Image engine with integrated circuit structure for indicia reading terminal

• US 8,317,104 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Havens, William H., Wang, Ynjiun P., Bremer, Edward C., Bower, Kevin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SEUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/851,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20120031977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 23547201-47203, 235/462.01
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10712 Fixed beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention comprise an image engine constructed as an IC structure that has one or more active regions for illuminating, imaging, and decoding a decodable indicia. In one embodiment of the image engine, the IC structure can comprise an imaging region, an aiming region, and an illumination region, all disposed on a single, contiguous substrate. The resultant constructed embodiment can fit within a form factor, wherein the form factor is less than about 500 mm³.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit package for imaging decodable indicia on a target, said integrated circuit package comprising:

a first substrate comprising integrated circuitry having an input/output for conducting control and output signals;

a second substrate coupled to the first substrate to conduct at least one output to the input/output;

a camera module integrated with the second substrate, the camera module comprising an image sensor die and an integrated lens assembly through which light reflected from the target passes to the image sensor die; and

an illumination module coupled to the first substrate, the illumination module comprising a first light source for directing a first light beam in the direction of the target; and

a ball grid array disposed on the first substrate and forming the input/output, wherein the ball grid array is operatively configured with at least one terminal to conduct the signals to or from the integrated circuitry of the first substrate.

2. An integrated circuit package according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a printed circuit board.

3. An integrated circuit package according to claim 1, wherein the second substrate comprises one or more of silicon, silica, printed circuit board, and ceramic.

4. An integrated circuit package according to claim 1, further comprising a shroud disposed in surrounding relation to the camera module, wherein the shroud is configured to prevent light from the illumination module from impinging directly on the camera module.

5. An integrated circuit package according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate has a form factor in surrounding relation to each of the second substrate, the camera module, and the illumination module, and wherein the form factor has an area of less than about 500 mm².

6. An integrated circuit package according to claim 1, further comprising a second light source coupled to the first substrate, the second light source generating a second light beam.

7. An integrated circuit package according to claim 6, wherein the second light source comprises a light emitting device, an optical element for receiving the second light source, and a spacer separating the optical element from the light emitting device, and wherein the light emitting device comprises one or more of an LED die and a laser diode.

8. An integrated circuit package according to claim 1, wherein the first light source comprises an LED die and a reflector in surrounding relation to the LED die.

9. An integrated circuit package according to claim 1, further comprising a lens system for receiving light reflected from the decodable indicia before the camera module, wherein the lens system comprises at least one lens that is configured to increase a focal length of the camera module.

10. An integrated circuit package according to claim 9, further comprising an encapsulating layer disposed in surrounding relation to at least the camera module and the illumination module, wherein the encapsulating layer is configured to permit light reflected from the target to impinge on the lens system, and wherein the encapsulating layer is further configured to permit light emitted by the illumination module to illuminate the target.

11. A semiconductor chip package for use in a hand held indicia reading terminal for imaging decodable indicia on a target, said semiconductor chip package comprising:

at least a first layer and a second layer, the first layer having a ball grid array disposed thereon and forming a first input/output,

wherein the first layer comprises an illumination region that generates a first light beam in the direction of the target,

wherein the second layer comprises an imaging region that comprises an image sensor die with an integrated lens assembly through which light reflected from the target passes to the image sensor die, and

wherein the second layer has a second input/output coupled to the first layer in operative configuration to conduct an output from the image sensor die to the first input/output via the first layer.

12. A semiconductor chip package according to claim 11, further comprising a lens system configured to receive reflected light before the integrated lens assembly, and wherein the lens system comprises at least one lens that is configured to increase a focal length of the lens system.

13. A semiconductor chip package according to claim 11, wherein the illumination region generates a second light beam in the direction of the target.

14. A semiconductor chip package according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first light source for generating the first light beam, the first light source comprising an LED die and a reflector in surrounding relation to the LED die and in combination configured to direct the first light beam towards the target; and

a second light source for generating the second light beam, the second light source comprising a laser diode, an optical element for receiving the second light beam, and a spacer separating the optical element from the laser diode, and in combination configured to direct the second light beam towards the target,

wherein at least one of the first light source and the second light source is located in the illumination region and coupled to the first layer.

15. A semiconductor chip package according to claim 11, further comprising a camera module combining the second layer, the image sensor die, and the integrated lens assembly, and wherein the camera module communicates with the first input/output via the second input/output.

16. A hand held indicia reading terminal for imaging decodable indicia on a target, said hand held indicia reading terminal comprising:

an integrated circuit package for imaging the decodable indicia; and

a hand held housing in surrounding relation to the integrated circuit package,

wherein the integrated circuit package comprises,

a first substrate that comprises an input/output for conducting control and output signals, and a ball grid array disposed on the first substrate and forming the input/output, wherein the ball grid array is operatively configured with at least one terminal to conduct the signals to or from integrated circuitry of the first substrate, and

a camera module that comprises a second substrate coupled to the first substrate, a image sensor die disposed on the second substrate and which is responsive to light reflected from the target, and an integrated lens assembly through which light reflected from the target passes to the image sensor die,

wherein the hand held housing is operatively configured to operate the integrated circuit package via the input/output so as to decode the decodable indicia.

17. A hand held indicia reading terminal according to claim 16, further comprising one or more of:

a first light source coupled to the first substrate, the first light source comprising an LED die and a reflector in surrounding relation to the LED die, the reflector for directing a first light beam from the LED die towards the target; and

a second light source coupled to the first substrate, the second light source comprising a light emitting device for generating a second light beam, an optical element for receiving the second light beam, and a spacer separating the optical element from the light emitting device,

wherein the hand held housing is further operative to illuminate the target with one or more of the first light source and the second light source via the integrated circuit package, and

wherein the light emitting device comprises one or more of an LED and a laser diode.

18. A hand held indicia reading terminal according to claim 17, further comprising a light shroud disposed in surrounding relation to the camera module to optically isolate the image sensor die from at least the first light beam.

19. A hand held indicia reading terminal according to claim 17, further comprising an encapsulating layer disposed in surrounding relation to at least the camera module, wherein the encapsulating layer is configured to permit light reflected from the target to impinge on the integrated lens assembly.