Omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system comprising coplanar illumination and imaging stations automatically detecting object motion and velocity and adjusting exposure and/or illumination control parameters therewithin

• US 7,527,204 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Knowles, C. Harry, Xian, Tao, Good, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US11/711,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20070210166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.11, 235/462.01, 235/462.09, 235/462.42
• US Class Current: 235/462.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1012 Special detection of object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10712 Fixed beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• 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: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination

Abstract

An omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system comprising a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations for producing a plurality of coplanar linear illumination and imaging planes which intersect within a 3D imaging volume. Each coplanar illumination and imaging station includes a linear image detection array, a linear illumination array, and an object motion and velocity detection subsystem for automatically detecting the motion and velocity of an object that passes through at least a portion of one coplanar linear illumination and imaging plane, and automatically adjusting one or more parameters relating to the exposure and/or illumination control within the coplanar illumination and imaging station. By virtue of the present invention, it is possible to capture and process high quality digital images of objects passed through 3D imaging volumes, at point-of-sale (POS) retail stations and like environments.

Claims

1. An omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system comprising:

a system housing having an imaging window; and

a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations disposed in said system housing, and wherein each coplanar illumination and imaging station includes

(i) a linear image detection array having optics providing a field of view (FOV) focused on said linear image detection array and projected through said imaging window and extending into a 3D imaging volume;

(ii) a linear illumination array including a linear array of light emitting devices configured together to produce a substantially planar illumination beam (PLIB) that extends substantially along the same plane as the FOV of said linear image detection array so that each said linear image detection array and corresponding linear array of light emitting devices produce a coplanar illumination and imaging plane that projects through said imaging window and into said 3D imaging volume, for capturing a series of linear digital images of an object intersecting therewith during system operation, and subsequent processing and recognition of information graphically represented in said linear digital images; and

(iii) an object motion and velocity detection subsystem for automatically detecting the motion and velocity of an object that passes through at least a portion of one said coplanar linear illumination and imaging plane, and automatically adjusting one or more parameters relating to exposure and/or illumination control within said coplanar illumination and imaging station; and

wherein said plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging planes project through and intersect within said 3D imaging volume, so as to produce a complex of coplanar illumination and imaging planes, for omni-directional imaging of objects passing through said 3D imaging volume.

2. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein each said linear array of light emitting devices comprises a linear array of incoherent light sources.

3. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 2, wherein said linear array of incoherent light sources comprises a linear array of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

4. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein each said linear array of light emitting devices comprises a linear array of coherent light sources.

5. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 4, wherein said linear array of coherent light sources comprises a linear array of visible laser diodes (VLDs).

6. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said linear image detection array comprises an imaging array selected from the group of a CMOS image sensing array and a CCD image sensing array.

7. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said subsequent processing and recognition of information graphically represented in said linear digital images comprises buffering a series of said linear digital images and composing area-type (2D) digital images of said object, and subsequently processing said area-type digital images so as to recognize information graphically represented in said area-type digital images.

8. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 7, wherein said subsequent processing and recognition of information graphically represented in said area-type digital images comprises decode processing said area-type digital images so as to read one or more code symbols graphically represented in said area-type digital images.

9. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 8, wherein said one or more code symbols comprise one or more bar code symbols selected from the group consisting of 1D bar code symbols, 2D bar code symbols and data matrix type bar code symbols.

10. An omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system comprising:

a system housing having an imaging window; and

a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations disposed in said system housing, and wherein each coplanar illumination and imaging station includes

(i) a linear imaging array having optics providing a field of view (FOV) on said linear imaging array that projects into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to said imaging window;

(ii) a linear array of light emitting devices configured together to produce a substantially planar illumination beam (PLIB) that extends substantially along the same plane as the FOV of said linear imaging array so as to provide a coplanar illumination and imaging plane that projects through said imaging window and into said 3D imaging volume, for capturing a series of linear digital images of an object intersecting therewith during system operation, and subsequent processing and recognition of information graphically represented in said linear digital images; and

(iii) an object motion and velocity detection subsystem for automatically detecting the motion and velocity of an object that passes through at least a portion of one said coplanar linear illumination and imaging plane, and automatically adjusting one or more parameters relating to the exposure and/or illumination control within said coplanar illumination and imaging station; and

wherein said plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging planes project through and intersect within said 3D imaging volume, so as to produce a complex of coplanar illumination and imaging planes, for omni-directional imaging of objects passing through said 3D imaging volume.

11. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 10, wherein each said linear array of light emitting devices comprises a linear array of incoherent light sources.

12. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 11, wherein said array of incoherent light sources comprises a linear array of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

13. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 10, wherein each said linear array of light emitting devices comprises a linear array of coherent light sources.

14. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 13, wherein said linear array of coherent light sources comprises a linear array of visible laser diodes (VLDs).

15. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 10, wherein said linear imaging array comprises a linear image sensing array selected from the group of a CMOS image sensing array and a CCD image sensing array.

16. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 10, wherein said subsequent processing and recognition of information graphically represented in said linear digitals images comprises buffering a series of said linear digital images and composing area-type (2D) digital images of said object, and subsequently processing said area-type digital images so as to recognize information graphically represented in said area-type digital images.

17. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 16, wherein said subsequent processing and recognition of information graphically represented in said area-type digital images comprises decode processing said area-type digital images so as to read one or more code symbols graphically represented in said area-type digital images.

18. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system of claim 17, wherein said one or more code symbols comprise one or more bar code symbols selected from the group consisting of 1D bar code symbols, 2D bar code symbols and data matrix type bar code symbols.

19. The omni-directional digital image capturing and processing based system of claim 10, which further comprises an electronic weigh scale integrated with said system housing.