SORTING / SCANNING SYSTEM CAMERA UPGRADE APPARATUS WITH BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY

• US 20140105452A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bull HN Information Systems Incorporated (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Bull HN Information Systems Incorporated (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Bowne, David Lowell, Kiani, Shahrom, Macia, Carlos, Guenthner, Russell W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,366,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/20 Image preprocessing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/94 Hardware or software architectures specially adapted for image or video understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition

Abstract

A scanning camera upgrade adaptor system provides backwards compatibility when an existing scanning camera subsystem is replaced or upgraded in automated sorting equipment with a newer camera having a different data format. The adaptor system allows sorting equipment such as mail sorting equipment to be upgraded or repaired with a new camera while providing compatibility and optional fallback to a previous mode of operation of the existing equipment. The upgrade system enables legacy equipment and newly added sorting/processing equipment to be utilized in conjunction, while reducing cost of upgrade and necessity for completely new equipment as desirable features are added.

Claims

1. A scanning system adaptor apparatus for use in repairing or upgrading a scanning and sorting system by replacing a legacy camera originally within the scanning and sorting system with a new higher resolution camera, the scanning and sorting system useful for performing a sorting task such as the scanning and sorting a large plurality of items to be scanned and sorted, each item with an address label that is utilized as a basis for order of the sorting, the sorting equipment including legacy image processing equipment for processing legacy format images sent from the legacy camera in a legacy data format and resolution, the scanning system adaptor apparatus comprising:

a) a first connector providing for connection of the new higher resolution camera to the adaptor apparatus and for providing through this connection higher resolution image data from the new higher resolution camera to the adaptor apparatus;

c) an image format conversion apparatus for converting the higher resolution image data received from the new higher resolution camera into reduced resolution legacy compatible images, the format of the reduced resolution compatible images being compatible for processing by the legacy image data processing equipment; and

,

c) a second connector for connection of the adaptor apparatus to the legacy image processing system and enabling sending of the reduced resolution legacy compatible images from the adaptor apparatus to the legacy image processing system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the scanning system adaptor apparatus further includes an image stamping apparatus that generates and embeds within the reduced resolution legacy compatible images an image identification tag that uniquely identifies each of these images in relation to each of the items being scanned and sorted.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the scanning system adaptor apparatus further includes a third connector that provides higher resolution output data that is directly related or equivalent to the higher resolution image data received from the higher resolution camera.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the system adaptor apparatus further includes a third connector for providing as output from the system adaptor apparatus, the captured higher resolution images of scanned input items.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the scanning system adaptor apparatus further comprises:

a) tag generating apparatus that generates a plurality of higher resolution image identification tags that relate or associate one or more of the plurality of the higher resolution images with corresponding one or more of the legacy compatible digital images, each legacy compatible digital image including an embedded low resolution image identification tag; and

,

b) one or more further connectors connected to provide as output, the captured higher resolution images of scanned input items, and their higher resolution image identification tags received from the tag generating apparatus.

6. The scanning system adaptor apparatus of claim 2 further including a mechanism connected for disabling the generation and embedding of low resolution image identification tags within the legacy compatible digital images. Russ-should specify connections/location to elements.

7. The scanning system adaptor apparatus of claim 5 further including a new feature disabling mechanism that enables disabling of the generation and embedding of low resolution image identification tags within the legacy compatible digital images.

8. A camera upgrade apparatus for use in repairing or upgrading a scanning and sorting system by replacing a legacy camera originally within the system, the scanning and sorting system useful for performing a sorting task such as the scanning and sorting a large plurality of mail items, each mail item with an address label that is utilized as a basis for order of the sorting, the scanning and sorting system including legacy image processing equipment for processing images received from the legacy camera in a legacy data format and resolution, the camera upgrade apparatus comprising:

a) a new higher resolution camera for the scanning of input mail items to be sorted, the new higher resolution camera providing higher resolution images than the original legacy camera; and

system adaptor apparatus including;

b) an image format conversion apparatus coupled to the new higher resolution camera for converting a plurality of the higher resolution images to a plurality of legacy compatible images in a reduced resolution data format, the reduced resolution data format being both electrically compatible and data format compatible for reception and processing by the legacy image data processing equipment in the scanning and sorting system; and

,

c) one or more legacy adaptor connectors connected for transferring legacy compatible images from the image format conversion apparatus to the legacy image processing system.

9. The camera upgrade apparatus of claim 8 further including tag generating apparatus that generates and embeds within each of a plurality of the legacy compatible images a low resolution image identification tag that uniquely identifies each of the plurality of legacy compatible digital images.

