Hand-supportable digital image capturing and processing system employing an area-type image sensing array exposed to illumination from an LED-based illumination array only when all sensor elements in said image-sensing array are activated and in a state of integration
First Claim
1. A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system comprising:
- a hand-supportable housing;
an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having image formation optics for producing a field of view (FOV) upon an object to be imaged and an area-type image sensing array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations in a single image frame capture mode in which a plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are enabled so as to detect a 2D digital image of the object on said area-type image sensing array;
an LED-based illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having an LED-based illumination array for producing a field of LED-based illumination within the FOV of said image formation and detection subsystem during said single image frame capture mode;
an automatic illumination control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically controlling the operation of said LED-based illumination subsystem;
an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing and buffering 2-D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem;
an image processing subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for processing 2-D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and producing processed image data; and
an input/output subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for outputting processed image data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device;
a system control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for activating and controlling said subsystem components described above;
wherein according to a global exposure control method carried out under said system control subsystem, when (i) said area-type image sensing array is activated during said single image frame capture mode, and (ii) said plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are in a state of integration and have a common integration time, then said automatic illumination control subsystem automatically drives said LED-based illumination array so that said plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are simultaneously exposed to LED-based illumination reflected and/or scattered off an object within said FOV, and thereby enabling said area-type image sensing array to detect a high quality digital image of the illuminated object, independent of the relative motion between said object and hand-supportable housing during said single image frame capture mode of operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system comprises: an area-type image formation and detection subsystem having an area-type image detection array; an LED-based illumination subsystem having a LED-based illumination array; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem; and an image-processing subsystem. The LED array is automatically driven in a precise manner to globally expose the area-type image detection array with LED-based illumination only when substantially all of its rows of pixels are in a state of integration and have a common integration time, thereby enabling the capture of high quality images independent of the relative motion between the object and the hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system comprising:
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a hand-supportable housing; an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having image formation optics for producing a field of view (FOV) upon an object to be imaged and an area-type image sensing array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations in a single image frame capture mode in which a plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are enabled so as to detect a 2D digital image of the object on said area-type image sensing array; an LED-based illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having an LED-based illumination array for producing a field of LED-based illumination within the FOV of said image formation and detection subsystem during said single image frame capture mode; an automatic illumination control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically controlling the operation of said LED-based illumination subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing and buffering 2-D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem; an image processing subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for processing 2-D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and producing processed image data; and an input/output subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for outputting processed image data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device; a system control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for activating and controlling said subsystem components described above; wherein according to a global exposure control method carried out under said system control subsystem, when (i) said area-type image sensing array is activated during said single image frame capture mode, and (ii) said plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are in a state of integration and have a common integration time, then said automatic illumination control subsystem automatically drives said LED-based illumination array so that said plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are simultaneously exposed to LED-based illumination reflected and/or scattered off an object within said FOV, and thereby enabling said area-type image sensing array to detect a high quality digital image of the illuminated object, independent of the relative motion between said object and hand-supportable housing during said single image frame capture mode of operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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4. A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system comprising:
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a hand-supportable housing; an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having image formation optics for producing a field of view (FOV) upon an object to be imaged and an area-type image sensing array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations in an image frame capture mode in which a plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are enabled so as to detect a 2D digital image of the object on said area-type image sensing array; an LED-based illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having an LED-based illumination array for producing a field of LED-based illumination within the FOV of the image formation and detection subsystem during said image frame capture mode; an automatic illumination control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically controlling the operation of said LED-based illumination subsystem; an automatic light exposure measurement subsystem for automatically measuring the light exposure incident upon a central portion of said FOV, and in cooperation with said automatic illumination control subsystem, controlling the operation of said LED-based illumination subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing and buffering 2-D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem; an image processing subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for processing 2-D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and producing processed image data; and an input/output subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for outputting processed image data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device; a system control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for activating and controlling said subsystem components described above; wherein when said area-type image sensing array is activated by said system control subsystem, and said plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are in a state of integration, then said automatic illumination control subsystem automatically drives said LED-based illumination array so that said area-type image sensing array is exposed to said LED-based illumination, and thereby enabling said area-type image sensing array to detect a high quality digital image of the object, independent of the relative motion between said object and hand-supportable housing; wherein said automatic light exposure measurement subsystem comprises a light collecting mirror and photodiode arranged within said hand-supportable housing; and wherein incident illumination is collected from a selected portion of said FOV using said light collecting mirror, and then focused upon said photodiode for detection of the intensity of reflected illumination and subsequent processing by said automatic light exposure measurement subsystem, and in cooperation with said automatic illumination control subsystem to control the illumination produced by said LED-based illumination subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system comprising:
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a hand-supportable housing; an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having image formation optics for producing a field of view (FOV) upon an object to be imaged and an area-type image sensing array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations in a single image frame capture mode in which a plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are enabled so as to detect a 2D digital image of the object on said area-type image sensing array; an LED-based illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having an LED-based illumination array for producing a field of LED-based illumination within the FOV of said image formation and detection subsystem during said single frame image capture mode; an automatic illumination control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically controlling the operation of said LED-based illumination subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing and buffering 2-D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem; an image processing subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for processing 2-D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and producing processed image data; and an input/output subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for outputting processed image data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device; a system control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for activating and controlling said subsystem components described above; wherein according to a global exposure control method, said area-type image sensing array is activated and said plurality of rows of sensor elements are in a state of integration and have a common integration time, before said automatic illumination control subsystem automatically drives said LED-based illumination array so that all rows of said area-type image sensing array are simultaneously exposed to LED-based illumination which reflects and/or scatters off the object within said FOV, and thereby enabling said area-type image sensing array to detect a high quality 2-D digital image of the object formed therein, and independent of the relative motion between said object and hand-supportable housing. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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Specification