Low power multi-core decoder system and method

• US 9,659,203 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ynjiun P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richer, Joni
• Application Number:
  US15/200,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20160314331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1093 sensing, after transfer of the image of the data-field to an intermediate store, e.g. storage with cathode ray tube
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1404 Methods for optical code recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1408 the method being specifically adapted for the type of code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code

Abstract

A portable data terminal including a multi-core processor having at least a first core and a second core, at least one illumination assembly and at least one imaging assembly and data storage means configured to store a plurality of program instructions, the program instructions including at least one one-dimensional decoder and at least one two-dimensional decoder.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

capturing an image of a target with an image sensor of a portable data terminal, the portable data terminal comprising the image sensor, a processor, memory, and a network interface;

synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional symbol in the captured image and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional symbol in the captured image; and

transmitting, with the network interface, data regarding the decoding of any one-dimensional symbol and/or the decoding of any two-dimensional symbol.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising, with the processor, storing the captured image in the memory.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising, with the processor, analyzing the captured image for image quality.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

transferring image data to the memory; and

storing the transferred image data in the memory;

wherein synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional symbol in the captured image and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional symbol in the captured image comprises synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional symbol in the stored image data and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional symbol in the stored image data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is a multi-core processor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is a multi-core processor comprising a first core and a second core; and

synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional symbol in the captured image and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional symbol in the captured image comprises synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the first core, any one-dimensional symbol in the captured image and decoding, with the second core, any two-dimensional symbol in the captured image.

7. A method, comprising:

capturing an image of a target with an image sensor of a portable data terminal, the portable data terminal comprising the image sensor, a processor, and memory; and

synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional symbol in the captured image and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional symbol in the captured image.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising, with the processor, storing the captured image in the memory.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising, with the processor, analyzing the captured image for image quality.

10. The method of claim 7, comprising communicating with a network interface.

11. The method of claim 7, comprising:

transferring image data to the memory; and

storing the transferred image data in the memory;

wherein synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional symbol in the captured image and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional symbol in the captured image comprises synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional symbol in the stored image data and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional symbol in the stored image data.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the processor is a multi-core processor.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the processor is a multi-core processor comprising a first core and a second core; and

synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional symbol in the captured image and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional symbol in the captured image comprises synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the first core, any one-dimensional symbol in the captured image and decoding, with the second core, any two-dimensional symbol in the captured image.

14. A method, comprising:

capturing an image of a target with a portable data terminal having a processor; and

synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional bar code in the captured image and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional bar code in the captured image.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising, with the processor, storing the captured image in a memory of the portable data terminal.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising, with the processor, analyzing the captured image for image quality.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising communicating with a network interface.

18. The method of claim 14, comprising:

transferring image data to a memory of the portable data terminal; and

storing the transferred image data in the memory;

wherein synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional bar code in the captured image and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional bar code in the captured image comprises synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional bar code in the stored image data and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional bar code in the stored image data.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the processor is a multi-core processor.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the processor is a multi-core processor comprising a first core and a second core; and

synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the processor, any one-dimensional bar code in the captured image and decoding, with the processor, any two-dimensional bar code in the captured image comprises synchronously and in parallel, decoding, with the first core, any one-dimensional bar code in the captured image and decoding, with the second core, any two-dimensional bar code in the captured image.