Digital image capture and processing system employing an image formation and detection system having an area-type image detection array supporting single snap-shot and periodic snap-shot modes of image acquisition during object illumination and imaging operations
First Claim
1. A digital image capture and processing system comprising:
- a housing having an imaging window;
an area-type image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, and having image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said imaging window and an area-type image detection array having (i) a single snap-shot mode of the operation supporting a single snap-shot image acquisition cycle during object illumination and imaging operations, and (ii) a periodic snap-shot mode of the operation supporting periodic generation of snap-shot type image acquisition cycles during object illumination and imaging operations;
an automatic object detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, for automatically detecting the presence of an object within said FOV, and generating an object detection event signal in response to the detection of said object in said FOV;
an illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, including an illumination array for producing a field of illumination within said FOV, and illuminating said object detected in said FOV, so that said illumination reflects off said object and is transmitted back through said imaging window and onto said area-type image detection array to form a 2D digital image of said object on said area-type image detection array while operating in either said single snap-shot mode of the operation or said periodic snap-shot mode of the operation;
an image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed in said housing, for capturing and buffering 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem;
a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said housing, for processing 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and reading one or more ID and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said 2D digital images, and generating symbol character data representative of said read 1D and/or 2D code symbols; and
a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing and responsive to said object detection event signal generated within said digital image capture and processing system, for controlling and/or coordinating one or more of said subsystems during object detection, illumination and imaging operations.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A digital image capture and processing system including a housing having an imaging window, and an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in the housing, having an area-type image detection array supporting a single snap-shot mode of image acquisition and a periodic snap-shot mode of image acquisition during object illumination and imaging operations. The system also includes an illumination subsystem, with an illumination array, for producing a field of illumination within the FOV, and illuminating the object detected in the FOV, so that the illumination reflects off the object and is transmitted back through the light transmission aperture and onto the image detection array to form the 2D digital image of the object. By virtue of its single and periodic snap-shot modes of operation, the digital image capture and processing system of the present invention has the capacity to support pass-through as well as presentation type methods of digital image capture and processing at demanding POS environments without the use of traditional video modes of image acquisition.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A digital image capture and processing system comprising:
-
a housing having an imaging window; an area-type image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, and having image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said imaging window and an area-type image detection array having (i) a single snap-shot mode of the operation supporting a single snap-shot image acquisition cycle during object illumination and imaging operations, and (ii) a periodic snap-shot mode of the operation supporting periodic generation of snap-shot type image acquisition cycles during object illumination and imaging operations; an automatic object detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, for automatically detecting the presence of an object within said FOV, and generating an object detection event signal in response to the detection of said object in said FOV; an illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, including an illumination array for producing a field of illumination within said FOV, and illuminating said object detected in said FOV, so that said illumination reflects off said object and is transmitted back through said imaging window and onto said area-type image detection array to form a 2D digital image of said object on said area-type image detection array while operating in either said single snap-shot mode of the operation or said periodic snap-shot mode of the operation; an image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed in said housing, for capturing and buffering 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem; a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said housing, for processing 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and reading one or more ID and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said 2D digital images, and generating symbol character data representative of said read 1D and/or 2D code symbols; and a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing and responsive to said object detection event signal generated within said digital image capture and processing system, for controlling and/or coordinating one or more of said subsystems during object detection, illumination and imaging operations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A digital image capture and processing system comprising:
-
a housing having an imaging window; an area-type image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, and having image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said imaging window and an area-type image detection array having (i) a single snap-shot mode of the operation supporting a single snap-shot image acquisition cycle during object illumination and imaging operations, and (ii) a periodic snap-shot mode of the operation supporting periodic generation of snap-shot type image acquisition cycles during object illumination and imaging operations; an illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, including an illumination array for producing a field of illumination within said FOV, and illuminating said object in said FOV, so that said illumination reflects off said object and is transmitted back through said imaging window and onto said area-type image detection array so as to form a 2D digital image of said object on said area-type image detection array while operating in either said single snap-shot mode of the operation, or form multiple 2D digital images of said object and said area-type image detection array while operating in said periodic snap-shot mode of the operation; an object targeting illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, for generating and projecting a targeting illumination beam within a portion of said FOV, in response to the generation of a trigger event signal within said digital image capture and processing system; an image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed in said housing, for capturing and buffering 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem; a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said housing, for processing one or more 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and reading one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said one or more digital images, and generating symbol character data representative of said read 1D and/or 2D code symbols; and a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing and responsive to said trigger event signal generated within said digital image capture and processing system, for controlling and/or coordinating one or more of said subsystems during object detection, illumination and imaging operations; wherein said targeting illumination beam is momentarily switched off while said illumination array is producing said field of illumination within said FOV and said area-type image detection array is detecting said one or more 2D digital images of said detected object within said FOV, during object illumination and imaging operations. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A digital image capture and processing system comprising:
-
a housing having an imaging window; an area-type image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, and having image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said imaging window and an area-type image detection array having (i) a single snap-shot mode of the operation supporting a single snap-shot image acquisition cycle during object illumination and imaging operations, and (ii) a periodic snap-shot mode of the operation supporting periodic generation of snap-shot type image acquisition cycles during object illumination and imaging operations; a triggering mechanism, disposed in said housing, for generating a trigger event signal to signal that an object is present in said FOV; an illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, including an illumination array for producing a field of illumination within said FOV, and illuminating said object detected in said FOV, so that said illumination reflects off said object and is transmitted back through said imaging window and onto said area-type image detection array so as to (i) form a 2D digital image of said object on said area-type image detection array while operating in said single snap- shot mode of the operation, or (ii) form multiple 2D digital images of said object on said area- type image detection array while operating said periodic snap-shot mode of the operation; an image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed in said housing, for capturing and buffering 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem; a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said housing, for processing one or more 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and reading one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented said one or more 2D digital images, and generating symbol character data representative of said read 1D and/or 2D code symbols; and a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing, and responsive to said trigger event signal, for controlling and/or coordinating one or more of said subsystems during object illumination and imaging operations. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification