Device and methods for the acquisition and automatic processing of data obtained from optical codes

• US 7,282,688 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Datalogic IP Tech S.r.l. (Datalogic S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.
• Inventors: Canini, Federico, Zocca, Rinaldo, Piva, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US11/456,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20060243888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 348307-309
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10841 Particularities of the light-sensitive elements semiconductor devices H01L
• 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: G06V 10/22 by selection of a specific region containing or referencing a pattern; Locating or processing of specific regions to guide the detection or recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors

Abstract

The device for the acquisition and automatic processing of data obtained from optical codes comprises a CMOS optical sensor; an analog processing unit connected to the optical sensor; an analog/digital conversion unit connected to the analog processing unity; a logic control unit connected to the CMOS optical sensor, the analog processing unit and the analog/digital conversion unit; and a data-processing unit connected to the logic control unit and the analog/digital conversion unit. The CMOS optical sensor and at least one of the analog processing, analog/digital conversion, logic control and data processing units are integrated in a single chip. The data processing unit processes the digital signals corresponding to the image acquired by the CMOS sensor and extracts the optically coded data.

Claims

1. A device for automatic acquisition of data from optical codes, comprising:

an image detector comprising a CMOS optical sensor and an analog/digital converter coupled to said CMOS optical sensor for digitizing image data acquired by said CMOS optical sensor; and

a transfer interface unit having a first connection directly coupled to said analog/digital converter of said image detector, said transfer interface unit having a second connection configured to transfer said digitized image data to a personal computer.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said transfer interface unit comprises a serial interface.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said transfer interface unit comprises a RAM interface.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said transfer interface unit is configured to receive control commands from said personal computer.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said control commands are for transferring said digitized image data to a memory associated with said personal computer.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a supply interface coupled to said image detector and configured for connection to said personal computer.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said supply interface is incorporated as a part of said transfer interface unit.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said image detector and transfer interface unit are integrated in a single chip.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said transfer interface unit comprises a USB interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, a SCSI interface or a DMAC interface.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said transfer interface unit comprises a remote interface.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said remote interface comprises a radio interface, a satellite interface, a telephone interface or a GSM interface.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a logic control unit coupled to said CMOS optical sensor and said transfer interface unit, said logic control unit directing the acquisition of said image data with said CMOS optical sensor.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein said image detector further comprises an analog processing unit coupled to said CMOS optical sensor and to said analog/digital converter.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein said CMOS optical sensor is of a linear or matrix type.

15. The device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein said first connection and said second connection are separate connections.

17. An image detector module for automatic acquisition of data from optical codes, comprising:

a CMOS optical sensor;

an analog/digital converter coupled to said CMOS optical sensor for digitizing image data acquired by said CMOS optical sensor; and

a transfer interface unit having a first connection directly coupled to said analog/digital converter, said transfer interface unit having a second connection configured to transfer said digitized image data to a personal computer;

wherein said transfer interface unit is configured to receive control commands from said personal computer.

18. The module of claim 17, wherein said CMOS optical sensor, analog/digital converter and transfer interface unit are integrated on a single chip.

19. The module of claim 18, further comprising a supply interface incorporated as a part of said transfer interface unit and configured for connection to said personal computer.

20. The module of claim 18, wherein said transfer interface unit comprises a USB interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, a SCSI interface, a RAM interface, DMAC interface, a radio interface, a telephone interface, a GSM interface or a satellite interface.

21. The module of claim 18, further comprising a logic control unit coupled to said CMOS optical sensor and said transfer interface unit.

22. The module of claim 18, wherein said first connection and said second connection are separate connections.

23. A system for acquisition and processing of data from optical codes, comprising:

an image detector module comprising;

a CMOS optical sensor;

an analog/digital converter coupled to said CMOS optical sensor for digitizing image data acquired by said CMOS optical sensor;

a transfer interface unit having a first connection directly coupled to said analog/digital converter, said transfer interface unit having a second connection configured to transfer said digitized image data to a personal computer,

wherein said image detector module is integrated on a single chip; and

a personal computer coupled to said transfer interface unit to receive and process said digitized data.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said image detector module further comprises a logic control unit coupled to said CMOS optical sensor and said transfer interface unit, said logic control unit directing the acquisition of said image data with said CMOS optical sensor.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said transfer interface unit is configured to receive, and said personal computer provides, control commands.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said control commands are for transferring said digitized image data to a memory associated with said personal computer.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said transfer interface unit comprises a USB interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, a SCSI interface, a RAM interface, DMAC interface, a radio interface, a telephone interface, a GSM interface or a satellite interface.

28. The module of claim 23, wherein said first connection and said second connection are separate connections.