Versatile graphical code reader that is configured for efficient decoding

• US 6,942,152 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2004
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Code Corporation (Brady Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Code Corporation (Brady Corporation)
• Inventors: Hepworth, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stcyr, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US10/761,711
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.25, 235/462.16, 235/462.07, 235/494, 382/103, 463/36
• US Class Current: 235/462.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes

Abstract

A versatile graphical code reader that is configured for efficient decoding is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the graphical code reader includes an image sensor. The graphical code reader also includes a region selection component that selects a first region of a digital image obtained from the image sensor. The first region of the digital image corresponds to a same region of the image sensor as a decoded region in a most recently decoded digital image. The graphical code reader also includes a processing component that processes the first region of the digital image before processing any other region of the digital image.

Claims

1. In a graphical code reader, a method comprising:

forming a first optical image on a first region of an image sensor;

forming a second optical image on a second region of the image sensor, wherein the first optical image has a higher resolution and a smaller field of view than the second optical image;

obtaining a digital image from the image sensor, wherein a first region of the digital image corresponds to the first optical image on the first region of the image sensor, and wherein a second region of the digital image corresponds to the second optical image on the second region of the image sensor;

selecting one of the first region of the digital image and the second region of the digital image to obtain a selected region, wherein the selected region corresponds to a same region of the image sensor as a decoded region in a most recently decoded digital image; and

processing the selected region of the digital image before processing any other region of the digital image.

2. In a graphical code reader, a method comprising:

forming a first optical image on a first image sensor;

forming a second optical image on a second image sensor, wherein the first optical image has a higher resolution and a smaller field of view than the second optical image;

obtaining a set of digital images, wherein the set of digital images comprises a first digital image corresponding to the first optical image on the first image sensor and a second digital image corresponding to the second optical image on the second image sensor;

selecting one of the first digital image and the second digital image to obtain a selected digital image, wherein the selected digital image corresponds to a same image sensor as a most recently decoded digital image; and

processing the selected digital image before processing any other digital image of the set of digital images.

3. A graphical code reader, comprising:

an image sensor;

a first lens that forms a first optical image on a first region of the image sensor;

a second lens that forms a second optical image on a second region of the image sensor;

a region selection component that obtains a digital image from the image sensor and selects one of a first region of the digital image and a second region of the digital image to obtain a selected region of the digital image, wherein the first region of the digital image corresponds to the first optical image on the first region of the image sensor, wherein the second region of the digital image corresponds to the second optical image on the second region of the image sensor, and wherein the selected region of the digital image corresponds to a same region of the image sensor as a decoded region in a most recently decoded digital image; and

a processing component that processes the selected region of the digital image before processing any other region of the digital image.

4. The graphical code reader of claim 3, wherein a first distance between the first lens and the first region of the image sensor is greater than a second distance between the second lens and the second region of the image sensor.

5. The graphical code reader of claim 3, wherein the first lens is substantially identical to the second lens.

6. The graphical code reader of claim 3, wherein the first lens and the second lens are fixed in position.

7. A graphical code reader comprising:

a first image sensor;

a first lens that forms a first optical image on the first image sensor;

a second image sensor;

a second lens that forms a second optical image on the second image sensor, wherein a first distance between the first lens and the first image sensor is greater than a second distance between the second lens and the second image sensor;

an image selection component that obtains a set of digital images comprising a first digital image corresponding to the first optical image on the first image sensor and a second digital image corresponding to the second optical image on the second image sensor and that selects one of the first digital image and the second digital image to obtain a selected digital image, wherein the selected digital image corresponds to a same image sensor as a most recently decoded digital image; and

a processing component that processes the selected digital image before processing any other digital image of the set of digital images.

8. The graphical code reader of claim 7, wherein the first lens is substantially identical to the second lens.

9. The graphical code reader of claim 7, wherein the first lens and the second lens are fixed in position.