Automatically-triggered digital video-imaging based code symbol reading system supporting ambient illumination mode automatically selected by adaptive control process
First Claim
1. An automatically-triggered digital video-imaging based code symbol reading system adaptable to ambient illumination levels, comprising:
- a housing having an imaging window;
a digital image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, and having (i) image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) from an area-type image detection array, through said imaging window and upon an object to be imaged during object illumination and video-imaging operations, and (ii) said area-type image detection array for detecting frames of digital video image data of the object during said object illumination and video-imaging operations;
an automatic object detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, for automatically detecting the presence of the object in said FOV, and in response thereto, generating a trigger signal indicative of a triggering event;
an illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, having an ambient illumination mode and an ambient illumination mode, and an illumination array for producing a field of illumination in said FOV during said ambient illumination mode,wherein when said illumination subsystem is configured in said ambient illumination mode, said illumination array is driven so as to produce said field of illumination in said FOV during object illumination and video-imaging operations, andwherein when said illumination subsystem is configured in said ambient illumination mode, said illumination array is not driven and does not produce a field of illumination in said FOV, but rather, ambient illumination is allowed to flood said FOV during said object illumination and video-imaging operations;
an automatic illumination control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling illumination produced from said illumination array when said illumination subsystem is configured in said ambient illumination mode during said object illumination and video-imaging operations;
said automatic illumination control subsystem including circuitry for providing drive signals to said illumination array;
a digital image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering said frames of digital video image data in memory, during said object illumination and video-imaging operations;
a digital image processing subsystem for processing said frames of digital video image data by (i) measuring the exposure quality of one or more of said frames of digital video image data, and (ii) reading one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said one or more frames of digital vide image data, and producing symbol character data representative of said read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols;
an input/output subsystem for transmitting said symbol character data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device;
a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing and responsive to said trigger signal, for managing, in memory, a set of system control parameters (SCPs) as well as a set of exposure quality threshold (EQT) parameters, and for controlling and/or coordinating the operations of said subsystems; and
wherein, at any instant in time, said object illumination and video-imaging operations are characterized by currently set values of said set of SCPs and said set of EQT parameters.
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Abstract
An Automatically-triggered digital video-imaging based code symbol reading system providing a high degree of adaptability to ambient illumination levels and having great dynamic range. The system includes an illumination subsystem, having an active illumination mode and an ambient illumination mode. During object illumination and image capturing operations, the exposure quality of a captured frames of digital video image data is analyzed, and based on the results of such exposure quality analysis, system control parameters (SCPs) are automatically reconfigured. In the event that the exposure quality analysis indicates excessive exposure levels in captured frames of digital video image data, then a new set of SCPs is reconfigured, controlling the illumination subsystem to operate in its ambient illumination mode, whereby, ambient illumination is allowed to flood the field of view and form digital images on the image detection array during object illumination and video-imaging operations.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An automatically-triggered digital video-imaging based code symbol reading system adaptable to ambient illumination levels, comprising:
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a housing having an imaging window; a digital image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, and having (i) image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) from an area-type image detection array, through said imaging window and upon an object to be imaged during object illumination and video-imaging operations, and (ii) said area-type image detection array for detecting frames of digital video image data of the object during said object illumination and video-imaging operations; an automatic object detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, for automatically detecting the presence of the object in said FOV, and in response thereto, generating a trigger signal indicative of a triggering event; an illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, having an ambient illumination mode and an ambient illumination mode, and an illumination array for producing a field of illumination in said FOV during said ambient illumination mode, wherein when said illumination subsystem is configured in said ambient illumination mode, said illumination array is driven so as to produce said field of illumination in said FOV during object illumination and video-imaging operations, and wherein when said illumination subsystem is configured in said ambient illumination mode, said illumination array is not driven and does not produce a field of illumination in said FOV, but rather, ambient illumination is allowed to flood said FOV during said object illumination and video-imaging operations; an automatic illumination control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling illumination produced from said illumination array when said illumination subsystem is configured in said ambient illumination mode during said object illumination and video-imaging operations; said automatic illumination control subsystem including circuitry for providing drive signals to said illumination array; a digital image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering said frames of digital video image data in memory, during said object illumination and video-imaging operations; a digital image processing subsystem for processing said frames of digital video image data by (i) measuring the exposure quality of one or more of said frames of digital video image data, and (ii) reading one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said one or more frames of digital vide image data, and producing symbol character data representative of said read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols; an input/output subsystem for transmitting said symbol character data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device; a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing and responsive to said trigger signal, for managing, in memory, a set of system control parameters (SCPs) as well as a set of exposure quality threshold (EQT) parameters, and for controlling and/or coordinating the operations of said subsystems; and wherein, at any instant in time, said object illumination and video-imaging operations are characterized by currently set values of said set of SCPs and said set of EQT parameters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification