Imaging and peripheral enhancements for mobile devices

• US 9,672,400 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aila Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aila Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kowalczyk, Matthew, Menon, Manas, Hack, Brian, Foster, Davis, Gulbinas, Jason, Harada, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US14/794,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1011 Aiming
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10742 including a diffuser for diffusing the light from the light source to create substantially uniform illumination of the target record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/146 the method including quality enhancement steps

Abstract

An image enhancer device for use with an associated mobile electronic device having a digital camera. The image enhancer device includes an image manipulator coupled to a first region of a housing and configured to modify an optical path of the digital camera; an aimer having an aiming element configured to direct at least one aiming light beam towards an object of interest; an illuminator having an illumination element configured to direct at least one illumination light beam from the housing towards the object of interest; and electronics allowing for communication between the image enhancer device and the associated mobile electronic device. The image enhancer device forms a scan angle relative to a field of view of the digital camera of the mobile electronic device and allows for bar code imaging and/or native image processing with the digital camera of the associated mobile electronic device.

Claims

1. An image enhancer device for use with an associated mobile electronic device having a digital camera, the image enhancer device comprising:

a housing removably attachable to the mobile electronic device;

an image manipulator coupled to a first region of the housing configured to receive incoming light from an object of interest along a first axis and to modify an optical path of the digital camera;

an aimer having an aiming element configured to direct at least one aiming light beam towards the object of interest along the first axis, wherein the aiming element comprises an aiming light source, a light pipe, a pinhole element defining a pinhole and a lens each centrally aligned with one another, wherein the aiming light source emits diffuse light that is captured by the light pipe and concentrated from a first beam profile that is wider than the pinhole to a second beam profile that is sized for passage through the pinhole towards the lens;

an illuminator having an illumination element configured to direct at least one illumination light beam from the housing towards the object of interest; and

electronics allowing for communication between the image enhancer device and the associated mobile electronic device,

wherein the image enhancer device forms a scan angle relative to a field of view of the digital camera of the mobile electronic device to enable the mobile electronic device to perform native image processing including bar code decoding with the digital camera of the mobile electronic device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the aiming element includes a first LED light source, the illuminator element includes a second LED light source, and the image manipulator has a first mirrored surface.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the electronics allow for communication from the associated mobile electronic device through a native port on the associated mobile electronic device, the native port being an audio port, a lightning port, or a USB port.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the electronics further allow for harvesting of energy through the native port.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the harvested energy is stored in a super capacitor of the device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication is bi-directional over an audio port on the associated mobile electronic device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the image manipulator receives light directed towards the first region of the housing from the object of interest and reflects the light towards a second region of the housing, and optionally, wherein the first region and the second region of the housing are arranged at an angle to one another.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the aimer directs the at least one aiming light beam from the first region of the housing through an aperture in the housing, and optionally, wherein incoming light is directed toward the image manipulator and reflects at an angle relative to the incoming light into a lens or image sensor of the digital camera of the associated mobile electronic device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first region of the housing allows incoming light to reflect onto the image manipulator and allowing outgoing light from the aimer and the illuminator to exit the housing and toward the object of interest.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein a surface of the second region is positionable relative to the chassis of the associated mobile electronic device such that the image manipulator is generally centered and aligned over the lens or image sensor of the digital camera of the associated mobile electronic device and the first region faces at an angle to the chassis such that the at least one aiming light beam and the at least one illuminating light beam are directed away from the device and toward the object of interest.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein when the second region of the housing is positioned relative to the chassis of the mobile device and optically aligned with the camera, the first region of the housing is oriented such that incoming light directed towards the image enhancer device reflects onto the image manipulator and is redirected towards the digital camera of the associated mobile electronic device.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one aiming light beam is emitted through an aimer aperture extending through a wall in the housing of the device on the first region of the housing, and optionally, wherein the at least one illumination light beam is emitted through an illuminator aperture extending through the wall of the housing, wherein the illuminator aperture and the aimer aperture can be the same or different apertures.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein a plane of the aimer aperture and a plane of the illuminator aperture are the same plane, parallel planes, or non-parallel planes, and wherein an angle is formed between a plane of the second region of the housing and the planes of the aimer aperture and the illuminator aperture.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the angle is at least about 15°

