Method of capturing and processing digital images of an object within the field of view (FOV) of a hand-supportable digitial image capture and processing system

• US 7,841,533 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Veksland, Michael, Ren, Jie, Knowles, C. Harry, Au, Ka Man, Giordano, Patrick, Allen, Christopher, Yan, Weizhen, Smith, Taylor, De Foney, Shawn, Mandal, Sudhin, Wilz, David M. Sr., Kotlarsky, Anatoly, Miraglia, Michael V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US12/001,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20080314985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.24, 235/462.01, 235/462.09, 235/462.25
• US Class Current: 235/462.24
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10752 Exposure time control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10821 further details of bar or optical code scanning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/109 adaptations to make the hand-held scanner useable as a fixed scanner

Abstract

A method of capturing processing digital images of an object, using a hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system having a trigger switch, an imaging window and a field of view (FOV) projected therethrough and onto an area-type image detection array. The method involves automatically detecting an object within the FOV, and generating a first trigger event indicative of automatic object detection within the FOV. In response to the generation of the first trigger event signal, the object targeting illumination subsystem automatically generates and projects a visible targeting illumination beam within the FOV. The human operator aligns the visible targeting illumination beam with the object in the FOV, and then manually actuates the trigger switch to generate a second trigger event signal. In response to the generation of the second trigger event signal, a field of illumination is automatically generated and projected through the imaging window and within the FOV, while the targeting illumination beam is momentarily ceased, and 2D digital images of the object are formed and detected on the area-type image detection array, and one or more of the detected 2-D digital images are captured, buffered and processed, so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in the one or more detected 2D digital images.

Claims

1. A method of capturing and processing digital images of an object, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system for use by a human operator, and which includes;

(i) a hand-supportable housing having an imaging window,

(ii) an area-type image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in a hand-supportable housing, having image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said imaging window and upon an object within said FOV, and an area-type image detection array for detecting images of said object within said FOV,

(iii) an object presence detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing,

(iv) an object targeting illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing,

(v) a trigger switch integrated with said hand-supportable housing,

(vi) an illumination subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing,

(vii) an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing,

(viii) a digital image processing subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and

(ix) an input/output subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing;

(b) said human operator holding said hand-supportable housing, and moving said hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system in proximity to the object, and said object presence detection subsystem automatically detecting the object within said FOV, and generating a first trigger event signal indicative of automatic object detection within said FOV;

(c) in response to the generation of said first trigger event signal, said object targeting illumination subsystem automatically generating and projecting a visible targeting illumination beam within said FOV;

(d) said human operator aligning the visible targeting illumination beam with said object in said FOV, and then manually actuating said trigger switch to generate a second trigger event signal; and

(e) in response to the generation of said second trigger event signal,

(i) said illumination subsystem automatically generating and projecting a field of illumination through said imaging window and within said FOV, while said visible targeting illumination beam is momentarily ceased so that light transmitted from said illumination subsystem through said imaging window is reflected/scattered off the object and detected by said area-type image detection array within said hand-supportable housing, and said area-type image formation and detection subsystem detects one or more 2D digital images of the object formed on said area-type image detection array,

(ii) said image capturing and buffering subsystem automatically capturing and buffering said one or more detected 2D digital images, and

(iii) said digital image processing subsystem automatically processing said one or more captured and buffered 2D digital images so as to read one or more code symbols graphically represented in said one or more 2D digital images.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) further comprises:

(iv) said input/output subsystem outputting processed image data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said illumination subsystem comprises an array of light emitting devices (LEDs) for generating said field of illumination.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said field of illumination generated during step (e) is a narrow-band field of illumination generated by said illumination subsystem and covering substantially the entire region of said FOV.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein during step (c), said object targeting illumination subsystem generates and projects a visible linear-type targeting illumination beam within a central portion of said FOV, in response to the generation of said first trigger event signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said image formation and detection subsystem further comprises a band-pass optical filter subsystem allowing only narrow-band illumination generated from said illumination subsystem to expose said area-type image detection array during object illumination and imaging operations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said object presence detection subsystem comprises an infrared (IR) light based object detection system which employs IR-transmitting and IR-receiving diodes to project an IR-based object detection field within said FOV during object detection operations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein during step (e), said one or more code symbols are code symbols selected from the group consisting of 1D bar code symbols, 2D bar code symbols, PDF symbols and datamatrix symbols.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system further comprises a single printed circuit (PC) board mounted within said hand-supportable housing, and has a rear surface facing away from said imaging window and a front surface facing towards said imaging window.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said single PC board has a light transmission aperture which is substantially spatially aligned with said imaging window when said PC board is mounted within said hand-supportable housing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said object targeting illumination subsystem generates and projects a visible linear-type targeting illumination beam within a central portion of said FOV, in response to the generation of said first trigger event signal;

and wherein said area-type image detection array is mounted on said rear surface of said PC board.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said object targeting illumination subsystem comprises:

a set of visible light sources are mounted on opposite sides of said area-type image detection array, for producing a set of linear visible light beams; and

a set of aperture stops are mounted above said set of visible light sources, respectively, for producing a set of linear visible light beam by transmitting said visible light beams through said set of aperture stops.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said object targeting illumination subsystem further comprises a pair of beam focusing mirrors supported above the rear surface of said PC board, for focusing said pair of linear visible light beams, respectively, and projecting said pair of linear visible light beams through said imaging window and into the central portion of said FOV.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said object targeting illumination subsystem further comprises a beam folding mirror supported above the rear surface of said PC board, which cooperates with said pair of beam focusing mirrors to project said pair of linear visible light beams through said imaging window and into said central portion of said FOV.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said set of visible light sources comprises a set of visible LEDs.