Overhead camera synchronization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10326943-B2
Application number	US-201715472974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2017
Priority date	Mar 29, 2017
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, devices, methods, and software for overhead camera synchronization, such as with regard to a camera positioned above a POS terminal or other kiosk terminal type. One embodiment in the form of a method includes adjusting at least one of an exposure setting of an imaging device and lighting within a field of view of the imaging device to affect an exposure within an image captured by the imaging device. This method further includes capturing an image with the imaging device with the at least one of the exposure setting of the imaging device and the lighting within the field of view of the imaging device to achieve a desired exposure within the captured image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
adjusting at least one of an exposure setting of an imaging device and lighting within a field of view of the imaging device to affect an exposure within an image captured by the imaging device;
capturing an image with the imaging device with the at least one of the exposure setting of the imaging device and the lighting within the field of view of the imaging device to achieve a desired exposure within the captured image; and
wherein the adjusting and capturing are performed at a frequency at which a process is to receive images, the adjusting further including adjusting a phase of the imaging device to actively synchronize a frame rate of the imaging device with the scanner.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, forwarding the captured image to the process.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
returning at least one of the imaging device and the lighting that were adjusted to either an original state or a next state in a sequence of states for capturing images.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the imaging device is one of a plurality of imaging devices of, coupled to, or in communication with a product scanner; and
the lighting includes at least one scan-area lighting element of the product scanner.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the imaging device is mounted above the product scanner.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein adjusting lighting within the field of view of the imaging device includes turning off lighting from all scan-area lighting elements of the product scanner.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting at least one of the exposure of the imaging device and lighting within the field of view of the imaging device includes continuously synchronizing both the exposure and the lighting.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting at least one of the exposure of the imaging device and lighting within the field of view of the imaging device includes sending a signal via a wire from a device controlling the lighting within the field of view of the imaging device and the imaging device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting at least one of the exposure of the imaging device and lighting within the field of view of the imaging device includes sending a signal via a sequence of light pulses from the lighting to the imaging device, the signal instructing the imaging device of at least one of a frame rate and an exposure setting to capture one or more images.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein capturing the image with the imaging device includes receiving the image from the imaging device, the method further comprising:
transmitting the image via a network to a video recording process that stores the image as a video frame.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging device is a network-enabled video camera.

12. A system comprising:
a product scanner including at least one imaging device and a light-field that illuminates a scan-area;
an overhead imaging device to be positioned to provide an overhead view of the scan-area of the product scanner; and
a control module that controls operation of the product scanner and the overhead imaging device by performing data processing activities comprising:
adjusting at least one of an exposure setting of the overhead imaging device and lighting of the product scanner light-field to affect an exposure within an image captured by the overhead imaging device; and
capturing an image with the overhead imaging device with the at least one of the exposure setting of the overhead imaging device and the lighting product scanner light-field to achieve a desired exposure within the captured image; and
wherein the adjusting and capturing are performed at a frequency at which a video recording process is to receive images, the data processing activities further comprising:
forwarding the captured image to the process; and
returning at least one of the imaging device and the lighting that were adjusted to either an original state or a next state in a sequence of states for capturing images.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein adjusting lighting of the product scanner light-field includes turning off the lighting.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein adjusting at least one of the exposure of the overhead imaging device and lighting of the product scanner light-field includes continuously synchronizing both the exposure and the lighting.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the synchronizing is performed by a process that executes on the overhead imaging device sensing light pulse signals output by control module from the lighting of the product scanner.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein adjusting at least one of the exposure of the imaging device includes sending a synchronizing signal to the overhead imaging device.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the synchronizing signal is sent via a wired connection between the control module and the overhead camera.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control module is integrated within the product scanner.

Assignees

• Ncr Corp

Inventors

• Crooks John
• Adamec Andrew Jeremy
• Rambler Mark Allen

Classifications

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/10

  for generating image signals from different wavelengths · CPC title

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/72 Primary

  Combination of two or more compensation controls · CPC title

• H04N9/8205

  involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal · CPC title