10. The camera upgrade apparatus of claim 8 further including a third connection providing as output higher resolution output data, the higher resolution output data directly related or equivalent to the higher resolution image data received from the higher resolution camera.

11. The camera upgrade apparatus of claim 8 further including a third connector connected for providing as output from the scanning system adaptor apparatus, the captured higher resolution images of scanned input items for subsequent processing by new image processing equipment.

12. The camera upgrade apparatus of claim 9 further including:

a) a tag generating apparatus that generates a plurality of higher resolution image identification tags that relates or associates one or more of the plurality of the higher resolution images with corresponding one or more of the legacy compatible digital images, each legacy compatible digital image including an embedded low resolution image identification tag; and

,

b) one or more further connectors connected for providing as output the captured higher resolution images of scanned input items received from the frame capture apparatus, and their higher resolution image identification tags received from the tag generating apparatus.

13. The camera upgrade apparatus of claim 9 further including a mechanism connected for disabling the generation and embedding of low resolution image identification tags within the legacy compatible digital images.

14. The camera upgrade apparatus of claim 12 further including a mechanism connected for disabling the generation and embedding of low resolution image identification tags within the legacy compatible digital images.

15. A method of replacing or upgrading a legacy camera in an existing scanning system, the legacy camera including a legacy camera output, the existing scanning system including legacy image processing equipment for processing images received from the legacy camera in a legacy data format and resolution, the method comprising the steps of:

a) installing in the existing system in place of the legacy camera, a new camera, the new camera for providing scanned item images of items provided as input to the scanning system, the scanned item images being at a higher resolution or different data format than those previously provided by the legacy camera;

b) installing in the existing system a new camera upgrade adaptor apparatus, the upgrade adaptor apparatus including translator apparatus for conversion of scanned item images to adapted legacy output images, the adapted legacy output images being provided on an adapted output connector made compatible, by the translator apparatus, in data format and in electrical format for connection in place of an is output from the original legacy camera; and

,

c) connecting the new camera to the upgrade adaptor apparatus;

d) connecting the adapted output connector of the upgrade adaptor apparatus to the legacy image processing equipment in place of the original connection from the legacy camera output.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising operatively connecting a tag generating apparatus with the new camera ______, the tag generating apparatus generates and embeds within each of a plurality of the adapted legacy output images a low resolution image identification tag that identifies each of the plurality of adapted legacy output images.

17. A method of replacing or upgrading a legacy camera in an existing scanning system, the existing scanning system including legacy image processing equipment, the legacy camera originally including an original legacy camera output connected in the scanning system to the legacy image processing equipment and providing data through that connection in a legacy data format and resolution, the legacy image processing equipment for processing images received from the legacy camera and producing legacy controls and scanned image data as output, these outputs useful for controlling other equipment such as a sorter, the method of replacing or upgrading the legacy camera comprising the steps of:

a) removing the legacy camera from the existing scanning system;

b) installing in the existing system in place of the legacy camera, a new camera apparatus, the new camera apparatus including;

i) a higher resolution camera for providing scanned item images of items provided as input to the scanning system, the scanned item images being at a higher resolution than those previously provided by the legacy camera;

ii) a translator apparatus, the translator apparatus for conversion of the scanned item images at the higher resolution to form adapted low resolution output images, the adapted low resolution output images being provided on an adapted low resolution output connector and made compatible, by the translator apparatus, in data format and in electrical format for connection to the legacy image processing equipment in place of the original legacy camera output; and

,

c) connecting the adapted low resolution output connector of the new camera apparatus to the legacy image processing equipment in place of the original connection from the legacy camera.

18. The method of claim 17 with the new camera apparatus further including tag generating apparatus that generates and embeds within each of a plurality of the adapted low resolution output images a low resolution image identification tag that identifies each of the plurality of adapted low resolution output images.

19. A scanning system adaptor apparatus for use in repairing or upgrading a scanning and sorting system by replacing a legacy camera originally within the scanning and sorting system with a new camera, the scanning and sorting system useful for performing a sorting task such as the scanning and sorting a large plurality of items to be scanned and sorted, each item with an address label that is utilized as a basis for order of the sorting, the sorting equipment including legacy image processing equipment for processing legacy format images sent from the legacy camera in a legacy data format and resolution, the scanning system adaptor apparatus comprising:

a) a first connector providing for connection of the new camera to the adaptor apparatus and for providing through this connection image data from the new camera to the adaptor apparatus;

c) an image format conversion apparatus for converting the image data received from the new camera into legacy compatible images, the format of the legacy compatible images being compatible for processing by the legacy image data processing equipment; and

,

c) a second connector for connection of the adaptor apparatus to the legacy image processing system and enabling sending of the legacy compatible images from the adaptor apparatus to the legacy image processing system.

