Enhanced bar code resolution through relative movement of sensor and object
First Claim
1. A method of operating an image reader to capture within a field of view and to process in a memory an image of a figure having a peripheral boundary to render the peripheral boundary with improved definition, the memory comprising a plurality of memory files, the image reader including a plurality of image pixels arranged in an array, the array comprised of first and second sets of intersecting lines, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) operating the image reader to convert the image of the field of view into a succession of electrical signals of first and second types indicating respectively the presence or absence of the figure within the field of view;
b) processing said succession of electrical signals into a series of groups, each group corresponding to a successive scan of the array;
c) storing each of said groups successively into a corresponding file of the memory;
d) sampling at a given rate said electrical signals stored in a particular file; and
e) orienting the field of view image with respect to the image reader so that said sampled electrical signals as stored in memory and representing different lines of the one set of the image pixels are phase shifted with respect to each other and that the image resolution is improved.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved method and apparatus for enhancing the resolution of an image of an object by a sensor is described by operating the sensor to capture a two-dimensional image of the object. In particular, one of the sensor and the object is moved with respect to the other from a first position to a second position. In the second position, electrical signals are outputted by the sensor'"'"'s pixels aligned with a sampling line that is disposed at an acute angle with respect with a reference line of the object, whereby the resolution of the resultant object image is enhanced.
109 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of operating an image reader to capture within a field of view and to process in a memory an image of a figure having a peripheral boundary to render the peripheral boundary with improved definition, the memory comprising a plurality of memory files, the image reader including a plurality of image pixels arranged in an array, the array comprised of first and second sets of intersecting lines, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) operating the image reader to convert the image of the field of view into a succession of electrical signals of first and second types indicating respectively the presence or absence of the figure within the field of view; b) processing said succession of electrical signals into a series of groups, each group corresponding to a successive scan of the array; c) storing each of said groups successively into a corresponding file of the memory; d) sampling at a given rate said electrical signals stored in a particular file; and e) orienting the field of view image with respect to the image reader so that said sampled electrical signals as stored in memory and representing different lines of the one set of the image pixels are phase shifted with respect to each other and that the image resolution is improved. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of increasing the apparent resolution of an image of at least one object captured by an image sensor, the sensor including a plurality of lines of pixels arranged in an array thereof and having a given density, the object including redundant information and a plurality of elements rendered selectively in at least first and second states, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) capturing a two-dimensional image of the object; b) outputting electrical signals from the pixels and selecting those electrical signals which are outputted by the pixels aligned with at first and second sampling lines and represent the object elements of the first state of the captured object image; c) summing said electrical signals outputted by the pixels aligned with each of said first and second sampling lines to provide a composite signal; and d) moving one of the sensor and the object with respect to the other to thereby increase the number of said electrical signals of said composite signal based on the redundant information by selectively determining the relative orientation of said sampling line and said captured image and to increase the apparent resolution of the object image. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16)
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13. A method of increasing the apparent resolution of an image of at least one object captured by an image sensor, the sensor including a plurality of pixels arranged in an array thereof and having a given density, the object including at least one reference line, redundant information and a plurality of elements rendered selectively in at least first and second states, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) capturing a two-dimensional image of the object; b) outputting electrical signals from the pixels and selecting those electrical signals which are outputted by the pixels aligned with a sampling line and represent the object elements of the first state of the captured object image; and c) increasing the number of said electrical signals based on the redundant information by selectively determining the relative orientation of said sampling line and said captured image by rotating one of the sensor and the object with respect to the other from a first position to a second position whereat said sampling line is disposed at an acute angle with respect to said reference line, whereby the apparent resolution of the object image is likewise increased.
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14. A method of increasing the apparent resolution of an image of at least one object captured by an image sensor, the sensor including a plurality of pixels arranged in an array thereof and having a given density, the object including at least one reference line and a plurality of elements rendered selectively in at least first and second states, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) sampling along a sampling line an image of the object; b) outputting electrical signals from the pixels and selecting those electrical signals which are outputted by the pixels aligned with said sampling line and represent the object elements of the first state of the captured object image; and c) increasing the number of said electrical signals by selectively determining the relative orientation of said sampling line and said image by rotating one of the sensor and the object with respect to the other from a first position to a second position whereat said sampling line is disposed at an acute angle with respect to said reference line, whereby the apparent resolution of the object image is likewise increased.
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Specification