Mark reader with reduced trigger-to-decode response time

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10210369-B2
Application number	US-201815862052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2018
Priority date	Dec 23, 2010
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods for use with a handheld mark reader that reduce the time between activation of the reader's trigger and the reader returning a successful decode response. At least one pre-trigger image can be acquired and at least one pre-trigger image parameter determined. Post-trigger image acquisition or analysis of post-trigger images can be implemented based upon the at least one pre-trigger image parameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A handheld imaging device for imaging a target, the handheld imaging device comprising:
a user-operated trigger configured to actuate acquisition of images;
an image acquisition sensor that acquires at least one pre-trigger image of the target prior to an actuation of the user-operated trigger and acquires at least one post-trigger image of the target after the actuation of the user-operated trigger;
a pre-trigger process that determines, for the at least one pre-trigger image, at least one pre-trigger image parameter; and
an analysis process that analyzes the at least one post-trigger image;
the analysis process for the post-trigger image being controlled based upon:
identifying, based on the at least one pre-trigger image parameter, one or more filters to be applied to the at least one post-trigger image; and
applying the one or more filters to the at least one post-trigger image prior to decoding the at least one post-trigger image.

2. The handheld imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one pre-trigger image parameter is used to control a post-trigger image acquisition process; and
wherein controlling the post-trigger image acquisition process includes identifying at least one illumination setting for acquiring the at least one post-trigger image based upon the at least one pre-trigger image parameter.

3. The handheld imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein identifying the at least one illumination setting based upon the at least one pre-trigger image parameter includes identifying two or more illumination settings from the group consisting of a directionality setting, a diffuseness setting, a dark-field or light-field setting, a polarization setting, and a cross-polarization setting.

4. The handheld imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one pre-trigger image is acquired using ambient lighting, with an illumination source of the handheld imaging device turned off.

5. The handheld imaging device according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one illumination setting includes at least one illumination setting selected to reproduce the ambient lighting.

6. The handheld imaging device according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one illumination setting includes at least one illumination setting selected to supplement the ambient lighting.

7. The handheld imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one illumination setting for acquiring the at least one post-trigger image is identified before the actuation of the user-operated trigger.

8. The handheld imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one illumination setting for acquiring the at least one post-trigger image is identified at least one of during the actuation of the user-operated trigger and after the actuation of the user-operated trigger.

9. A handheld imaging device for imaging a target, the handheld imaging device comprising:
a reader body supporting a user-operated trigger and an image acquisition sensor, the image acquisition sensor configured to acquire images;
a pre-trigger image acquisition process that acquires at least one pre-trigger image of the target prior to an actuation of the user-operated trigger;
a first pre-trigger calculation process that calculates, for the at least one pre-trigger image, at least one pre-trigger image parameter; and
a control process that uses the calculated at least one pre-trigger parameter to control at least one of:
acquisition of at least one post-trigger image of the target after the actuation of the user-operated trigger; and
decoding of the at least one post-trigger image;

wherein the control process controls decoding of the at least one post-trigger image based upon:
using the at least one pre-trigger image parameter to identify one or more of a geometric scale of a feature in the at least one pre-trigger image, and a perspective associated with the at least one pre-trigger image; and
decoding the at least one post-trigger image based upon the one or more of the geometric scale and the perspective.

10. The handheld imaging device according to claim 9 , wherein an illumination source of the handheld imaging device is turned off during acquisition of the at least one pre-trigger image.

11. The handheld imaging device according to claim 9 , wherein the control process controls decoding of the at least one post-trigger image based upon:
identifying, based on the at least one pre-trigger image parameter, one or more filters to be applied to the at least one post-trigger image; and
applying the one or more filters to the at least one post-trigger image prior to decoding the at least one post-trigger image.

12. The handheld imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein identifying the one or more filters is based upon analyzing the at least one pre-trigger image to identify a type of code included in the at least one pre-trigger image.

13. The handheld imaging device according to claim 12 , wherein identifying the type of code includes identifying whether a code represented in the at least one pre-trigger image includes disconnected features.

14. The handheld imaging device according to claim 12 , wherein identifying the type of code includes identifying a polarity of information-carrying aspects of a code represented in the at least one pre-trigger image.

15. The handheld imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more filters include one or more of a blurring type filter, a contrast-enhancement filter, and a filter to be selectively applied to one or more regions within the at least one post-trigger image.

16. A method for decoding an image of a target using a handheld reader, the handheld reader including an image acquisition sensor and a trigger that is configured to initiate a post-trigger acquisition of the image of the target when the trigger is actuated, with a processor being operatively coupled to the trigger and to the image acquisition sensor, the method comprising:
a) acquiring at least one pre-trigger image of the target prior to actuation of the trigger;
b) activating the processor to analyze the at least one pre-trigger image;
c) based upon the analyzing of the at least one pre-trigger image, calculating at least one pre-trigger image parameter;
d) using the calculated at least one pre-trigger image parameter to adjust at least one subsequent pre-trigger image acquisition with the image acquisition sensor;
e) repeating operations b) through d) until the trigger is actuated; and
f) after the trigger is actuated, at least one of:
acquiring at least one post-trigger image of the target using the calculated at least one pre-trigger image parameter; and
analyzing the at least one post-trigger image based upon the calculated at least one pre-trigger image parameter;
wherein analyzing the at least one post-trigger image includes decoding the at least one post-trigger image based upon:
identifying, based on the at least one pre-trigger image parameter, one or more filters to be applied to the at least one post-trigger image; and
applying the one or more filters to the at least one post-trigger image prior to decoding the at least one post-trigger image.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein acquiring the at least one post-trigger image of the target using the calculated pre-trigger image parameter includes using the at least one pre-trigger image parameter to identify at least one illumination setting for acquiring the at least one post-trigger image.

18. The method according to claim 17 , w

Assignees

• Cognex Corp

Inventors

• Negro James A

Classifications

• G06K7/1439

  including a method step for retrieval of the optical code · CPC title

• G06K7/14 Primary

  using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light {(G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G06K7/10722 Primary

  Photodetector array or CCD scanning · CPC title

• G06K7/10881

  constructional details of hand-held scanners · CPC title