IMAGING APPARATUS HAVING LENS ELEMENT
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- an image sensor array having a plurality of pixels, a memory for storing image data, wherein the apparatus is adapted for processing the image data for attempting to decode decodable indicia represented in the image data, a variable lens assembly for focusing an image of a target onto the image sensor array, the variable lens assembly including a lens element having a first light transmissive substrate and a second light transmissive substrate, the first light transmissive substrate including a first electrode, the second light transmissive substrate including a second electrode, the lens element further having liquid crystal material disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the apparatus further being operative to expose during a first exposure period a first frame of image data with the lens assembly defining a plane of optimum focus distance “
a”
from the apparatus and during a second exposure period a second frame of image data with the lens assembly defining a plane of optimum focus distance “
b”
from the apparatus, and wherein the apparatus is further configured so that the apparatus is operative to subject each of the first and second frames of image data to a decode attempt for decoding of a decodable indicia.
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Abstract
There is provided in one embodiment an imaging apparatus having a lens assembly. The lens assembly can comprises a lens element having a first light transmissive substrate and a second light transmissive substrate, the first light transmissive substrate including a first electrode, the second light transmissive substrate including a second electrode. The lens element can further comprise liquid crystal material intermediate the first light transmissive substrate and the second light transmissive substrate.
461 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
an image sensor array having a plurality of pixels, a memory for storing image data, wherein the apparatus is adapted for processing the image data for attempting to decode decodable indicia represented in the image data, a variable lens assembly for focusing an image of a target onto the image sensor array, the variable lens assembly including a lens element having a first light transmissive substrate and a second light transmissive substrate, the first light transmissive substrate including a first electrode, the second light transmissive substrate including a second electrode, the lens element further having liquid crystal material disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the apparatus further being operative to expose during a first exposure period a first frame of image data with the lens assembly defining a plane of optimum focus distance “
a”
from the apparatus and during a second exposure period a second frame of image data with the lens assembly defining a plane of optimum focus distance “
b”
from the apparatus, and wherein the apparatus is further configured so that the apparatus is operative to subject each of the first and second frames of image data to a decode attempt for decoding of a decodable indicia.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus comprising:
an image sensor array having a plurality of pixels, a memory for storing image data, wherein the apparatus is adapted for processing the image data for attempting to decode decodable indicia represented in the image data, a lens assembly for focusing an image of a target onto the image sensor array, the variable lens assembly including a lens element having a first light transmissive substrate and a second light transmissive substrate, the first light transmissive substrate including a first electrode, the second light transmissive substrate including a second electrode, the lens element further having liquid crystal material disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the apparatus further being operative to expose during a first exposure period a first frame of image data with the lens assembly defining a plane of optimum focus distance “
a”
from the apparatus, and wherein the apparatus is further configured so that the apparatus is operative to subject the first frame of image data to a decode attempt for decoding of a decodable indicia, wherein the apparatus is configured so that the first exposure period occurs during a time at which a lens setting of the lens assembly is transitioning between a farther plane of optimum focus lens setting and a nearer plane of optimum focus lens setting, the plane of optimum focus distance “
a”
being intermediate a plane of optimum focus distance defined at the farther plane of optimum focus lens setting and a plane of optimum focus distance defines at the nearer plane of optimum focus lens setting, wherein a pixel of the image sensor array has a shielded storage region that stores subsequent to the first exposure period and prior to readout a charge representative of light incident on the pixel during the first exposure period, and wherein the image sensor array is controlled so that the first exposure period comprises a simultaneous exposure initiation time and simultaneous termination time for a plurality of rows of pixels of the image sensor array.- View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A computer program product for establishing a liquid crystal lens assembly lens setting, the computer program product comprising:
- a computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;
obtaining, by a processor, a liquid crystal lens assembly lens setting information from a configuration resource;
determining, by the processor, responsively to the lens setting information lens element driving data;
transmitting, by the processor, to a liquid crystal lens element driver circuit, the lens element driving data. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
- a computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;
Specification