20. A camera upgrade apparatus for use in repairing or upgrading a scanning and sorting system by replacing an original legacy camera originally within the system, the scanning and sorting system useful for performing a sorting task such as the scanning and sorting a large plurality of mail items, each mail item with an address label that is utilized as a basis for order of the sorting, the scanning and sorting system including legacy image processing equipment for processing images received from the legacy camera in a legacy data format and resolution, the camera upgrade apparatus comprising:

a) a new camera for the scanning of input mail items to be sorted, the new camera providing images in a new data format different than the original legacy camera; and

system adaptor apparatus including;

b) an image format conversion apparatus coupled to the new camera for converting a plurality of the images in the new data format to a plurality of legacy compatible images with a data format being both electrically compatible and data format compatible for reception and processing by the legacy image data processing equipment in the scanning and sorting system; and

,

c) one or more legacy adaptor connectors connected for transferring legacy compatible images from the image format conversion apparatus to the legacy image processing system.

21. A method of replacing or upgrading a legacy camera in an existing scanning system, the legacy camera including a legacy camera output, the existing scanning system including legacy image processing equipment for processing images received from the legacy camera in a legacy data format and resolution, the method comprising the steps of:

a) installing a new camera in the existing system in place of the legacy camera, the new camera for providing scanned item images of items provided as input to the scanning system, the new camera providing images in a new data format which is not the same as the legacy data format;

b) installing in the existing system a new camera upgrade adaptor apparatus, the upgrade adaptor apparatus including translator apparatus for conversion of scanned item images in the new data format to adapted legacy output images, the adapted legacy output images being provided on an adapted output connector made compatible, by the translator apparatus, in data format and in electrical format for connection in place of an output from the original legacy camera; and

,

c) connecting the new camera to the upgrade adaptor apparatus;

d) connecting the adapted output connector of the upgrade adaptor apparatus to the as legacy image processing equipment in place of the original connection from the legacy camera output.

22. A method of replacing or upgrading a legacy camera in an existing scanning system, the existing scanning system including legacy image processing equipment, the legacy camera originally including an original legacy camera output connected in the scanning system to the legacy image processing equipment and providing data through that connection in a legacy data format and resolution, the legacy image processing equipment for processing images received from the legacy camera and producing legacy controls and scanned image data as output, these outputs useful for controlling other equipment such as a sorter, the method of replacing or upgrading the legacy camera comprising the steps of:

a) removing the legacy camera from the existing scanning system;

b) installing in the existing system in place of the legacy camera, a new camera apparatus, the new camera apparatus including;

i) a replacement camera for providing scanned item images of items provided as input to the scanning system, the scanned item images being provided in a new image format than those previously provided by the legacy camera;

ii) a translator apparatus, the translator apparatus for conversion of the scanned item images in the new image format from the replacement camera to form adapted output images, the adapted output images being provided on an adapted output connector and made compatible, by the translator apparatus, in data format and in electrical format for connection to the legacy image processing equipment in place of the original legacy camera output; and

,

c) connecting the adapted output connector of the new camera apparatus to the legacy image processing equipment in place of the original connection from the legacy camera.

23. A method of operating a legacy camera in an existing scanning system, the existing scanning system including legacy image processing equipment, the legacy camera originally including an original legacy camera output connected in the scanning system to the legacy image processing equipment and providing data through that connection in a legacy data format and resolution, the legacy image processing equipment for processing images received from the legacy camera and producing legacy controls and scanned image data as output, these outputs useful for controlling other equipment such as a sorter, the method of replacing or upgrading the legacy camera comprising the steps of:

a) operating the existing scanning system with a new camera apparatus in place of the legacy camera, the new camera apparatus including;

i) a replacement camera for providing scanned item images of items provided as input to the scanning system, the scanned item images being provided in a new image format than those previously provided by the legacy camera;

ii) a translator apparatus, the translator apparatus for conversion of the scanned item images in the new image format from the replacement camera to form adapted output images, the adapted output images being provided on an adapted output connector and made compatible, by the translator apparatus, in data format and in electrical format for connection to the legacy image processing equipment in place of the original legacy camera output; and

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b) transferring data or signals over the adapted output connector of the new camera apparatus to the legacy image processing equipment