Portable bar code reading device generating first and second electronic representations of a substrate

• US 7,275,694 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Longacre, Andrew Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/887,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20040256465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 23546201-46247, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/454, 235/455, 235/470, 235/494
• US Class Current: 235/462.07
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1017 Programmable
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10821 further details of bar or optical code scanning devices
• 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 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1491 the method including a reconstruction step, e.g. stitching two pieces of bar code together to derive the full bar code

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable bar code reading device that generates electronic representations of a substrate having a bar code symbol disposed thereon. A portable bar code reading device according to the invention can incorporate a solid state image sensor and can generate first and second electronic representations. The first and second electronic representations generated by a portable bar code reading device in one embodiment represent first and second regions of the substrate that are of different sizes. A portable bar code reading device having a memory and a trigger can be configured to attempt to decode a bar code symbol by processing of an electronic representation and further can be configured so that the first and second electronic representations are stored into the memory after a single depressing of the trigger. A portable bar code reading device can be configured so that the portable bar code reading device completes storing of the second electronic representation into the memory after completing storing of the first electronic representation.

Claims

1. A method for reading a bar code symbol disposed on a substrate utilizing a portable hand held bar code reading device having a solid state image sensor, optics focusing an image onto said solid state image sensor, and a trigger, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) depressing said trigger to drive said portable hand held bar code reading device from an idle state to an active reading state;

(b) generating a first electronic representation of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol, said first electronic representation representing a first region of said substrate;

(c) attempting to decode said bar code symbol by processing said first electronic representation;

(d) outputting decoded data representing said bar code symbol and entering an idle state if said attempt to decode step (c) is successful;

(e) generating a second electronic representation of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol, said generating step including the step of storing a plurality of pixel values into a set of memory locations, said second electronic representation representing a second region of said substrate, wherein each pixel value of said second electronic representation represents light reflectivity at a certain physical location of said substrate within said second region, and

(f) attempting to decode said bar code symbol by processing said second electronic representation of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol,

(g) wherein said generating steps (b) and (e) are executed sequentially subsequent to a single depressing of said trigger and wherein said generating step (e) and said attempting to decode step (f) are not completed if said attempting to decode step (c) is successful.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method includes the step of utilizing a one dimensional solid state image sensor.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method includes the step of manually sweeping said portable bar code reading device across said substrate.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second region of said substrate represented by said second electronic representation is larger than said first region of said substrate represented by said first electronic representation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second region represented by said second electronic representation contains said first region represented by said first electronic representation, said wherein said second region is larger than said first region.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second electronic representation includes image data constituting said first electronic representation.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second region represented by said second electronic representation and said first region represented by said first electronic representation do not intersect.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first region represented by said first electronic representation is a thin slice of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol, wherein said second region is a two dimensional region, and wherein said attempting to decode step (c) includes the step of utilizing a 1D bar code symbol decoding algorithm.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first region represented by said first electronic representation is a thin slice of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol, and wherein said second region is a two dimensional region.

10. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of determining, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a 2D finder pattern.

11. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of determining, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a characteristic indicating that a part of 2D symbol is represented in said first electronic representation.

12. The method according to claim 1, further including the steps of identifying, by processing of said first electronic representation, a type of 2D bar code symbol represented in said first electronic representation, and selecting a 2D bar code bar code decoding algorithm for use in said attempting to decode step (f) on the basis of said identifying of said 2D bar code symbol type.

13. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of determining, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a central finder pattern.

14. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of determining, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a waistband finder pattern.

15. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of determining, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a peripheral finder pattern.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said attempting to decode step (g) includes the step of utilizing a 2D decoding algorithm.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said attempting to decode step (c) includes the step of utilizing a 1D decoding algorithm, and wherein said attempting to decode step (f) includes the step of utilizing a 2D decoding algorithm.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of pixel values form a bit mapped representation.

19. A portable bar code reading device for reading a bar code symbol disposed on substrate, said portable bar code reading device comprising:

(a) a trigger, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured so that depressing of said trigger drives said portable bar code reading device from an idle state to an active reading state;

(b) a solid state image sensor;

(c) optics focusing an image of said bar code symbol onto said solid state image sensor;

(d) a memory; and

(e) a control circuit communicatively coupled to said solid state image sensor and said memory, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to capture into said memory first and second electronic representations of light reflectivity at said substrate, said first electronic representation representing a first region of said substrate, said first region having a first size, said second electronic representation representing a second region of said substrate, said second region being a two dimensional region and having a second size that is larger than said first size;

(f) wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured, in response to a single depression of said trigger, to complete capture of said second electronic representation after completing capture of said first electronic representation, and to attempt to decode said bar code symbol utilizing each of said first and second electronic representations,

(g) wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to avoid completing capture of said second electronic representation and attempting to decode said bar code symbol utilizing said second electronic representation if said decode attempt utilizing said first electronic representation is successful.

20. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said solid state image sensor is a one dimensional solid state image sensor.

21. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to operate in a mode of operation wherein said first and second electronic representations are captured when said portable bar code reading device is manually swept across a substrate.

22. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said second region of said substrate represented by said second electronic representation includes at least a portion that is below said first region of said substrate represented by said first electronic representation.

23. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said second region represented by said second electronic representation contains said first region represented by said first electronic representation.

24. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said second electronic representation includes image data constituting said first electronic representation.

25. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said second region represented by said second electronic representation and said first region represented by said first electronic representation do not intersect.

26. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said first region represented by said first electronic representation is a thin slice of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol, and wherein said attempting to decode step (c) includes the step of utilizing a 1D bar code symbol decoding algorithm.

27. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said first region represented by said first electronic representation is a thin slice of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol.

28. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to determine, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a 2D bar code symbol finder pattern.

29. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to determine, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a characteristic indicating that a part of 2D bar code symbol is represented in said first electronic representation.

30. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to determine, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a central finder pattern.

31. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to determine, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a waistband finder pattern.

32. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to determine, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a peripheral finder pattern.

33. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to (i) process said first electronic representation to identify a 2D symbol type represented therein, and (ii) apply a specific type of 2D bar code decoding algorithm responsively to said identifying of said 2D bar code symbol type when attempting to decode said bar code symbol utilizing said second electronic representation.

34. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to apply a 1D bar code symbol decoding when attempting to decode said bar code symbol utilizing said first electronic representation.

35. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to apply a 2D bar code symbol algorithm when attempting to decode said bar code symbol utilizing said second electronic representation.

36. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to (i) apply a 1D bar code symbol algorithm when attempting to decode said bar code symbol utilizing said first electronic representation, and (ii) apply a 2D bar code symbol algorithm when attempting to decode said bar code symbol utilizing said second electronic representation.

37. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said second electronic representation includes a plurality of pixel values, each pixel value representing light reflectivity at a certain physical location of said substrate.

38. The portable bar code reading device of claim 19, wherein said plurality of pixel values form a bit mapped representation.

39. A method for operating a portable bar code reading device having a manual trigger, a memory, a solid state image sensor, and a lens focusing an image onto said solid state image sensor, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) manually actuating said trigger to drive said portable bar code reading device from an idle state to an active reading state;

(b) storing a first electronic representation corresponding to signals developed by said solid state image sensor into said memory, said first electronic representation representing a first region of a physical target having a first size;

(c) attempting to decode a bar code symbol by processing said first electronic representation;

(d) storing a second electronic representation corresponding to signals developed by said solid state image sensor into said memory, said second electronic representation representing a second two dimensional region of said physical target, said second electronic representation of said physical target including a plurality of pixel values, wherein each pixel value of said plurality of pixel values represents light reflectivity at a certain location of said physical target, said second two dimensional region having a second size larger than said first size; and

(e) attempting to decode a bar code symbol by processing said second electronic representation;

(f) wherein said bar code reading device is configured to store both of said first and said second electronic representations after a single actuation of said trigger, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to complete storing of said second electronic representation after completing storing said first electronic representation, and wherein said second electronic representation includes a representation of a portion of said physical target that is not represented by any electronic representation stored in said memory when said portable bar code reading device completes said storing step (b).

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein said method includes the step of utilizing a one dimensional solid state image sensor.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein said method includes the step of manually sweeping said portable bar code reading device across said physical target.

42. The method according to claim 39, wherein said second region of said substrate represented by said second electronic representation has a larger height than said first region of said substrate represented by said first electronic representation.

43. The method according to claim 39, wherein said second region represented by said second electronic representation contains said first region represented by said first electronic representation.

44. The method according to claim 39, wherein said second region represented by said second electronic representation and said first region represented by said first electronic representation do not intersect.

45. The method of according to claim 39, wherein said first region represented by said first electronic representation is a thin slice of said physical target, and wherein said attempting to decode step (c) includes the step of utilizing a 1D bar code symbol decoding algorithm.

46. The method according to claim 39, wherein said first region represented by said first electronic representation is a thin slice of said physical target, and wherein said attempting to decode step (e) includes the step of utilizing a 2D bar code decoding algorithm.

47. The method according to claim 39, further including the step of determining, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a 2D finder pattern.

48. The method according to claim 39, further including the step of determining, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a characteristic indicating that a part of 2D symbol is represented in said first electronic representation.

49. The method according to claim 39, further including the steps of identifying, by processing of said first electronic representation, a type of 2D bar code symbol represented in said first electronic representation, and selecting a 2D bar code bar code decoding algorithm for use in said attempting to decode step (f) on the basis of said identifying of said 2D bar code symbol type.

