Barcode scanner and operational method of the same

• US 9,547,785 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qisda Corporation
• Original Assignee: Qisda Corporation
• Inventors: Lai, Chih-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Marshall, Christle I
• Application Number:
  US14/828,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20160055361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/146 the method including quality enhancement steps

Abstract

A barcode scanner comprises a compensating light source, an image capturing module and a processor. The compensating light source is used to emit a compensating light. The image capturing module is used to capture an original image including an object and to capture a second image under the compensating light. The processor is coupled with the compensating light source and the image capturing module. The processor generates a depth information of the object according to the original image, controls intensity of the compensating light according to the depth information, controls the image capturing module to capture a second image when the compensating light source emits the compensating light, obtains a target information corresponding to a target object according to the depth information, obtains a target image by mapping the target information onto the second image, locates a barcode and analyzes an information of the barcode according to the target image.

Claims

1. A barcode scanner for scanning a target object among an object, locating a barcode and analyzing information of the barcode, the barcode scanner comprising:

a compensating light source, configured for emitting a compensating light;

an image capturing module, configured for capturing at least one original image including the object and capturing a second image including the object under the compensating light, the image capturing module comprising;

a first image capturing unit, configured for capturing a first image and the second image, in which both include the object; and

a second image capturing unit, configured for capturing a third image including the object,

wherein the at least one original image comprises the first image and the third image; and

a processor, coupled with the compensating light source and the image capturing module,

wherein the processor generates a depth information of the object according to the at least one original image, controls intensity of the compensating light emitted by the compensating light source according to the depth information, controls the image capturing module to capture the second image when the compensating light source emits the compensating light, obtains a target information corresponding to the target object according to the depth information, obtains a target image by mapping the target information onto the second image, and locates the barcode according to the target image so as to analyze an information of the barcode.

2. The barcode scanner of claim 1, wherein the depth information comprises a plurality of pixels and a plurality of depths corresponding to the plurality of pixels, the processor determines a central pixel from the plurality of pixels, the target information comprises at least the central pixel and a depth corresponding to the central pixel, the processor compares the depth corresponding to the central pixel with depths corresponding to pixels not present in the target information but adjacent to the plurality of pixels already included into the target information, and when the difference between the depth corresponding to the central pixel and the depths corresponding to the pixels not present in the target information but adjacent to the plurality of pixels already included into the target information is smaller than a predetermined value, the processor includes the pixels and the depths corresponding to the pixels into the target information.

3. The barcode scanner of claim 2, wherein the processor controls the compensating light source to emit the compensating light according to an average depth of the depths corresponding to the pixels included in the target information, and the larger the average depth, the higher the intensity of the compensating light.

4. The barcode scanner of claim 2, wherein the processor calculates a difference between a maximum depth and a minimum depth of the depths corresponding to the pixels included in the target information, calibrates the target image to generate a calibrated target image according to the depth information when the difference is greater than a threshold, and locates the barcode according to the calibrated target image.

5. An operational method of a barcode scanner for scanning a target object among an object and locating a barcode, the operational method comprising:

capturing at least one original image including the object, the at least one original image comprising a first image and a third image from different visual angles;

generating a depth information of the object according to the at least one original image;

obtaining a target information corresponding to the target object according to the depth information;

emitting a compensating light with controlled intensity according to the depth information;

capturing a second image including the object under the compensating light with controlled intensity;

mapping the target information onto the second image so as to obtain a target image; and

locating the barcode according to the target image and analyzing an information of the barcode.

6. The operational method of claim 5, wherein the depth information comprises a plurality of pixels and a plurality of depths corresponding to the plurality of pixels, and the step of obtaining the target information corresponding to the target object according to the depth information comprises:

determining a central pixel from the plurality of pixels;

including the central pixel and the depth corresponding to the central pixel into the target information;

comparing the depth corresponding to the central pixel with depths corresponding to pixels not present in the target information but adjacent to the plurality of pixels already included into the target information; and

when the difference between the depth corresponding to the central pixel and the depths corresponding to the pixels not present in the target information but adjacent to the plurality of pixels already included into the target information is smaller than a predetermined value, including the pixels and the depths corresponding to the pixels into the target information until the differences between the depth corresponding to the central pixel and the depths corresponding to the pixels not present in the target information but adjacent to the plurality of pixels already included into the target information are no longer smaller than the predetermined value.

7. The operational method of claim 6, wherein the step of emitting the compensating light with controlled intensity according to the depth information comprises:

calculating an average depth of the depths corresponding to the pixels included in the target information; and

emitting the compensating light with controlled intensity according to the average depth,

wherein the larger the average depth, the higher the intensity of the compensating light.

8. The operational method of claim 6, further comprising:

calculating a difference between a maximum depth and a minimum depth of the depths corresponding to the pixels included in the target information;

calibrating the target image to generate a calibrated target image according to the depth information when the difference is greater than a threshold; and

locating the barcode according to the calibrated target image.