Hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system employing manual trigger switching to control generation of a linear targeting illumination beam within the field of view (FOV), and to initiate illumination of the detected object and the capturing and processing of digital images thereof

• US 20080290172A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Veksland, Michael, Ren, Jie, Knowles, C. Harry, Au, Ka Man, Giordano, Patrick, Allen, Christopher, Yan, Weizhen, Smith, Taylor, Mandal, Sudhin, Kotlarsky, Anatoly, Miraglia, Michael V., Foney, Shawn De, Wilz, David M. SR.
• Granted Patent: US 7,980,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10752 Exposure time control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10821 further details of bar or optical code scanning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/109 adaptations to make the hand-held scanner useable as a fixed scanner

Abstract

A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system including a hand-supportable housing having an imaging window, and an area-type image formation and detection subsystem having image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through the imaging window and an area type image detection array having a snap-shot mode of operation for forming and detecting a 2D digital image of the object during each image acquisition cycle of the image detection array. The system includes a manual trigger switch integrated with the hand-supportable housing, for generating a trigger event, indicative that a code symbol on the detected object is aligned with the visible targeting illumination beam and is ready for illumination and imaging. The system includes an object targeting illumination subsystem for generating and projecting a visible targeting illumination beam within the FOV, in response to the generation of the trigger event signal. The system further includes an LED-based illumination subsystem which is responsive to the second triggering event, for generating and projecting a field of illumination through the imaging window and within the FOV so that light transmitted through the imaging window towards the object is reflected off the object and detected by the area-type image detection array within the hand-supportable housing. An automatic illumination control subsystem controls the operation of the LED-based illumination subsystem during object illumination and imaging operations, so that the targeting illumination beam is momentarily ceased when the LED-based illumination subsystem produces the field of illumination within the FOV.

Claims

1. A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system for use by a human operator, comprising:

a hand-supportable housing having an imaging window;

an area-type image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable, and having image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said imaging window and an area-type image detection array having a snap-shot mode of operation for forming and detecting a 2D digital image of the object during each image acquisition cycle of said image detection array;

a manual trigger switch integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for generating a trigger event, indicative that a code symbol on the detected object is aligned with the visible targeting illumination beam and is ready for illumination and imaging;

an object targeting illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, for generating and projecting a visible targeting illumination beam within said FOV, in response to the generation of said trigger event signal;

a LED-based illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable, and responsive to said second triggering event, for generating and projecting a field of illumination through said imaging window and within said FOV so that light transmitted through said imaging window towards the object is reflected off the object and detected by said area-type image detection array within said hand-supportable housing;

an automatic illumination control subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable, for controlling the operation of said LED-based illumination subsystem during object illumination and imaging operations, so that said targeting illumination beam is momentarily ceased when said LED-based illumination subsystem produces said field of illumination within said FOV;

an image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable, for capturing and buffering said one or more 2-D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem;

a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable, for processing said one or more 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said one or more 2D digital images;

an input/output subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable, for outputting processed image data and the like to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device; and

a system control subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable, for controlling and/or coordinating said subsystems during object detection, illumination and imaging operations.

2. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, wherein said field o illumination is a narrow-band field of illumination generated by said LED-based illumination subsystem and covering substantially the entire region of said FOV.

3. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, wherein said object targeting illumination subsystem generates and projects a visible linear-type targeting illumination beam within a central portion of said FOV, in response to the generation of said first trigger event signal.

4. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, wherein said field of illumination is a field of narrow-band illumination, and wherein said image formation and detection subsystem further comprises a band-pass optical filter subsystem allowing only narrow-band illumination generated from said LED-based illumination subsystem to expose said image detection array during object illumination and imaging operations.

5. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of claim 4, wherein said band-pass optical filter subsystem comprises:

a high-pass optical filter element is embodied within said imaging window; and

a low-pass optical filter element is disposed before said image detection array, and wherein said high-pass and low-pass optical filter elements optically cooperate to form said narrow-band optical filter subsystem for transmitting substantially only the very narrow band of wavelengths of visible illumination produced from said LED-based illumination subsystem and reflected/scattered off the illuminated object, while rejecting all other optical wavelengths outside said narrow optical band.

6. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, wherein said one or more code symbols are selected from the group consisting of ID bar code symbols, 2D bar code symbols, PDF symbols and datamatrix symbols.

7. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, which further comprises a single PC board mounted within said hand-supportable housing, and has a rear surface facing away from said imaging window and a front surface facing towards said imaging window.

8. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of claim 7, wherein said single PC board has a light transmission aperture which is substantially spatially aligned with said imaging window when said PC board is mounted within said hand-supportable housing.

9. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of claim 8, wherein said object targeting illumination subsystem generates and projects a visible linear-type targeting illumination beam within a central portion of said FOV, in response to the generation of said first trigger event signal;

and wherein said image detection array is mounted on said rear surface of said PC board.

10. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of claim 8, wherein said object targeting illumination subsystem comprises:

a pair of visible light sources are mounted on opposite sides of said image detection array, for producing a pair of linear visible light beams; and

a pair of aperture stops are mounted above said pair of visible light sources, respectively, for producing a pair of linear visible light beam by transmitting said visible light beams through said pair of aperture stops.

11. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of 10, wherein said object targeting illumination subsystem further comprises a pair of beam focusing mirrors supported above the rear surface of said PC board, for focusing said pair of linear visible light beams, respectively, and projecting said pair of linear visible light beams through said imaging window and into the central portion of said FOV.

12. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of claim 11, wherein said object targeting illumination subsystem further comprises a beam folding mirror supported above the rear surface of said PC board, which cooperates with said pair of beam focusing mirrors to project said pair of visible light beams through said imaging window and into said central portion of said FOV.

13. The hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system of 10, wherein said pair of visible light sources comprises a pair of visible LEDs.