50. The method according to claim 39, further including the step of determining, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a central finder pattern.

51. The method according to claim 39, further including the step of determining, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a waistband finder pattern.

52. The method according to claim 39, further including the step of determining, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a peripheral finder pattern.

53. The method according to claim 39, wherein said attempting to decode step (g) includes the step of utilizing a 2D decoding algorithm.

54. The method according to claim 39, wherein said attempting to decode step (c) includes the step of utilizing a 1D decoding algorithm, and wherein said attempting to decode step (f) includes the step of utilizing a 2D decoding algorithm.

55. The method of claim 39, wherein said plurality of pixel values of said second electronic representation form a bit mapped representation.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein said bit mapped representation includes a resolution of 170 lines of 176 bits each.

57. A portable bar code reading device for reading a bar code symbol disposed on substrate, said portable bar code reading device comprising:

(a) a trigger, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured so that depressing of said trigger drives said portable bar code reading device from an idle state to an active reading state;

(b) a solid state image sensor;

(c) optics focusing an image of said bar code symbol onto said solid state image sensor;

(d) a memory; and

(e) a control circuit communicatively coupled to said solid state image sensor and said memory, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to store into said memory first and second electronic representations of light reflectivity at said substrate, said first electronic representation representing a first region of said substrate, said first region having a first size, said second electronic representation representing a second region of said substrate, said second region being a two dimensional region and having a second size that is larger than said first size, said second electronic representation of said substrate including a plurality of pixel values, wherein each pixel value of said plurality of pixel values represents light reflectivity at a certain location of said substrate,

(f) wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to store both of said first and said second electronic representations after a single depressing of said trigger, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to complete storing of said second electronic representation after completing storing said first electronic representation, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to attempt to decode said bar code symbol utilizing each of said first and second electronic representations, and wherein said second electronic representation includes a representation of a portion of said substrate that is not represented by any electronic representation stored in said memory when said portable bar code decoding device has completed storing of said first electronic representation.

58. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said solid state image sensor is a one dimensional solid state image sensor.

59. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to operate in a mode of operation wherein said first and second electronic representations are captured when said portable bar code reading device is manually swept across a substrate.

60. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said second region of said substrate represented by said second electronic representation includes at least a portion that is below said first region of said substrate represented by said first electronic representation.

61. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said second region represented by said second electronic representation contains said first region represented by said first electronic representation.

62. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said second electronic representation includes image data constituting said first electronic representation.

63. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said first electronic representation includes a timer count representation of said bar code symbol.

64. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said first region represented by said first electronic representation is a thin slice of said substrate, wherein said first electronic representation includes a timer count representation of said bar code symbol in combination with a bit image representation of said thin slice of said substrate derived from said timer count representation.

65. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said second region represented by said second electronic representation and said first region represented by said first electronic representation do not intersect.

66. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said second electronic representation includes a representation of a first portion of said substrate that is represented by said first electronic representation, and a second portion of said substrate that is not represented by said first electronic representation.

67. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said first region represented by said first electronic representation is a thin slice of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol, and wherein said attempting to decode step (c) includes the step of utilizing a 1D bar code symbol decoding algorithm.

68. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said first region represented by said first electronic representation is a thin slice of said substrate carrying said bar code symbol.

69. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to determine, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a 2D bar code symbol finder pattern.

70. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to determine, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a characteristic indicating that a part of 2D bar code symbol is represented in said first electronic representation.

71. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to determine, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a central finder pattern.

72. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to determine, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a waistband finder pattern.

73. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to determine, by processing of said first electronic representation, whether said first electronic representation includes a representation of a peripheral finder pattern.

74. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured to (i) process said first electronic representation to identify a 2D symbol type represented therein, and (ii) apply a specific type of 2D bar code decoding algorithm responsively to said identifying of 2D bar code symbol type when attempting to decode said bar code symbol utilizing said second electronic representation.

75. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to apply a 1D bar code symbol decoding when attempting to decode said bar code symbol utilizing said first electronic representation.

76. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to apply a 2D bar code symbol algorithm when attempting to decode said bar code symbol utilizing said second electronic representation.

77. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured to (i) apply a 1D bar code symbol algorithm when attempting to decode said bar code symbol utilizing said first electronic representation, and (ii) apply a 2D bar code symbol algorithm when attempting to decode said bar code symbol utilizing said second electronic representation.

78. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, wherein said first electronic representation includes a plurality of pixel values, each pixel value of said first electronic representation representing light reflectivity at a certain location of said substrate.

79. The portable bar code reading device of claim 78, wherein said plurality of pixel values are a bit image representation of a thin slice of said substrate.

80. The portable bar code reading device of claim 57, further including at least one light emitting diode projecting light onto said substrate.

81. The portable bar code reading device of claim 80, wherein said at least one light emitting diode is a plurality of light emitting diodes.