, 20°

, 25°

, 30°

, 35°

, 40°

, 45°

, 50°

, 55°

, 60°

, 65°

, 70°

, 75°

, 80°

, 85°

, 90°

, 95°

or greater degrees.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the angle is fixed or mechanically adjustable.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein incoming light is redirected by the image manipulator at an angle that is about 15°

, 20°

, 25°

, 30°

, 35°

, 40°

, 45°

, 50°

, 55°

, 60°

, 65°

, 70°

, 75°

, 80°

, 85°

, 90°

, 95°

degree angle from an original direction.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the scan angle is 90 degrees from a direction that the digital camera is facing.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the aimer is housed within an interior volume of the housing and the aiming element comprises a lens, a pinhole element defining a pinhole, and an aiming light source coupled to a printed circuit board, wherein the lens of the aiming element is oriented near the first region of the housing a distance away from the pinhole element, the pinhole element is coupled to or integrated with an inner surface of the housing between the lens and the aiming light source, and wherein the lens, pinhole and aiming light source are each centrally aligned.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the aiming element further comprises a diffuser positioned between the pinhole element and the aiming light source.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the lens of the aiming element has a first focal point that is placed at the pinhole and wherein the aiming light source has a second focal point that is different from the first focal point of the lens such that the aiming light beam from the aiming element is defocused.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the aiming element directs the at least one aiming light beam towards the object of interest parallel to the first axis.

22. The device of claim 1, wherein the lens has a first focal point that is placed at the pinhole and wherein the second beam profile sized for passage through the pinhole forms a second focal point that is different from the first focal point such that the aiming light beam is defocused.

23. An image enhancer device for use with an associated mobile electronic device having a digital camera, the image enhancer device comprising:

an image manipulator configured to receive incoming light from an object of interest along a first axis and to modify an optical path of the digital camera;

an aimer having an aiming element configured to direct at least one aiming light beam towards the object of interest along the first axis, wherein the aiming element comprises an aiming light source, a light pipe, a pinhole element defining a pinhole and a lens each centrally aligned with one another, wherein the aiming light source emits diffuse light that is captured by the light pipe and concentrated from a first beam profile that is wider than the pinhole to a second beam profile that is sized for passage through the pinhole towards the lens; and

electronics allowing for communication between the image enhancer device and the associated mobile electronic device, the electronics powering the aimer,

wherein the image enhancer device forms a scan angle relative to a field of view of the digital camera of the mobile electronic device to enable the mobile electronic device to perform native image processing including bar code decoding with the digital camera of the mobile electronic device, wherein the image enhancer device is removably attachable to the mobile electronic device.

24. The image enhancer device of claim 23, wherein the aiming element directs the at least one aiming light beam towards the object of interest parallel to the first axis.

25. The image enhancer device of claim 23, further comprising an illuminator having an illumination element configured to direct at least one illumination light beam towards the object of interest, wherein the illuminator is powered by the electronics.

26. An image enhancer device for use with an associated mobile electronic device having a digital camera, the image enhancer device comprising:

an image manipulator configured to receive incoming light from an object of interest along a first axis and to modify an optical path of the digital camera; and

an aimer having an aiming element configured to direct at least one aiming light beam towards the object of interest along the first axis, wherein the aiming element comprises an aiming light source, a light pipe, a pinhole element defining a pinhole and a lens each centrally aligned with one another, wherein the aiming light source emits diffuse light that is captured by the light pipe and concentrated from a first beam profile that is wider than the pinhole to a second beam profile that is sized for passage through the pinhole towards the lens,

wherein the image enhancer device forms a scan angle relative to a field of view of the digital camera of the mobile electronic device to enable the mobile electronic device to perform native image processing including bar code decoding with the digital camera of the mobile electronic device and is removably attachable to the mobile electronic device

wherein the aimer is powered by the associated mobile electronic device.

27. The image enhancer device of claim 26, wherein the aiming element directs the at least one aiming light beam towards the object of interest parallel to the first axis.

28. The image enhancer device of claim 26, wherein illumination of the object of interest is provided by a light source of the associated mobile electronic device.

29. The image enhancer device of claim 26, further comprising an illuminator having an illumination element configured to direct at least one illumination light beam towards the object of interest, wherein the illuminator is powered by the associated mobile electronic device.