Apparatus of alignment for scanner and a method of the same

• US 6,282,331 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2000
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mustek Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, Hsi-Min, Lee, Wayne, Tsai, Jenn-Tsair
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US09/662,833
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 382/287, 382/288, 382/289, 382/291, 382/292, 382/312, 382/317, 382/318, 358/406, 358/494, 358/497, 358/486, 358/474, 358/488
• US Class Current: 382/312
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06131 the marking comprising a target pattern, e.g. for indicating the center of the bar code or for helping a bar code reader to properly orient the scanner or to retrieve the bar code inside of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation

Abstract

An alignment pad is set in front of the image sensor. A lens is set between the alignment pad and the image sensor. The alignment pad includes a set of boundary alignment patterns. At least one sets of resolution analysis patterns are formed on the alignment pad. Each set of the resolution analysis pattern includes a horizontal analysis resolution pattern and a vertical resolution analysis pattern. The horizontal analysis resolution pattern is consisted of a plurality of vertical lines to analyze the horizontal resolution of the lens. The vertical resolution analysis pattern is consisted of a plurality of oblique lines to analyze the vertical resolution of the lens. The signals detected by the image sensor is fed to an application specific integrated circuits (ASIC) to generate a collation data. Subsequently, the collation data is fed into a buffer to store the data. A computer is responsive to these signal, and displays the collation data on the monitor in gray mode for collation.

Claims

1. An apparatus of alignment for a scanning system, comprising:

an image sensor;

an alignment pad set in front of said image sensor for aligning said image sensor;

a lens set between said image sensor and said alignment pad;

a first set of alignment patterns formed in said alignment pad, wherein said alignment patterns includes a first analysis pattern and a second analysis pattern, said first analysis pattern including a plurality of parallel vertical lines for analyzing a horizontal resolution of said scanning system, vertical lines parallel to each other with a predetermined distance, said second analysis pattern including a plurality of oblique lines for analyzing a vertical resolution of said scanning system essentially, titled with a predetermined degree to said vertical lines, said oblique lines parallel to each other;

a second set of alignment patterns formed in said alignment pad, compared with said first set of alignment patterns in generated signals of said image sensor, for determining orthogonality of said image sensor and said lens, wherein said second set of alignment patterns includes a third analysis pattern and a fourth analysis pattern, said third analysis pattern same as said first analysis pattern, said fourth analysis pattern same as said second analysis pattern;

an application specific integrated circuit responsive to said signals generated by said image sensor;

a buffer connected to said application specific integrated circuit to store said signals;

a computer connected to said buffer to process said signals; and

a display connected to said computer to display said signals for representing the alignment results.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said predetermined degree is tilted within five to ten degrees.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a set of boundary patterns formed adjacent to both terminals of said alignment pad for analyzing the shift of the scanned area.

4. An alignment pad of a scanning system, comprising:

a first set of alignment patterns formed in said alignment pad, wherein said alignment patterns includes a first analysis pattern and a second analysis pattern, said first analysis pattern including a plurality of parallel vertical lines for analyzing a horizontal resolution of said scanning system, vertical lines parallel to each other with a predetermined distance, said second analysis pattern including a plurality of oblique lines for analyzing a vertical resolution of said scanning system essentially, titled with a predetermined degree to said vertical lines, said oblique lines parallel to each other; and

a second set of alignment patterns formed in said alignment pad, compared with said first set of alignment patterns in generated signals of said image sensor, for determining orthogonality of said image sensor and said lens, wherein said second set of alignment patterns includes a third analysis pattern and a fourth analysis pattern, said third analysis pattern same as said first analysis pattern, said fourth analysis pattern same as said second analysis pattern.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said degree of said oblique line is tilted within five to ten degrees.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a set of boundary patterns formed adjacent to both terminals of said alignment pad for analyzing the shift of the scanned area.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said first set of the alignment patterns is adjacent to said second set of the alignment patterns.

8. A method of alignment for adjusting a scanning system, comprising the steps of:

setting an alignment pad in front of an image sensor wherein said alignment pad having at least a first set of alignment patterns formed including a first analysis pattern and a second analysis pattern, said first analysis pattern including a plurality of parallel vertical lines with a predetermined distance, said second analysis pattern including a plurality of parallel oblique lines titled with a predetermined degree to said vertical lines and a second set of alignment patterns having a third analysis pattern and a fourth analysis pattern, said third analysis pattern same as said first analysis pattern, said fourth analysis pattern same as said second analysis pattern;

placing a lens between said alignment pad and said image sensor; and

generating image signals of said alignment pad from said image sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said predetermined degree of said oblique line is tilted within five to ten degrees.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a set of boundary patterns formed adjacent to both terminals of said alignment pad for analyzing the shift of the scanned area.