Digital image capture and processing system supporting a presentation mode of system operation which employs a combination of video and snapshot modes of image detection array operation during a single cycle of system operation
First Claim
1. A digital image capture and processing system supporting a presentation mode which employs a combination of video and snap-shot modes of image detection array operation during a single cycle of system operation, said 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 snap-shot mode of operation for forming and detecting a 2D digital image of the object consisting of a single frame of digital image data of the object during each image acquisition cycle of said area-type image detection array when operating in said snap-shot mode of image detection array operation, and (ii) a video mode of operation for forming and detecting 2D digital images of the object consisting of frames of digital image data of the object during operation of said area-type image detection array in said video mode of image detection array operation;
an automatic object detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, for automatically detecting the presence of the object within said FOV, and generating an object detection event signal in response to the detection of said object;
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 light transmission aperture and onto said area-type image detection array so as to form said one or more 2D digital images of said object;
an illumination control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling the operation of said illumination array within said illumination subsystem;
an image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed in said housing, for capturing and buffering frames of digital image data associated with said one or more 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem;
a digital image processing subsystem for processing frames of digital image data captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and reading one or more code symbols graphically represented in said one or more frames of digital image data, and generating symbol character data representative of said read code symbols; and
a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling and/or coordinating said subsystems during object detection, illumination and imaging operations;
wherein, in the event that said object detection subsystem generates said object detection event signal, then said system control subsystem automatically (i) configures said image formation and detection subsystem to said video mode of image detection array operation, (ii) sets a first timer for measuring a first predetermined period, and (iii) commences continuous acquisition of frames of digital image data while said digital image processing subsystem attempts to read a code symbol graphically represented in each captured frame of digital image data processed within a second predetermined time period, which is substantially less in duration than said first predetermined period; and
wherein in the event that said system control subsystem determines that said second predetermined time period has lapsed, and said automatic object detection subsystem continues to detect the presence of said object within said FOV, then said system control subsystem automatically reconfigures said image formation and detection subsystem to said snap-shot mode of image detection array operation, and commences acquisition of at least one single frame of digital image data during said snap-shot mode of image detection array operation while said digital image processing subsystem attempts to read a code symbol graphically represented in said single frame of captured digital data.
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 supporting a snap-shot mode of the operation and a video mode of operation. The system includes image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said imaging window and upon an object within the FOV, and forming an image of the object on an area-type image detection array having a plurality of rows of image detection elements, and detecting 2D digital images of the object while 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. The digital image capture and processing system supports a presentation mode employing a combination of video and snap-shot modes of image detection array operation during a single cycle of system operation.
418 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A digital image capture and processing system supporting a presentation mode which employs a combination of video and snap-shot modes of image detection array operation during a single cycle of system operation, said 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 snap-shot mode of operation for forming and detecting a 2D digital image of the object consisting of a single frame of digital image data of the object during each image acquisition cycle of said area-type image detection array when operating in said snap-shot mode of image detection array operation, and (ii) a video mode of operation for forming and detecting 2D digital images of the object consisting of frames of digital image data of the object during operation of said area-type image detection array in said video mode of image detection array operation; an automatic object detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, for automatically detecting the presence of the object within said FOV, and generating an object detection event signal in response to the detection of said object; 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 light transmission aperture and onto said area-type image detection array so as to form said one or more 2D digital images of said object; an illumination control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling the operation of said illumination array within said illumination subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed in said housing, for capturing and buffering frames of digital image data associated with said one or more 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem; a digital image processing subsystem for processing frames of digital image data captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and reading one or more code symbols graphically represented in said one or more frames of digital image data, and generating symbol character data representative of said read code symbols; and a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling and/or coordinating said subsystems during object detection, illumination and imaging operations; wherein, in the event that said object detection subsystem generates said object detection event signal, then said system control subsystem automatically (i) configures said image formation and detection subsystem to said video mode of image detection array operation, (ii) sets a first timer for measuring a first predetermined period, and (iii) commences continuous acquisition of frames of digital image data while said digital image processing subsystem attempts to read a code symbol graphically represented in each captured frame of digital image data processed within a second predetermined time period, which is substantially less in duration than said first predetermined period; and wherein in the event that said system control subsystem determines that said second predetermined time period has lapsed, and said automatic object detection subsystem continues to detect the presence of said object within said FOV, then said system control subsystem automatically reconfigures said image formation and detection subsystem to said snap-shot mode of image detection array operation, and commences acquisition of at least one single frame of digital image data during said snap-shot mode of image detection array operation while said digital image processing subsystem attempts to read a code symbol graphically represented in said single frame of captured digital data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A digital image capture and processing system supporting a presentation mode which employs a combination of video and snap-shot modes of image detection array operation during a single cycle of system operation, said 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 snap-shot mode of operation for forming and detecting a 2D digital image of the object consisting of a single frame of digital image data of the object during each image acquisition cycle of said area-type image detection array when operating in said snap-shot mode of image detection array operation, and (ii) a video mode of operation for forming and detecting 2D digital images of the object consisting of frames of digital image data of the object during each image acquisition cycle of said area-type image detection array when operating in said video mode of image detection array operation; 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 present in said FOV, so that said illumination reflects off said object and is transmitted back through said light transmission aperture and onto said area-type image detection array so as to form, during each said image acquisition cycle, (i) a frame of 2D digital image of said object when said area-type image detection array is operating in said snap-shot mode of image detection array operation, and (ii) multiple frames of 2D digital images of said object when said area-type image detection array is operating in said video mode of image detection array operation; an illumination control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling the operation of said illumination array within said illumination subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed in said housing, for capturing and buffering one or more frames of 2D digital image date detected by said image formation and detection subsystem; a digital image processing subsystem for processing said one or more frames of 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 frames of digital image data, and generating symbol character data representative of said read 1D and/or 2D code symbols; and a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling and/or coordinating said subsystems during object detection, illumination and imaging operations; wherein during each said single cycle of system operation, said system control subsystem automatically configures said image formation and detection subsystem to operate in one or more of said snap-shot mode of image detection array operation and said video mode of image detection array operation, until said digital image processing subsystem successfully reads at least one a 1D and/or 2D code symbol graphically represented in said one or more frames of digital image data within a predetermined time period set by said system control subsystem, and generates symbol character data representative of the read 1D and/or 2D code symbol. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
-
Specification