APPARATUS HAVING HYBRID MONOCHROME AND COLOR IMAGE SENSOR ARRAY

• US 20120248196A1
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ynjiun P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,720,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10752 Exposure time control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 Focalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• 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 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/10 for generating image signals from different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/42 by switching between different modes of operation using different resolutions or aspect ratios, e.g. switching between interlaced and non-interlaced mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/532 by controlling global shutters in CMOS SSIS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors

Abstract

There is provided in one embodiment an apparatus having an image sensor array. In one embodiment, the image sensor array can include monochrome pixels and color sensitive pixels. The monochrome pixels can be pixels without wavelength selective color filter elements. The color sensitive pixels can include wavelength selective color filter elements.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an imaging assembly comprising a two dimensional solid state image sensor array and an imaging lens;

wherein the imaging lens focuses an image onto an active surface of said two dimensional solid state image sensor array, said two dimensional solid state image sensor array having a plurality of pixels;

wherein the solid state image sensor array includes a first area and a second area, wherein the first area includes monochrome pixels without color filter elements and color sensitive pixels having wavelength selective color filter elements, wherein within the first area color sensitive pixels are distributed according to a first distribution pattern;

wherein the second area includes monochrome pixels without color filter elements and color sensitive pixels having wavelength selective color filter elements, wherein within the second area color sensitive pixels are distributed according to a second distribution pattern, the second distribution pattern being different from the first distribution pattern;

wherein the apparatus is operative to control the image sensor array for obtaining a frame of image data and for transferring the frame of image data to an indicia decode circuit, the indicia decode circuit for attempting to decode decodable indicia represented by the image data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein color sensitive pixels are uniformly distributed within the first area.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein color sensitive pixels are uniformly distributed within the second area.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein color sensitive pixels are uniformly distributed within the first area, wherein color sensitive pixels are uniformly distributed within the second area, and wherein the first area has a higher percentage of monochrome pixels than the second area.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first area is disposed at a center of the image sensor array.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first area is disposed at a center of the image sensor array.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first area is disposed at a center of the two dimensional solid state image sensor array and includes a higher percentage of monochrome pixels than the second area.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a perimeter of the first area defines a border between the first and second area.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, including an illumination assembly including at least one light source projecting light outwardly from the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, including a hand held housing encapsulating the two dimensional solid state image sensor array.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, including an operator interface enabling selection by an operator between an indicia decode mode of operation and a picture taking mode of operation.