Optical reading device with programmable LED control

• US 20070241195A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Meier, Timothy, Barber, Charles, Pankow, Matthew, Jovanovski, Brian, Holzhauer, David, Hussey, Robert, Bremer, Edward, Deloge, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US11/405,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20070241195A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.210
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1011 Aiming
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1017 Programmable
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning

Abstract

An apparatus comprising: a sensor array having rows of pixels which are exposed to symbol indicia, wherein the sensor array generates a sync signal; an aiming pattern generator for producing an aiming pattern superimposed on the symbol indicia; a processor which utilizes the sync signal to control the aiming pattern generator to: turn on the aiming pattern during exposure of a first predetermined row of pixels; turn off the aiming pattern during exposure of a second predetermined row of pixels; turn on the aiming pattern during exposure of a third predetermined row of pixels; and, a housing for housing the sensor array, aiming pattern generator and processor for hand held operation.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a sensor array having rows of pixels which are exposed to a target, wherein the sensor array generates a sync signal;

an aiming pattern generator for producing an aiming pattern superimposed on the target;

a processor which utilizes the sync signal to control the aiming pattern generator to;

turn on the aiming pattern during exposure of a first predetermined row of pixels;

turn off the aiming pattern during exposure of a second predetermined row of pixels;

turn on the aiming pattern during exposure of a third predetermined row of pixels; and

,

a housing for housing the sensor array, aiming pattern generator and processor;

wherein the sensor array produces a digital image of the target without the aiming pattern superimposed thereon.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processor has a memory and the processor stores identification information of the first and second predetermined rows in the memory.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a memory which stores identification information of the first and second predetermined rows.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the processor and the memory are provided in the same integrated circuit package.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processor counts the sync signal to determine the first and second predetermined rows.

27. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sync signal is indicative of exposure of each pixel row.

28. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sync signal is comprised of at least one of the following:

exposure sync signal;

vertical sync signal;

horizontal sync signal; and

, pixel clock signal.

29. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the housing is adapted for hand held operation.

30. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the target is symbol indicia.

6. A method of reading a target with a hand held device comprising the steps of:

exposing a sensor array to the target, the sensor array having rows of pixels;

utilizing an on board processor for;

turning on an aiming pattern superimposed onto the target during exposure of a first predetermined row of pixels;

turning off the aiming pattern during exposure of a second predetermined row of pixels;

wherein the sensor array produces a digital image of the target without the aiming pattern superimposed thereon.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the processor has a memory and further comprising the step of storing identification information of the first and second predetermined rows in the memory.

8. A method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising storing in a memory identification information of the first and second predetermined rows.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the processor and the memory are provided in the same integrated circuit package.

10. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the utilizing step comprises counting a sync signal to determine the first and second predetermined rows.

11. A method for operating a hand held optical reading device comprising the steps of:

projecting an aiming pattern onto a target;

exposing one or more rows of pixels in an image sensor;

providing a plurality of row sync pulses;

determining a row sync pulse count representative of each row of pixels;

utilizing an on board processor for turning off the aiming pattern in response to a first predetermined row sync pulse count; and

,

turning on the aiming pattern in response to a second predetermined row sync pulse count;

wherein the sensor array produces a digital image of the target without the aiming pattern superimposed thereon.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising the step of storing the first and second predetermined row sync pulse count in a memory of a processor.

13. A data reader for reading a target comprising:

an aiming pattern source for projecting an aiming pattern on the target;

an illumination source for illuminating the target;

a sensor array for exposing an array of pixels to the target and for providing an exposure indication signal;

wherein the exposure indication signal is utilized to turn off the aiming pattern source prior to exposure of the array of pixels; and

,

a housing for housing the aiming pattern source, illumination source and sensor array for hand held operation;

wherein the sensor array produces a digital image of the target without the aiming pattern superimposed thereon.

14. A data reader in accordance with claim 13, wherein a processor utilizes the exposure indication signal to turn on the illumination source.

31. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein the housing is adapted for hand held operation.

32. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein the target is symbol indicia.

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. An apparatus comprising:

a sensor array having rows of pixels which are exposed to a target, wherein the sensor array generates a sync signal indicative of exposure of each pixel row;

an aiming pattern generator for producing an aiming pattern superimposed on the target;

a processor which utilizes the sync signal to control the aiming pattern generator to;

turn on the aiming pattern during exposure of a predetermined row of pixels;

turn off the aiming pattern after a first predetermined time after the aiming pattern is turned on;

turn on the aiming pattern after a second predetermined time after the aiming pattern is turned off; and

,

a housing for housing the sensor array, aiming pattern generator and processor for hand held operation;

wherein the sensor array produces a digital image of the target without the aiming pattern superimposed thereon.

18. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein the processor has a memory and the processor stores identification information of the predetermined row in the memory.

19. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a memory which stores identification information of the predetermined row.

20. An apparatus in accordance with claim 19, wherein the processor and the memory are provided in the same integrated circuit package.

21. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein the processor counts the sync signal to determine the predetermined row.

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)