Graphical code reader that is configured for efficient decoder management

• US 7,204,417 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Code Corporation (Brady Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Code Corporation (Brady Corporation)
• Inventors: Hepworth, Paul, Powell, George
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/980,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20060091217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 23546201-46245, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/454, 235/494, 235/455, 714/764, 714/704, 712/211, 712/215, 712/230, 712/248
• US Class Current: 235/454
• 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

A graphical code reader is disclosed. The graphical code reader includes a processor and memory in electronic communication with the processor. The memory is used for storing a digital image of a graphical code. The graphical code reader also includes a plurality of decoders. Each decoder of the plurality of decoders is cofigured to decode at least one graphical code symbology. The graphical code reader also includes a decoder manager that implements a method. The method involves identifying a most recently successful decoder from the plurality of decoders. The most recently successful decoder decoded a most recently decoded graphical code. The method also involves instructing the most recently successful decoder to process the digital image before instructing any other decoder to process the digital image.

Claims

1. A graphical code reader, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein the memory is used for storing a digital image of a graphical code;

a plurality of decoders, wherein each decoder of the plurality of decoders is configured to decode at least one graphical code symbology, and wherein different decoders are configured to decode different graphical code symbologies; and

a decoder manager that implements a method comprising;

identifying a most recently successful decoder from the plurality of decoders, wherein the most recently successful decoder decoded a most recently decoded graphical code; and

instructing the most recently successful decoder to process the digital image before instructing any other decoder to process the digital image, wherein in response the most recently sucessful decoder processes the digital image before any other decoder processes the digital image.

2. The graphical code reader of claim 1, wherein if the most recently successful decoder does not decode the graphical code, the method further comprises repeatedly selecting a different decoder from the plurality of decoders to process the digital image until the graphical code is decoded or each of the plurality of decoders has processed the digital image.

3. The graphical code reader of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises stopping processing of the digital image after a defined time period.

4. The graphical code reader of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises, for each decoder that is tried, stopping processing of the digital image by the decoder after a defined time period.

5. A graphical code reader, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein the memory is used for storing a digital image of a graphical code;

a plurality of decoders, wherein each decoder of the plurality of decoders is configured to decode at least one graphical code symbology; and

a decoder manager that implements a method comprising;

identifying a most recently successful decoder from the plurality of decoders, wherein the most recently successful decoder decoded a most recently decoded graphical code; and

instructing the most recently successful decoder to process the digital image before instructing any other decoder to process the digital image;

wherein if the most recently successful decoder does not decode the graphical code, the method further comprises repeatedly selecting a different decoder from the plurality of decoders to process the digital image until the graphical code is decoded or each of the plurality of decoders has processed the digital image, and wherein the plurality of decoders are selected in order of increasing time since a most recent decode.

6. A graphical code reader, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein the memory is used for storing a digital image of a graphical code;

a plurality of decoders, wherein each decoder of the plurality of decoders is configured to decode at least one graphical code symbology; and

a decoder manager that implements a method comprising;

identifying a most recently successful decoder from the plurality of decoders, wherein the most recently successful decoder decoded a most recently decoded graphical code; and

instructing the most recently successful decoder to process the digital image before instructing any other decoder to process the digital image;

wherein the plurality of decoders comprise;

an active set of decoders; and

an archived set of decoders.

7. The graphical code reader of claim 6, wherein if the most recently successful decoder does not decode the graphical code, the method further comprises repeatedly instructing a different decoder from the active set of decoders to process the digital image until the graphical code is decoded or each decoder in the active set of decoders has processed the digital image.

8. The graphical code reader of claim 7, wherein if each decoder in the active set of decoders processes the digital image without decoding the graphical code, the method further comprises:

determining whether a condition has been satisfied for using the archived set of decoders;

if the condition has been satisfied, repeatedly instructing a different decoder from the archived set of decoders to process the digital image until the graphical code is decoded or each decoder in the archived set of decoders has processed the digital image; and

if the condition has not been satisfied, not instructing any decoder in the archived set of decoders to process the digital image.

9. The graphical code reader of claim 8, wherein the condition is that N most recent digital images captured by the graphical code reader have not been decoded.

10. The graphical code reader of claim 6, wherein if a decoder in the active set processes but does not decode the graphical code, the method further comprises:

determining whether a condition has been satisfied for moving the decoder from the active set of decoders to the archived set of decoders; and

if the condition has been satisfied, moving the decoder from the active set of decoders to the archived set of decoders.

11. The graphical code reader of claim 10, wherein the condition is that the decoder has not decoded any of N most recent digital images captured by the graphical code reader.

