Adaptive optical image reader

• US 7,874,485 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• 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., Pettinelli, John, Hussey, Robert M., Hawley, Thomas, Meier, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US12/004,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20080164314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.25, 235/462.24, 235/462.26, 235/462.01, 235/462.09
• US Class Current: 235/462.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10752 Exposure time control
• 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

There is described in one embodiment a method for use by an apparatus that can acquire an image. According to a described method, a method can include acquiring an image and can further include evaluating an image. According to a described method, an apparatus can acquire an image, can evaluate an image, and can provide parameters for utilization by the apparatus. In another embodiment, there is described an apparatus comprising a plurality of digitizers. In one example of an embodiment of an apparatus including a plurality of digitizers, the digitizers can be configured to run in parallel. In another example of an embodiment of an apparatus including a plurality of digitizers, the digitizers can be configured to run in series.

Claims

1. A digital image reading system adapted for reading a bar code symbol, said system comprising:

an image sensing component; and

a computer coupled to said image sensing component;

wherein said system is adapted to acquire an image utilizing a first frame rate parameter, a first gain parameter, and a first exposure parameter;

wherein said system is further adapted to adjust said first frame rate parameter to a second frame rate parameter responsively to an evaluation of said image acquired utilizing said first frame rate parameter, said first gain parameter, and said first exposure parameter, said second frame rate parameter being different from said first frame rate parameter; and

wherein said system is further adapted to subject to a decode attempt for decoding of a bar code symbol a captured image captured utilizing said second frame rate parameter.

2. The digital image reading system of claim 1, comprising a one-dimensional image sensor.

3. The digital image reading system of claim 1, comprising a two-dimensional image sensor.

4. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein digital image reading system comprises a hand-held reader device.

5. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the image is a 1D dataform symbology.

6. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the image is a 2D dataform symbology.

7. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the computer is programmed with an instruction to:

(i) acquire the image,

(ii) evaluate the image

(iii) determine whether the system is operating at a fastest frame rate, and, if not,

(iv) calculate a new exposure time parameter to provide a desired image illumination,

(v) calculate a maximum frame rate parameter that will support the new exposure time,

(vi) calculate a new exposure setting parameter that will support the new exposure time at the maximum frame rate,

(vii) determine whether the image is acceptable and, if yes,

(viii) output and decode the image, and provide the parameters in (iv-vi) to an imager as new initial parameters, and

(ix) return to (i).

8. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the computer is programmed with an instruction to:

(i) acquire the image,

(ii) evaluate the image

(iii) determine whether the system is operating at a fastest frame rate, and, if not,

(iv) calculate a new exposure time parameter to provide a desired image illumination,

(v) calculate a maximum frame rate parameter that will support the new exposure time,

(vi) calculate a new exposure setting parameter that will support the new exposure time at the maximum frame rate,

(vii) determine whether the image is acceptable, and if not,

(viii) provide the parameters in (iv-vi) to an imager as new initial parameters, and

(ix) return to (i).

9. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the computer is programmed with an instruction to:

(i) acquire the image,

(ii) evaluate the image

(iii) determine whether the system is operating at a fastest frame rate, and, if yes,

(iv) determine an illumination level of the image and whether the image was acquired at a maximum exposure setting and a maximum gain setting, and, if no,

(v) calculate a new exposure parameter and a new gain parameter that are, at most, maximum respective values for an initial frame rate, which produce a desired image illumination,

(vi) determine whether the image is acceptable and, if not,

(vii) provide the parameters in (iv-vi) to an imager as new initial parameters, and

(viii) return to (i).

10. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the computer is programmed with an instruction to:

(i) acquire the image,

(ii) evaluate the image,

(iii) determine whether the system is operating at a fastest frame rate, and, if yes,

(iv) determine an illumination level of the image and whether the image was acquired at a maximum exposure setting and a maximum gain setting, and, if no,

(v) calculate a new exposure parameter and a new gain parameter that are, at most, maximum respective values for an initial frame rate, which produce a desired image illumination,

(vi) determine whether the image is acceptable and, if yes,

(vii) output and decode the image, and provide the parameters in (iv-vi) to an imager as new initial parameters, and

(viii) return to (i).

11. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the computer is programmed with an instruction to:

(i) acquire the image,

(ii) evaluate the image,

(iii) determine whether the system is operating at a fastest frame rate, and, if yes,

(iv) determine an illumination level of the image and whether the image was acquired at a maximum exposure setting and a maximum gain setting, and, if yes,

(v) calculate a new exposure time parameter that will provide a desired image illumination,

(vi) calculate a maximum frame rate parameter that will support the new exposure time parameter,

(vii) calculate a new exposure setting parameter that will support the new exposure time at the maximum frame rate,

(viii) determine whether the image is acceptable and, if yes,

(ix) output and decode the image, and provide the parameters in (v-vii) to an imager as new initial parameters, and

(x) return to (i).

12. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the computer is programmed with an instruction to:

(i) acquire the image,

(ii) evaluate the image,

(iii) determine whether the system is operating at a fastest frame rate, and, if yes,

(iv) determine an illumination level of the image and whether the image was acquired at a maximum exposure setting and a maximum gain setting, and, if yes,

(v) calculate a new exposure time parameter that will provide a desired image illumination,

(vi) calculate a maximum frame rate parameter that will support the new exposure time parameter,

(vii) calculate a new exposure setting parameter that will support the new exposure time at the maximum frame rate,

(viii) determine whether the image is acceptable and, if yes,

(ix) output and decode the image, and provide the parameters in (v-vii) to an imager as new initial parameters, and

(x) return to (i).

13. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises a microprocessor.

14. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises a programmable gate array.

15. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the image sensing component comprises a CMOS detector.

16. The digital image reading system of claim 15, wherein the image sensing component comprises a rolling shutter.

17. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises an exposure control component that controls the exposure in an exposure register.

18. The digital image reading system of claim 1, wherein the image sensing component comprises a solid state imaging device.