Digital picture taking optical reader having hybrid monochrome and color image sensor array
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A portable data collection device comprising:
- (a) an imaging assembly comprising a two-dimensional solid state image sensor array and an imaging lens focusing an image onto an active surface of said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array, said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array having a plurality of pixels, said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array being a hybrid monochrome and color sensitive image sensor array constructed such that a first subset of pixels of said image sensor array are monochrome pixels without color filter elements and a second subset of pixels of said image sensor array that are color sensitive pixels, each of which includes a wavelength selective filter element;
(b) an illumination assembly including at least one light source projecting light outwardly from said portable data collection device;
(c) a hand held housing encapsulating and supporting said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array;
(d) an operator interface enabling selection by an operator between an indicia decode mode of operation and a picture taking mode of operation;
(e) wherein said portable data collection device, when said indicia decode mode of operation is selected and a trigger signal is received, controls said solid state image sensor array to obtain a decode frame of image data and automatically transfers said decode frame of image data to an indicia decode circuit; and
(f) wherein said portable data collection device, when said picture taking mode is selected and a trigger signal is received, controls said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array to obtain a visual display color frame of image data, and automatically outputs said visual display color frame of image data.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A portable hand held optical reader having a specially constructed two-dimensional image sensor array is operational in a bar code decoding mode and in a picture taking mode. The specially constructed image sensor array, in one embodiment, is a hybrid monochrome and color image sensor pixel array, wherein a first subset of the pixels are monochrome pixels devoid of wavelength selective color filter elements and a second subset of the pixels are color sensitive pixels including wavelength selective color filter elements.
-
Citations
56 Claims
-
1. A portable data collection device comprising:
-
(a) an imaging assembly comprising a two-dimensional solid state image sensor array and an imaging lens focusing an image onto an active surface of said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array, said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array having a plurality of pixels, said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array being a hybrid monochrome and color sensitive image sensor array constructed such that a first subset of pixels of said image sensor array are monochrome pixels without color filter elements and a second subset of pixels of said image sensor array that are color sensitive pixels, each of which includes a wavelength selective filter element; (b) an illumination assembly including at least one light source projecting light outwardly from said portable data collection device; (c) a hand held housing encapsulating and supporting said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array; (d) an operator interface enabling selection by an operator between an indicia decode mode of operation and a picture taking mode of operation; (e) wherein said portable data collection device, when said indicia decode mode of operation is selected and a trigger signal is received, controls said solid state image sensor array to obtain a decode frame of image data and automatically transfers said decode frame of image data to an indicia decode circuit; and (f) wherein said portable data collection device, when said picture taking mode is selected and a trigger signal is received, controls said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array to obtain a visual display color frame of image data, and automatically outputs said visual display color frame of image data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A portable bar code reading device comprising:
-
(a) an imaging assembly including an area solid state image sensor array and an imaging lens focusing an image onto said solid state image sensor array, wherein said solid state image sensor array includes a plurality of color sensitive pixels, each of said plurality of color sensitive pixels having an optically shielded charge storage region and a wavelength selective filter element, wherein said image sensor array is integrated onto an image sensor integrated circuit chip; (b) a memory; (c) circuitry for readout out of image data from said area solid state image sensor array and capturing frames of image data into said memory; (d) an operator interface enabling selection by an operator between an indicia decode mode of operation and a picture taking mode of operation; (e) a hand held housing encapsulating said area solid state image sensor array, said memory and said circuitry; (f) an illumination assembly projecting light outwardly from said portable bar code reading device onto a substrate bearing a bar code symbol; (g) wherein said portable bar code reading device is configured so that in response to receipt of a trigger signal with said portable bar code reading device in said indicia decode mode of operation, said portable bar code reading device obtains a decode frame of image data and transfers said decode frame of image data to a bar code decode circuit; (h) wherein said portable bar code reading device is further configured so that in response to receipt of a trigger signal with said portable bar code reading device in said picture taking mode of operation, said portable bar code reading device obtains a visual display color frame of image data; and (i) wherein said portable bar code reading device in at least one operating mode selectively addresses and selectively reads out a windowed frame of image data from a subset of pixels of said area solid state image sensor array, and wherein said portable bar code reading device in at least one operating mode applies an exposure control timing pulse to said area solid state image sensor array to expose pixels from a plurality of rows of said solid state image sensor array simultaneously. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A portable bar code reading device comprising:
-
(a) an imaging assembly comprising a two-dimensional solid state image sensor array and an imaging lens focusing an image onto an active surface of said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array, said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array having a plurality of pixels, said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array being a hybrid monochrome and color sensitive image sensor array constructed such that a first subset of pixels of said image sensor array are monochrome pixels without wavelength selective color filter elements and a second subset of pixels of said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array are color sensitive pixels, each of which includes a wavelength selective color filter element; (b) an illumination assembly including at least one light source projecting light outwardly from said portable bar code reading device; (c) a hand held housing encapsulating and supporting said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array; (d) first circuitry coupled to said imaging assembly being configured to transfer image data to a bar code decode circuit; and (e) second circuitry coupled to said imaging assembly being configured to obtain a visual display color frame of image data utilizing said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A two-dimensional solid state image sensor array for incorporation into an optical reader device, said image sensor array comprising:
