Digital-imaging based code symbol reading system employing a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems, each having a local object motion detection subsystem for automatic detecting objects within the 3D imaging volume, and a local control subsystem for transmitting object detection state data to a global control subsystem for managing the state of operation of said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems
First Claim
1. A digital-imaging based code symbol reading system comprising:
- a system housing having an imaging window;
a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems disposed in said system housing, wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem has an object detection mode of operation and a code symbol reading mode of operation; and
a global control subsystem for managing the mode of operation of each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem;
wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem includes(i) one or more planar illumination modules (PLIMs) for producing a substantially planar illumination beam (PLIB), wherein each said PLIM includes at least one illumination source and optics for producing said PLIB,(ii) a linear imaging array having a field of view (FOV) on said linear imaging array and extending in substantially the same plane as said PLIB so as to produce a coplanar illumination and imaging plane (PLIB/FOV) that is projected through a 3D imaging volume defined relative to said imaging window, for capturing linear (1D) digital images of an object passing through said 3D imaging volume, and subsequent processing so as to read one or more code symbols graphically represented in said linear digital images,(iii) a local object motion detection subsystem for automatically detecting the motion of an object passing through at least a portion of said PLIB/FOV, and producing object detection mode data in response thereto, and(iv) a local control subsystem for locally controlling the operation subcomponents in said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem, and transmitting object detection mode data to said global control subsystem upon automated detection of the object by said object motion detection subsystem;
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 illuminating and imaging of objects passing through said 3D imaging volume and reading one or more code symbols graphically represented in captured linear digital images of said objects.
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Abstract
A digital image capturing and processing system comprising a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem for producing a plurality of coplanar linear illumination and imaging planes which intersect within a 3D imaging volume defined relative to an imaging window. Each coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem includes a local object motion detection subsystem for detecting the motion of objects moving through the 3D imaging volume, and a local control subsystem for controlling the state of operations within each coplanar illumination and imaging station during system operation. Each coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem has an object detection state and a code symbol reading state of operation, and includes one or more planar illumination modules (PLIMs) for producing at least one substantially planar illumination beam (PLIB), and a linear image detection array having a field of view (FOV) on the linear image detection array and extending in substantially the same plane as the PLIB, to provide a coplanar illumination and imaging plane (PLIB/FOV) that is projected through the 3D imaging volume, for capturing linear (1D) digital images of an object passing therethrough, for subsequent processing and recognition of information graphically represented in the linear digital images. When a local object motion detection subsystem automatically detects the motion of an object passing through at least a portion of the 3D imaging volume, a global control subsystem cooperates with the local control subsystems to manage the state of operation of each coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem, e.g. by driving one or more of coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems into the code symbol reading state of operation.
338 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A digital-imaging based code symbol reading system comprising:
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a system housing having an imaging window; a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems disposed in said system housing, wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem has an object detection mode of operation and a code symbol reading mode of operation; and a global control subsystem for managing the mode of operation of each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem; wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem includes (i) one or more planar illumination modules (PLIMs) for producing a substantially planar illumination beam (PLIB), wherein each said PLIM includes at least one illumination source and optics for producing said PLIB, (ii) a linear imaging array having a field of view (FOV) on said linear imaging array and extending in substantially the same plane as said PLIB so as to produce a coplanar illumination and imaging plane (PLIB/FOV) that is projected through a 3D imaging volume defined relative to said imaging window, for capturing linear (1D) digital images of an object passing through said 3D imaging volume, and subsequent processing so as to read one or more code symbols graphically represented in said linear digital images, (iii) a local object motion detection subsystem for automatically detecting the motion of an object passing through at least a portion of said PLIB/FOV, and producing object detection mode data in response thereto, and (iv) a local control subsystem for locally controlling the operation subcomponents in said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem, and transmitting object detection mode data to said global control subsystem upon automated detection of the object by said object motion detection subsystem; 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 illuminating and imaging of objects passing through said 3D imaging volume and reading one or more code symbols graphically represented in captured linear digital images of said objects. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification