Multimode image capturing and decoding optical reader

• US 7,111,787 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehrhart, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimberly D.
• Application Number:
  US09/858,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,960 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/456, 235/462.12, 235/462.14, 235/462.41, 235/462.45, 235/462.48, 23546224-46225, 23547201-47202, 235/462.01, 235/462.49, 235/462.11, 235/462.09, 235/381, 235/383, 235/385, 224164-180
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10712 Fixed beam scanning
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is an imaging device which can be equipped with decode functionality and which can be configured to operate in at least one of four user selected modes. In a first, “message only” mode, the device stores into a designated memory location a decoded-out message corresponding to a decodable indicia. In a second, “image only” mode, the device stores into a designated frame storage memory location an image representation of a scene. In a third, “omage plu message” mode the device stores into a designated frame storage memory location an image representation comprising a representation of a decodable symbol and into the same or other memory location the decoded-out message decoded from the decodable indicia, or data corresponding to the same. In the fourth, “two-step message and image” mode, the device is controlled to capture an image a first time for decoding a decodable indicia and a second time for capturing an image that is associated with the decoded-out message corresponding to the decodable indicia.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

an imaging assembly including a two-dimensional solid state image sensor and optics focusing an image onto said image sensor;

a trigger;

a portable housing encapsulating said solid state image sensor;

a control circuit configured to operate in a mode in which said control circuit stores an image in response to a user-actuation of said trigger;

wherein said control circuit is further configured to operate in a mode in which said control circuit sends said image to an external spaced apart device together with a set of executable instructions executable by said external spaced apart device, said executable instructions instructing said external spaced apart device to (a) decode a bar code symbol represented in said image to generate a decoded-out message; and

(b) transmit back to said portable device said decoded-out message; and

wherein said control circuit is further configured to receive from said external spaced apart device said decoded-out message decoded from said image sent by said control circuit to said external spaced apart device.

2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein said portable device further includes an illumination assembly comprising at least one LED.

3. The portable device of claim 1, wherein said portable device further includes an illumination assembly comprising at least one white LED.

4. The portable device of claim 1, wherein said portable device is configured so that said executable instructions sent by said portable device are sent via the Internet to an external spaced apart device provided by a remote processor assembly.

5. The portable device of claim 1, wherein said portable housing is in the form factor of a wireless portable telephone.

6. The portable device of claim 1, wherein said portable device is devoid of a symbol decoding functionality.

7. The portable device of claim 1, further comprising a display.

8. The portable device of claim 1, further comprising a keyboard and a display.

9. The portable device of claim 1, wherein said portable housing is in the form factor of a personal data assistant (PDA).

10. A method for operating a hand held portable device having a two-dimensional solid state image sensor, a memory, and being configured to decode a bar code in accordance with a decoding program, said hand held portable device being in communication with an external spaced apart device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing into said memory an image file in a file format suitable for storing image files, said image file having an open byte memory location;

(b) decoding a bar code represented in an image utilizing said decoding program to produce decoded-out message data;

(c) writing said decoded-out message data yielded by execution of decoding step (b) into said image file open byte memory location referred to in step (a); and

(d) transmitting said image file including said decoded-out message data to said external spaced apart device so that both of image data of said image file referred to in step (a) and said decoded out message data referred to in step (b) are transferred to said external spaced apart device when said image file is transmitted from said hand held portable device to said external spaced apart device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said image file format referred to in step (a) is selected from the group consisting of .BMP, .TIFF and .PDF.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of converting said decoded-out message referred to in step (b) into an image representation of said decoded-out message, and stitching said image representation of said decoded-out message into said image file referred to in step (a).

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said image file referred to in step (a) and said image referred to in step (b) represent a common area of a target.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said transmitting step (d) includes the step of wirelessly transmitting said image file.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said storing step (a) includes the step of storing a .BMP file.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said storing step (a) includes the step of storing a .TIFF file.

17. The method at claim 10, wherein said storing step (a) includes the step of storing a .PDF file.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said writing step (c) includes the step of writing said decoded-out message data into a header of said image file.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein said writing step (c) includes the step of writing said decoded-out message data into a tail of said image file.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein said image file stored in said storing step represents an article, and wherein said bar code decoded in said decoding step is disposed on said article.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said article is a package.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said article is a package that is transported from a first location miles apart from a second location.

23. The method of claim 10, wherein said image file stored in said storing step represents a part of a vehicle, and wherein said bar code decoded is in said decoding step disposed on a package which was loaded onto said vehicle.

24. The method of claim 10, wherein said storing step is carried out subsequent to said decoding step.

25. The method of claim 10, wherein said image file comprises a byte of data describing compression information.

26. The method of claim 10, wherein said external spaced apart device is a remote processor assembly.

27. The method of claim 10, wherein said external spaced apart device is a remote processor assembly incorporating a web page.

28. A method for operating a portable device having a two-dimensional solid state image sensor, a memory, and being configured to decode a bar code in accordance with a decoding program, said portable device being in communication with an external spaced apart device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing into said memory an image file in a file format suitable for storing image files;

(b) decoding a bar code represented in an image utilizing said decoding program to produce decoded-out message data;

(c) converting said decoded-out message data into an image representation of said decoded-out message data;

(d) stitching said image representation of said decoded-out message data referred to in step (c) into said image file referred to in step (a); and

(e) transmitting said image file to said external spaced apart device so that both the original image data of said image file referred to in step (a) and said stitched-in image data corresponding to said decoded-out message referred to in step (d) are transferred to said external spaced apart device when said image file is transmitted from said portable device to said external spaced apart device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said image file format referred to in step (a) is selected from the group consisting of .BMP, .TIFF and .PDF.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said image file format suitable for storing image files is one that is dedicated for storing image files.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein said image file referred to in step (a) and said image referred to in step (b) represent a common area of a target.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein said transmitting step (e) includes the step of wirelessly transmitting said image file.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein said storing step (a) includes the step of storing a .BMP file.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein said storing step (a) includes the step of storing a .TIFF file.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein said storing step (a) includes the step of storing a .PDF file.