Automatically-triggered digital video imaging based code symbol reading system employing illumination and imaging subsystems controlled in response to real-time image quality analysis

• US 20080048038A1
• Filed: 06/06/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anatoly Kotlarsky, Daniel Hu, Ka Au, Mark Meagher, Michael Veksland, Richard Hou, Timothy Good, Xiaoxun Zhu
• Original Assignee: Anatoly Kotlarsky, Daniel Hu, Ka Au, Mark Meagher, Michael Veksland, Richard Hou, Timothy Good, Xiaoxun Zhu
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Veksland, Michael, Good, Timothy, Kotlarsky, Anatoly, Hou, Richard, Meagher, Mark, Hu, Daniel, Au, Ka
• Granted Patent: US 7,654,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10683 Arrangement of fixed elements
• 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 7/10801 Multidistance reading
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B
• 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

Abstract

An automatic automatically-triggered digital video imaging based code symbol reading system for use in point of sale (POS) environments, employing an adaptive control process involving the real-time analysis of the exposure quality of captured frames of digital image data and the real-time reconfiguration of system control parameters (SCPs) based on the results of such exposure quality analysis. By virtue of the present invention, the system enables the reliable reading of code symbols graphically represented in digital images, under demanding point-of-sale lighting conditions and other challenging environments.

Claims