System and method to automatically discriminate between different data types

• US 7,922,088 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ynjiun P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haupt; Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US12/884,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20110006117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 207 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.07, 235/462.08, 235/462.1, 235/462.11, 235/462.24, 235/462.41, 235/462.45, 235/469, 382/169, 382/175, 382/176
• US Class Current: 235/462.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/22 by selection of a specific region containing or referencing a pattern; Locating or processing of specific regions to guide the detection or recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/413 Classification of content, e.g. text, photographs or tables
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/30 Writer recognition; Reading and verifying signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/41 with means for the generation of identity documents
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/26 using a biometric sensor integrated in the pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

There is described a system and method for automatically discriminating between different types of data with an image reader. In brief overview of one embodiment, the automatic discrimination feature of the present image reader allows a human operator to aim a hand-held image reader at a target that can contain a dataform and actuate the image reader. An autodiscrimination module in the image reader in one embodiment analyzes image data representative of the target and determines a type of data represented in the image data.

Claims

1. An image reader comprising:

an image collection module configured to collect an image representative of a target, the image including grey level image data;

a hand held housing enclosing the image collection module;

a memory;

a first module in communication with the image collection module for processing of the image;

a second module for processing of the image;

wherein the first module is a dataform decode module for attempting to decode a dataform of the image;

wherein the image reader is operative so that responsively to a successful decode attempt by the dataform decode module the image reader outputs a decoded message, wherein the image reader is further operative so that responsively to an unsuccessful decode attempt by the dataform decode module, the image reader transfers the image to the second module;

wherein the image reader is operative for storing the image if transferred to the second module, wherein the storing by the image reader is responsive to processing of the image by the terminal, and wherein the storing by the image reader is without cropping of the image.

2. The image reader of claim 1, wherein the storing by the image reader is responsive to processing by the second module.

3. The image reader of claim 1, wherein the processing by the second module includes storing of the image.

4. The image reader of claim 1, wherein the processing by the second module includes determining a presence of a signature.

5. The image reader of claim 1, wherein the second module is an image processing and analysis module.

6. The image reader of claim 1, wherein the processing by the first module includes searching for markers indicating a presence of a barcode.

7. The image reader of claim 1, wherein the second module includes a feature extraction module.

8. The image reader of claim 1, wherein the second module includes a general classifier module.

9. The image reader of claim 1, wherein the second module includes a signature data processing module.