CAMERA POSITIONING TOOL FOR SYMBOLOGY READING

• US 20130140356A1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: FAN, Zhigang, ZHAO, Yonghui, WANG, Shen-ge, DING, Hengzhou
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1452 detecting bar code edges
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/752 Contour matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

A method and device for receiving an image of a symbology captured by an imaging device, displaying an image of the symbology, displaying a boundary indicator around the symbology, adjusting the image size to correspond with the boundary indicator, decoding the symbology, and initiating an action by device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

by an image capture module of an electronic device, receiving an image of a symbology captured by an imaging device of the electronic device;

on a display of the electronic device, displaying the image of the symbology;

on the display, displaying a boundary indicator, wherein the boundary indicator corresponds to a size of the symbology;

when the boundary indicator corresponds to a boundary of the displayed image, decoding the symbology to yield decoded information; and

using the decoded information to initiate an action by the imaging device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising by the image capture module of the electronic device, adjusting a distance between the symbology and the image capture module to achieve an optimal distance for focus.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising on the display, adjusting a size of the displayed image based on a location of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the adjusting may be achieved by means of repositioning the electronic device with respect to the symbology.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising on the display, adjusting a size of the boundary indicator based on a zoom factor of the imaging device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the adjusting may be achieved by scaling the size of the boundary indicator by an amount that is proportional to the zoom factor of the imaging device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises one or more of the following:

using a browser to connect to a website;

starting an application;

playing a media file; and

displaying, on the display, the decoded information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the boundary indicator includes a plurality of edges whose position corresponds to a position of a plurality of edges of the symbology when the electronic device is positioned within an optimal focal distance from the symbology.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

an imaging device;

a processor;

a display; and

a computer-readable memory containing a symbology scanning application comprising programming instructions that instruct the processor to;

cause the imaging device to receive an image of a symbology;

cause the display to display the image of the symbology;

cause the display to display a boundary indicator, wherein the boundary indicator corresponds to a size of the symbology;

determine whether the boundary indicator corresponds to a boundary of the displayed image of the symbology;

decode the symbology to yield decoded information when the boundary indicator corresponds to the boundary of the displayed image; and

use the decoded information to perform an action by the imaging device.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the programming instructions further instruct the processor to adjust a size of the boundary indicator based on a zoom factor of the imaging device.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the adjusting comprises notifying a user to reposition the electronic device with respect to the symbology.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the adjusting comprises scaling the size of the boundary indicator by an amount that is proportional to the zoom factor of the imaging device.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the programming instructions that instruct the processor to use the decoded information to perform the action comprises instructions to initiate one or more of the following:

using a browser to connect to a website;

playing a media file; and

displaying, on the display, the decoded information.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the boundary indicator includes a plurality of edges whose position corresponds to a position of a plurality of edges of the symbology when the electronic device is positioned within an optimal focal distance from the symbology.

15. A computer program product containing instructions that, when executed, instruct a processor of an electronic device to implement a method, wherein the electronic device includes an imaging device, a processor, a display, and a computer-readable memory, the method comprising:

causing the imaging device to receive an image of a symbology;

causing the display to display the image of the symbology;

causing the display to display a boundary indicator, wherein the boundary indicator corresponds to a size of the symbology;

determining whether the boundary indicator corresponds to a boundary of the displayed image of the symbology;

decoding the symbology to yield decoded information when the boundary indicator corresponds to the boundary of the displayed image; and

using the decoded information to perform an action by the imaging device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises adjusting a size of the boundary indicator based on a zoom factor of the imaging device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the adjusting comprises notifying a user to reposition the electronic device with respect to the symbology.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the adjusting comprises scaling the size of the boundary indicator by an amount that is proportional to the zoom factor of the imaging device.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the using the decoded information to perform the action further comprises instructing the processor to initiate one or more of the following:

using a browser to connect to a website;

playing a media file; and

displaying, on the display, the decoded information.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the boundary indicator includes a plurality of edges whose position corresponds to a position of a plurality of edges of the symbology when the electronic device is positioned within an optimal focal distance from the symbology.