Optical scanner for reading and decoding one- and-two-dimensional symbologies at variable depths of field including memory efficient high speed image processing means and high accuracy image analysis means
First Claim
1. In an optical scanning device for reading one or more one- or two-dimensional symbologies contained within a symbology image field having a first width, wherein said optical scanning device includes at least one printed circuit board having a front edge with a second width, an illumination light source mounted on said at least one printed circuit board for projecting an incident beam of light onto said symbology image field, said incident beam of light having substantially said second width at said front edge of said at least one printed circuit board and a first height and a third width at said symbology image field, said third width being greater than said second width and at least as large as said first width, and said optical scanning device further including an optical assembly comprising a plurality of lenses disposed along an optical path for focusing reflected light at a focal plane, said optical assembly including moving means for moving at least one of said plurality of lenses with respect to other lenses of said plurality of lenses to provide a variable field of view, and said optical scanning device further including a detector disposed on said at least one printed circuit board within said optical path substantially at said focal plane of said optical assembly, said variable field of view having said first height and said third width, said detector including a plurality of pixel elements for sensing illumination levels of said focused light, and said optical scanning device further including a processor in communication with circuitry on said at least one printed circuit board for processing said sensed symbology to obtain an electrical signal proportional to said illumination levels and an output means for converting said electrical signal into output data, said output data describing a gray illumination level for each pixel element that is directly relatable to discrete points within said symbology image field, and said processor having a communication path for communicating with a host computer, a combination comprising:
- memory means in communication with the processor;
optical framing locator means including a light source for directing light for framing said symbology image within a selected field of view of the variable field of view; and
machine-executed means coupled with the memory and the processor for controlling said optical scanning device and processing one or more symbologies, the machine-executed means including;
monitor means for monitoring and controlling power consumption of said electronic circuitry, and said illumination and laser light sources; and
image processing means for analyzing and decoding one or more symbologies contained within said framed symbology image field including means for correcting for skewed orientation of said one or more symbologies within a symbology image field.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical device for reading one- and two-dimensional symbologies at variable depths of field. The device has a light source for projecting emitted light toward the symbol image to be reflected back to an optical assembly, or zoom lens. The zoom gives multiple field of view capability to a CCD detector for detecting the reflected light, and generating a proportional electrical signal. The sensor is aimed for reading the symbology by a frame locator including a light source that emits a beam divided by diffractive optics into beamlets matching the dimensions of the respective field of views. Refractive optics are shifted in response to movement of the zoom lens for aiming the beamlets to form an aiming frame in accordance with the depth of field selected by the zoom lens. The device includes a microcomputer that communicates with a host PC including an API library with downloadable applications for image processing, including segmenting, analyzing, and decoding.
1011 Citations
37 Claims
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1. In an optical scanning device for reading one or more one- or two-dimensional symbologies contained within a symbology image field having a first width, wherein said optical scanning device includes at least one printed circuit board having a front edge with a second width, an illumination light source mounted on said at least one printed circuit board for projecting an incident beam of light onto said symbology image field, said incident beam of light having substantially said second width at said front edge of said at least one printed circuit board and a first height and a third width at said symbology image field, said third width being greater than said second width and at least as large as said first width, and said optical scanning device further including an optical assembly comprising a plurality of lenses disposed along an optical path for focusing reflected light at a focal plane, said optical assembly including moving means for moving at least one of said plurality of lenses with respect to other lenses of said plurality of lenses to provide a variable field of view, and said optical scanning device further including a detector disposed on said at least one printed circuit board within said optical path substantially at said focal plane of said optical assembly, said variable field of view having said first height and said third width, said detector including a plurality of pixel elements for sensing illumination levels of said focused light, and said optical scanning device further including a processor in communication with circuitry on said at least one printed circuit board for processing said sensed symbology to obtain an electrical signal proportional to said illumination levels and an output means for converting said electrical signal into output data, said output data describing a gray illumination level for each pixel element that is directly relatable to discrete points within said symbology image field, and said processor having a communication path for communicating with a host computer, a combination comprising:
