Mobile image capture and processing system

• US 20080285091A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cameron Dee Dryden, Jeffrey Robert Smith, Ole-Petter Skaaksrud, Robert Russell Jr. Rhodes, Wayne Luke Gordon, Xiaoxun Zhu
• Original Assignee: Cameron Dee Dryden, Jeffrey Robert Smith, Ole-Petter Skaaksrud, Robert Russell Jr. Rhodes, Wayne Luke Gordon, Xiaoxun Zhu
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Skaaksrud, Ole-Petter, Gordon, Wayne Luke, Smith, Jeffrey Robert, Dryden, Cameron Dee, Rhodes, Robert Russell JR.
• Granted Patent: US 7,883,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A mobile image capture and processing system including a digital image capture and processing instrument for capturing digital images of shipping documents associated with shipments to be delivered to an intended destination over a Web-based shipping, tracking, and delivery information network, and automatically processing such images to read a 1D or 2D bar-coded shipment tracking number graphically represented therein, and automatically encode the shipment tracking number within the header of the digital image file and the name or title of the digital image file. A Web-based portable data transaction terminal (PDT) or a Web-based portable digital assistant (PDA) is used to receive digital image files from the digital image capture and processing instrument via a first wireless data communication link, and transmitting such digital image files to (i) an application server supported on said network, and (ii) from said application server to a human-operated data-keying station supported on said network, where the shipping information contained in said digital image files can be read by human operators, and manually entered into a database (RDBMS).

Claims

1. A mobile image capture and processing system comprising

a digital image capture and processing instrument for capturing digital images of shipping documents associated with shipments to be delivered to an intended destination over a Web-based shipping, tracking, and delivery information network, and automatically processing such images to read a 1D or 2D bar-coded shipment tracking number graphically represented therein, and automatically encode the shipment tracking number within the header of the digital image file and the name or title of the digital image file, and

a Web-based portable data transaction terminal (PDT) or a Web-based portable digital assistant (PDA) for receiving digital image files from said digital image capture and processing instrument via a first wireless data communication link, and transmitting such digital image files to (i) an application server supported on said network, and (ii) from said application server to a human-operated data-keying station supported on said network, where the shipping information contained in said digital image files can be read by human operators, and manually entered into a database (RDBMS).

2. The mobile image capture and processing system of claim 1, supporting image processing operations selected from the group consisting of histogram auto-exposure control, color-to-monochrome image sharpening, imaging-based bar code symbol reading. image contrast enhancement, JPEG image compression, and thumbnail sketch creation for digital images captured by said system.

3. The mobile image capture and processing system of claim 1, wherein the shipping label on any given package to be picked up and delivered, can be quickly and simply digitally imaged, processed and formatted using said digital image capture and processing instrument so as to include the shipment tracking number (graphically represented on the original shipping label) on either its file header and/or as the name of the image file, and then transmitted (uploaded) to one or more image processing application servers for image processing and information abstraction, and subsequent loading into said RDBMS.

4. A Web-enabled mobile digital image capture and processing system comprising:

(1) a document imaging and processing instrument adapted for mounting within a pickup/delivery vehicle and having

(i) a shipping document support platform upon which a shipping document is placed for digital imaging, and

(II) a digital image capture and processing module supported above the shipping document support platform by a support structure, for capturing and processing high-resolution/high-quality color digital images of the shipping document, automatically recognizing bar-coded shipment tracking numbers in such digital images, and automatically generating digital image files (i) with machine-recognized shipment tracking numbers (and optionally, detailed shipping information) encoded within the file headers of the digital image files, and/or (ii) named or titled using such recognized shipment tracking numbers; and

(2) a Web-enabled mobile data collection and communication terminal, including a hand-supportable housing containing an integrated imaging engine or laser scanning bar code reader, a touch-screen display panel for touch-screen data entry and GUI curser control, a computing platform supporting an operating system (OS), and client applications, and an RF-based transceiving capabilities for communicating with and receive digital image files from said document imaging and processing instrument via a first wireless electromagnetic communication link, and also for transmitting via a second wireless electromagnetic communication link, such digital image files to image processing application servers maintained supported on an Internet-based shipping, tracking and delivery network.

5. A Web-based mobile image capture and processing (MICAP) subsystem adapted for use with a Internet-based shipping, tracking and delivery network, said Web-based MICAP system comprising:

a hand-supportable housing;

a digital image capture and processing engine, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing digital images of shipping documents at a point of shipment pickup in said network;

an imaging-based bar code reading engine for recognizing 1D and/or 2D bar-coded symbols in said digital images;

a touch-screen display panel for enabling touch-screen data entry and application cursor control;

a microprocessor with program memory and non-volatile memory;

an RF transceiver circuit with an RF antenna, for transmitting said digital image files to a remote application server using data packet communication techniques;

trigger switch for generating a trigger signal;

wherein said microprocessor and memory provide a computing platform supporting an operating system (OS) and one or more application programs, including a Web browser program and at least one client application program responsive to said trigger signal; and

wherein the function of such application programs is to support (i) e-mail and/or messaging services on said network, (ii) client-side digital image capture and processing and digital image file transmission functions, as well as (iii) client-server based information services supported on said network, using wireless communication services.

21. The Web-based MICAP wireless terminal of claim 19, wherein said base station further comprises:

a first RF transceiver circuit coupled to a first RF antenna for receiving electromagnetic signals from said RF antenna within said mobile terminal and supporting wireless data packet communication protocols;

a second RF signal transceiver circuit coupled to said first RF transceiver circuit and having a second RF antenna and supporting wireless data packet communication protocols;

a power control and distribution circuit; and

a base station controller operably coupled to the first and second RF transceiver circuits; and

a battery recharging circuit.

22. A mobile image capture and processing system comprising:

single button operation, a USB connectivity option, and supports the Bluetooth wireless communication protocol receiving digital image files of shipping documents, and transmitting such digital images to image processing servers on the network, using wireless communication protocols.

23. A mobile image capture and processing system which combines the digital imaging of shipping documents, the reading of bar code shipment tracking numbers graphically represented therein, and the automatic encoding of such bar code numbers/information into the digital image files generated during the digital imaging process, so as to facilitate storage, management and access of such shipping documents, and shipping information extracted therefrom and stored in a RDBMS of a Web-based shipping, tracking, and delivery information network.