Portable data collection device with dataform decoding and image capture capability

• US 6,019,286 A
• Filed: 02/22/1996
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Metanetics Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Ynjiun P., Ye, Angi, Li, C. Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): PITTS, HAROLD I
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Thien Minh
• Application Number:
  US08/603,848
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/472, 235/454, 235/469, 382/313, 382/321, 382/59, 382/62, 382/69, 382/67
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0272 Handheld
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/51 using colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/513 having fixed filter-detector pairs
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2007/10524 Hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1011 Aiming
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10752 Exposure time control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10891 the scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1092 sensing by means of TV-scanning

Abstract

A portable data collection device is disclosed. The device includes an imaging assembly including a two dimensional (2D) photosensor array overlied by a RGB color filter. The imaging assembly is selectively actuatable with a first trigger for reading a dataform in the imaging assembly'"'"'s target area and actuatable with a second trigger for capturing a color image of the target area. In one operating embodiment of the portable data collection device of the present invention, actuating the first trigger results in the imaging assembly capturing an image of the target area including a dataform and an associated image area of interest. The image area of interest is at a predetermined position with respect to the dataform. The imaging assembly decodes the dataform and outputs a compressed, digital representation of the image area of interest along with decoded data from the dataform. The position of the image area of interest is determined by a position of the dataform in the target area and data relating to the predetermined position of the image area of interest with respect to the dataform.

Claims

1. A portable data collection device comprising:

a) an image sensor, including a two dimensional photosensor array comprising multiple rows of photosensor elements which are read out after an exposure period to generate a signal representative of an image of a two dimensional target area;

b) an optic system positioned to focus illumination reflected from the target area onto the photosensor array;

c) signal processing circuitry electrically coupled to the photosensor array, receiving said signal, converting the signal to digital image data representative of the image of the target area and buffering the digital image data;

d) image processing circuitry electrically coupled to the signal processing circuitry for;

i) receiving the digital image data;

ii) locating and decoding a portion of the digital image data representative of an image of a dataform in the target area and generating decoded dataform data corresponding to data encoded in the dataform; and

iii) locating and storing a portion of the digital image data representative of an image within a desired image area of the target area;

e) output port circuitry electrically coupled to the image processing circuitry for outputing data including the decoded dataform data and the portion of the digital image data corresponding to the image within the desired image area; and

f) a portable hand held housing encasing said image sensor, optic system, signal Processing circuitry and image processing circuitry.

2. The portable data collection device of claim 1, further including first trigger switch positioned exteriorly of said housing for activating the data collection device to locate and decode the image of the dataform in the target area and to locate and store the portion of the digital image data representative of the image within the desired image area and a second trigger switch positioned exteriorly of the housing for activating the data collection device to generate digital data corresponding to the image of the target area.

3. The portable data collection device of claim 2, further including a display screen for displaying at least one of said decoded dataform data and the portion of the digital image data corresponding to the image in the desired image area.

4. The portable data collection device of claim 2 wherein the desired image area is in the shape of a polygon and locating the desired image area includes locating a position of at least one corner of the polygon with respect to the image of the dataform in the target area.

5. The portable data collection device of claim 4 wherein the polygon is a rectangle and locating the desired image area includes locating a position of at least two corners of the rectangle with respect to the image of the dataform in the target area.

6. The portable data collection device of claim 5 wherein a location of the image of the dataform within the target area is determined by locating known features of the dataform.

7. The portable data collection device of claim 5 further including image compression circuitry electrically coupled to the image processing circuitry and the output port circuitry for receiving the portion of the digital image data corresponding to the image within the desired image area and generating compressed digital image data corresponding to the image within the desired image area and coupling the compressed digital data to the output port circuitry for output.

8. A portable data collection device comprising:

a) an image sensor, including a two dimensional photosensor array comprising multiple rows of photosensor elements which accumulate electrical charges over an exposure period from light reflected from a target area, the photosensor elements being read out after an exposure period to generate a signal representative of an image of a two dimensional target area;

b) an optic system positioned to focus illumination reflected from the target area onto said image sensor;

c) signal processing circuitry coupled to said image sensor, receiving said signal, converting the signal to digital image data representative of the image of the target area and buffering the digital image data;

d) image processing circuitry electrically coupled to the signal processing circuitry for;

i) receiving the digital image data;

ii) locating and decoding a portion of the digital image data representative of an image of a dataform in the target area and generating decoded dataform data corresponding to data encoded in the dataform; and

iii) locating and storing a portion of the digital image data representative of an image within a desired image area of the target area;

e) output port circuitry electrically coupled to the image processing circuitry for outputing data including the decoded dataform data and the portion of the digital image data corresponding to the image within the desired image area;

f) a portable hand held housing encasing said image sensor, optic system, signal processing circuitry, and image processing circuitry; and

g) a first trigger switch positioned exteriorly of said housing and activating said device to locate and decode the image of the dataform in the target area and to locate and store the portion of the digital image data representative of the image within the desired image area.

