DECODABLE INDICIA READING TERMINAL WITH INDICIA ANALYSIS FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20140131441A1
• Filed: 01/22/2014
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Nahill, James, Hernandez, Mark, DiVentura, Sergio
• Granted Patent: US 9,251,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/437
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 5/00 Methods or arrangements for verifying the correctness of markings on a record carrier; Column detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10554 Moving beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning

Abstract

A decodable indicia reading terminal can comprise a multiple pixel image sensor, an imaging lens configured to focus an image of decodable indicia on the image sensor, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter configured to convert an analog signal read out of the image sensor into a digital signal, a communication interface, and a microprocessor configured to output decoded message data corresponding to the decodable indicia by processing the digital signal. The decodable indicia reading terminal can be configured, responsive to a triggering event, to transmit via the communication interface a decoding result and an indicia readability rating. The triggering event can be provided by a failure to detect decodable indicia, the indicia readability rating being less than a pre-defined threshold, exceeding a pre-defined time period to decode decodable indicia, a user interface action, and a command received via said communication interface.

Claims

1. An indicia reader comprising:

an image sensor for generating a signal;

an imaging lens for focusing light on the image sensor;

a communication interface for transmitting data; and

a microprocessor communicatively coupled to the image sensor and the communication interface, the microprocessor being configured for;

processing the signal generated by the image sensor in an attempt to decode indicia represented in the signal;

in response to a triggering event, generating a decoding result;

in response to the triggering event, determining an indicia readability rating corresponding to the decoding result based on a number of attempts to decode an indicia and/or a processing time taken to decode the indicia; and

in response to the triggering event, transmitting the decoding result and the indicia readability rating via the communication interface.

2. The indicia reader of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises a failure to detect indicia, an indicia readability rating of less than a pre-defined threshold, an attempt to decode indicia represented in the signal that exceeds a pre-defined time period, a user interface action, and a command received via the communication interface.

3. The indicia reader of claim 1, wherein the decoding result comprises decoded message data or an error message.

4. The indicia reader of claim 1, comprising:

a source for emitting a light beam; and

a photo-detector for receiving reflected light and generating a second signal corresponding to the intensity of the reflected light;

wherein the microprocessor is communicatively connected to the photo-detector and configured for;

processing the second signal generated by the photo-detector in an attempt to decode indicia represented in the second signal;

in response to a triggering event, generating a decoding result;

in response to the triggering event, determining an indicia readability rating corresponding to the decoding result based on a number of attempts to decode an indicia and/or a processing time taken to decode the indicia; and

in response to the triggering event, transmitting the decoding result and the indicia readability rating via the communication interface.

5. The indicia reader of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured for, in response to the triggering event, transmitting a timestamp, an image of an item bearing the indicia, a number of attempts to decode an indicia and/or a processing time taken to decode the indicia.

6. The indicia reader of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured for, in response to the triggering event, transmitting the decoding result and the indicia readability rating via the communication interface to an external server.

7. An indicia reader comprising:

an image sensor for generating a first signal;

an imaging lens for focusing light on the image sensor;

a source for emitting a light beam;

a photo-detector for receiving reflected light and generating a second signal corresponding to the intensity of the reflected light;

a communication interface for transmitting data; and

a microprocessor communicatively coupled to the image sensor, the photo-detector, and the communication interface, the microprocessor being configured for;

processing the first signal and/or the second signal in an attempt to decode indicia represented in the first signal and/or the second signal;

in response to a triggering event, generating a decoding result;

in response to the triggering event, determining an indicia readability rating corresponding to the decoding result based on a number of attempts to decode an indicia and/or a processing time taken to decode the indicia; and

in response to the triggering event, transmitting the decoding result and the indicia readability rating via the communication interface.

8. The indicia reader of claim 7, wherein the triggering event comprises a failure to detect indicia, an indicia readability rating of less than a pre-defined threshold, an attempt to decode indicia represented in the signal that exceeds a pre-defined time period, a user interface action, and a command received via the communication interface.

9. The indicia reader of claim 7, wherein the decoding result comprises decoded message data or an error message.

10. The indicia reader of claim 7, wherein the microprocessor is configured for, in response to the triggering event, transmitting a timestamp, an image of an item bearing the indicia, a number of attempts to decode an indicia and/or a processing time taken to decode the indicia.

11. The indicia reader of claim 7, wherein the microprocessor is configured for, in response to the triggering event, transmitting the decoding result and the indicia readability rating via the communication interface to an external server.

12. A system comprising:

a server; and

an indicia reader comprising;

an image sensor for generating a signal;

an imaging lens for focusing light on the image sensor;

a communication interface for transmitting data;

a microprocessor communicatively coupled to the image sensor and the communication interface, the microprocessor being configured for;

processing the signal generated by the image sensor in an attempt to decode indicia represented in the signal;

in response to a triggering event, generating a decoding result;

in response to the triggering event, determining an indicia readability rating corresponding to the decoding result based on a number of attempts to decode an indicia and/or a processing time taken to decode the indicia; and

in response to the triggering event, transmitting the decoding result and the indicia readability rating via the communication interface to the server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the triggering event comprises a failure to detect indicia, an indicia readability rating of less than a pre-defined threshold, an attempt to decode indicia represented in the signal that exceeds a pre-defined time period, a user interface action, and a command received via the communication interface.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the decoding result comprises decoded message data or an error message.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the server is configured for:

diagnosing a tag printer failure responsive to establishing that a plurality of items bearing tags produced by said tag printer cause an error rate exceeding a first pre-defined threshold rate;

diagnosing an item-related issue responsive to establishing that a plurality of copies of a same SKU item cause an error rate exceeding a second pre-defined threshold rate; and

/or

diagnosing an indicia-reader-related issue responsive to establishing that decoding operations performed by the indicia reader has an error rate exceeding a third pre-defined threshold rate.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the server is configured for diagnosing a tag printer failure by averaging a plurality of indicia readability ratings from two or more indicia readers of tags produced by a specific tag printer to obtain the first pre-defined threshold rate.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the server is configured for diagnosing an item-related issue by averaging a plurality of indicia readability ratings from two or more indicia readers of tags attached to a specific SKU item to obtain the second pre-defined threshold rate.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the server is configured for diagnosing an indicia-reader-related issue by averaging a plurality of indicia readability ratings from two or more indicia readers to obtain the third pre-defined threshold rate.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the indicia reader'"'"'s microprocessor is configured for, in response to the triggering event, transmitting a timestamp, an image of an item bearing the indicia, a number of attempts to decode an indicia and/or a processing time taken to decode the indicia.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the indicia reader comprises a hand held housing;

the image sensor, the imaging lens, the communication interface, and the microprocessor are disposed within the hand held housing; and

the communication interface comprises a wireless communication interface for transmitting data wireless to the server.