IMAGING TERMINAL, IMAGING SENSOR HAVING MULTIPLE RESET AND/OR MULTIPLE READ MODE AND METHODS FOR OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20110080500A1
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Isaac, Wang, Ynjiun P., McCloskey, Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/573,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080500A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/53 Control of the integration time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/533 by using differing integration times for different sensor regions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/583 with different integration times

Abstract

There is described in one embodiment an indicia reading terminal having an image sensor pixel array incorporated therein, where the terminal is operative for decoding of decodable indicia and for providing frames of image data (e.g., color) for storage, display, or transmission. Embodiments of imaging terminals, image sensor arrays and methods for operating the same can controllable process an integration period to improve pixel, image sensor, or imaging terminal performance.

Claims

1. An image reading terminal comprising:

a two dimensional image sensor array extending along an image plane, said two dimensional image sensor array comprising a plurality of pixels;

an optical assembly for use in focusing imaging light rays onto the plurality of pixels of said two dimensional image sensor array;

a housing encapsulating said two dimensional image sensor array and said optical assembly;

wherein the terminal is operative in an indicia decode mode in which the terminal, in response to an operator initiated command, captures a frame of image data and processes the frame of image data for attempting to decode a decodable indicia representation;

wherein the terminal is operative in a picture taking mode in which the terminal, in response to an operator initiated command, captures at least one frame of image data for attempting to output an image;

a memory capable of storing said frame of image data, said frame of image data representing light incident on said image sensor array in one integration period; and

a control processor capable of addressing said two dimensional image sensor array, where said control processor is adapted to control multiple exposures of at least one pixel in said two dimensional image sensor array in said single integration period.

2. The image reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said multiple exposures of at least one pixel in said single integration period comprises multiple resets of a corresponding photodiode for said at least one pixel in said one integration period.

3. The image reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said multiple exposures of at least one pixel in said single integration period comprises multiple transfers of charge from a corresponding photodiode for said at least one pixel to a shielded storage node in said one integration period.

4. The image reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said multiple exposures of at least one pixel in said single integration period comprises multiple reads of different stored signal levels of a corresponding photodiode for said at least one pixel in said one integration period.

5. The image reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said multiple exposures of at least one pixel in said single integration period comprises a resets separated in time for each of a corresponding photodiode and a corresponding shielded storage node for said at least one pixel in said one integration period, where said reset for the corresponding photodiode comprises a plurality of reset operations in said one integration period.

6. The image reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said image sensor array is configured to provide a plurality of sub-integration periods in said one integration period, where each sub-integration period is determined by a photodiode reset and a subsequent charge transfer from said photodiode to a pixel storage node for each of said plurality of pixels.

7. The image reading terminal of claim 6, where said sub-integration periods are independently controlled different intervals of time.

8. The image reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said image sensor array is configured to provide a plurality of pixel reads in said one integration period, where each pixel read is determined by a charge transfer from a photodiode to a pixel storage node and a subsequent output of a signal level representative of accumulated charge from said pixel storage node for each of said plurality of pixels.

9. The image reading terminal of claim 8, comprising a photodiode reset and a storage node reset before said plurality of pixel reads, where said pixel reads are independent and represent different intervals of time.

10. The image reading terminal of claim 1, comprising an image sensor array control circuit configured to set said integration period within a frame time of a frame rate of the image reading terminal or within a single exposure period of said image sensor array.

11. The image reading terminal of claim 10, comprising the image sensor including a hybrid monochrome and color image sensor pixel array, the hybrid monochrome and color image sensor pixel array having a first subset of monochrome pixels and a second subset of color pixels in the plurality of pixels, wherein a blanking time is added to the frame time when said one integration period exceeds the frame time, wherein said frame rate of the image reading terminal decreases as said blanking time increases.

12. The image reading terminal of claim 1, comprising:

control circuitry for outputting data from the plurality of pixels, said control circuitry comprising,

a photodiode;

a photodiode reset switch coupled to the photodiode,

a photodiode transfer switch coupled to transfer stored signals from said photodiode,

a shielded storage node coupled to the photodiode through the photodiode transfer switch,

a shielded storage node reset switch coupled to the shielded storage node, and

column and row selection circuitry coupled to the shielded storage node.

13. The image reading terminal of claim 1, comprising a plurality of image sensor arrays wherein said multiple simultaneous or asynchronous exposures perform acquisition of a plurality of pixels.

14. An indicia reading terminal comprising:

an image sensor array comprising a plurality of pixels;

a housing encapsulating said image sensor array;

an image sensor array control circuit to control multiple exposure times for the plurality of pixels in a frame time of the image sensor array;

an image sensor array readout control circuit to output multiple image data from each of the plurality of pixels from the frame time;

a memory capable of storing said image data; and

a CPU capable of addressing said memory, wherein said CPU is adapted to attempt to decode a decodable indicia represented in said image data.

15. The indicia reading terminal of claim 14, wherein the image data is a frame of image data representing light incident on the plurality of pixels of said image sensor array in a portion of an integration time.

16. The indicia reading terminal of claim 14, wherein said image sensor array is configured to provide a plurality of sub-integration periods in said one integration time within said frame time, where each sub-integration period is determined by a photodiode reset and a subsequent charge transfer from said photodiode to a pixel storage node for said plurality of pixels.

17. The indicia reading terminal of claim 14, wherein said image sensor array is configured to provide a plurality of pixel reads in a single integration time within, where each pixel read is determined by a charge transfer from a photodiode to a pixel storage node and a subsequent output of charge (signal level) from said pixel storage node for said plurality of pixels.

18. A method of processing data from an indicia reading terminal including an image sensor array comprising a plurality of pixels, the method comprising:

focusing imaging light rays onto the plurality of pixels of said image sensor array; and

outputting a frame of image data from said plurality of pixels in a single exposure period of the image sensor array, where said outputting comprises,

controlling multiple exposures of at least one pixel in the plurality of pixels in said single exposure period, and

outputting separate data from said at least one pixel for each of said multiple exposures in said single exposure period of the image sensor array.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising:

a memory capable of storing said frame of image data,

wherein the terminal is operative in an indicia decode mode in which the terminal, in response to an operator initiated command, captures the frame of image data and processes the frame of image data for attempting to decode a decodable indicia representation;

wherein the terminal is operative in a picture taking mode in which the terminal, in response to an operator initiated command captures the frame of image data and processes the frame of image data for attempting to output an image or color image data.