Digital image capturing and processing system employing a plurality of area-type illuminating and imaging stations projecting a plurality of coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zones into a 3D imaging volume, and controlling operations therewithin using control data derived from velocity data collected from the automated detection of objects passing through said 3D imaging volume

• US 20080041959A1
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anatoly Kotlarsky, C Knowles, John Furlong, Mark Hernandez, Mark Schmidt, Michael Veksland, Nicola Ciarlante, Tao Xian, Timothy Good, Xiaoxun Zhu
• Original Assignee: Anatoly Kotlarsky, C Knowles, John Furlong, Mark Hernandez, Mark Schmidt, Michael Veksland, Nicola Ciarlante, Tao Xian, Timothy Good, Xiaoxun Zhu
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Veksland, Michael, Xian, Tao, Good, Timothy, Schmidt, Mark, Kotlarsky, Anatoly, Furlong, John, Hernandez, Mark, Ciarlante, Nicola, Knowles, C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,661,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1012 Special detection of object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10712 Fixed beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• 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: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination

Abstract

An automatic digital image capturing and processing system for use in point of sale (POS) environments. The system comprising a system housing having an imaging window, a plurality of coextensive area-type illumination and imaging stations disposed in the system housing, for projecting a plurality of coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zones through the imaging window and into the 3D imaging volume, for capturing a series of area-type digital images of an object intersecting therewith during system operation. An object motion detection subsystem automatically detects the motion of objects passing through the 3D imaging volume, and generates velocity data in response to the detection of the objects moving through the 3D imaging volume during system operation, while a control subsystem, responsive to the velocity data, generates control data for controlling at least one exposure control parameter associated with the operation of the area-type imaging arrays within the coextensive area-type illumination and imaging stations, and also controlling and/or coordinating other operations of the subsystems during system operation.

Claims

1. An automatic digital image capturing and processing system for use in point of sale (POS) environments, comprising:

a system housing having an imaging window;

a plurality of coextensive area-type illumination and imaging stations disposed in said system housing, and wherein each coextensive area-type illumination and imaging station includes

(i) an area-type imaging array having optics providing a field of view (FOV) on said area-type imaging array that projects into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to said imaging window; and

(ii) an array of light emitting devices configured together to produce an area-type field of illumination that is substantially coextensive with the FOV of said area-type imaging array so as to provide a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zone that projects through said imaging window and into said 3D imaging volume, for capturing a series of area-type digital images of an object intersecting therewith during system operation;

wherein said plurality of coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zones intersect within said 3D imaging volume for digital imaging of objects passing through said 3D imaging volume;

object motion detection subsystem, disposed in said system housing, for automatically detecting the

motion of objects passing through said 3D imaging volume, and generating velocity data in response to the detection of the objects moving through said 3D imaging volume during system operation;

a digital image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed in said system housing, for capturing and buffering said series of area-type digital images of the object during system operation;

a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said system housing, for processing said series of area-type digital images of the object so as to read one or more code symbols graphically represented in said digital images; and

a control subsystem, disposed in said system housing, responsive to said velocity data and generating control data for controlling at least one exposure control parameter associated with the operation of said area-type imaging arrays within said coextensive area-type illumination and imaging stations, and also controlling and/or coordinating other operations of said subsystems during system operation.

2. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one exposure control parameter includes the frequency of the clock signal used to read out image data from said area-type imaging array.

3. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said control subsystem comprises a plurality of local controllers, and wherein each said local controller generates control data for controlling said at least one exposure control parameter associated with the operation of said area-type imaging array employed in one said coextensive area-type illumination and imaging station.

4. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said object motion detection subsystem comprises a plurality of imaging-based motion detectors for detecting the presence and motion of objects within said 3D imaging volume.

5. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 4, wherein each said imaging-based object motion detector comprises an area-type image acquisition subsystem and a digital signal processing (DSP) chip for high-speed processing of digital images acquired by said area-type image acquisition subsystem, and real-time measurement of velocity of objects moving within said 3D imaging volume.

6. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 4, wherein each said imaging-based object motion detector comprises an linear-type image acquisition subsystem and a digital signal processing (DSP) chip for high-speed processing of digital images acquired by said linear-type image acquisition subsystem, and real-time measurement of velocity of objects moving within said 3D imaging volume.

7. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said object motion detection subsystem comprises at least one IR-based LIDAR subsystem having a digital signal processing (DSP) chip for high-speed processing of digital signals acquired by said IR-based LIDAR subsystem, and real-time measurement of velocity of objects moving within said 3D imaging volume.

8. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said object motion detection subsystem comprises a plurality of IR-based object motion sensors each having an IR LED and optics for producing an amplitude modulated (AM) IR light beam within said 3D imaging volume, and an IR photodiode for synchronously detecting the IR light beam reflected from an object within said 3D imaging volume.

9. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of light emitting devices comprises a linear array of incoherent light sources.

10. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 9, wherein said linear array of incoherent light sources comprises an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

11. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said area-type image detection array comprises an image sensing array selected from the group of a CMOS image sensing array and a CCD image sensing array.

12. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said one or more code symbols comprise one or more bar code symbols selected from the group consisting of 1D bar code symbols, 2D bar code symbols and data matrix type bar code symbols.

13. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said system housing is mounted within a countertop surface at a point of sale (POS) environment.

26. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said system housing is mounted within a countertop surface at a point of sale (POS) environment.

27. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 26, wherein said first and second imaging windows are spaced apart from each other and disposed above said countertop surface.

14. An automatic digital image capturing and processing system for use in point of sale (POS) environments, comprising:

a system housing having a first imaging window, and a second imaging window, and wherein said first and second imaging windows are physically spaced apart from each other;

a first coextensive area-type illumination and imaging station disposed in said system housing, and including

(i) a first area-type imaging array having optics providing a first field of view (FOV) on said first area-type imaging array that projects into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to said first and second imaging windows, and

(ii) a first array of light emitting devices configured together to produce a first area-type field of illumination that is substantially coextensive with the first FOV of said first area-type imaging array so as to provide a first coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zone that projects through said first imaging window and into said 3D imaging volume, for capturing a second series of area-type digital images of an object intersecting therewith during system operation;

a second coextensive area-type illumination and imaging station disposed in said system housing, and including

(i) a second area-type imaging array having optics providing a second field of view (FOV) on said second area-type imaging array that projects into said 3D imaging volume, and

(ii) a second array of light emitting devices configured together to produce a second area-type field of illumination that is coextensive with the second FOV of said second area-type imaging array so as to provide a second coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zone that projects through said second imaging window and into said 3D imaging volume, for capturing a second series of area-type digital images of an object intersecting therewith during system operation;

wherein said first and second coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zones intersect within said 3D imaging volume for digital imaging of objects passing through said 3D imaging volume;

object motion detection subsystem, disposed in said system housing, for automatically detecting the motion of objects passing through said 3D imaging volume, and generating velocity data in response to the detection of the objects moving through said 3D imaging volume during system operation;

a digital image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed in said system housing, for capturing and buffering said series of area-type digital images of the object during system operation;

a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said system housing, for processing said series of area-type digital images of the object so as to read one or more code symbols graphically represented in said digital images; and

a control subsystem, disposed in said system housing, responsive to said velocity data and generating control data for controlling at least one exposure control parameter associated with the operation of said area-type imaging arrays within said first and second coextensive area-type illumination and imaging stations, and also controlling and/or coordinating other operations of said subsystems during system operation.

15. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 14, wherein said at least one exposure control parameter includes the frequency of the clock signal used to read out image data from said area-type imaging array.

16. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 14, wherein said control subsystem comprises a plurality of controllers, and wherein each said controller generates control data for controlling said at least one exposure control parameter associated with the operation of said area-type imaging array employed in one said coextensive area-type illumination and imaging station.

17. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 14, wherein said object motion detection subsystem comprises a plurality of imaging-based motion detectors for detecting the presence and motion of objects within said 3D imaging volume.

18. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 14, wherein each said imaging-based object motion detector comprises an area-type image acquisition subsystem and a digital signal processing (DSP) chip for high-speed processing of digital images acquired by said area-type image acquisition subsystem, and real-time measurement of velocity of objects moving within said 3D imaging volume.

19. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 14, wherein each said imaging-based object motion detector comprises an linear-type image acquisition subsystem and a digital signal processing (DSP) chip for high-speed processing of digital images acquired by said linear-type image acquisition subsystem, and real-time measurement of velocity of objects moving within said 3D imaging volume.

20. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 14, wherein said object motion detection subsystem comprises at least one IR-based LIDAR subsystem having a digital signal processing (DSP) chip for high-speed processing of digital signals acquired by said IR-based LIDAR subsystem, and real-time measurement of velocity of objects moving within said 3D imaging volume.

21. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 14, wherein said object motion detection subsystem comprises a plurality of IR-based object motion sensors each having an IR LED and optics for producing an amplitude modulated (AM) IR light beam within said 3D imaging volume, and an IR photodiode for synchronously detecting the IR light beam reflected from an object within said 3D imaging volume.

22. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 14, wherein said plurality of light emitting devices comprises a linear array of incoherent light sources.

23. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 22, wherein said linear array of incoherent light sources comprises an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

24. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 14, wherein each said area-type image detection array comprises an image sensing array selected from the group of a CMOS image sensing array and a CCD image sensing array.

25. The automatic digital image capturing and processing system of claim 14, wherein said one or more code symbols comprise one or more bar code symbols selected from the group consisting of 1D bar code symbols, 2D bar code symbols and data matrix type bar code symbols.