12. A graphical code reader, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein the memory is used for storing a digital image of a graphical code;

a plurality of decoders, wherein each decoder of the plurality of decoders is configured to decode at least one graphical code symbology; and

a decoder manager that implements a method comprising;

identifying a most recently successful decoder from the plurality of decoders, wherein the most recently successful decoder decoded a most recently decoded graphical code;

instructing the most recently successful decoder to process the digital image before instructing any other decoder to process the digital image; and

stopping processing of the digital image after a defined time period, wherein the defined time period corresponds to an estimate of high probability decoding time.

13. A graphical code reader, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein the memory is used for storing a digital image of a graphical code;

a plurality of decoders, wherein each decoder of the plurality of decoders is configured to decode at least one graphical code symbology; and

a decoder manager that implements a method comprising;

identifying a most recently successful decoder from the plurality of decoders, wherein the most recently successful decoder decoded a most recently decoded graphical code;

instructing the most recently successful decoder to process the digital image before instructing any other decoder to process the digital image; and

for each decoder that is tried, stopping processing of the digital image by the decoder after a defined time period, wherein the defined time period for a particular decoder corresponds to an estimate of high probability decoding time for that decoder.

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

identifying a most recently successful decoder from a plurality of decoders, wherein each decoder of the plurality of decoders is configured to decode at least one graphical code symbology, wherein different decoders are configured to decode different graphical code symbologies, and wherein the most recently successful decoder decoded a most recently decoded graphical code; and

instructing the most recently successful decoder to process a digital image of a graphical code before instructing any other decoder to process the digital image, wherein in response the most recently successful decoder processes the digital image before any other decoder processes the digital image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein if the most recently successful decoder does not decode the graphical code, the method further comprises repeatedly instructing a different decoder from the plurality of decoders to process the digital image until the graphical code is decoded or each of the plurality of decoders has processed the digital image.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises stopping processing of the digital image after a defined time period.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising, for each decoder that is tried, stopping processing of the digital image by the decoder after a defined time period.

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

identifying a most recently successful decoder from a plurality of decoders, wherein each decoder of the plurality of decoders is configured to decode at least one graphical code symbology, and wherein the most recently successful decoder decoded a most recently decoded graphical code;

instructing the most recently successful decoder to process a digital image of a graphical code before instructing any other decoder to process the digital image; and

if the most recently successful decoder does not decode the graphical code, repeatedly instructing a different decoder from the plurality of decoders to process the digital image until the graphical code is decoded or each of the plurality of decoders has processed the digital image, wherein the plurality of decoders is selected in order of increasing time since a most recent decode.

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

identifying a most recently successful decoder from a plurality of decoders, wherein each decoder of the plurality of decoders is configured to decode at least one graphical code symbology, and wherein the most recently successful decoder decoded a most recently decoded graphical code; and

instructing the most recently successful decoder to process a digital image of a graphical code before instructing any other decoder to process the digital image;

wherein the plurality of decoders comprise;

an active set of decoders; and

an archived set of decoders.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein if the most recently successful decoder does not decode the graphical code, the method further comprises repeatedly instructing a different decoder from the active set of decoders to process the digital image until the graphical code is decoded or each decoder in the active set of decoders has processed the digital image.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein if each decoder in the active set of decoders processes the digital image without decoding the graphical code, the method further comprises:

determining whether a condition has been satisfied for using the archived set of decoders;

if the condition has been satisfied, repeatedly instructing a different decoder from the archived set of decoders to process the digital image until the graphical code is decoded or each decoder in the archived set of decoders has processed the digital image; and

if the condition has not been satisfied, not instructing any decoder in the archived set of decoders to process the digital image.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the condition is that N most recent digital images captured by the graphical code reader have not been decoded.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein if a decoder in the active set processes but does not decode the graphical code, the method further comprises:

determining whether a condition has been satisfied for moving the decoder from the active set of decoders to the archived set of decoders; and

if the condition has been satisfied, moving the decoder from the active set of decoders to the archived set of decoders.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the condition is that the decoder has not decoded any of N most recent digital images captured by the graphical code reader.

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

identifying a most recently successful decoder from a plurality of decoders, wherein each decoder of the plurality of decoders is configured to decode at least one graphical code symbology, and wherein the most recently successful decoder decoded a most recently decoded graphical code;

instructing the most recently successful decoder to process a digital image of a graphical code before instructing any other decoder to process the digital image; and

stopping processing of the digital image after a defined time period, wherein the defined time period conesponds to an estimate of high probability decoding time.

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

identifying a most recently successful decoder from a plurality of decoders, wherein each decoder of the plurality of decoders is configured to decode at least one graphical code symbology, and wherein the most recently successful decoder decoded a most recently decoded graphical code;

instructing the most recently successful decoder to process a digital image of a graphical code before instructing any other decoder to process the digital image; and

for each decoder that is tried, stopping processing of the digital image by the decoder after a defined time period, wherein the defined time period for a particular decoder corresponds to an estimate of high probability decoding time for that decoder.