Combined imaging coded data source data acquisition

• US 7,377,438 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leonard Reiffel
• Original Assignee: Leonard Reiffel
• Inventors: Reiffel, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): ST CYR, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US11/784,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20070187506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/462.09, 235/462.25, 235/462.42
• US Class Current: 235/462.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• 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

A signal processing means (40) outputs a signal (41) representing a number when a combination of at least two imagers (11), (12) detects a spatial arrangement of a plurality of code portions of a coded data source (60)—where the spatial arrangement of the plurality of code portions represents the number, and where imager combinations can comprise spatial, temporal, and light property combinations.

Claims

1. A data acquisition product comprising:

a first imager,

the first imager having a first imager field of view;

a first coded data source,

the first coded data source having a first spatial arrangement of a first plurality of first code portions,

the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of first code portions representing a first number;

first light being detected by the first imager if the first light is from the first imager field of view

first coded data source light representing the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions; and

a signal processor,

the signal processor being coupled to the first imager, and

the signal processor being adapted to cause a signal which represents the first number if the first coded data source light is in the first field of view and is occluded from the first light detected by the first imager.

2. The product of claim 1, further comprising:

a second imager,

the second imager having a second imager field of view;

first light being detected by the second imager if the first light is from the second imager field of view; and

the signal processor being adapted to cause the signal if a combination of the first imager and the second imager detects the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions.

3. The product of claim 2 wherein the signal processor causes the signal if the first coded data source is within the second field of view and the first coded data source light is occluded from the first light detected by the second imager.

4. The product of claim 2, wherein:

the first coded data source comprises a member specific spatial arrangement of a plurality of code portions;

the first coded data source is within the first field of view and the first coded data source light is temporarily occluded from the first light detected by the first imager;

the first coded data source is within the second field of view and the first coded data source light is not occluded from the first light detected by the second imager; and

the signal represents the member specific spatial arrangement of the plurality of code portions of the first coded data source.

5. The product of claim 2 wherein:

the second imager causes the first imager field of view to include the first coded data source if the first coded data source is in the second imager field of view and the first coded data source light is not occluded in the first light detected by the second imager; and

the first imager causes the first light to be represented for the signal processing means.

6. The product of claim 2 wherein:

the first imager causes a first representation of a first light property portion of the first light to be represented for the signal processor if the first light is from the first imager field of view and is not occluded;

the second imager causes a second representation of a second light property portion of the first light to be represented for the signal processor if the first light is from the second imager field of view and is not occluded; and

the signal processor uses the first representation and the second representation to cause the signal.

7. The product of claim 6 wherein the first light property portion is a first frequency portion and the second light property portion is a second frequency portion.

8. The product of claim 7 wherein:

the second imager field of view is adjacent to the first imager field of view;

the first imager causes a first portion of the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions to be represented for the signal processor if the first portion of the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions is in the first imager field of view;

the second imager causes a second portion of the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions to be represented for the signal processor if the second portion of the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions is in the second imager field of view; and

the signal processor uses the first portion caused to be represented and the second portion caused to be represented to cause the signal.

9. The product of claim 2 wherein:

the first imager detects light by scanning substantially parallel to first axis;

the second imager detects light by scanning substantially parallel to a second axis;

the first axis is not parallel to the second axis;

the first imager causes the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions to be represented for the signal processor as soon as the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions is detected by the first imager, if the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions is detected by the first imager;

the second imager causes the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions to be represented for the signal processor as soon as the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions is detected by the second imager, if the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions is detected by the second imager; and

the signal processor uses the first in time spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions caused to be represented to cause the signal.

10. The product of claim 2 wherein:

the first light is at least partially retro-reflected from a light source;

the first imager, the second imager, and the light source are positioned so that more first light is retro-reflected to the first imager than to the second imager;

the first imager causes a first representation of the first light to be represented for the signal processor if the first light is from the first imager field of view and is not occluded;

the second imager causes a second representation of the first light to be represented for the signal processor if the first light is from the second imager field of view and is not occluded; and

the signal processor uses the first representation and the second representation to cause the signal.

11. A data acquisition product as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a light source;

a portion of the first light comprises retro-reflected light from the light source;

the first imager, the second imager and the light source positioned so that more first light is retro-reflected to the first imager than to the second imager;

a first representation of the first light being detected by the first imager, if the first light is from the first imager field of view;

a second representation of the first light being detected by the second imager, if the first light is from the second imager field of view;

wherein the second representation of the first light subtracted from the first representation of the first light approximates the first coded data source light.

12. The product of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of spatially separated coded data sources in the first field of view;

the first imager being able to detect light concurrently from each of the plurality of spatially separated coded data sources that are not occluded from the first light detected by the first imager, and

the signal processor being adapted to cause a signal which represents the first number if the first coded data source light is within the first field of view and is occluded from the first light detected by the first imager.

13. The product of claim 12 wherein the first imager causes a representation, to be represented for the signal processor, of member specific light from each of the plurality of spatially separated coded data sources that are within the first field of view and that not occluded from the first light detected by the first imager.

14. The product of claim 12 wherein the first imager causes a first representation, to be represented for the signal processor, of the absence of the first coded data source if the first coded data source light is within the first field of view and is occluded from the first light detected by the first imager.

15. The product of claim 1 wherein a first coded data source has a known location.

16. The product of claim 15, wherein the signal represents the location of the first coded data source.

17. A method of acquisitioning data comprising:

representing a first number with a first coded data source, having a first spatial arrangement of a first plurality of first code portions

representing the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions with first coded data source light from the first coded data source;

detecting first light with a first imager if the first light is from a first imager field of view;

causing a signal which represents the first number if the first coded data source light is in the first field of view and is occluded from the first light detected by the first imager.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing a plurality of spatially separated coded data sources in the first field of view;

detecting light, with the first imager, concurrently from each of the plurality of spatially separated coded data sources that are not occluded from the first light detected by the first imager, and

causing a signal which represents the first number if the first coded data source light is within the first field of view and is occluded from the first light detected by the first imager.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising representing for the signal processor, by the first imager, member specific light from each of the plurality of spatially separated coded data sources that are within the first field of view and that not occluded from the first light detected by the first imager.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising representing for the signal processor, by the first imager, the absence of the first coded data source if the first coded data source light is within the first field of view and is occluded from the first light detected by the first imager.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

detecting the first light by a second imager if the first light is from a second imager field of view; and

causing the signal if a combination of the first imager and the second imager detects the first spatial arrangement of the first plurality of code portions.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising causing the signal if the first coded data source is within the second field of view and the first coded data source light is occluded from the first light detected by the second imager.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the first coded data source comprises a member specific spatial arrangement of a plurality of code portions, the first coded data source is within the first field of view, and the first coded data source is within the second field of view and the first coded data source light is not occluded from the first light detected by the first imager, the method further comprising:

detecting when the first coded data source light is temporarily occluded from the first light detected by the first imager, wherein the signal represents the member specific spatial arrangement of the plurality of code portions of the first coded data source.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising causing the first imager field of view to include the first coded data source if the first coded data source is in the second imager field of view and the first coded data source light is not occluded in the first light detected by the second image, wherein the first imager causes the first light to be represented for the signal processing means.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising causing the first imager filed of view to change until the first data source is in the first imager filed of view.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the signal represents a known location of the first coded data source.