Picture taking optical reader

• US 7,637,430 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Longacre, Andrew Jr., Hussey, Robert M., Hawley, Thomas, Ehrhart, Michael A., Meier, Timothy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Koyama; Kumiko C
• Application Number:
  US10/842,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20050001035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.06, 235/462.2, 235/462.21, 235/462.32, 235/462.33, 235/462.42, 235/375, 235/380, 235/437, 235/449, 235/454, 235/493, 235/494, 235/462.18, 381/112, 381/137, 381/139, 381/140, 705/44, 705/45, 705/67, 705/75
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03

Abstract

An optical reader having a picture taking mode and a decode mode. In a picture taking mode, the reader captures and outputs a frame of image data without attempting to decode a decodable symbol in the frame. In the decode mode, the reader captures a frame of image data and attempts to decode a decodable symbol represented in the frame. The reader may have a decode mode in which light from an aiming light source is received by an image sensor.

Claims

1. A bar code reader comprising:

an image sensor;

a control circuit in communication with said image sensor and controlling said image sensor to include first and second frame exposure periods, said first and second frame exposure periods being overlapping such that said second frame exposure period commences prior to a time that said first frame exposure period terminates;

at least one illumination light source for use in projecting an illumination pattern;

at least one aiming light source for use in projecting an aiming pattern,

wherein said control circuit in at least one operating mode coordinates control of said at least one aiming light source so that said at least one aiming light source is turned ON during said first frame exposure period while being selectively turned OFF during a portion of said first frame exposure period at which time pixels of said image sensor corresponding to said aiming pattern are being exposed, wherein said control circuit further in said at least one operating mode coordinates control of said at least one aiming light source so that said at least one aiming light source is turned ON during said second frame exposure period while being selectively turned OFF during a portion of said second frame exposure period at which time pixels of said image sensor corresponding to said aiming pattern are being exposed.

2. The bar code reader of claim 1, wherein said image sensor is CMOS image sensor.

3. The bar code reader of claim 1, wherein said aiming pattern is single horizontal line aiming pattern.

4. The bar code reader of claim 1, wherein said control circuit is operable in a user-selectable linear decode mode and wherein said at least one operating mode is a user selectable normal operating mode, wherein said control circuit in said linear decode mode maintains said at least one illumination light source OFF and said at least one aiming light source selectively ON while pixels corresponding to said aiming pattern are being exposed, and wherein said control circuit in said normal operating mode selectively turns said at least one aiming light source OFF while pixels of said image sensor corresponding to said aiming pattern are being exposed.

5. The bar code reader of claim 1, wherein said bar code reader is adapted so that said illumination pattern when projected is projected over a first area, and is further adapted so that said aiming pattern, when projected, is projected over a second area, the second area being smaller than said first and further being an area smaller than an area represented by a frame of image data captured by said bar code reader when said bar code reader is operated to capture a full frame of image data.

6. A portable bar code reading apparatus comprising:

an image sensor;

a lens assembly;

wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus is configured to control said image sensor to include first and second frame exposure periods, said first and second frame exposure periods being overlapping such that said second frame exposure period commences prior to a time that said first frame exposure period terminates;

at least one illumination light source for use in projecting an illumination pattern;

at least one aiming light source for use in projecting an aiming pattern,

wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus in at least one operating mode coordinates control of said at least one aiming light source so that said at least one aiming light source is ON during said first frame exposure period while being selectively turned OFF during a portion of said first frame exposure period at which time pixels of said image sensor corresponding to said aiming pattern are being exposed, wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus further in said at least one operating mode coordinates control of said at least one aiming light source so that said at least one aiming light source is turned ON during said second frame exposure period while being selectively turned OFF during a portion of said second frame exposure period at which time pixels of said image sensor corresponding to said aiming pattern are being exposed.

7. The portable bar code reading apparatus of claim 6, wherein said image sensor is CMOS image sensor.

8. The portable bar code reading apparatus of claim 6, wherein said aiming pattern is single horizontal line aiming pattern.

9. The portable bar code reading apparatus of claim 6, wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus is operable in a user-selectable linear decode mode and wherein said at least one operating mode is a user selectable normal operating mode, wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus in said linear decode mode maintains said at least one illumination light source OFF and said at least one aiming light source selectively ON while pixels corresponding to said aiming pattern are being exposed, and wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus in said normal operating mode selectively turns said at least one aiming light source OFF while pixels of said image sensor corresponding to said aiming pattern are being exposed.

10. A portable bar code reading apparatus comprising:

an image sensor;

a lens assembly;

wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus is configured to control said image sensor to include first and second frame exposure periods, said first and second frame exposure periods being overlapping such that said second frame exposure period commences prior to a time that said first frame exposure period terminates;

a first pattern light source for use in projecting a first light pattern over a first area;

a second pattern light source for use in projecting a second light pattern over a second area, the second area being smaller than said first area, the portable bar code reading apparatus being configured so that said first light pattern can be projected without said second light pattern being projected and further being configured so that said second light pattern can be projected without said first light pattern being projected,

wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus in at least one operating mode coordinates control of said second pattern light source so that said first pattern light source is ON during said first frame exposure period while being selectively turned OFF during a portion of said first frame exposure period at which time pixels of said image sensor corresponding to said second light pattern are being exposed, wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus further in said at least one operating mode coordinates control of said second pattern light source so that said second pattern light source is turned ON during said second frame exposure period while being selectively turned OFF during a portion of said second frame exposure period at which time pixels of said image sensor corresponding to said second light pattern are being exposed.

11. The portable bar code reading apparatus of claim 10, wherein said image sensor is CMOS image sensor.

12. The portable bar code reading apparatus of claim 10, wherein said second light pattern is single horizontal line pattern.

13. The portable bar code reading apparatus of claim 10, wherein said second light pattern defines a single contiguous shape.

14. The portable bar code reading apparatus of claim 10, wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus is operable in a user-selectable linear decode mode and wherein said at least one operating mode is a user selectable normal operating mode, wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus in said linear decode mode maintains said first pattern light source OFF and said second light pattern light source selectively ON while pixels corresponding to said aiming pattern are being exposed, and wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus in said normal operating mode selectively turns said second pattern light source OFF while pixels of said image sensor corresponding to said second light pattern are being exposed.

15. The portable bar code reading apparatus of claim 10, wherein said portable bar code reading apparatus when controlling said second pattern light source to be ON flickers said second pattern light source.

16. The portable bar code reading apparatus of claim 10, wherein said second area is within said first area.