INDICIA READING TERMINAL WITH COLOR FRAME PROCESSING

• US 20120318870A1
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ynjiun Paul, Liu, Yong, Meier, Timothy, Deloge, Stephen Patrick, Ren, Leo
• Granted Patent: US 8,657,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/469
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/443 by reading pixels from selected 2D regions of the array, e.g. for windowing or digital zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/445 by skipping some contiguous pixels within the read portion of the array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/447 by preserving the colour pattern with or without loss of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/46 by combining or binning pixels

Abstract

An indicia reading terminal can comprise an image sensor integrated circuit having a two-dimensional image sensor, a hand held housing encapsulating the two-dimensional image sensor, and an imaging lens configured to focus an image of a target decodable indicia onto the two-dimensional image sensor. The two-dimensional image sensor can include a plurality of pixels arranged in repetitive patterns. Each pattern can include at least one pixel sensitive in a first spectrum region, at least one pixel sensitive in a second spectrum region, and at least one pixel sensitive in a third spectrum region. The image sensor integrated circuit can be configured to capture a frame of image data by reading out a plurality of analog signals. Each read out analog signal can be representative of light incident on a group of two or more pixels of the plurality of pixels. The image sensor integrated circuit can be further configured to convert the plurality of analog signals to a plurality of digital signals and to store the plurality of digital signals in a memory. The indicia reading terminal can be operative to process the frame of image data for attempting to decode for decodable indicia.

Claims

1. An indicia reading terminal comprising:

an image sensor integrated circuit having a two-dimensional image sensor, said two-dimensional image sensor including a plurality of pixels arranged in repetitive patterns, each pattern of said repetitive patterns including at least one pixel sensitive in a first spectrum region, at least one pixel sensitive in a second spectrum region, and at least one pixel sensitive in a third spectrum region;

a hand held housing encapsulating said two-dimensional image sensor;

an imaging lens configured to focus an image of a target decodable indicia onto said two-dimensional image sensor;

wherein said image sensor integrated circuit is configured to capture a frame of image data by reading out a plurality of analog signals, each analog signal of said plurality of analog signals being representative of light incident on a group of two or more pixels of said plurality of pixels;

wherein said group of two or more pixels includes one of;

a pixel sensitive in said first spectrum region and a pixel sensitive in said third spectrum region, two pixels sensitive in said second spectrum region, a pixel sensitive in said first spectrum region and a pixel sensitive in said second spectrum region, a pixel sensitive in said second spectrum region and a pixel sensitive in said third spectrum region;

wherein said image sensor integrated circuit is further configured to convert said plurality of analog signals to a plurality of digital signals and to store said plurality of digital signals in a memory; and

wherein said indicia reading terminal is operative to process said frame of image data for attempting to decode for decodable indicia.

2. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said first spectrum region is provided by a red spectrum region, said second spectrum region is provided by a green spectrum region, and said third spectrum region is provided by a blue spectrum region.

3. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of four pixels including a pixel sensitive in said first spectrum region, two pixels sensitive in said second spectrum region, and a pixel sensitive in said third spectrum region.

4. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of N adjacent pixels, wherein N is a positive integer.

5. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of N×

N adjacent pixels, wherein N is a positive integer.

6. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of M×

N adjacent pixels, wherein M and N are positive integers.

7. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said each analog signal is equal to one of:

a sum of analog signals representative of light incident on one or more pixels of said group of pixels, an average of analog signals representative of light incident one or more pixels of said group of pixels.

8. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said each analog signal is equal to one of:

a sum of analog signals representative of light incident on one or more pixels of said group of pixels, said one or more pixels being sensitive in one spectrum region, an average of analog signals representative of light incident on one or more pixels of said group of pixels, said one or more pixels being sensitive in one spectrum region.

9. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of four pixels including a pixel sensitive in said first spectrum region, two pixels sensitive in said second spectrum region, and a pixel sensitive in said third spectrum region;

and

wherein said each analog signal is equal to one of;

an average of analog signals representative of light incident on said two pixels sensitive in said second spectrum region, a sum of analog signals representative of light incident on said two pixels sensitive in said second spectrum region, an analog signal representative of brightness of light incident on a pixel sensitive in one of;

said first spectrum region, said third spectrum region.

10. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said plurality of analog signals comprises at least two groups of N×

M pixels; and

wherein said at least two groups of two or more pixels overlap by N*(M−

1) pixels.

12. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said frame of image data is a monochrome frame.

13. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said plurality of analog signals represents substantially all pixels of said image sensor.

14. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said plurality of analog signals represents a subset of pixels of said image sensor.

15. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said plurality of analog signals represents substantially all pixels of said image sensor if a resolution of said frame of image data is sufficient to decode said target decodable indicia;

and

wherein said plurality of analog signals represents a subset of pixels of said image sensor if said resolution of said frame of image data is insufficient to decode said target decodable indicia.

16. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said plurality of analog signals represents a group of adjacent pixels centered at a center of said image sensor.

17. The indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of two or more pixels sensitive in one spectrum region.

11. The indicia reading terminal of claim A, including a color pattern filter disposed over said image sensor.

18. An indicia reading terminal comprising:

an image sensor integrated circuit having a two-dimensional image sensor, said two-dimensional image sensor including a plurality of pixels arranged in repetitive patterns, each pattern of said repetitive patterns including at least one pixel sensitive in a first spectrum region, at least one pixel sensitive in a second spectrum region, and at least one pixel sensitive in a third spectrum region;

a hand held housing encapsulating said two-dimensional image sensor;

an imaging lens configured to focus an image of a target decodable indicia onto said two-dimensional image sensor;

wherein said image sensor integrated circuit is configured to capture a frame of image data by reading out a plurality of analog signals, each analog signal of said plurality of analog signals being representative of light incident on a pixel of said plurality of pixels;

wherein said image sensor integrated circuit is further configured to convert said plurality of analog signals to a plurality of digital signals and to store said plurality of digital signals in a memory;

wherein said indicia reading terminal is configured to convert digital signals representative of pixel values of a group of two or more pixels into a single digital pixel value;

wherein said group of two or more pixels includes one of;

a pixel sensitive in said first spectrum region and a pixel sensitive in said third spectrum region, two pixels sensitive in said second spectrum region, a pixel sensitive in said first spectrum region and a pixel sensitive in said second spectrum region, a pixel sensitive in said second spectrum region and a pixel sensitive in said third spectrum region; and

wherein said indicia reading terminal is further configured to process said frame of image data for attempting to decode for decodable indicia

19. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said first spectrum region is provided by a red spectrum region, said second spectrum region is provided by a green spectrum region, and said third spectrum region is provided by a blue spectrum region.

20. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of four pixels including a pixel sensitive in said first spectrum region, two pixels sensitive in said second spectrum region, and a pixel sensitive in said third spectrum region.

21. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of N adjacent pixels, wherein N is a positive integer.

22. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of N×

N adjacent pixels, wherein N is a positive integer.

23. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of M×

N adjacent pixels, wherein M and N are positive integers.

24. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said single digital pixel value is equal to one of:

a sum of digital pixel values of one or more pixels of said group of pixels, an average of digital pixel values of one or more pixels of said group of pixels.

25. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said single digital pixel value is equal to one of:

a sum of digital pixel values of one or more pixels of said group of pixels, said one or more pixels being sensitive in one spectrum region, an average of digital pixel values of one or more pixels of said group of pixels, said one or more pixels being sensitive in one spectrum region.

26. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of four pixels including a pixel sensitive in said first spectrum region, two pixels sensitive in said second spectrum region, and a pixel sensitive in said third spectrum region;

and

wherein said single digital pixel value is equal to one of;

an average of digital pixel values of said two pixels sensitive in said second spectrum region, a sum of digital pixel values of said two pixels sensitive in said second spectrum region, a digital pixel value of a pixel sensitive in one of;

said first spectrum region, said third spectrum region.

27. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said plurality of analog signals comprises at least two groups of N×

M pixels; and

wherein said at least two groups of two or more pixels overlap by N*(M−

1) pixels.

28. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, including a color pattern filter disposed over said image sensor.

29. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said frame of image data is a monochrome frame.

30. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said plurality of analog signals represents substantially all pixels of said image sensor.

31. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said plurality of analog signals represents a subset of pixels of said image sensor.

32. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said plurality of analog signals represents substantially all pixels of said image sensor if a resolution of said frame of image data is sufficient to decode said target decodable indicia;

and

wherein said plurality of analog signals represents a subset of pixels of said image sensor if said resolution of said frame of image data is insufficient to decode said target decodable indicia.

33. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said plurality of analog signals represents a group of adjacent pixels centered at a center of said image sensor.

34. The indicia reading terminal of claim 18, wherein said group of two or more pixels is provided by a group of two or more pixels sensitive in one spectrum region.