Indicia reader having a filtered multifunction image sensor

• US 9,911,023 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Germaine, Gennady, Van Horn, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Mikels, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US14/827,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20170053147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 235435, 235439, 235454, 235462
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/00 Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion G06K1/00; pattern recognition G06F18/00; arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding G06V10/00; character recognition, recognising digital ink or document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor

Abstract

An indicia reader that utilizes its image sensor for more than one function is disclosed. The image sensor'"'"'s functionality is derived by designating areas on the image sensor according to function and then filtering the light focused onto each area according to the area'"'"'s particular function. The data (i.e., pixel information) from each area may then be processed accordingly to facilitate a variety of functions such as image capture and object detection.

Claims

1. An indicia reader, comprising an image sensor having a plurality of pixels for detecting light;

a light filter positioned in front of the image sensor so that infrared light is (i) blocked from a first portion of the plurality of pixels and (ii) not blocked from a second portion of the plurality of pixels; and

a processor configured by software to;

(i) receive pixel information from the image sensor,

(ii) capture image information and read indicia using the pixel information received from the first portion of the plurality of pixels, and

(iii) perform at least one auxiliary function comprising object detection using, at least in part, pixel information comprising detected infrared light received from the second portion of the plurality of pixels.

2. The indicia reader according to claim 1, comprising an infrared light source for illuminating the indicia reader'"'"'s field of view.

3. The indicia reader according to claim 2, wherein the infrared light source radiates amplitude modulated infrared light.

4. The indicia reader according to claim 1, wherein the at least one auxiliary function comprises object detection for (i) waking the indicia reader from a sleep mode and/or (ii) triggering an indicia reading process.

5. The indicia reader according to claim 1, wherein the light filter comprises optical coatings applied to the image sensor.

6. The indicia reader according to claim 1, wherein the light filter is adhesively joined with the image sensor.

7. The indicia reader according to claim 1, wherein the light filter is spaced apart from the image sensor.

8. The indicia reader according to claim 1, wherein the light filter is a dichroic filter.

9. The indicia reader according to claim 1, wherein the light filter is an absorptive filter.

10. The indicia reader according to claim 1, wherein the second portion of the plurality of pixels comprises multiple groups of contiguous pixels arranged symmetrically around the center of the image sensor.