Bar code reading device having image data in plurality of different formats

• US 7,398,930 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• 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:
  US11/412,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20060255150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 23546201-46247, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/454, 235/455, 235/494
• US Class Current: 235/462.25
• 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 bar code reading device in which there is derived image data in a plurality of different formats. In one embodiment, first and second image data formats can be derived simultaneously from a video signal. Also, both of the first and second image data can be subject to decoding processes. The first image data can be stored in a first memory space and the second image data can be stored in a second memory space. In one embodiment, the first and second memory spaces can each include a two dimensional representation of a substrate on which a bar code symbol is disposed.

Claims

1. A method for operating a hand held bar code reading device for reading of a bar code symbol disposed on a substrate, the method comprising:

(a) providing an image sensor that includes a plurality of light responsive elements

(b) providing optics for focusing light returning from said bar code symbol onto said image sensor;

(c) providing a first memory space for storing digital image data of a first format, the first format being a bit image format;

(d) providing a second memory space for storing digital image data of a second format, the second format being a timercount format;

(e) developing a video signal from said image sensor;

(f) simultaneously deriving first digital image data and second digital image data from the video signal, the first digital image data having a first format and the second digital image data having a second format;

(g) storing said first digital image data into said first memory space, and said second digital image data into said second memory space, the first and second digital image data being stored so that both of the first and second digital image data represent a two dimensional area of said substrate; and

(h) executing bar code symbol decoding processes utilizing both said first digital image data of said first format stored into said first memory space and said second digital image data of said second format stored into said second memory space.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the steps executing 2D symbol decoding processes utilizing said first digital image data stored in said first memory space, and executing 1D symbol decoding processes utilizing said second digital image data stored in said second memory space.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said storing step includes the step of storing said first digital image data and said second digital image data such that both of said first and second digital image data represent a common two dimensional area of said substrate, but have a different number of bits representing said common two dimensional area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said executing bar code symbol decoding processes step includes the step of attempting to decode utilizing both said first digital image data of said first format stored into said first memory space and said second digital image data of said second format into said second memory space.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first digital image data is dedicated for decoding a first set of bar code symbols, and said second digital image data is dedicated for decoding a second set of bar code symbols.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing step (a) includes the step of providing a 1D image sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of moving said hand held bar code reading device across said bar code symbol.

8. A method for operating a hand held bar code reading device for reading of a bar code symbol disposed on a substrate, the method comprising:

(a) providing an image sensor that includes a plurality of light responsive elements

(b) providing optics for focusing light returning from said bar code symbol onto said image sensor;

(c) providing a first memory space for storing digital image data of a first format;

(d) providing a second memory space for storing digital image data of a second format;

(e) developing a video signal from said image sensor;

(f) simultaneously deriving first digital image data and second digital image data from the video signal, the first digital image data having a first format and the second digital image data having a second format;

(g) storing said first digital image data into said first memory space, and said second digital image data into said second memory space, the first and second digital image data being stored so that both of the first and second digital image data represent a two dimensional area of said substrate; and

(h) executing bar code symbol decoding processes utilizing both said first digital image data of said first format stored into said first memory space and said second digital image data of said second format stored into said second memory space.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first memory space is a first size and wherein said second memory space is a second size, the second size being different from the first size.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said storing step includes the step of storing said first digital image data and said second digital image data such that both of said first and second digital image data represent a common two dimensional area of said substrate, but have a different number of bits representing said common two dimensional area.

11. The method of claim 8, further including the steps executing 2D symbol decoding processes utilizing said first digital image data stored in said first memory space, and executing 1D symbol decoding processes utilizing said second digital image data stored in said second memory space.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said first digital image data is bit image data.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said second digital image data is timercount image data.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said executing bar code symbol decoding processes step includes the step of attempting to decode utilizing both said first digital image data of said first format stored into said first memory space and said second digital image data of said second format into said second memory space.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein said first digital image data is dedicated for decoding a first set of bar code symbols, and said second digital image data is dedicated for decoding a second set of bar code symbols.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said providing step (a) includes the step of providing a 1D image sensor.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein said method further includes the step of moving said hand held bar code reading device across said bar code symbol.

18. A method for operating a hand held bar code reading device for reading of a bar code symbol disposed on a substrate, the method comprising:

(a) providing an image sensor that includes a plurality of light responsive elements

(b) providing optics for focusing light returning from said bar code symbol onto said image sensor;

(c) providing a first memory space for storing digital image data of a first format;

(d) providing a second memory space for storing digital image data of a second format;

(e) developing a video signal from said image sensor;

(f) deriving first digital image data and second digital image data, the first digital image data having a first format and the second digital image data having a second format;

(g) storing said first digital image data into said first memory space, and said second digital image data into said second memory space; and

(h) executing bar code decoding processes utilizing both said first digital image data of said first format stored into said first memory space and said second digital image data of said second format stored into said second memory space.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said first memory space is of a first size and wherein said second memory space is a second size, the second size being different from the first size.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said storing step includes the step of storing said first digital image data and said second digital image data such that both of said first and second digital image data represent a common two dimensional area of said substrate, but have a different number of bits representing said common two dimensional area.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said first digital image data is bit image data.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said second digital image data is timercount image data.

23. The method of claim 18, further including the steps executing 2D symbol decoding processes utilizing said first digital image data stored in said first memory space, and executing 1D symbol decoding processes utilizing said second digital image data stored in said second memory space.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein said executing bar code decoding processes step includes the step of attempting to decode utilizing both said first digital image data of said first format stored into said first memory space and said second digital image data of said second format into said second memory space.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein said first digital image data is dedicated for decoding a first set of bar code symbols, and said second digital image data is dedicated for decoding a second set of bar code symbols.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein said storing step includes the step of storing said first digital image data and said second digital image data so that said each of said first digital image data and said second digital image data represent a two dimensional area of said substrate.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein said providing step (a) includes the step of providing a 1D image sensor.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein said method further includes the step of moving said hand held bar code reading device across said bar code symbol.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein said deriving step includes the step of simultaneously deriving said first image data and said second image data.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein said executing bar code decoding processes step includes the step of searching for a finder pattern.