Digital image capture and processing system having a printed circuit (PC) board with a light transmission aperture, wherein an image detection array is mounted on the rear side of said PC board, and a linear array of light emitting diodes (LEDS) is mounted on the front surface of said PC board, and aligned with an illumination-focusing lens structure integrated within said imaging window

• US 8,132,731 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• 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: Kotlarsky, Anatoly, Zhu, Xiaoxun, Veksland, Michael, Au, Ka Man, Giordano, Patrick, Yan, Weizhen, Ren, Jie, Smith, Taylor, Miraglia, Michael V., Knowles, C. Harry, Mandal, Sudhin, De Foney, Shawn, Allen, Christopher, Wilz, David M. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US12/012,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20080314987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.42, 235/462.01, 235/462.09, 235/462.43
• US Class Current: 235/462.42
• 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 digital image capture and processing system includes a housing having an imaging window with an illumination-focusing lens structure integrated therewithin. A printed circuit (PC) board is mounted in the housing and has a front surface, a rear surface, and a light transmission aperture spatially aligned with the imaging window. An area-type image detection array is mounted on the rear surface of the PC board. A linear array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) is mounted on the front surface of the PC board, adjacent the light transmission aperture and aligned with the illumination-focusing lens structure. The LEDs produce a plurality of illumination beams which are transmitted through the illumination-focusing lens structure to generate a field of illumination that is projected within the FOV of the system. Illumination reflected and/or scattered off an object within the FOV is retransmitted through the imaging window and the light transmission aperture, and detected by the area-type image detection array.

Claims

1. A digital image capture and processing system comprising:

a housing having an imaging window with an illumination-focusing lens structure integrated within said imaging window;

a printed circuit (PC) board mounted in said housing, and having a front surface, a rear surface, and a light transmission aperture formed centrally through said PC board and spatially aligned with said imaging window;

an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, and having

(i) image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said imaging window, outside said housing and upon an object, within said FOV, and

(ii) an area-type image detection array, mounted on the rear side of said PC hoard, for forming and detecting 2D digital images of the object during object illumination and imaging operations; and

a LED-based illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, including a linear array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on the front surface of said PC board, adjacent said light transmission aperture and aligned with said illumination-focusing lens structure integrated within said imaging window, for producing a plurality of illumination beams which are transmitted through said illumination-focusing lens structure to generate a field of illumination within said FOV extending outside of said housing, so that illumination reflected and/or scattered off an object within said FOV is retransmitted through said imaging window and said light transmission aperture, and detected by said area-type image detection array.

2. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, which further comprises:

an image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed in said housing, for capturing and buffering one or more of said 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem; and

a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said housing, for processing said one or more 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said one or more 2D digital images.

3. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 2, which further comprises:

an input/output subsystem, disposed in said housing, for outputting processed image data, including symbol character data, to an external host system or other information receiving, or responding device; and

a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling and/or coordinating one or more of said subsystems during object illumination and imaging operations.

4. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 2, wherein said one or more code symbols are selected from the group consisting of 1D bar code symbols, 2D bar code symbols, PDF symbols and data matrix symbols.

5. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, wherein said FOV forming optics has an optical axis that is disposed perpendicular to the said PC board.

6. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, which further comprises a first FOV folding mirror supported above the rear surface of said PC board over said light transmission aperture, and a second FOV folding mirror supported above the rear surface of said PC board and over said area-type image detection array, for projecting said FOV off said first and second FOV folding mirrors and through said light transmission aperture and said imaging window, and towards the object within said FOV outside of said housing.

7. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 6, wherein said field of illumination is a narrow-band field of illumination comprising a narrow band of wavelengths generated by said linear array of LEDs.

8. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 7, wherein said image formation and detection subsystem further comprises:

a band-pass optical filter subsystem allowing only narrow-band illumination generated from said LED-based illumination subsystem to expose said area-type image detection array during object illumination and imaging operations.

9. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 7, wherein said band-pass optical filter subsystem comprises:

a high-pass optical filter element is embodied within said imaging window; and

a low-pass optical filter element is disposed before said area-type image detection array, and

wherein said high-pass and low-pass optical filter elements optically cooperate to form said band-pass optical filter subsystem for transmitting substantially only the narrow band of visible wavelengths produced from said LED-based illumination subsystem and reflected/scattered off the illuminated object, while rejecting all other optical wavelengths outside said narrow optical band.

10. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 9, wherein said low-pass optical filter element is realized on the surface of at least one of said first and second FOV folding mirrors.

11. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, wherein said linear array of LEDs comprises a linear array of visible LEDs.

12. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, wherein said housing is a hand-supportable housing.

13. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, wherein said housing is a countertop-surface supportable housing.

14. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 1, which further comprises an automatic illumination control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling the operation of said LED-based illumination subsystem during object illumination and imaging operations.

15. A digital image capture and processing system comprising:

a housing having an imaging window with an illumination-focusing lens structure integrated within said imaging window;

a printed circuit (PC) board mounted in said housing, and having a front surface, a rear surface, and a light transmission aperture formed centrally through said PC board and spatially aligned with said imaging window;

an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, and having

(i) image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said imaging window, outside said housing and upon an object within said FOV, and

(ii) an area-type image detection array, mounted on the rear side of said PC board, for forming and detecting 2D digital images of the object during object illumination and imaging operations; and

a LED-based illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, including a linear array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on the front surface of said PC board, adjacent said light transmission aperture and aligned with said illumination-focusing lens structure integrated within said imaging window, for producing illumination which is transmitted through said illumination-focusing lens structure to generate a field of illumination within said FOV extending outside of said housing, so that illumination reflected and/or scattered off an object within said FOV is retransmitted through said imaging window and said light transmission aperture, and detected by said area-type image detection array.

16. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 15, wherein said FOV forming optics has an optical axis that is disposed perpendicular to the said PC board.

18. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 15, wherein said housing is a hand-supportable housing.

19. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 15, wherein said housing is a countertop-surface supportable housing.

20. The digital image capture and processing system of claim 15, which further comprises an automatic illumination control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling the operation of said LED-based illumination subsystem during object illumination and imaging operations.

17. The digital image capture and processing system of 15, wherein said linear array of LEDs comprises a linear array of visible LEDs.