CODE SYMBOL READING SYSTEM HAVING ADJUSTABLE OBJECT DETECTION

• US 20150028103A1
• Filed: 07/25/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Ting
• Granted Patent: US 9,297,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/455
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1091 means to wake up the scanner from a sleep mode, e.g. using an acceleration sensor indicating that the scanner is being picked up by a user

Abstract

A code symbol reading system is provided. The code symbol reading system has an object detection subsystem that can be configured to detect only those objects that are positioned at a specified distance from the system. The object-detection subsystem thereby initiates the scanning process only when an object is detected at substantially the specified distance from the system.

Claims

1. A system for reading code symbols, comprising:

a code-symbol-capturing subsystem for acquiring information about code symbols within the code-symbol-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view, the code-symbol-capturing subsystem comprising a receiving sensor for receiving reflected signals of electromagnetic radiation;

an object-detection subsystem for detecting the presence of an object within the code-symbol-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view, the object-detection subsystem comprising an electromagnetic radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation toward an object within the code-symbol-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view; and

a calibration processor for adjusting the electromagnetic radiation source'"'"'s emission power in response to the reception power of the reflected signals of electromagnetic radiation received by the receiving sensor.

2. The system for reading code symbols according to claim 1, comprising a code-symbol-decoding processor for decoding code-symbol information within the code-symbol-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view.

3. The system for reading code symbols according to claim 1, wherein the code-symbol-capturing subsystem is an imaging subsystem for capturing images within the imaging subsystem'"'"'s field of view.

4. The system for reading code symbols according to claim 3, wherein the imaging subsystem comprises an imager.

5. The system for reading code symbols according to claim 1, wherein the code-symbol-capturing subsystem is a laser-scanning subsystem for scanning code symbols within the laser-scanning subsystem'"'"'s field of view.

6. The system for reading code symbols according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source comprises a light-emitting diode (LED).

7. The system for reading code symbols according to claim 6, wherein the light-emitting diode (LED) emits infrared electromagnetic radiation.

8. The system for reading code symbols according to claim 6, wherein the light-emitting diode (LED) emits visible light electromagnetic radiation.

9. The system for reading code symbols according to claim 6, wherein the light-emitting diode (LED) emits ultraviolet electromagnetic radiation.

10. The system for reading code symbols according to claim 1, wherein the calibration processor adjusts the electromagnetic radiation source'"'"'s emission power until the reception power of the reflected signals of electromagnetic radiation received by the receiving sensor are substantially equal to a predetermined target reception power.

11. The system for reading code symbols according to claim 1, wherein the receiving sensor comprises a photodiode.

12. The system for reading code symbols according to claim 1, wherein the receiving sensor comprises an image sensor.

13. A method for calibrating the object-detection subsystem of a code symbol reader, comprising:

providing a system for reading code symbols having (i) a code-symbol-capturing subsystem for acquiring information about code symbols within the code-symbol-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view, the code-symbol-capturing subsystem having a receiving sensor for receiving reflected signals of electromagnetic radiation, and (ii) an object-detection subsystem for detecting the presence of an object within the code-symbol-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view, the object-detection subsystem comprising an electromagnetic radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation toward an object within the code-symbol-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view;

placing an object at a specified distance from the code symbol reader and within the code-symbol-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view;

emitting electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source toward the object;

acquiring with the receiving sensor the reflected signals of electromagnetic radiation;

adjusting the electromagnetic radiation source'"'"'s emission power until the reflection power of the reflected signals of electromagnetic radiation is substantially equal to a predetermined target reception power; and

configuring the code-symbol-capturing subsystem to acquire information about code symbols within the code-symbol-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view when the reflected power of the reflected signals of electromagnetic radiation is substantially equal to the predetermined target reception power.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source comprises a light-emitting diode (LED).

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the light-emitting diode (LED) emits infrared electromagnetic radiation.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the light-emitting diode (LED) emits visible light electromagnetic radiation.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the light-emitting diode (LED) emits ultraviolet electromagnetic radiation.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving sensor comprises a photodiode.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving sensor comprises an image sensor.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein an automatic feedback loop is used to adjust the electromagnetic radiation source'"'"'s emission power until the reflection power of the reflected signals of electromagnetic radiation is substantially equal to a predetermined target reception power.