ALIGNMENT AND NON-ALIGNMENT ASSIST IMAGES

• US 20090090782A1
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: May, Gregory J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,016,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.21
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2007/10485 Arrangement of optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings

Abstract

Various apparatus and methods relating to the use of alignment assist images and non-alignment assist images for capturing images of one or more targets are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one sensor configured to sense electromagnetic radiation reflected from a surface;

at least one projector configured to project electromagnetic radiation onto the surface or another surface; and

a controller configured to generate control signals so as to direct the at least one projector and the at least one sensor to operate in at least one mode selected from a group of modes including;

the least one projector projecting an alignment assist image to facilitate alignment of a field-of-vision of the least one sensor with one or more targets on the surface, wherein the controller identifies and analyzes a portion of an image captured by the least one sensor corresponding to a target based upon positioning of the alignment assist image on the surface while disregarding other portions of the image; and

the at least one projector projecting a non-alignment assist image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-alignment assist image comprises one or more alphanumeric symbols or characters.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-alignment assist image is selected from a group of images consisting of:

a target type request;

a scanned completion status;

an input request;

a scanned target representation;

a question;

a message indicator;

a system status;

a representation of a form to be filled based upon scanned targets; and

a source identifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-alignment assist image comprises a representation of a form to be completed using scanned targets.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one projector is configured to indicate an area of the form to be located over a scanned target.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to sequentially analyze a plurality of distinct portions of the image captured by the least one sensor corresponding to distinct targets based upon positioning of the alignment assist image on the surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to configure itself based at least in part upon an image captured by the at least one sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a two dimensional array of electromagnetic radiation detectors.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate control signals directing a least one sensor to capture an image of reflected electromagnetic radiation from the surface including at least one of the nonalignment assist image and the alignment assist image.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the least one projector comprises:

a first projector configured to project electromagnetic radiation to form at least one of the alignment assist image and the non-alignment assist image; and

a second projector configured to project electromagnetic radiation at the surface that is reflected and sensed by the least one sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alignment assist image is configured to convey non-alignment information to a user.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alignment assist image comprises one or more alphanumeric symbols or characters.

13. A method comprising:

projecting a non-alignment assist image onto a surface with a scanning device; and

operating the scanning device based upon the projected non-alignment assist image.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-alignment assist image is selected from a group of images consisting of:

a target type request;

a scanned completion status;

an input request;

a scanned target representation;

a question;

a message indicator;

a system status;

a representation of a form to be filled based upon scanned targets; and

a source identifier, instructions or guides.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-alignment assist image comprises a representation of a form to be completed using scanned targets.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one projector is configured to indicate an area of the form to be located over a scanned target.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-alignment assist image is a representation of an electronic form to be filled based upon scanned targets and wherein the method further comprises:

positioning an area of the representation of the electronic form over a target on the surface;

capturing an image of the target; and

storing data based upon the captured image of the target in an area of the electronic form corresponding to the area of the representation of the electronic form.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-alignment assist image is an input request and wherein the method further comprises inputting a response in response to the input request.

19. A method comprising:

projecting an alignment assist image to facilitate alignment of a field-of-vision of least one sensor with one or more targets on a surface;

identifying and analyzing a portion of an image captured by the least one sensor corresponding to a target based upon positioning of the alignment assist image on the surface while disregarding other portions of the image.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising sequentially analyzing a plurality of distinct portions of the image captured by the least one sensor corresponding to distinct targets based upon positioning of the alignment assist image on the surface in response to a single trigger event.