Indicia reading apparatus

• US 9,251,392 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Bremer, Edward C., Kather, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): KELLY, RAFFERTY D
• Application Number:
  US14/638,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20150178535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/455, 235/462.32, 235/462.06, 235/462.41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10752 Exposure time control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks

Abstract

There is set forth herein an indicia reading apparatus having an image sensor array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels. The image sensor array can include a frame exposure period in which a certain subsequent and further subsequent row exposure periods have common exposure initiation times and each group of rows has sequential exposure termination times. An indicia reading apparatus can be controlled so that a light source bank of an illumination pattern assembly for projecting an illumination pattern is energized during an illumination period that overlaps a frame exposure period. The apparatus can be further controlled so that an illumination period terminates at or prior to an exposure termination time of the certain row.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging assembly having an image sensor array and a lens assembly for focusing an image onto the image sensor array, the image sensor array comprising pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, the imaging assembly defining a field of view;

an illumination assembly for projecting an illumination pattern during an illumination period, wherein at least a portion of the illumination pattern is projected in an area within the field of view;

wherein a plurality of pixels of the image sensor array, the plurality of pixels comprising a certain row and groups of at least two immediately adjacent rows of pixels, are exposed during a frame exposure period in which each group of rows of pixels has a common exposure initiation time and each group of rows of pixels has a different, sequential exposure termination time;

wherein the imaging apparatus is operative to process for attempting to decode decodable indicia image data representative of light incident on the image sensor array during the frame exposure period; and

wherein the illumination period and the frame exposure period are coordinated so that at least a portion of the illumination period occurs during the frame exposure period and further so that the illumination period ends at a time in common with or earlier than an exposure termination time of the certain row.

2. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein each group of rows of pixels comprises exactly two immediately adjacent rows of pixels.

3. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein light forming the illumination pattern is light within a certain narrow wavelength band and wherein the apparatus includes a wavelength selective filter filtering light outside of the certain narrow wavelength band.

4. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the certain row is a first row of the image sensor array subject to readout for capture of a frame of image data representing light incident on the image sensor array during the frame exposure period.

5. The imaging apparatus of claim 4, wherein the illumination period and the frame exposure period are coordinated so that the illumination period ends at a time in common with the exposure termination time of the certain row.

6. The imaging apparatus of claim 4, wherein the illumination period and the frame exposure period are coordinated so that the illumination period ends at a time earlier than an exposure termination time of the certain row.

7. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the illumination assembly is controlled to strobe light forming the illumination pattern during the illumination period.

8. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly includes an F# greater than or equal to 9.0.

9. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus overdrives a light source of the illumination assembly during the illumination period.

10. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging assembly having an image sensor array and a lens assembly for focusing an image onto the image sensor array, the image sensor array comprising pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, the imaging assembly defining a field of view;

an illumination assembly for projecting an illumination pattern during an illumination period, wherein at least a portion of the illumination pattern is projected in an area within the field of view;

wherein a plurality of pixels of the image sensor array, the plurality of pixels comprising a certain row and groups of at least three immediately adjacent rows of pixels, are exposed during a frame exposure period in which each group of rows of pixels has a common exposure initiation time and each group of rows of pixels has a different, sequential exposure termination time;

wherein the imaging apparatus is operative to process for attempting to decode decodable indicia image data representative of light incident on the image sensor array during the frame exposure period; and

wherein the illumination period and the frame exposure period are coordinated so that at least a portion of the illumination period occurs during the frame exposure period and further so that the illumination period ends at a time in common with or earlier than an exposure termination time of the certain row.

11. The imaging apparatus of claim 10, wherein each group of rows of pixels comprises exactly three immediately adjacent rows of pixels.

12. The imaging apparatus of claim 10, wherein light forming the illumination pattern is light within a certain narrow wavelength band and wherein the apparatus includes a wavelength selective filter filtering light outside of the certain narrow wavelength band, and wherein the lens assembly includes an F# greater than or equal to 5.0.

13. The imaging apparatus of claim 10, wherein the certain row is the first row of the image sensor array.

14. The imaging apparatus of claim 10, wherein the certain row is a first row of the image sensor array subject to readout for capture of a frame of image data representing light incident on the image sensor array during the frame exposure period.

15. The imaging apparatus of claim 10, wherein the illumination period and the frame exposure period are coordinated so that the illumination period ends at a time in common with the exposure termination time of the certain row.

16. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging assembly having an image sensor array and a lens assembly for focusing an image onto the image sensor array, the image sensor array comprising pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, the imaging assembly defining a field of view;

an illumination assembly for projecting an illumination pattern during an illumination period, wherein at least a portion of the illumination pattern is projected in an area within the field of view;

wherein a plurality of pixels of the image sensor array, the plurality of pixels comprising a certain row and groups of at least four immediately adjacent rows of pixels, are exposed during a frame exposure period in which each group of rows of pixels has a common exposure initiation time and each group of rows of pixels has a different, sequential exposure termination time;

wherein the imaging apparatus is operative to process for attempting to decode decodable indicia image data representative of light incident on the image sensor array during the frame exposure period; and

wherein the illumination period and the frame exposure period are coordinated so that at least a portion of the illumination period occurs during the frame exposure period and further so that the illumination period ends at a time in common with or earlier than an exposure termination time of the certain row.

17. The imaging apparatus of claim 16, wherein each group of rows of pixels comprises exactly four immediately adjacent rows of pixels.

18. The imaging apparatus of claim 16, wherein the certain row is the first row of the image sensor array.

19. The imaging apparatus of claim 16, wherein the illumination period and the frame exposure period are coordinated so that the illumination period ends at a time earlier than an exposure termination time of the certain row.

20. The imaging apparatus of claim 16, wherein the lens assembly includes an F# greater than or equal to 5.0.