step (a).

7. The portable bar code reading device of claim 1, wherein said portable bar code reading device when executing said output function (d) outputs said area electronic representation to a display.

8. The portable bar code reading device of claim 7, wherein said portable bar code reading device includes a display.

9. The portable bar code reading device of claim 1, wherein said portable bar code reading device when executing output function (d) outputs said area electronic representation to a memory device.

10. The portable bar code reading device of claim 1, wherein said portable bar code reading device further includes an aiming light source, and wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured so that said portable bar code reading device disables said aiming light source in response to receipt by said portable bar code reading device of a user-initiated signal input into said portable bar code reading device to disable said aiming light source.

11. The portable bar code reading device of claim 1, wherein said portable bar code reading device further includes an aiming light source, and wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured so that said portable bar code reading device disables said aiming light source in response to receipt by said portable bar code decoding device of a user-initiated signal input into said portable bar code reading device by a reading of a specially encoded programming bar code symbol encoded in a manner complementary with a configuration of said portable bar code reading device so that said aiming light source is disabled when said portable bar code reading device reads said specially encoded programming bar code symbol.

12. The portable bar code reading device of claim 1, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured so that said portable bar code reading device determines a value of said pixel resolution of said processed area electronic representation processed in accordance with processing function (c) by reading of a specially encoded programming bar code symbol encoded so that, on reading said specially encoded programming bar code symbol, said portable bar code reading device establishes a certain pixel resolution for said processed area electronic representation.

13. The portable bar code reading device of claim 12, wherein said portable bar code reading device determines said pixel resolution of said processed image processed in accordance with processing function (c) by reading encoded data of said specially encoded programming bar code symbol.

14. The portable bar code reading device of claim 12, wherein said portable bar code reading device when recognizing said specially encoded bar code symbol determines said pixel resolution of said processed image representation by reading pixel resolution data stored on said portable bar code reading device.

15. A portable bar code reading device of the type which may be moved between various distances, orientations, and angles with respect to a substrate that carries a bar code symbol, said portable bar code reading device comprising:

an imaging assembly, said imaging assembly having a two dimensional solid state image sensor and an optical assembly focusing an image onto said two dimensional solid state image sensor, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to operate in a first bar code reading mode and in a second user-selected picture output mode in which said portable bar code reading device outputs an area electronic representation for visual observation on a display;

wherein said portable bar code reading device in said first bar code reading mode

(a) obtains an area electronic representation of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol, said area electronic representation having a first pixel resolution;

(b) processes said area electronic representation obtained in step (a) to decode a decodable bar code symbol represented in said area electronic representation; and

(c) outputs decoded bar code data resulting from said execution of processing function (b); and

wherein said portable bar code reading device in said second picture output mode

(i) processes an area electronic representation obtained by said bar code reading device having said first pixel resolution into such form that a processed area electronic representation is produced having a second pixel resolution that is different from said first pixel resolution; and

(ii) outputs for visual display on a display said processed area electronic representation produced by execution of processing function (i) including said second pixel resolution different from said first pixel resolution.

16. The portable bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said portable bar code reader device has an on-device display.

17. The portable bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to be driven into said second picture output mode by a reading of specially encoded programming bar code indicia, said portable bar code reading device and said specially encoded bar code indicia being configured in a complementary manner so that when said portable bar code reading device reads said specially encoded programming bar code indicia, said portable bar code reading device operates in accordance with said second picture output mode.

18. The portable bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said bar code reading device is configured to be driven into said picture output mode by a single-step bar code reading process consisting of the step of reading a single programming bar code symbol.

19. The portable bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said portable bar code reading device when operating in said second picture output mode further crops a predetermined number of positionally contiguous pixel values from an obtained area electronic representation prior to outputting of an area electronic representation according to execution of output function (ii).

20. The portable bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said portable bar code reading device when operating in said second picture output mode further crops a predetermined number of positionally contiguous pixel values from an obtained area electronic representation prior to outputting of an area electronic representation according to output function (ii), wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to determine a number of positionally contiguous pixel values to crop from an obtained area electronic representation by reading of specially encoded programming bar code indicia, wherein said portable bar code reading device and said specially encoded programming bar code indicia are configured so that said portable bar code reading device determines a number of positionally contiguous pixel values to crop from an obtained area electronic representation by reading of said specially encoded programming bar code indicia.

21. The portable bar code reading device of claim 20, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to determine a number of positionally contiguous pixel values to crop from an obtained area electronic representation by execution of a single step bar code reading process in which said portable bar code reading device reads a single specially encoded programming bar code symbol.

22. The portable bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said portable bar code reading device when operating in said second picture output mode further converts pixel values of an obtained area electronic representation to gray scale values having a predetermined gray scale depth prior to outputting an area electronic representation according to output function (ii).

