Data symbol reader and method including data symbol position evaluation
First Claim
1. A data symbol reader, comprising:
- a reading unit, said reading unit including an image sensing device and an optical system, said optical system forming an image of a two-dimensional data symbol on said image sensing device when said two-dimensional data symbol is in a symbol reading area of said data symbol reading device;
evaluating means for evaluating if an entirety of said two-dimensional data symbol is within said symbol reading area based on the output of said image sensing device, said evaluation means evaluates if the entirety of a two-dimensional data symbol is within the symbol reading area by processing image signals received from the reading unit, storing the processed image signals in a memory, and extracting an outline of the data symbol from the image signals stored in the memory, wherein, if the extracted outline of the two-dimensional data symbol is a closed loop, the symbol is determined to be within the symbol reading area, and if the extracted outline is not a closed loop, the two-dimensional data symbol is determined to protrude from the symbol reading area, wherein outline extraction starts from a predetermined element of the outline of the two dimensional data symbol, detects adjacent elements of the outline in a first predetermined direction, and determines that a closed loop outline of the data symbol has been detected when repeated detection of adjacent elements in the predetermined direction results in detection of said predetermined element;
recognizing means for recognizing a direction in which said two-dimensional data symbol protrudes from said symbol reading area, when said two-dimensional data symbol protrudes outside said symbol reading area;
a control system, said control system comprising said evaluating means and said recognizing means;
an indicator, responsive to said evaluating means, for indicating whether the entirety of said two-dimensional data symbol is within said symbol reading area; and
wherein a direction in which said two-dimensional data symbol protrudes from the symbol reading area is evaluated based on an intersection of an outline of the two-dimensional data symbol image formed on the image sensing device and an outer frame of an effective picture element area of the image sensing device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A data symbol reading device has a casing which includes a hand grip and a head part. The casing includes signal processing circuits, a light source, an image sensing device, and an optical system. The optical system directs light reflected from a symbol reading area such that an image is formed on a light receiving surface of the image sensing device. An indication unit, comprised of five LEDs, is provided on an easily visible surface of the casing. If, in the reading process, it is determined that a data symbol is fully within the symbol reading area, a central LED is illuminated. However, if the data symbol is protruding outside the symbol reading area, one or more LEDs are illuminated to indicate the direction of protrusion.
59 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A data symbol reader, comprising:
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a reading unit, said reading unit including an image sensing device and an optical system, said optical system forming an image of a two-dimensional data symbol on said image sensing device when said two-dimensional data symbol is in a symbol reading area of said data symbol reading device; evaluating means for evaluating if an entirety of said two-dimensional data symbol is within said symbol reading area based on the output of said image sensing device, said evaluation means evaluates if the entirety of a two-dimensional data symbol is within the symbol reading area by processing image signals received from the reading unit, storing the processed image signals in a memory, and extracting an outline of the data symbol from the image signals stored in the memory, wherein, if the extracted outline of the two-dimensional data symbol is a closed loop, the symbol is determined to be within the symbol reading area, and if the extracted outline is not a closed loop, the two-dimensional data symbol is determined to protrude from the symbol reading area, wherein outline extraction starts from a predetermined element of the outline of the two dimensional data symbol, detects adjacent elements of the outline in a first predetermined direction, and determines that a closed loop outline of the data symbol has been detected when repeated detection of adjacent elements in the predetermined direction results in detection of said predetermined element; recognizing means for recognizing a direction in which said two-dimensional data symbol protrudes from said symbol reading area, when said two-dimensional data symbol protrudes outside said symbol reading area; a control system, said control system comprising said evaluating means and said recognizing means; an indicator, responsive to said evaluating means, for indicating whether the entirety of said two-dimensional data symbol is within said symbol reading area; and wherein a direction in which said two-dimensional data symbol protrudes from the symbol reading area is evaluated based on an intersection of an outline of the two-dimensional data symbol image formed on the image sensing device and an outer frame of an effective picture element area of the image sensing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A data symbol reader, comprising:
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an imaging system that forms an image of a two dimensional data symbol, said imaging system having an outer frame defining an effective reading area, a control system, said control system comprising evaluating means for evaluating if a portion of a formed image of the two-dimensional data symbol protrudes from said outer frame defining said effective reading area;
said evaluating means including direction detecting device for detecting a direction in which said portion of said formed image of the two-dimensional data symbol protrudes from the symbol reading area based on an intersection of the portion of the formed image and the outer frame defining the effective reading area, andan indicator, responsive to said means for evaluating, for indicating whether said formed image of the two-dimensional data symbol intersects with said outer frame defining said effective reading area, said evaluating means determines that said two-dimensional data symbol protrudes from the outer frame of the symbol reading area upon detection of two intersections of an outline of the two-dimensional data symbol with the outer frame of the symbol reading area, one of said intersections being determined by following the outline of said two-dimensional data symbol in a first direction from a predetermined origin position, and a second of said intersections being determined by following the outline of said two-dimensional data symbol in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction from the predetermined origin position. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A data symbol reader, comprising:
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an imaging sensor for reading an image of an effective reading area defined by an outer frame; an imaging optical system for forming said image on said imaging sensor; a memory; a controller that receives said image from said imaging sensor, stores first information representing said image of said effective reading area and second information representing a data symbol image portion of said image in said memory, said controller evaluating a direction in which said data symbol image portion of said image intersects with said outer frame; and an indicator having directional indications, said indicator controlled by said controller, that indicates said direction in which said data symbol image portion of said image intersects with said outer frame, said controller determining that the two-dimensional data symbol protrudes from the symbol reading area upon detection of two intersections of an outline of the data symbol with an outline of the effective reading area, one of said intersections being determined by following the outline of said two-dimensional data symbol in a first direction from a predetermined origin position, and a second of said intersections is determined by following the outline of the two-dimensional data symbol in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction from the predetermined origin position. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of determining if a two-dimensional data symbol is entirely within a symbol reading area of a data symbol reader, the data symbol reader including a reading unit having an image sensing device and an optical system which forms an image of the two-dimensional data symbol on the image sensing device when the two-dimensional data symbol is in the symbol reading area of the data symbol reading device, the method comprising:
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evaluating if an entirety of the two-dimensional data symbol is within the symbol reading area based on the output of the image sensing device, the evaluating being performed by; extracting an outline of the two-dimensional data symbol; determining if the outline intersects with an outer frame of the image sensing device corresponding to the symbol reading area of the data symbol reader by sequentially checking coordinates of the outline; determining that the entirety of the two-dimensional data symbol is within the symbol reading area if the outline does not intersect with the outer frame and that the two-dimensional data symbol protrudes from the symbol reading area upon detection of two intersections of the outline with the outer frame, one of the intersections being determined by following the outline of the two-dimensional data symbol in a first direction from a predetermined origin position and a second of the intersections being detected by following the outline of the two-dimensional data symbol in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction from the predetermined origin position; and indicating, responsive to the evaluating, whether the entirety of the data symbol is within the symbol reading area. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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Specification