TERMINAL HAVING ILLUMINATION AND FOCUS CONTROL

• US 20110163165A1
• Filed: 01/07/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.), Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Instruments, Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Liu, Yong, Wang, Ynjiun Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/683,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20110163165A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10594 Beam path
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 Focalisation

Abstract

There is set forth herein an indicia reading terminal having an illumination subsystem for projection of an illumination pattern, the illumination subsystem having at least one light source, the illumination subsystem being switchable between a first state and a second state, wherein the illumination subsystem in the second state projects illumination light at a projection angle that is more narrow than a projection angle of illumination light projected by the illumination subsystem when the illumination subsystem is in the first state. An indicia reading terminal can include an imaging subsystem including an image sensor array and an imaging lens for focusing an image of a target onto the image sensor array, the imaging lens being a variable imaging lens and having a first lens setting at which the lens assembly has a relatively nearer plane of optimum focus and a second lens setting at which the imaging lens has a relatively farther plane of optimum focus setting.

Claims

1. An indicia reading terminal comprising:

an illumination subsystem for projection of an illumination pattern, the illumination subsystem having at least one light source, the illumination subsystem being switchable between a first state and a second state, wherein the illumination subsystem in the second state projects illumination light at a projection angle that is more narrow than a projection angle of illumination light projected by the illumination subsystem when the illumination subsystem is in the first state;

an imaging subsystem including an image sensor array and an imaging lens assembly for focusing an image of a target onto the image sensor array, the imaging lens assembly being a variable imaging lens assembly and having a first lens setting at which the imaging lens assembly has a relatively nearer plane of optimum focus and a second lens setting at which the imaging lens assembly has a relatively farther plane of optimum focus;

a hand held housing incorporating the image sensor array;

wherein the indicia reading terminal is operative so that during exposure periods of the image sensor array with the first lens setting active the first state of the illumination subsystem is active and further so that during exposure periods of the image sensor array with the second lens setting active the second state of the illumination subsystem is active;

wherein the indicia reading terminal is operative to expose a first frame of image data with the first lens setting and first state active, and a second frame of image data with the second lens setting and second state active;

wherein the indicia reading terminal is operative to attempt to decode a decodable indicia utilizing each of the first frame of image data and the second frame of image data.

2. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein the illumination subsystem includes a first light source bank and a second light source bank, the first light source bank being energized and the second light source bank being de-energized when the illumination subsystem is in the first operating state, the first light source bank being de-energized and the second light source bank being energized when said illumination subsystem is in the second state, wherein a light source of a second light source bank includes a narrower projection angle than a light source of the first light source bank.

3. The indicia reading terminal of claim 2, wherein the first light source bank includes a single light source.

4. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein the illumination subsystem includes a variable illumination lens assembly having a first illumination lens settings for activation of the first state and a second illumination lens setting for activation of the second state.

6. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein the terminal is operative so that the second frame is exposed subsequent to the first frame.

7. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein the indicia reading terminal is operative so that the first frame and the second frame are non-successive frames captured during a single trigger signal activation period.

8. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein the indicia reading terminal is operative so that the first frame and the second frame are frames captured during different trigger signal activation periods.

9. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein the indicia reading terminal is further operative so that there is associated to the second frame of image data a smaller picture size than a picture size of the first frame of image data.

10. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the terminal includes a range detector unit for use in detecting a terminal to target distance, and wherein the indicia reading terminal is operative to switch the illumination subsystem between the first state and the second state responsively to an output of the range detector unit.

11. The terminal of claim 10, wherein the indicia reading terminal is operative to switch the illumination subsystem from the first state to the second state responsively to an output of the range detector.

12. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the terminal is operative so that the first frame and the second frame are captured during a single trigger activation period, and wherein the terminal is operative so that the illumination subsystem switches between the first state and the second state responsively to a timeout conditionally on the condition that the terminal does not decode a decodable indicia prior to expiration of the timeout.

13. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the terminal is operative so that the first frame and the second frame are captured during a single trigger signal activation period, and wherein the terminal is further operative so that the terminal switches the illumination subsystem between the first state and the second state on an open loop basis during the single trigger signal activation period.

14. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the illumination subsystem has a third state in which illumination light projected by the illumination subsystem is projected at an angle that is narrower than an angle of projected illumination in the first state and wider than an angle of projected illumination in the second state.

5. The indicia reading terminal of 1, wherein the indicia reading terminal is operative so that the first frame and the second frame are successive frames captured during a single trigger signal activation period.