23. The portable bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said portable bar code reading device, when operating in said second picture output mode further converts pixel values of an obtained area electronic representation to gray scale values having a predetermined gray scale depth, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to determine a gray scale depth of an output area electronic representation by reading of specially encoded programming bar code indicia, wherein said portable bar code reading device and said specially encoded programming bar code indicia are configured so that said portable bar code reading device determines a gray scale depth of said output area electronic representation output by execution of processing function (ii) by reading of said specially encoded programming bar code indicia.

24. The portable bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said portable bar code reading device further includes an aiming light source, and wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured so that said portable bar code decoding device disables said aiming light source in response to a receipt by said portable bar code reading device of a user-input signal input by a user to disable said aiming light source.

25. The portable bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said portable bar code reading device further includes an aiming light source, and wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured so that said portable bar code reading device disables said aiming light source in response to receipt by said portable bar code reading device of a user-initiated signal input into said portable bar code reading device by a reading of a specially encoded programming bar code symbol encoded in a manner complementary with a configuration of said portable bar code reading device so that said aiming light source is disabled when said portable bar code reading device reads said specially encoded programming bar code symbol.

26. The portable bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said portable bar code reading device further includes an aiming light source, and wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured so that said portable bar code reading device disables said aiming light source in response to receipt by said portable bar code reading device of a user-initiated signal transmitted to said portable bar code reading device from an external device spaced apart from said portable bar code reading device via a communication link including at least one of an RF transmission link or a flexible cable.

27. The bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said portable bar code reading device when executing said processing function (b) locates and decodes a decodable bar symbol representation within an area electronic representation having said first pixel resolution.

28. The bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said area electronic representation subject to processing during execution of processing function (i) includes a representation of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol represented in said area electronic representation obtained during execution of said obtaining function (a).

29. The portable bar code reading device of claim 15, wherein said portable bar code reading device in executing processing function (c) processes an area electronic representation of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol.

30. A method for using a portable bar code reading device of the type having a two dimensional image sensor, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) operating said portable bar code reading device to obtain an image of scene including a fingerprint; and

(b) executing at least one of (i) and (ii) below

(i) processing said image to determine whether said fingerprint is represented therein and responsively generating a feedback indicator; and

(ii) processing said image to determine a position of a representation of said fingerprint and responsively outputting a subset of image data of an image representing said fingerprint.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said fingerprint is formed on a substrate.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said image subject to processing referred to in (ii) includes a recognizable indicia.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said processing referred to in (i) includes processing to determine whether a fingerprint field is completely represented in said image.

34. The method of claim 30, further including processing of said image date representing said fingerprint to analysis to determine an identity of a person making the fingerprint.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein said image data representing said fingerprint is image data of said image processed in (ii).

36. An audible tone emitting portable bar code reading device capable of emitting an audible tone, said portable bar code reading device being of the type which may be moved between various distances, orientations, and angles with respect to a bar code symbol, said portable bar code reading device comprising:

an imaging assembly comprising a two dimensional solid state image sensor and an optics assembly focusing an image onto said solid state image sensor;

wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to operate in an operating mode in which said portable bar code reading device (a) obtains an image that is desired to represent a signature field, (b) processes said image to determine whether said signature is actually located in said image obtained in (a), and emits an audible tone responsively to said determining of whether said signature is located in said image obtained in (a).

37. The portable bar code reading device of claim 36, wherein said portable bar code reading device in processing said image to determine whether said signature is actually represented in said image determination whether a signature field is represented in said image obtained in (a).

38. The portable bar code reading device of claim 36, wherein said portable bar code reading device emits an audible tone if said portable bar code reading device in (b) determines that said signature is not represented in said image obtained in (a).

39. A portable bar code reading device of the type which may be moved between various distances, orientations, and angles with respect to a bar code symbol, said portable bar code reading device comprising:

an imaging assembly comprising a two dimensional solid state image sensor and an optics assembly focusing an image onto said solid state image sensor;

wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to operate in an operating mode in which said portable bar code reading device (a) obtains an image that is desired to represent a signature and, (b) processes said image to determine whether said signature is actually represented in said image obtained in step (a).

40. The portable bar code reading device of claim 39, wherein said portable bar code reading device in processing said image to determine whether said signature is actually represented in said image determination whether a signature field is represented in said image obtained in (a).

41. The portable bar code reading device of claim 39, wherein said portable bar code reading device in said operating mode further generates a user-perceivable feedback indicator responsively to determining whether said signature is represented in said image.

42. The portable bar code reading device of claim 39, wherein said portable bar code reading device in said operating mode generates an aural feedback indicator responsively to determining whether said signature is represented in said image.

