Hand-supportable digital image capturing and processing system employing an area-type image sensing array exposed to illumination from an led-based illumination array only when all sensor elements in said image-sensing array are activated and in a state of integration
First Claim
1. A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system comprising:
- A hand-supportable housing;
an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and 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 an image capture mode in which a plurality of rows of sensor elements in the area-type image sensing array are enabled so as to detect a 2D digital image of the object on said area-type image sensing array;
an LED-based illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having an LED-based illumination array for producing a field of LED-based illumination within the FOV of the image formation and detection subsystem during the image capture mode;
an automatic illumination control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically controlling the operation of said LED-based illumination subsystem;
an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing and buffering 2-D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem;
an image-processing subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for processing digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and producing processed image data; and
an input/output subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for outputting processed image data and the like to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device;
a system control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for activating and controlling said subsystem components described above;
wherein when said area-type image sensing array is activated by said system control subsystem and said plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are in a state of integration, then said automatic illumination control subsystem automatically drives said LED-based illumination array so that said area-type image sensing array is exposed with LED-based illumination, and thereby enabling said area-type image sensing array to detect a high quality digital image of the object, independent of the relative motion between said object and hand-supportable housing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system comprises: an area-type image formation and detection subsystem having an area-type image detection array; an LED-based illumination subsystem having a LED-based illumination array; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem; and an image-processing subsystem. The LED array is automatically driven in a precise manner to globally expose the area-type image detection array with LED-based illumination only when substantially all of its rows of pixels are in a state of integration and have a common integration time, thereby enabling the capture of high quality images independent of the relative motion between the object and the hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system comprising:
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A hand-supportable housing;
an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and 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 an image capture mode in which a plurality of rows of sensor elements in the area-type image sensing array are enabled so as to detect a 2D digital image of the object on said area-type image sensing array;
an LED-based illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having an LED-based illumination array for producing a field of LED-based illumination within the FOV of the image formation and detection subsystem during the image capture mode;
an automatic illumination control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically controlling the operation of said LED-based illumination subsystem;
an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing and buffering 2-D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem;
an image-processing subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for processing digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and producing processed image data; and
an input/output subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for outputting processed image data and the like to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device;
a system control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for activating and controlling said subsystem components described above;
wherein when said area-type image sensing array is activated by said system control subsystem and said plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are in a state of integration, then said automatic illumination control subsystem automatically drives said LED-based illumination array so that said area-type image sensing array is exposed with LED-based illumination, and thereby enabling said area-type image sensing array to detect a high quality digital image of the object, independent of the relative motion between said object and hand-supportable housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification