Method of automatically reading code symbols on objects present within the field of view (FOV) of a hand-supportable digital-imaging based code symbol reader, by simultaneously projecting an image cropping zone (ICZ) framing pattern and a field of illumination within the FOV during object illuminationand imaging operations
First Claim
1. A method of automatically reading code symbols on objects within the field of view (FOV) of a hand-supportable digital-imaging based code symbol reader, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) bringing said hand-supportable digital imaging-based code symbol reader in proximity with an object bearing a code symbol, wherein said hand-supportable digital imaging-based code symbol reader includes (i) a hand-supportable housing having a trigger switch for generating a trigger signal in response to manual actuation of said trigger switch by an operator, (ii) an automatic object presence detector for detecting the object within said FOV, (iii) an area-type image sensing array with a field of view (FOV) for detecting a digital image of the object within said FOV, (iv) a LED-based illumination subsystem with an LED illumination array for illuminating the object within said FOV, (v) an image cropping zone (ICZ) framing pattern generator for generating an ICZ framing pattern by forming a pattern of visible illumination which is substantially encompassed within said FOV, and (vi) a programmed image processor for processing one or more digital images of the detected object;
(b) automatically detecting the presence of said object within said FOV using said automatic object presence detector;
(c) in response to the automatic detection of the object in said FOV, automatically generating the ICZ framing pattern from said ICZ framing pattern generator and projecting said ICZ framing pattern within said FOV and onto said detected object;
(d) visually aligning the code symbol on said detected object, within said ICZ framing pattern, for imaging the code symbol;
(e) manually actuating said trigger switch when the code symbol on said object is aligned within said ICZ framing pattern, so as to cause said LED-based illumination array to generate and project a field of illumination into said FOV and onto said detected object and throughout said ICZ framing pattern;
(f) while said ICZ framing pattern and said illumination pattern are being simultaneously projected onto said object, forming and detecting a digital image of said object;
(g) using said image programmed image processor to automatically crop the image pixels within the boundaries of said ICZ framing pattern; and
(h) automatically decode-process the image pixels cropped in step (g) so as to read one or more 1D or 2D code symbols represented in the cropped image pixels.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-supportable digital-imaging based system for reading bar code symbols involving: automatically detecting the presence of an object within a field of view FOV of the system, and in response thereto, automatically generating an image cropping zone (ICZ) framing pattern and projecting the ICZ framing pattern within the FOV and onto the detected object; visually aligning the code symbol on the detected object, within the ICZ framing pattern; manually actuating a trigger switch when the code symbol on the object is located within the ICZ framing pattern, and while the ICZ framing pattern and a field of illumination are being simultaneously projected onto the object during object illumination operations, forming and capturing a digital image of the code symbol on the detected object; automatically cropping the image pixels contained within the spatial boundaries of the ICZ framing pattern, from the pixels of the digital image; and decode processing the cropped image so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented therein.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A method of automatically reading code symbols on objects within the field of view (FOV) of a hand-supportable digital-imaging based code symbol reader, said method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) bringing said hand-supportable digital imaging-based code symbol reader in proximity with an object bearing a code symbol, wherein said hand-supportable digital imaging-based code symbol reader includes (i) a hand-supportable housing having a trigger switch for generating a trigger signal in response to manual actuation of said trigger switch by an operator, (ii) an automatic object presence detector for detecting the object within said FOV, (iii) an area-type image sensing array with a field of view (FOV) for detecting a digital image of the object within said FOV, (iv) a LED-based illumination subsystem with an LED illumination array for illuminating the object within said FOV, (v) an image cropping zone (ICZ) framing pattern generator for generating an ICZ framing pattern by forming a pattern of visible illumination which is substantially encompassed within said FOV, and (vi) a programmed image processor for processing one or more digital images of the detected object;
(b) automatically detecting the presence of said object within said FOV using said automatic object presence detector;
(c) in response to the automatic detection of the object in said FOV, automatically generating the ICZ framing pattern from said ICZ framing pattern generator and projecting said ICZ framing pattern within said FOV and onto said detected object;
(d) visually aligning the code symbol on said detected object, within said ICZ framing pattern, for imaging the code symbol;
(e) manually actuating said trigger switch when the code symbol on said object is aligned within said ICZ framing pattern, so as to cause said LED-based illumination array to generate and project a field of illumination into said FOV and onto said detected object and throughout said ICZ framing pattern;
(f) while said ICZ framing pattern and said illumination pattern are being simultaneously projected onto said object, forming and detecting a digital image of said object;
(g) using said image programmed image processor to automatically crop the image pixels within the boundaries of said ICZ framing pattern; and
(h) automatically decode-process the image pixels cropped in step (g) so as to read one or more 1D or 2D code symbols represented in the cropped image pixels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
10. A hand-supportable digital-imaging based code symbol reading system having wide-area illumination and image capturing modes operation, said hand-supportable digital-imaging based code symbol reading system comprising:
-
a hand-supportable housing having a trigger switch for manual actuation by an operator;
an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed within said hand-supportable housing, and having an image sensing array with a field of view (FOV);
an automatic object presence detector, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically detecting the presence of an object in said FOV;
a LED-based illumination subsystem with an LED illumination array, disposed within said hand-supportable housing;
an electro-optical mechanism, disposed within said hand-supportable housing, for projecting an image cropping zone (ICZ) framing pattern within said FOV on said detected object, wherein said ICZ framing pattern is formed by a pattern of visible illumination which is substantially encompassed within said FOV;
a programmed image processor, disposed within said hand-supportable housing, for cropping image pixels within the boundaries of said ICZ framing pattern, and decode-processing these cropped image pixels so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols represented in said cropped image pixels; and
a system control subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for controlling and/or coordinating the subsystems and components described above;
wherein, in response to automatic detection of the object within said FOV by said automatic object presence detector, (1) said ICZ framing pattern generator automatically generates and projects said ICZ framing pattern into the FOV and onto the detected object; and
(2) the operator is provided an opportunity to visually align a code symbol on the detected object, within said ICZ framing pattern; and
(3) when the operator has aligned the code symbol on the detected object, within said ICZ framing pattern, the operator manually actuates said trigger switch; and
(4) in response to the manual actuation of said trigger switch by said operator, said LED-based illumination subsystem automatically generates and projects a field of illumination into said FOV and onto said detected object and throughout said ICZ framing pattern, simultaneously when said ICZ framing pattern is being projected into said FOV and onto said detected object;
(5) in response to the generation of said illumination pattern, said image formation and detection subsystem forming and detecting a digital image of the entire FOV so that the detected digital image spatially encompasses said ICZ framing pattern aligned about the object being imaged; and
(6) said programmed image processor automatically (i) cropping the pixels within the spatial boundaries defined by said ICZ framing pattern, from those pixels contained in said digital image detected in step (5), (ii) decode-processing the cropped image pixels so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said cropped image pixels, and (iii) outputting to a host system, symbol character data representative of the read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 17)
-
Specification