Symbol-controlled image data reading system

• US 6,298,176 B2
• Filed: 10/17/1997
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Longacre, Andrew Jr., Husssey, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Duy M.
• Application Number:
  US08/953,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20010012413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 382/313, 382/312, 382/321, 382/232, 235/462, 235/454, 235/456, 235/470, 235/472, 235/469, 235/463, 235/462.08, 235/462.04
• US Class Current: 382/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• 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 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1456 determining the orientation of the optical code with respect to the reader and correcting therefore

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for imaging a scene comprising an optical reader and a specially structured symbol configured complementarily with the reader so that when the reader reads the symbol, the reader reads image data in an image data reading region. The image reading instruction symbol of the system may include indicators for controlling various aspects of the image reading process such as the dimension of the image capture region, the relative position of the image reading region. If the image reading instruction symbol is of a type whose actual size, orientation, and distortion can be determined, scaling, orientation, and distortion characteristics determined from the image reading instruction symbol can be used to improve the image reading process. A feedback feature may be included in the reader for indicating to a user whether the reader should be moved in order to improve image reading.

Claims

1. A system for processing image data corresponding to a scene, said system comprising:

an image reading instruction symbol;

an imaging assembly for outputting image information;

a memory space;

capturing means in communication with said imaging assembly for capturing and storing in said memory space a first bit map representation of a scene including said image reading instruction symbol, said first bit map comprising image data;

determining means responsive to said image reading instruction symbol for determining an image data reading region in said first bit map representation; and

means for preferentially reading image data from within said image data reading region relative to image data not in said image data reading region.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes an image data reading parameter indicator structure.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes an image data output parameter indicator structure.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes dimension indicator means for indicating a dimension of said image data reading region determined by said determining means.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes

dimension indicator means for indicating a dimension of said image data reading region determined by said determining means; and

position indicator means for indicating a position of said image data reading region determined by said determining means.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes identification indicator means for indicating an identification of said symbol and wherein said memory space has stored thereon dimension indicator means determinable based on said identification indicator means for indicating a dimension of said image data reading region.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said memory space further has stored thereon position indicator means determinable based on said identification indicator means for indicating a position in relation to said captured image reading instruction symbol of said image data reading region.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said image reading instruction symbol and said determining means are configured so that said determining means determines at least one imaging characteristic of said image reading instruction symbol, and wherein said image data reading means reads said image data of said image data reading region in a manner that depends on said at least one imaging characteristic.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said at least one imaging characteristic is a scaling characteristic.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said at least one imaging characteristic is a distortion characteristic.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said at least one imaging characteristic is an orientation characteristic.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said reading means includes secondary bit map construction means for constructing a secondary bit map representation of indicia represented in said image data reading region and wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes gray scale depth indicator means for controlling a gray scale depth of said secondary bit map representation.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said reading means includes secondary bit map construction means for constructing a secondary bit map representation of indicia represented in said image data reading region wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes pixel resolution indicator means for controlling a pixel resolution of said secondary bit map representation.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising feedback indicia means responsive to said captured first bit map representation, for indicating to a user that said imaging assembly should be moved when said determining means determine that said image data reading region is not included in said first bit map representation.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising feedback indicia means responsive to said captured first bit map representation, for indicating to a user a direction in which said imaging assembly should be moved so that a next captured first bit map representation includes said image data reading region, when said determining means determines that said image data reading region is not included in said first bit map representation.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said first bit map representation is an initial bit map representation.

17. A system for processing image data corresponding to a scene, said system comprising:

an image reading instruction symbol;

an imaging assembly for outputting image information; and

a controller in communication with a memory space, said controller being adapted to

capture in said memory space first bit map representation of a scene including said image reading instruction symbol;

determine in response to said image reading instruction symbol an image data reading region in said first bit map representation; and

preferentially read image data within said image data reading region relative to image data not in said image data reading region.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes dimension indicator means for indicating a dimension of said image data reading region determined by said determining means.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes:

dimension indicator means for indicating a dimension of said image data reading region determined by said determining means; and

position indicator means for indicating a position of said image data reading region determined by said determining means.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes identification indicator means for indicating an identification of said symbol and wherein said memory space has stored thereon dimension indicator means determinable based on said identification indicator means for indicating a dimension of said image data reading region.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said memory space further has stored thereon position indicator means determinable based on said identification indicator means for indicating a position in relation to said captured image reading instruction symbol of said image data reading region to be read by said controller.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said at least one imaging characteristic is a scaling characteristic.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said at least one imaging characteristic is a distortion characteristic.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said at least one imaging characteristic is an orientation characteristic.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein said image reading instruction symbol and said controller are configured so that said controller determines at least one imaging characteristic of said image reading instruction symbol, and wherein said image data reading means reads said image data of said image data reading region in accordance with said at least one imaging characteristic.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein said controller is further adapted to construct a secondary bit map representation of indicia represented in said image data reading region.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein said controller is further adapted to construct a secondary bit map representation of indicia represented in said image data reading region, and wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes a gray scale depth indicator for controlling a gray scale depth of said secondary bit map representation.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein said controller is further adapted to construct a secondary bit map representation of indicia represented in said image data reading region, and wherein said image reading instruction symbol includes a pixel resolution indicator for controlling a pixel resolution of said secondary bit map representation.

29. The system of claim 17, further comprising feedback indicia means responsive to said captured first bit map representation, for indicating to a user that said imaging assembly should be moved when said determining means determines that said image data reading region is not included in said first bit map representation.

30. The system of claim 17, further comprising feedback indicia means responsive to said captured first bit map representation, for indicating to a user a direction in which said imaging assembly should be moved so that a next captured first bit map representation includes said image data reading region, when said determining means determines that said image data reading region is not included in said first bit map representation.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein said first bit map representation is an initial bit map representation.