OPTICAL INDICIA READING TERMINAL WITH COMBINED ILLUMINATION

• US 20150001301A1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Ouyang, Yunxin
• Application Number:
  US14/345,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20150001301A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/455
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks

Abstract

An optical indicia reading terminal (100) can comprise an image sensor (62,1032), an imaging lens (1110) configured to focus an image of decodable indicia (15) on the image sensor (62,1032), an analog-to-digital converter (1037) configured to convert an analog signal read out of the image sensor (62,1032) into a digital signal representative of light incident on the image sensor (62,1032), a hand held housing (52) encapsulating the image sensor (62,1032), a microprocessor (1060) configured to output a decoded message data corresponding to the decodable indicia (15) by processing the digital signal, and an illumination assembly (1207). The illumination assembly (1207) can include at least one visible spectrum illumination source (322a-322z) and at least one invisible spectrum illumination source (324a-324z). The visible spectrum illumination source (322a-322z) can be configured to emit a light having a wavelength belonging to a visible spectrum region. The invisible spectrum illumination source (324a-324z) can be configured to emit a light having a wavelength belonging to an invisible spectrum region. The intensities of light emitted by the visible spectrum light sources (322a-322z) and invisible spectrum light sources (324a-324z) can be chosen to minimize a perceived combined light intensity while providing an illumination sufficient for obtaining an image suitable for decoding the decodable indicia (15).

Claims

1. An optical indicia reading terminal comprising:

an image sensor;

an imaging lens configured to focus an image of decodable indicia on said image sensor;

an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert an analog signal read out of said image sensor into a digital signal, said analog signal being representative of light incident on said image sensor;

a hand held housing encapsulating said image sensor;

a microprocessor configured to output a decoded message data corresponding to said decodable indicia by processing said digital signal;

an illumination assembly including at least one visible spectrum illumination source configured to emit a first light having a first wavelength, said first wavelength belonging to a visible spectrum region, and at least one invisible spectrum illumination source configured to emit a second light having a second wavelength, said second wavelength belonging to an invisible spectrum region;

wherein said first light intensity and said second light intensity are chosen to minimize a perceived combined light intensity while providing an illumination sufficient for obtaining an image suitable for decoding said decodable indicia.

2. The optical indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said at least one visible spectrum illumination source is provided by at least one light-emitting diode (LED).

3. The optical indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said at least one invisible spectrum illumination source is provided by at least one light-emitting diode (LED).

4. The optical indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said invisible spectrum region is provided by an ultra-violet spectrum region.

5. The optical indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said invisible spectrum region is provided by an infra-red spectrum region.

6. The optical indicia reading terminal of claim 1 further including at least one of:

a display, a keyboard, and a communication interface.

7. The optical indicia reading terminal of claim 1 further including a trigger for activating readout of said analog signal.

8. The optical indicia reading terminal of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:

an analog signal amplifier and an image sensor control circuit.

9. The optical indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said image sensor comprises a multiple pixel image sensor array having pixels arranged in rows and columns, a column circuitry, and a row circuitry.

10. The optical indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said image sensor comprises a multiple pixel image sensor array having pixels arranged in rows and columns, said image sensor array provided by a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor.

11. The optical indicia reading terminal of claim 1, wherein said image sensor comprises a multiple pixel image sensor array having pixels arranged in rows and columns, said image sensor array provided by a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.