Graphical barcode readers that are configured for glare reduction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10503945-B2
Application number	US-201916268351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2019
Priority date	Dec 12, 2008
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A method for glare reduction may be implemented by a graphical code reader. The graphical code reader includes an optic system, a plurality of light sources, and a control system. The control system is configured to determine that glare is present in an image captured by the optic system by identifying reflection from at least one of the plurality of light sources. The control system may take a corrective action to reduce the glare in subsequent images. The control system may be configured to take a first corrective action if a diffraction pattern is present at a periphery of the glare, and take a second corrective action if a diffraction pattern is not present at the periphery of the glare.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A graphical barcode reader configured to read both barcodes printed on a substrate and barcodes displayed on a backlit display, the graphical barcode reader comprising:
an optic system, including an image sensor, configured to capture a first image of a barcode presented in a field of view of the image sensor using an initial gain setting for the image sensor and a second image of the barcode using an adjusted gain setting for the image sensor, wherein the first image includes a reflective glare pattern;
a plurality of light sources configured to illuminate the field of view of the image sensor; and
a control system configured to determine a value for the adjusted gain setting based at least in part on the following:
if the reflective glare pattern is consistent with the barcode being printed on a substrate, the control system determines a first value for the adjusted gain setting; and
if the reflective glare pattern is consistent with the barcode being displayed on a backlit display, the control system determines a second value for the adjusted gain setting, wherein the second value is different from the first value.

2. The graphical barcode reader of claim 1 , wherein the initial gain setting has a highest value.

3. The graphical barcode reader of claim 1 , wherein the second value is lower than the first value.

4. The graphical barcode reader of claim 1 , wherein the reflective glare pattern is consistent with the barcode being displayed on a backlit display at least when the reflective glare pattern includes a diffraction pattern.

5. The graphical barcode reader of claim 4 , wherein the reflective glare pattern is consistent with the barcode being printed on a substrate at least when the reflective glare pattern does not include a diffraction pattern.

6. The graphical barcode reader of claim 5 , wherein the reflective glare pattern does not include a diffraction pattern at least when the reflective glare pattern has fuzzy edges or blurred edges.

7. The graphical barcode reader of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources include an infra-red (IR) illumination source and a red illumination source.

8. The graphical barcode reader of claim 7 , wherein the control system is further configured to determine an intensity level of the red illumination source for capturing the second image of the barcode, wherein the control system is configured to determine the intensity level based at least in part on the following:
if the reflective glare pattern is consistent with the barcode being printed on a substrate, the control system determines a first intensity value for the intensity level; and
if the reflective glare pattern is consistent with the barcode being displayed on a backlit display, the control system determines a second intensity value for the intensity level, wherein the second intensity value is different from the first intensity value.

9. The graphical barcode reader of claim 8 , wherein the control system determines that the second intensity value is zero.

10. A graphical barcode reader configured to read both barcodes printed on a substrate and barcodes displayed on a backlit display, the graphical barcode reader comprising:
an optic system, including an image sensor, configured to capture a first image of a barcode presented in a field of view of the image sensor and a second image of the barcode, wherein the first image includes a reflective glare pattern;
a plurality of light sources configured to illuminate the field of view of the image sensor, wherein the plurality of light sources include an IR illumination source and a red illumination source; and
a control system configured to determine an intensity level of the red illumination source for capturing the second image of the barcode, wherein the control system is configured to determine the intensity level based at least in part on the following:
if the reflective glare pattern is consistent with the barcode being printed on a substrate, the control system determines a first value for the intensity level; and
if the reflective glare pattern is consistent with the barcode being displayed on a backlit display, the control system determines a second value for the intensity level, wherein the second value is different from the first value.

11. The graphical barcode reader of claim 10 , wherein the second value is lower than the first value.

12. The graphical barcode reader of claim 10 , wherein the control system determines that the second value is zero.

13. The graphical barcode reader of claim 10 , wherein the reflective glare pattern is consistent with the barcode being displayed on a backlit display at least when the reflective glare pattern has a diffraction pattern.

14. The graphical barcode reader of claim 13 , wherein the reflective glare pattern is consistent with the barcode being printed on a substrate at least when the reflective glare pattern does not have a diffraction pattern.

15. The graphical barcode reader of claim 14 , wherein the reflective glare pattern does not have a diffraction pattern at least when the reflective glare pattern has fuzzy edges or blurry edges.

16. The graphical barcode reader of claim 10 , wherein the control system is further configured to determine a value for an adjusted gain setting for capturing the second image based at least in part on saturation and contrast in a portion of the first image consistent with a barcode pattern.

17. The graphical barcode reader of claim 16 , wherein the portion of the first image consistent with a barcode pattern includes a part of the first image that includes at least one of: i) high contrast within a region consistent with dark cells and light cells of a barcode pattern, ii) sharp changes in contrast within the region consistent with sharp edges between dark cells and light cells of a barcode pattern, or iii) parallel and/or orthogonal patterns of sharp changes in contrast consistent with parallel and orthogonal patterns of dark cells and light cells of a barcode pattern.

18. A method for capturing both barcodes printed on a substrate and barcodes displayed on a backlit display using a graphical barcode reader, the graphical barcode reader including an optic system with an image sensor, the method comprising:
capturing a first image of a barcode presented in a field of view of the image sensor according to one or more initial settings, wherein the first image includes a reflective glare pattern;
determining whether the reflective glare pattern includes a diffraction pattern;
determining one or more adjusted settings for capturing a second image of the barcode based at least in part on whether the reflective glare pattern includes a diffraction pattern; and
capturing the second image of the barcode according to the one or more adjusted settings.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the one or more adjusted settings include a gain setting and a red illumination intensity setting.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein determining the one or more adjusted settings further includes that if the reflective glare pattern includes a diffraction pattern, determining that the gain setting has a first value and the red illumination intensity setting has a first intensity value and if the reflective glare pattern does not include a diffraction pattern, determining that the gain setting has a second value and the red illumination intensity setting has a second intensity value, wherein the first value is different from the second value and the first inte

Assignees

• Code Corp

Inventors

• Lei Ming
• Lee Jason J
• Hoobler Ryan

Classifications

• G06K2207/1018

  Source control · CPC title

• G06K7/10732 Primary

  Light sources · CPC title

• G06K7/10851

  Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device (basic electronic circuitry H03) · CPC title

• G06K7/10584

  Source control · CPC title

• G06K7/10821

  further details of bar or optical code scanning devices · CPC title