43. The portable bar code reading device of claim 39, wherein said portable bar code reading device in said operating mode generates a feedback indicator to a user if said portable bar code reading device determines that said signature field is not represented in said image, said feedback indicator indicating a direction of movement needed to obtain an image containing said signature field.

44. The portable bar code reading device of claim 39, wherein said portable bar code reading device generates an audible feedback indicator responsively to said processing of (b).

45. The portable bar code reading device of claim 39, wherein said portable bar code reading device generates a visual feedback indicator responding to said processing of (b).

46. A portable bar code reading device of the type which may be moved between various distances, orientations, and angles with respect to a substrate that carries a recognizable indicia, said portable bar code reading device comprising:

an imaging assembly comprising a two dimensional solid state image sensor and an optics assembly focusing an image onto said two dimensional solid state image sensor;

an illumination assembly including at least one light source directing light outwardly from said portable bar code reading device, wherein said portable bar code reading device (a) obtains a first and a supplementary image, wherein said first image includes a representation of said indicia and wherein said bar code reading device obtains said supplementary image subsequently to obtaining said first image;

(b) processes said representation of said recognizable indicia included in said first image; and

(c) responsively to said processing locates an image data reading region in said supplementary image, said image data reading region of said supplementary image including a subset of image data of said supplementary image.

47. The portable bar code reading device of claim 46, wherein said supplementary image is obtained utilizing a second imaging assembly.

48. An image acquisition system comprising:

a portable bar code reading device of the type which may be moved between various distances, orientations, and angles with respect to a substrate that carries indicia, said portable bar code reading device having a first imaging assembly and a second imaging assembly, said first imaging assembly having a two dimensional solid state image sensor and an optical assembly focusing an image onto said two dimensional solid state image sensor;

a certain recognizable indicia;

wherein said bar code reading device and said recognizable indicia are configured so that when said bar code reading device recognizes a representation of said certain recognizable indicia in a first image obtained utilizing said first imaging assembly said bar code reading device is caused to obtain a supplementary image utilizing said second imaging assembly.

49. The image acquisition system of claim 48, wherein said supplementary image obtained utilizing said second imaging assembly is a color image.

50. The image acquisition system of claim 48, wherein said image acquisition system outputs a subset of image data of said supplementary image responsively to a processing of said first image.

51. A method for utilizing a portable bar code reading device of the type having an imaging assembly including two dimensional solid state image sensor, said portable bar code reading device being moveable between varying positions, orientations, and angles relative to a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

(A) providing on a substrate a fingerprint field in association with a recognizable indicia, said fingerprint field being at a predetermined position relative to a recognizable indicia;

(B) obtaining an image utilizing said portable bar code reading device, said image including a representation of said fingerprint field and said recognizable indicia;

(C) processing said image obtained in step (B) to determine at least a position of a representation of said recognizable indicia in said image obtained in step (B);

(D) utilizing said position information relating to said recognizable indicia determined in step (C) to determine a position of a representation of said fingerprint field in said image obtained in step (C); and

(E) utilizing said position information relating to said representation of said fingerprint field determined in step (D), outputting to an output destination image data corresponding to said fingerprint field of said substrate.

52. The method of claim 51, where said processing step includes the step of processing said image to further determine at least one imaging characteristic of said recognizable indicia, and wherein said utilizing step includes the step of utilizing said at least one imaging characteristic in outputting to an output destination image data corresponding to said fingerprint field of said substrate.

53. An image acquisition system comprising:

a portable bar code reading device of the type which may be moved between various distances, orientations, and angles with respect to a substrate that carries indicia, said portable bar code reading device having an imaging assembly, said imaging assembly having a two dimensional solid state image sensor and an optical assembly focusing an image onto said two dimensional solid state image sensor; and

a specially encoded bar code symbol,

wherein said portable bar code reading device and said specially encoded bar code symbol are configured so that when said portable bar code reading device obtains a first image having a first number of pixels and including a representation of said specially encoded bar code symbol, said portable bar code reading device processes said representation of said specially encoded bar code symbol and is thereby caused to crop a specified number of contiguous pixel address locations from an obtained image.

54. The image acquisition system of claim 53, wherein said specified number of contiguous pixel address locations is a value that is predetermined.

55. The image acquisition system of claim 53, wherein said specified number of contiguous address locations to crop is a value that is not changed by a user after said first image is obtained.

56. The image acquisition system of claim 53, wherein said specified number of contiguous pixel address locations is a value that is encoded in said specially encoded bar code symbol.

57. The image acquisition system of claim 53, wherein said obtained image that is subject to cropping is said first image that includes a representation of said specially encoded bar code symbol.

58. The image acquisition system of claim 53, wherein said first image that is obtained by said portable bar code reading device is a bit map image.