9. The portable data collection device of claim 8 wherein a location of the image of the dataform within the target area is determined by locating known features of the dataform.

10. The portable data collection device of claim 9, further including a display screen for displaying at least one of said decoded dataform data and the portion of the digital image data corresponding to the image in the desired image area.

11. The portable data collection device of claim 9 wherein the desired image area is in the shape of a polygon and locating the desired image area includes locating a position of at least one corner of the polygon with respect to the image of the dataform in the target area.

12. The portable data collection device of claim 11 wherein the polygon is a rectangle and locating the desired image area includes locating a position of at least two corners of the rectangle with respect to the image of the dataform in the target area.

13. The portable data collection device of claim 12 further including image compression circuitry electrically coupled to the image processing circuitry and the output port circuitry for receiving the portion of the digital image data corresponding to the image within the desired image area and generating compressed digital image data corresponding to the image within the desired image area and coupling the compressed digital data to the output port circuitry for output.

14. A method of capturing a digital representation of an image within a desired image area associated with a dataform having known features and wherein the desired image area is of a predetermined size and is at a predetermined position with respect to known features of the dataform, the steps of the method comprising:

a) focusing reflected light from a two dimensional target area including the dataform and the desired image area onto a two dimensional photosensor array comprising multiple rows of photosensor elements;

b) reading out electrical charges accumulating on the photosensors of the photosensor array to generate a signal representative of an image of the target area;

c) converting the signal to digital image data representative of the image of the target area;

d) analyzing the digital image data to locate a portion of the digital image data corresponding to the known features of the dataform to determine a location and an orientation of the image of the dataform within the target area;

e) determining a location of the desired image area within the target area based on the location and the orientation of the image of the dataform within the target area and the predetermined position and predetermined size of the desired image area with respect to the known features of the dataform; and

f) storing digital data representative of the image within the desired image area.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the dataform further includes encoded data setting forth the predetermined position of the desired image area with respect to the known features of the dataform and wherein the method further includes after step "d" the steps of decoding the image of the dataform and obtaining the predetermined position of the desired image area with respect to the known features of the dataform.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the known features of the dataform include at least one of a central marker, an orientation marker and a guard bar.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the desired image area is a polygon shape and step "e" includes determining a location of at least one corner of the polygon with respect to the known features of the dataform.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the polygon is a rectangle and step "e" includes determining a location of at least two corners of the rectangle with respect to the known features of the dataform.

19. A method of capturing a digital representation of an image within a desired image area associated with a dataform having known features and including encoded position data in the dataform representing a position of the desired image area with respect to the known features of the dataform, the method comprising:

a) focusing reflected light from a two dimensional target area including a dataform and the desired image area onto a two dimensional photosensor array comprising multiple rows of photosensor elements which are read out after an exposure period to generate a signal representative of an image of the target area;

b) converting the signal to digital image data representative of the image of the target area;

c) analyzing the digital image data to locate a portion of the digital image data corresponding to the known features of the dataform to determine a location and an orientation of the image of the dataform within the target area;

d) decoding the dataform to obtain the encoded position data representative of the position of the desired image area with respect to the known features of the dataform;

e) determining the location of the desired image area within the target area based on the location and the orientation of the image of the dataform within the target area and the position data; and

f) storing digital data representative of the portion of the image within the desired image area.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the desired image area is a polygon shape and step "d" includes determining a location of at least one corner of the polygon with respect to the known features of the dataform.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the polygon is a rectangle and step "d" includes determining a location of at least two corners of the rectangle with respect to the known features of the dataform.

22. A method of capturing a signature of an individual participating in a transaction, the steps of the method comprising:

a) providing a dataform including data representative of the transaction, the dataform including known features;

b) providing the signature of the individual on a substrate within a signature area, the signature area being at a predetermined position with respect to the dataform;

c) focusing reflected light from a two dimensional target area, including the dataform and the signature area onto a two dimensional photosensor array comprising multiple rows of photosensor elements;

d) reading out electrical charges accumulating on the photosensors of the photosensor array to generate a signal representative of an image of the target area;

e) converting the signal to digital image data representative of the image of the target area;

f) analyzing the digital image data to locate a portion of the digital image data corresponding to the known features of the dataform to determine a location and an orientation of the image of the dataform within the target area;

g) using the location and the orientation of the image of the dataform and the predetermined position of the signature area with respect to the known features of the dataform to determine a location of the signature area within the target area; and

h) storing digital data representative of the signature within the signature area.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein data representative of the predetermined position of the signature area with respect to the dataform is encoded in the dataform and the method further includes decoding the dataform after step "e" the steps of decoding the dataform and obtaining the predetermined position of the image area with respect to the dataform.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the desired image area is a polygon shape and step "g" includes determining a location of at least one corner of the polygon with respect to the known features of the dataform.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the polygon is a rectangle and step "g" includes determining a location of at least two corners of the rectangle with respect to the known features of the dataform.