Imaging system for reading target with multiple symbols

• US 20090057411A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Trajkovic, Miroslav, Madej, Dariusz J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,950,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.110
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48

Abstract

An imaging system for acquiring images of multiple indicia, such as symbols and non-symbols, on a target, such as a label, comprises a solid-state imager having an array of image sensors for capturing light from the indicia on the target over a field of view, and a controller having a stored template that identifies details of the indicia on the target, for controlling the imager to capture the light from the indicia based on the details identified by the template.

Claims

1. An imaging system for acquiring images of multiple indicia on a target, comprising:

a solid-state imager having an array of image sensors for capturing light from the indicia on the target over a field of view; and

a controller having a stored template that identifies details of the indicia on the target, for controlling the imager to capture the light from the indicia based on the details identified by the template.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the target is a label, wherein the indicia are selected from a group including one- and/or two-dimensional symbols and non-symbols applied on the label, and wherein the template identifies each position of the symbols on the label.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the template further identifies at least one of a symbology to identify a type of each symbol, an image density of each symbol, a height of each symbol, and a width of each symbol, on the label.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the template identifies each corner position of each symbol on the label and each corner position of the label.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the template is stored by having the imager capture light from a unique programming symbol operative for programming the controller to store the template.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller has another stored template, each template identifying details of the indicia on different targets.

7. An imaging system for acquiring images of multiple indicia on a target, comprising:

means having an array of image sensors for capturing light from the indicia on the target over a field of view; and

control means having a stored template means for identifying details of the indicia on the target, for controlling the sensors to capture the light from the indicia based on the details identified by the template means.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the target is a label, wherein the indicia are selected from a group including one- and/or two-dimensional symbols and non-symbols applied on the label, and wherein the template means identifies each position of the symbols on the label.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the template means further identifies at least one of a symbology to identify a type of each symbol, an image density of each symbol, a height of each symbol, and a width of each symbol, on the label.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the template means identifies each corner position of each symbol on the label and each corner position of the label.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the template means is stored by having the sensors capture light from a unique programming symbol operative for programming the control means to store the template.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the control means has another stored template means, each template means identifying details of the indicia on different targets.

13. A method of acquiring images of multiple indicia on a target, comprising the steps of:

capturing light from the indicia on the target with a solid-state imager having an array of image sensors over a field of view;

storing details of the indicia on the target on a template; and

controlling the imager to capture the light from the indicia based on the details stored by the template.

14. The method of claim 13, and configuring the target as a label, and selecting the indicia from a group including one- and/or two-dimensional symbols and non-symbols applied on the label, and identifying each position of the symbols on the label with the template.

15. The method of claim 14, and identifying at least one of a symbology to identify a type of each symbol, an image density of each symbol, a height of each symbol, and a width of each symbol, on the label with the template.

16. The method of claim 14, and identifying each corner position of each symbol on the label and each corner position of the label with the template.

17. The method of claim 13, and capturing light from a unique programming symbol for storing the template.

18. The method of claim 13, and storing details of the indicia on a different target on a different template.