DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING IMAGE DATA REPRESENTING BAR CODES

• US 20100084471A1
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Havens, William H., McCall, Melvin D., Fitch, Timothy R., Robinson, Michael D., Longacre, Andrew JR., Gomez, Garrison, McClaude, Mark A., Sonneville, Eunice, Balschweit, Paul, Biss, Charles E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,002,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.250
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/089 hand-held scanners
• 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

A device for processing image data relating to bar codes is described. In one embodiment a bar code verification device is provided having an ergonomic form factor characterized by a domed hand held trigger and a viewing window. The verification device may be disposed in a network that includes a host processor system and other bar code reading devices which may include other bar code verification devices. Processing circuitry for processing image signals corresponding to printed bar codes may be partially disposed within the hand held verification device and partially disposed within a host processor system spaced apart from and associated with the hand held verification device. The hand held verification device may be in wireless communication with the host processor system to which it is associated. The bar code verification system may include signal enhancement modules which interpolate constructed pixel values from actual pixel values and which correct for signal degradation resulting from high frequency spatial sampling.

Claims

1. A portable bar code reading device comprising:

a first portable unit including;

(a) a first imaging assembly including a first imaging lens and a first image sensor configured to output a first image signal;

(b) a first hand held housing encapsulating a component of said first imaging assembly;

(c) an image capture module configured to convert an analog waveform into an image data;

(d) a bar code decoding module configured to output a decoded out message; and

(e) a bar code quality measurement module configured to perform at least one of;

symbol contrast measurement, edge contrast measurement, modulation measurement;

a second portable unit external to said first portable unit, said second portable unit communicatively coupled to said first portable unit, said second portable unit including a second imaging assembly including;

a second imaging lens and a second image sensor configured to output a second image signal; and

a second hand held housing encapsulating a component of said second imaging assembly;

wherein said second portable unit is configured to transmit an analog waveform representative of said second image signal to said first portable unit; and

wherein said first portable unit is configured to process said analog waveform representative of said second image signal by at least one of;

said image capture module, said bar code decoding module, said bar code quality measurement module.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said first portable unit has a first form factor;

and

wherein said second portable unit has a second form factor different from said first form factor.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said first portable unit further comprises a high spatial frequency error correction module;

and

wherein said first portable unit is configured to process said analog waveform representative of said second image signal by at least one of;

said image capture module, said bar code decoding module, said bar code quality measurement module, said high spatial frequency error correction module.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said second portable unit has a form factor selected from the group consisting of:

a wand-style form factor, a gun-style form factor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said first portable unit is communicatively coupled to a host processor assembly, said host processor assembly being spaced apart from said portable bar code reading device;

and

wherein said first portable unit is configured to transmit an image data representative of said second analog waveform to said host processor assembly.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one radio frequency transceiver configured to facilitate data communications of said data collection device in a network composed by said portable data collection device, at least one host computer, and zero or more peer data collection devices.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said second portable unit is connected to said first portable unit by a detachably attached cable.

8. A device for verification of a bar code symbol disposed on a substrate, said device comprising:

a first portable unit including;

(a) a first imaging assembly including a first imaging lens and a first image sensor configured to output a first image signal;

(b) a first hand held housing encapsulating a component of said first imaging assembly;

(c) an image capture module configured to convert an analog waveform into an image data;

(d) a bar code decoding module configured to output a decoded out message; and

(e) a bar code quality measurement module configured to perform at least one of;

symbol contrast measurement, edge contrast measurement, and modulation measurement;

a second portable unit external to said first portable unit, said second portable unit communicatively coupled to said first portable unit, said second portable unit comprising;

(i) a second hand held housing with a rugged tip adapted to contact said substrate;

(ii) a second imaging assembly including a second imaging lens and a second image sensor configured to output a second image signal responsive to being physically dragged across a bar code symbol; and

(iii) a signal processing circuitry configured to receive said second image signal outputted by said second image sensor and to output a second analog waveform representative of said second image signal.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said second portable unit has a form factor selected from the group consisting of:

a wand-style form factor, a gun-style form factor.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein said second portable unit is connected to said first portable unit by a detachably attached cable.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein said first portable unit is communicatively coupled to a host processor assembly, said host processor assembly being spaced apart from said portable bar code reading device;

and

wherein said first portable unit is configured to transmit an image data representative of said second analog waveform to said host processor assembly.