-
(a) a first subset of pixels formed in a checkerboard pattern, wherein corners of pixels of said first subset of pixels form voids, and wherein voids of a combination of four pixels of said pixels of said first subset in said checkerboard pattern define open areas, said first subset of pixels in said checkerboard pattern being monochrome pixels that are devoid of wavelength selective filter elements; (b) a second subset of pixels formed in said open areas defined by said first subset of pixels such that each pixel of said second subset of pixels is bordered by four pixels of said first subset of pixels, said pixels of said second subset being color sensitive pixels that include wavelength selective filter elements. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A bar code reading device comprising:
-
(a) an imaging assembly including an imaging lens and a solid state image sensor array having a plurality of pixels, said imaging lens focusing an image of a bar code symbol onto said solid state image sensor array, said solid state image sensor array including a first set of reset control lines for controlling a first subset of said plurality of pixels and a second set of reset control lines for use in resetting a second subset of said plurality of pixels, wherein said bar code reading device operates in a mode in which said bar code reading device resets said first subset of said plurality of pixels without resetting said second subset of said plurality of pixels; (b) a hand held housing supporting said imaging assembly; (c) wherein said bar code reading device is configured so that in response to receipt of a trigger signal by said bar code reading device, said bar code reading device obtains a decode frame of image data and transfers said decode frame to an indicia decode circuit. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. A portable optical reader having a plurality of user-selectable operating modes including an indicia decode mode of operation and a picture taking mode of operation, said portable optical reader comprising:
-
(a) an imaging assembly having a two-dimensional solid state image sensor array and an imaging lens focusing an image onto an active surface of said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array, said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array having a plurality of pixels, said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array being constructed such that a first subset of said plurality of pixels have a first transistor count, and a second subset of said plurality of pixels have a second transistor count, and wherein said first transistor count is different from said second transistor count; (b) an illumination assembly including at least one light source projecting light outwardly from said portable optical reader, said illumination assembly being operational to project at least one of an illumination pattern and an aiming pattern onto a substrate; (c) a hand held housing encapsulating and supporting said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array; (d) an operator interface enabling selection by an operator between an indicia decode mode of operation and a picture taking mode of operation; (e) wherein said portable optical reader, when operating in said decode mode, controls said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array to obtain a frame of image data and automatically transfers said frame of image data to an indicia decode circuit; (f) wherein said portable optical reader, when operating in said picture taking mode, controls said solid state two-dimensional image sensor array to obtain a visual display color frame of image data, and automatically outputs said frame of image data to an output destination selected from the group consisting of a display device a memory address location or a spaced apart device. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47)
-
-
48. A multimode portable optical reader having an indicia decode mode of operation and a picture taking mode of operation, said portable optical reader comprising:
-
(a) an imaging assembly having a two-dimensional solid state image sensor array and an imaging lens focusing an image onto an active surface of said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array, said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array having a plurality of pixels, said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array being constructed such that a first subset of said plurality of pixels consume a first larger surface area, and a second subset of said plurality of pixels consume a second smaller surface area that is smaller relative a surface area consumed by said pixels of said first subset of said plurality of pixels; (b) an illumination assembly including at least one light source projecting light outwardly from said optical reader, said illumination assembly being operational to project at least one of an illumination pattern and an aiming pattern onto a substrate; (c) a hand held housing encapsulating and supporting said solid state image sensor array; (d) an operator interface enabling selection by an operator between an indicia decode mode of operation and a picture taking mode of operation; (e) wherein said portable optical reader, when said indicia decode mode of operation is selected and a trigger signal is received, controls said two-dimensional solid state image sensor array to capture a frame of image data and automatically transfers said frame of image data to an indicia decode circuit; (f) wherein said portable optical reader, when said picture taking mode is selected and a trigger signal is received, controls said two-dimensional solid-state image sensor array to capture a frame of image data, and automatically outputs said frame of image data. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50)
-
-
51. A portable bar code reading device comprising:
-
(a) a hand held housing; (b) a solid state area image sensor array including a first subset of selectively addressable monochrome pixels being devoid of wavelength selective filter elements and a second subset of color sensitive pixels including wavelength selective filter elements, the monochrome pixels being formed in a monochrome zone of pixels, wherein the monochrome pixels of the monochrome zone of pixels define a line of pixels; (c) an imaging lens focusing an image onto said solid state area image sensor array; (d) a manual trigger; (e) a control circuit communicatively coupled to said solid state area image sensor array and said manual trigger; (f) wherein said control circuit is configured to operate in a mode of operation in which said control circuit selectively reads out a decode frame of image data from said monochrome zone of pixels and automatically transfers said decode frame of image data to a bar code decoding indicia decode circuit. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
-
Specification