Automatically-triggered digital video-imaging based code symbol reading system for use in a point-of-sale (POS) environment
First Claim
1. An automatically-triggered digital video-imaging based code symbol reading system for reading code symbols on objects presented at point of sale (POS) environments, 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 detecting frames of digital video image data of the object during said object illumination and video-imaging operations;
an illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, having an illumination array for producing a field of illumination in said FOV during said object illumination and video-imaging operations;
said illumination subsystem including (i) an illumination board supported within said housing and having a central aperture through which said FOV passes during object illumination and video-imaging operations, and on which said illumination array is mounted, and (ii) an assembly of lenses, supported on said illumination board, for focusing and/or shaping illumination emanating from said illumination array so as to produce said field of illumination within said FOV;
wherein said central aperture in said illumination board is spatially aligned with said imaging window in said housing;
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 automatic illumination control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling illumination produced from said illumination array during said object illumination and video-imaging operations,wherein said automatic illumination control subsystem includes circuitry for providing drive signals to said illumination array;
a digital video image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering said frames of digital video image data during said object illumination and video-imaging operations;
a digital video image processing subsystem, disposed in said housing, for processing said frames of digital video image data and reading one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said frames of digital video image data, and producing symbol character data representative of said read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols;
an input/output subsystem, disposed in said housing, for transmitting said symbol character data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device; and
a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing, and responsive to said trigger signal, for controlling and/or coordinating the operation of said subsystems above.
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Abstract
An automatic digital video-imaging based code symbol reading system for use in point of sale (POS) environments, employing automatic illumination control, multi-tier modular software architecture and digital video-imaging based code symbol reading techniques, which ensures the reliable reading of code symbols graphically represented in digital images, in high-throughput point-of-sale and other environments, while providing the versatility required to accommodate the different ways in which operators present objects for code symbol reading at POS environments.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An automatically-triggered digital video-imaging based code symbol reading system for reading code symbols on objects presented at point of sale (POS) environments, 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 detecting frames of digital video image data of the object during said object illumination and video-imaging operations; an illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, having an illumination array for producing a field of illumination in said FOV during said object illumination and video-imaging operations; said illumination subsystem including (i) an illumination board supported within said housing and having a central aperture through which said FOV passes during object illumination and video-imaging operations, and on which said illumination array is mounted, and (ii) an assembly of lenses, supported on said illumination board, for focusing and/or shaping illumination emanating from said illumination array so as to produce said field of illumination within said FOV; wherein said central aperture in said illumination board is spatially aligned with said imaging window in said housing; 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 automatic illumination control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling illumination produced from said illumination array during said object illumination and video-imaging operations, wherein said automatic illumination control subsystem includes circuitry for providing drive signals to said illumination array; a digital video image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering said frames of digital video image data during said object illumination and video-imaging operations; a digital video image processing subsystem, disposed in said housing, for processing said frames of digital video image data and reading one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said frames of digital video image data, and producing symbol character data representative of said read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols; an input/output subsystem, disposed in said housing, for transmitting said symbol character data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device; and a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing, and responsive to said trigger signal, for controlling and/or coordinating the operation of said subsystems above. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An automatically-triggered digital video-imaging based code symbol reading system for reading code symbols on objects presented at point of sale (POS) environments, 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 illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, having an illumination array for producing a field of illumination in said FOV during said object illumination and video-imaging operations; said illumination subsystem including (i) an illumination board supported within said housing and having a central aperture through which said FOV passes during object illumination and video-imaging operations, and on which said illumination array is mounted, and (ii) an assembly of lenses, supported on said illumination board, for focusing and/or shaping illumination emanating from said illumination array so as to produce said field of illumination within said FOV; wherein said central aperture in said illumination board is spatially aligned with said imaging window in said housing; 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 automatic illumination control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling illumination produced from said illumination array during said object illumination and video-imaging operations; a digital video image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering said frames of digital video image data during said object illumination and video-imaging operations; a digital video image processing subsystem, disposed in said housing, for processing said frames of digital video image data and reading one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said frames of digital video image data, and producing symbol character data representative of said read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols; an input/output subsystem, disposed in said housing, 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 controlling and/or coordinating the operation of said subsystems above; a computing platform, disposed in said housing, and operably connected to said illumination board, for implementing said digital video image processing subsystem, said input/output subsystem and said system control subsystem; wherein said computing platform includes (i) a multi-tier modular software architecture characterized by an operating system (OS) layer, and an application layer; and (ii) a microprocessor for running one or more applications stored in one or more software libraries maintained in said application layer, and wherein said one or more software libraries contains code associated with a digital video capturing and processing application which is responsive to the generation of said trigger signal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification