Indicia reading terminal with color frame processing

• US 8,910,875 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ynjiun Paul, Liu, Yong, Meier, Timothy, Deloge, Stephen Patrick, Ren, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D
• Application Number:
  US14/187,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20140160329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.45, 235/462.04, 235/462.1, 235/469, 356/304
• US Class Current: 235/469
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/443 by reading pixels from selected 2D regions of the array, e.g. for windowing or digital zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/445 by skipping some contiguous pixels within the read portion of the array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/447 by preserving the colour pattern with or without loss of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/46 by combining or binning pixels

Abstract

An indicia reading terminal can comprise an image sensor integrated circuit having a two-dimensional image sensor, a hand held housing encapsulating the two-dimensional image sensor, and an imaging lens configured to focus an image of a target decodable indicia onto the two-dimensional image sensor. The two-dimensional image sensor can include a plurality of pixels arranged in repetitive patterns. Each pattern can include at least one pixel sensitive in a first spectrum region, at least one pixel sensitive in a second spectrum region, and at least one pixel sensitive in a third spectrum region. The image sensor integrated circuit can be configured to capture a frame of image data by reading out a plurality of analog signals. Each read out analog signal can be representative of light incident on a group of two or more pixels of the plurality of pixels.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

an image sensor integrated circuit comprising a two-dimensional image sensor, the two-dimensional image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in patterns, wherein each of the patterns comprises a pixel sensitive in a first spectrum, a pixel sensitive in a second spectrum, and a pixel sensitive in a third spectrum;

wherein the image sensor integrated circuit is configured for capturing a frame of image data by reading out analog signals, each analog signal being representative of light incident on a group of pixels of the two-dimensional image sensor;

wherein the group of pixels comprises;

a pixel sensitive in the first spectrum and a pixel sensitive in the third spectrum;

two pixels sensitive in the second spectrum;

a pixel sensitive in the first spectrum and a pixel sensitive in the second spectrum;

or

a pixel sensitive in the second spectrum and a pixel sensitive in the third spectrum; and

wherein the terminal is configured for processing the frame of image data in an attempt to decode indicia.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the first spectrum is a red spectrum;

the second spectrum is a green spectrum; and

the third spectrum is a blue spectrum.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the group of pixels is a pixel sensitive in the first spectrum, two pixels sensitive in the second spectrum, and a pixel sensitive in the third spectrum.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the group of pixels is N adjacent pixels; and

N is a positive integer.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the group of pixels is N×

N adjacent pixels; and

N is a positive integer.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the group of pixels is M×

N adjacent pixels; and

M and N are positive integers.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein each analog signal is:

a sum of signals representative of light incident on one or more pixels of the group of pixels;

or

an average of signals representative of light incident on one or more pixels of the group of pixels.

8. A terminal comprising:

an image sensor integrated circuit comprising a two-dimensional image sensor, the two-dimensional image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in patterns, wherein each of the patterns comprises a pixel sensitive in a first spectrum, a pixel sensitive in a second spectrum, and a pixel sensitive in a third spectrum;

wherein the image sensor integrated circuit is configured for;

capturing a frame of image data by reading out analog signals, each analog signal being representative of light incident on a pixel of the two-dimensional image sensor;

converting each analog signal into a digital signal; and

converting digital signals representative of a group of pixels of the two-dimensional image sensor into a digital pixel value;

wherein the group of pixels comprises;

a pixel sensitive in the first spectrum and a pixel sensitive in the third spectrum;

two pixels sensitive in the second spectrum;

a pixel sensitive in the first spectrum and a pixel sensitive in the second spectrum;

or

a pixel sensitive in the second spectrum and a pixel sensitive in the third spectrum; and

wherein the terminal is configured for processing the frame of image data in an attempt to decode indicia.

9. The terminal of claim 8, wherein:

the group of pixels is N adjacent pixels; and

N is a positive integer.

10. The terminal of claim 8, wherein:

the group of pixels is N×

N adjacent pixels; and

N is a positive integer.

11. The terminal of claim 8, wherein:

the group of pixels is M×

N adjacent pixels; and

M and N are positive integers.

12. The terminal of claim 8, wherein each digital pixel value is:

a sum of digital pixel values of one or more pixels of the group of pixels;

or

an average of digital pixel values of one or more pixels of the group of pixels.

13. The terminal of claim 8, wherein each analog signal is:

a sum of digital pixel values of one or more pixels sensitive in one spectrum of the group of pixels;

or

an average of digital pixel values of one or more pixels sensitive in one spectrum of the group of pixels.

14. The terminal of claim 8, wherein:

the group of pixels is a pixel sensitive in the first spectrum, two pixels sensitive in the second spectrum, and a pixel sensitive in the third spectrum; and

each digital pixel value is;

an average of digital pixel values of the two pixels sensitive in the second spectrum;

a sum of digital pixel values of the two pixels sensitive in the second spectrum;

or

a digital pixel value of a pixel sensitive in the first spectrum or the third spectrum.

15. The terminal of claim 8, wherein:

a first digital pixel value is representative of a first group of N×

M adjacent pixels;

a second digital pixel value is representative of a second group of N×

M adjacent pixels;

the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels overlap by N*(M−

1) pixels; and

N and M are positive integers.

16. A terminal comprising:

an image sensor integrated circuit comprising a two-dimensional image sensor, the two-dimensional image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in patterns, wherein each of the patterns comprises a pixel sensitive in a first spectrum, a pixel sensitive in a second spectrum, and a pixel sensitive in a third spectrum;

wherein the image sensor integrated circuit is configured for capturing a frame of image data by reading out analog signals, each analog signal being representative of light incident on a group of pixels of the two-dimensional image sensor;

wherein the group of pixels comprises;

a pixel sensitive in the first spectrum and a pixel sensitive in the third spectrum;

two pixels sensitive in the second spectrum;

a pixel sensitive in the first spectrum and a pixel sensitive in the second spectrum;

or

a pixel sensitive in the second spectrum and a pixel sensitive in the third spectrum;

wherein the terminal is configured for processing the frame of image data in an attempt to decode indicia; and

wherein the image sensor integrated circuit is configured for;

if the frame of image data'"'"'s resolution is sufficient to decode an indicia, reading out analog signals representative of substantially all pixels of the two-dimensional image sensor; and

if the frame of image data'"'"'s resolution is insufficient to decode an indicia, reading out analog signals representative of a subset of pixels of the two-dimensional image sensor.

17. The terminal of claim 16, comprising a color pattern filter disposed on the two-dimensional image sensor.

18. The terminal of claim 16, wherein the frame of image data is a monochrome frame.

19. The terminal of claim 16, wherein the analog signals represent substantially all pixels of the two-dimensional image sensor.

20. The terminal of claim 16, wherein the analog signals represent a subset of pixels of the two-dimensional image sensor.

21. The terminal of claim 16, wherein the analog signals are representative of light incident on a group of adjacent pixels centered at the two-dimensional image sensor'"'"'s center.

22. The terminal of claim 16, wherein the group of pixels is two or more pixels sensitive in one spectrum.