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memory means in communication with the processor; optical framing locator means including a light source for directing light for framing said symbology image within a selected field of view of the variable field of view; and machine-executed means coupled with the memory and the processor for controlling said optical scanning device and processing one or more symbologies, the machine-executed means including; monitor means for monitoring and controlling power consumption of said electronic circuitry, and said illumination and laser light sources; and image processing means for analyzing and decoding one or more symbologies contained within said framed symbology image field including means for correcting for skewed orientation of said one or more symbologies within a symbology image field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In an optical scanning device for reading a one- or two-dimensional symbology having a first width, and including at least one printed circuit board having a front edge with a second width, and also including an illumination light source mounted on said at least one printed circuit board, said illumination light source for projecting an incident beam of light onto said symbology and having a first spectral bandwidth, said incident beam of light having substantially said second width at said front edge of said at least one printed circuit board and a first height and a third width at said symbology, said third width being greater than said second width and at least as large as said first width, and also including a processor for processing sensed symbology to obtain an electrical signal and output means for converting said electrical signal into output data, a combination comprising:
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an optical assembly comprising a plurality of lenses disposed on said at least one printed circuit board along an optical path for receiving and focusing light reflected from a symbology to obtain a focused light at a focal plane, said optical assembly having moving means for moving at least one of said plurality of lenses with respect to other lenses of said plurality to provide a variable field of view; optical framing locator means disposed on said at least one printed circuit board for framing said symbology to identify an area to be scanned by said scanner, wherein said at least one framing means comprises at least one laser diode for emitting a laser beam and at least one diffractive optic for transforming said laser beam into a plurality of diverging beamlets; one or more movable refractive optical elements for selectively focusing said plurality of diverging beamlets in response to movement of said at least one of said pluralilty of lenses for selectively forming said laser beamlets within a selected field of view of the variable fields of view; and a detector disposed on said at least one printed circuit board within said optical path substantially at said focal plane of said optical assembly for detecting at least a portion of said focused light within said variable field of view of said detector, said variable field of view having said first height and said third width, said detector for sensing said focused light to obtain a sensed symbology. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. In an optical scanning device for reading a one- or two-dimensional symbology having a first width, said optical scanning device comprising at least one printed circuit board having a front edge with a second width, a light source mounted on said at least one printed circuit board, said light source for projecting an incident beam of light onto said symbology, said incident beam of light having substantially said second width at said front edge of said at least one printed circuit board and a first height and a third width at said symbology, said third width being greater than said second width and at least as large as said first width, an optical assembly comprising a plurality of lenses disposed on said at least one printed circuit board along an optical path for receiving and focusing light reflected from said framed symbology to obtain a focused light at a focal plane, said optical assembly having moving means for moving at least one of said plurality of lenses with respect to other lenses of said plurality to provide a variable field of view, a detector disposed on said at least one printed circuit board within said optical path substantially at said focal plane of said optical assembly for detecting at least a portion of said focused light within said variable field of view of said detector, said variable field of view having said first height and said third width, said detector for sensing said focused light to obtain a sensed symbology, a processor for processing said sensed symbology to obtain an electrical signal;
- and an output means for converting said electrical signal into output data;
the improvement comprising;at least one framing means disposed on said at least one printed circuit board for framing said symbology to identify an area to be scanned by said scanner, wherein said at least one framing means comprises; at least one light source for emitting a beam of light; at least one diffractive optic for transforming said beam of light into a plurality of diverging beamlets; and at least one refractive optical element disposed in an optical path of each of said plurality of diverging beamlets for directing said plurality of diverging beamlets to project spots of light to frame said variable field of view, whereby said variable field of view is identified. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
- and an output means for converting said electrical signal into output data;
Specification