POS-based digital image capturing and processing system employing automatic object motion detection and spectral-mixing based illumination techniques
First Claim
1. A POS-based digital image capturing and processing system illuminating objects using automatic object detection and spectral-mixing based illumination techniques, said POS-based digital image capturing and processing system comprising:
- a system housing installable at a POS station, and having an imaging window;
an area-type illumination and imaging station disposed within said system housing, for projecting a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging field through said imaging window into a 3D imaging volume during object illumination and imaging operations;
wherein said area-type illumination and imaging station includes(i) an image formation and detection (IFD) subsystem having an area-type image sensing array and optics providing a field of view (FOV) on said area-type image sensing array and extending into said 3D imaging volume;
(ii) a spectral-mixing based illumination subsystem producing a first field of visible illumination from an array of visible light emitting diodes (LEDs), and producing a second field of invisible illumination from an array of infrared (IR) LEDs;
wherein said first and second fields of illumination spatially overlap and intermix with each other to produce a composite spectrally-mixed illumination beam that is substantially coextensive with said FOV;
(iii) an illumination control subsystem for controlling the relative power ratio of visible illumination and invisible illumination (VIS/IR) during system operation; and
(iv) an image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering digital images of the illuminated object detected by said area-type image sensing array;
a digital image processing subsystem for automatically processing said buffered digital images so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said digital images;
an automatic object motion detection subsystem for automatically detecting the motion of an object moving through said 3D imaging volume, and generating signals indicative of said detected object motion; and
a control subsystem, responsive to said signals generated by said automatic object motion detection subsystem, for controlling and/or orchestrating the operations of the subsystems within said area-type illumination and imaging station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A POS-based digital image capturing and processing system for illuminating objects using automatic object detection and spectral-mixing illumination technique. The system comprises an area-type illumination and imaging station for projecting a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging field (i.e. zone) into a 3D imaging volume during object illumination and imaging operations. The area-type illumination and imaging station includes an illumination subsystem for producing a first field of visible illumination from an array of visible LEDs, and producing a second field of invisible illumination from an array of infrared (IR) LEDs. wherein the first and second fields of illumination spatially overlap and intermix with each other and are substantially coextensive with the FOV of the image sensing array. An automatic object motion detection subsystem automatically detects the motion of an object moving through the 3D imaging volume, while an illumination control subsystem controls the relative power ratio (VIS/IR) of visible illumination and invisible illumination during system operation so as to minimize the amount of visible illumination energy required to capture sufficiently high-contrast images of said objects and successfully process the same.
324 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A POS-based digital image capturing and processing system illuminating objects using automatic object detection and spectral-mixing based illumination techniques, said POS-based digital image capturing and processing system comprising:
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a system housing installable at a POS station, and having an imaging window; an area-type illumination and imaging station disposed within said system housing, for projecting a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging field through said imaging window into a 3D imaging volume during object illumination and imaging operations; wherein said area-type illumination and imaging station includes (i) an image formation and detection (IFD) subsystem having an area-type image sensing array and optics providing a field of view (FOV) on said area-type image sensing array and extending into said 3D imaging volume; (ii) a spectral-mixing based illumination subsystem producing a first field of visible illumination from an array of visible light emitting diodes (LEDs), and producing a second field of invisible illumination from an array of infrared (IR) LEDs; wherein said first and second fields of illumination spatially overlap and intermix with each other to produce a composite spectrally-mixed illumination beam that is substantially coextensive with said FOV; (iii) an illumination control subsystem for controlling the relative power ratio of visible illumination and invisible illumination (VIS/IR) during system operation; and (iv) an image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering digital images of the illuminated object detected by said area-type image sensing array; a digital image processing subsystem for automatically processing said buffered digital images so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said digital images; an automatic object motion detection subsystem for automatically detecting the motion of an object moving through said 3D imaging volume, and generating signals indicative of said detected object motion; and a control subsystem, responsive to said signals generated by said automatic object motion detection subsystem, for controlling and/or orchestrating the operations of the subsystems within said area-type illumination and imaging station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification