Picture taking reading apparatus

• US 8,789,758 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Hawley, Thomas P., Ehrhart, Michael A., Longacre, Andrew Jr., Hussey, Robert M., Meier, Timothy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): St Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/617,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20130008964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.06, 235/462.2, 235/462.21, 235/462.32, 235/462.33, 235/462.42
• US Class Current: 235/462.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03

Abstract

An apparatus having an image sensor is provided. An image sensor of the apparatus can include a two dimensional image sensor. A lens assembly can be provided in combination with an image sensor. In one aspect, an apparatus can attempt to decode a decodable symbol representation. In one aspect an apparatus can output a frame of image data.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus comprising:

a portable housing;

a user interface;

a two dimensional image sensor including pixels;

a lens assembly focusing an image onto said two dimensional image sensor;

wherein the apparatus is operative for capture of a frame of image data responsively to an actuation of an actuator;

wherein the apparatus is further operative for subjecting the frame of image data to decoding to determine a decoded message;

wherein the apparatus is further operative for output of the decoded message;

wherein the apparatus is further operative for, subsequent to the decoding, improving a visual output quality of the frame of image data;

wherein the apparatus is further operative for outputting the frame of image data subsequent to it being subject to visual output quality improvement.

2. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is operative to perform visual quality improvement on the frame of image data responsively to an operator entered command entered using the user interface.

3. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is operative to perform visual quality improvement on the frame of image data by increasing a value of dark pixels.

4. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is operative to perform visual quality improvement on the frame of image data by decreasing a value of light pixel values.

5. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is operative to perform visual quality improvement on the frame of image data by increasing a value of dark pixel values and decreasing a value of light pixel values.

6. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface.

7. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes menu symbols.

8. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a display.

9. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a touch screen display.

10. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly is a fixed range lens assembly.

11. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a fixed best focus distance of less than two feet.

12. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is operative to perform the processing responsively to an operator entered control entered into the apparatus.

13. A portable apparatus comprising:

a portable housing;

a display;

a two dimensional image sensor including pixels;

a lens assembly focusing an image onto said two dimensional image sensor;

wherein the apparatus is operative for capture of a frame of image data responsively to an actuation of an actuator;

wherein the apparatus is further operative for subjecting the frame of image data to decoding to determine a decoded message;

wherein the apparatus is further operative for output of the decoded message;

wherein the apparatus is further operative for, subsequent to the decoding, processing the frame of image data, the processing including decreasing a value of light pixel values of the frame of image data to improve a visual output quality of the frame of image data;

wherein the apparatus is further operative for outputting the frame of image data subsequent to the processing.

14. The portable apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing further includes increasing a value of dark pixels of the frame of image data to improve a visual output quality of the frame of image data.

15. The portable apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further operative for, subsequent to the decoding and prior to the processing, displaying the frame of image data, and further being operative for performing the processing responsively to a operator entered control to the apparatus.

16. The portable apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further operative for, subsequent to the decoding and prior to the processing, displaying the frame of image data with a second frame of image data, and further being operative for performing the processing responsively to an operator entered control to the apparatus.

17. The portable apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further operative for, subsequent to the decoding and prior to the processing, displaying the frame of image data, and further being operative for performing the processing responsively to an operator entered control to the apparatus.

18. The portable apparatus of claim 14, wherein the displaying is responsive to an operator entered control to the apparatus, the operator entered control comprising an operator entered action to save the frame of image data to the storage location and an operator entered action to cause display of image data of the storage location.

19. The portable apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further operative for, subsequent to the decoding and prior to the processing, displaying the frame of image data with a second frame of image data that has been subject to decoding, and further being operative for performing the processing responsively to an operator entered control entered into the apparatus.

20. The portable apparatus of claim 13, wherein the frame of image data is monochrome frame of image data.