System and method for an image capturing network

• US 6,772,950 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: He, Duanfeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US10/335,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20040056100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.1, 235/462.11, 235/462.17, 235/462.3, 235/462.48, 235/470, 235/476, 235/472.01, 235/462.41, 235/462.24, 235/462.45, 235/462.22, 235/462.31, 235/462.32, 902/1, 902/6
• US Class Current: 235/470
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1093 sensing, after transfer of the image of the data-field to an intermediate store, e.g. storage with cathode ray tube
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Described are a system and method for monitoring a location. The system may include a scanner having a digital imager, a processor and a communication device. The scanner is situated at the location. The system also may include a computing arrangement for accessing the scanner. The processor detects when the scanner is in a scanning mode in which information encoded on a scanned item is decoded. When the scanner is detected not to be in the scanning mode, the processor controls the digital imager to operate in a monitoring mode in which images of the location are generated for output to the computing arrangement via the communication device.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a location, comprising the steps of:

providing a scanner including a digital imager at the location;

detecting, based on information from the imager, whether the scanner is in a scanning mode in which information encoded on a scanned item is decoded, wherein the detecting is performed by a processor; and

when the scanner is detected not to be in the scanning mode, controlling the digital imager to operate in a monitoring mode in which images of the location are outputted by the digital imager.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information encoded on the scanning item is a barcode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step is performed automatically.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling step includes the substeps of providing the images to a computing arrangement.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the computing arrangement includes a web server and a video server, and wherein the method further comprising the steps of:

allowing access to the computing arrangement by at least one client computer using the web server, the at least one client computer including a web client and a video client; and

providing the image to the video client by the video server.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the computing arrangement includes an observer serve, and wherein the method further comprising the step of:

providing the images to at least one client computer which includes an observer client, the observer server being configured to provide the images to the observer client.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the computing arrangement includes a remote-operation server, and wherein the method further comprising the step of:

providing the images to at least one client computer which includes a remote-operation client, the remote-operation server being configured to provide the images to the remote-operation client and to control the scanner based on signals transmitted by the remote-operation client.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanner communicates with a computing arrangement, the detecting step being performed upon receiving a control signal transmitted by the computing arrangement.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step is performed every predetermined time period.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

when the scanner is in the monitoring mode, switching into scanning mode upon detecting the encoded information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

before outputting the images of the location, reducing a size of the images; and

upon selection of a particular reduced image, providing a corresponding full image.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

before outputting the images of the location, (i) selecting at least one image of the acquired images and (ii) reducing a size of at least one image; and

upon selection of a particular image of the at least one image, providing a corresponding sequence of the images with at least one of a higher repetition rate and a higher resolution.

13. A system for monitoring a location, comprising:

a scanner including a digital imager, a processor and a communication device, the scanner being situated at the location; and

a computing arrangement for accessing the scanner,

wherein the process or detects when the scanner is in a scanning mode in which information encoded on a canned item is decoded and wherein, when the scanner is detected not to be in the scanning mode, the processor controls the digital imager to operate in a monitoring mode in which images of the location are generated for output to the computing arrangement via the communication device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the information encoded on the scanning item is a barcode.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing arrangement includes a web server and a video server, the computing arrangement allowing an access to the web server by at least one client computer, the at least one computer including a web client and a video client, the vide server being configured to provide the images to the video client.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing arrangement includes an observer server, the computing arrangement providing the images to at least one client computer which includes a observer client, the observer server being configured to provide the images to the server client.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor detects if the scanner is the scanning mode only upon receiving a corresponding signal from the computing arrangement.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein when the scanner is in the monitoring mode and the processor detects encoded information, the scanner is automatically switched into the scanning mode.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein processor reduces a size of the images of the location, and wherein, upon a selection of a particular reduced image, a corresponding full image is provided by the processor.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor selects at least one image of the acquired images and reduces a size of the at least one image, and wherein, upon a selection of a particular image of the at least one image, the processor provides a corresponding sequence o images with at least one of a higher repetition rate and a higher resolution.

17. A system for monitoring a location, comprising:

a scanner including a digital imager, a processor and a communication device, the scanner being situated at the location; and

a computing arrangement for accessing the scanner including a remote-operation server, the computing arrangement providing the images to at least one client computer with includes a remote-operation client, the remote-operation server being configured to provide the image to the remote-operation client and to control the scanner based on signals transmitted by the remote-operation client,

wherein the processor detects when the scanner is in a scanning mode in which information encoded on a scanned item is decoded and wherein, when the scanner is detected not to be in the scanning mode, the processor controls the digital imager to operate in a monitoring mode in which images of the location are generated for output to the computing arrangement via the communication device.

22. A scanning arrangement, comprising:

a digital imager; and

a processor detecting whether the scanning arrangement is in a scanning mode in which information encode on a scanned item is decoded, wherein, when the scanning arrangement is detected not to be in the scanning mode, the processor controls the digital imager to operate in a monitoring mode in which images of the location are outputted by the digital imager.

23. The scanning arrangement of claim 22, further comprising:

a lenses in a bifocal arrangement.

24. The scanning arrangement of claim 22, wherein the images of the location are provided to at least one client computer.

25. The scanning arrangement of claim 24, wherein the scanning arrangement and the at least one client computer communicate with each other via a communication network.

26. The scanning arrangement of claim 22, wherein the processor detects the scanning mode automatically.

27. The scanning arrangement of claim 22, further comprising:

a computing arrangement including a web server and a video server, the computing arrangement providing an access to the web server by at least one client computer, the at least one computer including a web client and a video client, the video server being configured to provide the images to the video client.

28. The scanning arrangement of claim 22, further comprising:

a computing arrangement including an observer server, the computing arrangement connectable to at least one client computer which includes an observer client, the observer server being configured to provide the images to the observer client.

29. The scanning arrangement of claim 22, further comprising:

a computing arrangement including a remote-operation server, the computing arrangement connectable to at least one client computer which includes a remote-operation client, the remote-operation server being configured to provide the images to the remote-operation client and to control the scanning arrangement based on signals transmitted by the remote-operation client.

30. The scanning arrangement of claim 29, wherein the processor detects when the scanning arrangement is th scanning mode only upon receiving a corresponding signal from the computing arrangement.

31. The scanning arrangement of claim 22, wherein the processor detects when the scanning arrangement is in the scanning mode every predetermined time period.

32. The scanning arrangement of claim 22, wherein when the scanning arrangement is in the monitoring mode and the processor detects the encoded information, the scanning arrangement switches into the scanning mode.