IPC분류정보
| 국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
| 국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
| 출원번호 |
UP-0977413
(2007-10-24)
|
| 등록번호 |
US-7546952
(2009-07-01)
|
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Knowles, C. Harry
- Zhu, Xiaoxun
- Good, Timothy
- Xian, Tao
- Kotlarsky, Anatoly
- Veksland, Michael
- Hernandez, Mark
- Gardner, John
- Essinger, Steven
- Giordano, Patrick
- Kearney, Sean
- Schmidt, Mark
- Furlong, John
- Ciarlante, Nicholas
- Liu, Yong
- Ren, Jie
- Tao, Xi
- Liu, JiBin
- Zhuo, Ming
- Ellis, Duane
|
| 출원인 / 주소 |
- Metrologic Instruments, Inc.
|
| 대리인 / 주소 |
Thomas J. Perkowski, Esq., P.C.
|
| 인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
19 인용 특허 :
290 |
초록
▼
A method of illuminating objects using adaptively controlled mixing of spectral illumination energy to form and detect digital images of objects at POS environments with sufficiently high image contrast and quality. The method comprises provides, at a POS environment, a digital image capture and pr
A method of illuminating objects using adaptively controlled mixing of spectral illumination energy to form and detect digital images of objects at POS environments with sufficiently high image contrast and quality. The method comprises provides, at a POS environment, a digital image capture and processing system having a system housing with an imaging window, and an area-type illumination and imaging station disposed within said system housing, for projecting a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging field (i.e. zone) through said imaging window into a 3D imaging volume during object illumination and imaging operations. As the object is moved through the 3D imaging volume, its motion is automatically detected, and signals indicative of said detected object motion are generated. In response to the generated signals, a first field of visible illumination is produced from an array of visible LEDs, simultaneously with a second field of invisible illumination from a array of infrared (IR) LEDs. These first and second fields of illumination spatially overlap and intermix with each other and are substantially coextensive with the FOV. During object illumination and imaging operations, the relative power ratio (VIS/IR) of these fields of visible illumination and invisible illumination are controlled as one or more digital images of said illuminated object are formed and detected, captured and buffered, and ultimately processed so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in the digital images. During object illumination and imaging operations operation, the relative power ratio (VIS/IR) is adaptively controlled to form and detect digital images of objects at POS environments with sufficiently high image contrast and quality.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A method of illuminating objects during digital image capture operations by adaptively mixing visible and invisible spectral illumination energy at POS environments to form and detect digital images of objects at POS environments with sufficiently high image contrast and qual
What is claimed is: 1. A method of illuminating objects during digital image capture operations by adaptively mixing visible and invisible spectral illumination energy at POS environments to form and detect digital images of objects at POS environments with sufficiently high image contrast and quality, said method comprising the steps of: (a) at POS environment, providing a digital image capture and processing system having a system housing with an imaging window, and an area-type illumination and imaging station disposed within said system housing, for projecting a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging field through said imaging window into a 3D imaging volume during object illumination and imaging operations, wherein said area-type illumination and imaging station includes (i) an image formation and detection (IFD) subsystem having an area-type image sensing array and optics providing a field of view (FOV) on the image sensing array and extending into said 3D imaging volume, (ii) an illumination subsystem having an array of visible LEDs and an array of infrared (IR) LEDs, (iii) an illumination control subsystem for controlling said illumination subsystem, (iv) an image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering digital images of the illuminated object detected by said image sensing array, and (v) a digital image processing subsystem for processing said captured and buffered digital images, and (vi) an automatic object motion detection subsystem for automatically detecting motion of objects within said 3D imaging volume; (b) moving the object through said 3D imaging volume, and said automatic object motion detection subsystem automatically detecting the motion of said object, and generating signals indicative of said detected object motion; (c) in response to said generated signals, said illumination subsystem automatically producing a first field of visible illumination from said array of visible LEDs, simultaneously with a second field of invisible illumination from said array of infrared (IR) LEDs, whereby said first and second fields of illumination spatially overlap and intermix with each other and are substantially coextensive with said FOV, as said illumination control subsystem controls the relative power ratio (VIS/IR) of said fields of visible illumination and invisible illumination, and said image formation and detection subsystem forms and detects one or more digital images of said illuminated object, during said object illumination and imaging operation; (d) said image sensing array detecting digital images of the illuminated object, during object illumination and imaging operations wherein said detected digital images have sufficiently high image content and quality; (e) said image capturing and buffering subsystem capturing and buffering digital images of the illuminated object, detected by said area-type image sensing array; and (f) said digital image processing subsystem automatically processing said buffered digital images so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said digital images. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein during step (c), said illumination control subsystem controls the relative power ratio (VIS/IR) of visible illumination and invisible illumination during system operation by controlling the electrical current supplied to said visible LEDs and infrared LEDs during object illumination and imaging operations. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein during step (c), said current supplied to said visible LEDs and infrared LEDs is controlled, during object illumination and imaging operations, by the following process: (i) driving the LEDs with a predetermined/default values of drive currents for the visible and IR LEDs so as to illuminate the object with a spectral mixture of illumination; (ii) capturing one or more digital images of the illuminated object and measuring image contrast quality so as to generate feedback or control data; and (iii) using this feedback or control data to dynamically generate the necessary values for the adjusted LED current control signals that are used to drive the diodes and produce an optimal mixture of illumination during object illumination and imaging operations. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatic object motion detection subsystem comprises an imaging-based object motion detection subsystem including an area-type image acquisition subsystem and a digital signal processing chip to support digital image capture and processing operations required for real-time object motion detection. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said 1D and/or 2D code symbols are selected from the group consisting of 1D bar code symbols, 2D bar code symbols and 2D data matrix symbols. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said capturing one or more digital images of the illuminated object and measuring image contrast quality is carried out within said digital image processing subsystem.
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