| US 7,487,917 B2 | ||
| Automatic digital-imaging based code symbol reading system supporting pass-through and presentation modes of system operation using automatic object direction detection, narrow-area and wide-area illumination control, and narrow-area and wide-area video image capture and processing techniques | ||
| Anatoly Kotlarsky, Holland, Pa. (US); Ka Man Au, Philadelphia, Pa. (US); Michael Veksland, Marlton, N.J. (US); Xiaoxun Zhu, Marlton, N.J. (US); Mark Meagher, Woodbury, N.J. (US); Timothy Good, Clementon, N.J. (US); Richard Hou, Suzhou (China); and Daniel Hu, Suzhou (China) | ||
| Assigned to Metrologic Instruments, Inc., Blackwood, N.J. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jan. 30, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/699,761. | ||
| Application 11/699761 is a continuation of application No. 11/408268, filed on Apr. 20, 2006. | ||
| Application 11/408268 is a continuation in part of application No. 11/305895, filed on Dec. 16, 2005. | ||
| Application 11/305895 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/989220, filed on Nov. 15, 2004. | ||
| Application 10/989220 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/903904, filed on Jul. 30, 2004, granted, now 7,255,279. | ||
| Application 10/903904 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/909255, filed on Jul. 30, 2004, granted, now 7,299,986. | ||
| Application 10/909255 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/909270, filed on Jul. 30, 2004, granted, now 7,284,705. | ||
| Application 10/909270 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/902710, filed on Jul. 29, 2004, granted, now 7,281,661. | ||
| Application 10/902710 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/901914, filed on Jul. 29, 2004. | ||
| Application 10/901914 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/902709, filed on Jul. 29, 2004, granted, now 7,270,272. | ||
| Application 10/902709 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/901428, filed on Jul. 28, 2004, granted, now 7,293,714. | ||
| Application 10/901428 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/901445, filed on Jul. 28, 2004, granted, now 7,240,844. | ||
| Application 10/901445 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/901427, filed on Jul. 28, 2004, granted, now 7,267,282. | ||
| Application 10/901427 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/901429, filed on Jul. 28, 2004, granted, now 7,243,847. | ||
| Application 10/901429 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/901461, filed on Jul. 28, 2004. | ||
| Application 10/901461 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/901446, filed on Jul. 27, 2004. | ||
| Application 10/901446 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/901426, filed on Jul. 27, 2004, granted, now 7,278,575. | ||
| Application 10/901426 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/901463, filed on Jul. 27, 2004, granted, now 7,086,595. | ||
| Application 10/901463 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/897389, filed on Jul. 22, 2004, granted, now 7,225,989. | ||
| Application 10/897389 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/897390, filed on Jul. 22, 2004, granted, now 7,237,722. | ||
| Application 10/897390 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/895811, filed on Jul. 20, 2004, granted, now 7,225,988. | ||
| Application 10/895811 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/895271, filed on Jul. 20, 2004, granted, now 7,216,810. | ||
| Application 10/895271 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/894477, filed on Jul. 19, 2004. | ||
| Application 10/894477 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/894412, filed on Jul. 19, 2004, granted, now 7,213,762. | ||
| Application 10/894412 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/894478, filed on Jul. 19, 2004. | ||
| Application 10/894478 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/894476, filed on Jul. 16, 2004, granted, now 7,178,733. | ||
| Application 10/894476 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/893798, filed on Jul. 16, 2004, granted, now 7,185,817. | ||
| Application 10/893798 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/893797, filed on Jul. 16, 2004, granted, now 7,188,770. | ||
| Application 10/893797 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/893800, filed on Jul. 16, 2004, granted, now 7,273,180. | ||
| Application 10/893800 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/712787, filed on Nov. 13, 2003, granted, now 7,128,266. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0194124 A1, Aug. 23, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. G02B 26/08 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 235—462.22 [235/462.42; 235/462.01; 235/462.09] | 24 Claims |
| 1. An automatic digital-imaging based code symbol reading system supporting pass-through and presentation modes of system
operation, comprising:
a housing supportable on a countertop surface at a point-of-sale (POS) station or other work environment, and including an
imaging window;
a digital image formation and detection subsystem, disposed within said housing, and having (i) image formation optics for
projecting a field of view (FOV) from an area-type image detection array, through said imaging window, and upon an object
to be imaged during object illumination and imaging operations, and (ii) said area-type image detection array for detecting
(a) narrow-area frames of digital video data of the object during said object illumination and imaging operations carried
out while said digital-imaging based code symbol reading system is configured in said pass-through mode of operation, and
(b) wide-area frames of digital video data of the object during said object illumination and imaging operations carried out
while said automatic digital-imaging based code symbol reading system is configured in said presentation mode of operation;
an automatic object direction detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, for automatically detecting the presence and
direction of movement of the object in said FOV, and in response thereto, generating a first signal indicating a triggering
event and a second signal indicating the direction of movement of said object with respect to said imaging window and/or said
countertop surface;
an illumination subsystem, disposed within said housing, and having an illumination array for producing and projecting a narrow-area
field of illumination within said FOV during said pass-through mode of system operation, and a wide-area field of illumination
within said FOV during said presentation mode of system operation;
an automatic illumination control subsystem, disposed within said housing, for controlling said illumination array during
said object illumination and imaging operations;
a digital image capturing and buffering subsystem, disposed within said housing, for capturing and buffering said frames of
digital video data in memory, during said object illumination and imaging operations;
a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said housing, for processing said frames of digital video data and reading
one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said frames of digital video data, and producing symbol character
data representative of said read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols;
an input/output subsystem, disposed in said housing, for transmitting said symbol character data to an external host system
or other information receiving or responding device; and
a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing, and responsive to said first signal, for controlling and/or coordinating
the operation of said subsystems above.
|