Hand-supportable imaging-based auto-discriminating 1D/2D bar code symbol reader employing a multi-mode image processing bar code symbol reading subsystem having a plurality of modes of operation which are dynamically reconfigurable in response to real-time image analysis
First Claim
1. A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading device, comprising:
- a hand-supportable housing;
a multi-mode area image formation and detection subsystem having image formation optics for producing a field of view (FOV) upon an object to be imaged and a CMOS area image sensing array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations in either (i) a narrow-area image capture mode in which a few central rows of pixels on the image sensing array are enabled, or (ii) a wide-area image capture mode in which substantially all rows of the CMOS area image sensing array are enabled;
a multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem for producing narrow and wide area fields of narrow-band illumination within said FOV during narrow-area and wide-area image capture modes, respectively;
an automatic object presence and range detection subsystem for producing an object detection field within the FOV of said multi-mode area image formation and detection subsystem;
an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem for automatically measuring the light exposure incident upon a central portion of said FOV, and controlling the operation of said multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem;
an image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering 2-D images detected by said multi-mode area image formation and detection subsystem;
a multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem having a plurality of modes of operation which are dynamically reconfigurable in response to real-time image analysis, for processing images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and automatically reading 1D and 2D bar code symbols represented in said captured and buffered images;
an input/output subsystem for outputting processed image data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device; and
a system control subsystem for controlling each said subsystem described above;
wherein said plurality of modes of operation of said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem are selected from the group consisting of;
a first mode of operation, wherein said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem is configured to automatically process a captured frame of digital image data so as to search for one or more bar codes represented therein in an incremental manner, and to continue searching until the entire digital image is processed;
a second mode of operation, wherein said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem is configured to automatically process a captured frame of digital image data, starting from the center or sweep spot of the digital image of the object at which the user would have aimed said hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code in said digital image, so as to search for one or more bar code symbols represented in said digital image, and by searching in a helical manner through frames or blocks of extracted image feature data and marking the same and processing the corresponding raw digital image data until a bar code symbol is recognized/read within the captured frame of digital image data;
a third mode of operation, wherein said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem is configured to automatically process a specified region of interest (ROI) in a captured frame of digital image data so as to search for one or more bar codes represented in said capture frame of digital image data, in response to coordinate data specifying the location of the bar code symbol within the FOV of said multi-mode area image formation and detection system;
a fourth mode of operation, wherein said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem is configured to automatically process a captured narrow-area frame of digital image data, without feature extraction and marking operations used in said first and second modes, so as read one or more bar code symbols represented in said captured narrow-area frame of digital image data; and
a fifth mode of operation, wherein said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem is configured to automatically process a captured frame of digital image data along any one or more predetermined virtual scan line orientations, without feature extraction and marking operations used in said first and second modes, so as to read one or more bar code symbols represented in said captured frame of digital image data.
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Abstract
A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading device comprises: an IR-based object presence and range detection subsystem; a multi-mode area-type image formation and detection subsystem having narrow-area and wide area image capture modes of operation; a multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem having narrow-area and wide area illumination modes of operation; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem; a multi-mode image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem; an input/output subsystem; a manually-activatable trigger switch; and a system control subsystem integrated with each of the above-described subsystems. The digital imaging-based bar code reading device employs a multi-mode bar code symbol reading image processor that is dynamically reconfigurable in response to real-time image analysis carried out upon captured narrow and wide area images.
183 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading device, comprising:
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a hand-supportable housing; a multi-mode area image formation and detection subsystem having image formation optics for producing a field of view (FOV) upon an object to be imaged and a CMOS area image sensing array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations in either (i) a narrow-area image capture mode in which a few central rows of pixels on the image sensing array are enabled, or (ii) a wide-area image capture mode in which substantially all rows of the CMOS area image sensing array are enabled; a multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem for producing narrow and wide area fields of narrow-band illumination within said FOV during narrow-area and wide-area image capture modes, respectively; an automatic object presence and range detection subsystem for producing an object detection field within the FOV of said multi-mode area image formation and detection subsystem; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem for automatically measuring the light exposure incident upon a central portion of said FOV, and controlling the operation of said multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering 2-D images detected by said multi-mode area image formation and detection subsystem; a multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem having a plurality of modes of operation which are dynamically reconfigurable in response to real-time image analysis, for processing images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and automatically reading 1D and 2D bar code symbols represented in said captured and buffered images; an input/output subsystem for outputting processed image data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device; and a system control subsystem for controlling each said subsystem described above; wherein said plurality of modes of operation of said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem are selected from the group consisting of; a first mode of operation, wherein said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem is configured to automatically process a captured frame of digital image data so as to search for one or more bar codes represented therein in an incremental manner, and to continue searching until the entire digital image is processed; a second mode of operation, wherein said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem is configured to automatically process a captured frame of digital image data, starting from the center or sweep spot of the digital image of the object at which the user would have aimed said hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code in said digital image, so as to search for one or more bar code symbols represented in said digital image, and by searching in a helical manner through frames or blocks of extracted image feature data and marking the same and processing the corresponding raw digital image data until a bar code symbol is recognized/read within the captured frame of digital image data; a third mode of operation, wherein said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem is configured to automatically process a specified region of interest (ROI) in a captured frame of digital image data so as to search for one or more bar codes represented in said capture frame of digital image data, in response to coordinate data specifying the location of the bar code symbol within the FOV of said multi-mode area image formation and detection system; a fourth mode of operation, wherein said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem is configured to automatically process a captured narrow-area frame of digital image data, without feature extraction and marking operations used in said first and second modes, so as read one or more bar code symbols represented in said captured narrow-area frame of digital image data; and a fifth mode of operation, wherein said multi-mode image-processing based bar code symbol reading subsystem is configured to automatically process a captured frame of digital image data along any one or more predetermined virtual scan line orientations, without feature extraction and marking operations used in said first and second modes, so as to read one or more bar code symbols represented in said captured frame of digital image data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification