Method and apparatus for performing different decoding algorithms in different locations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10970508-B2
Application number	US-201916687303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2019
Priority date	Nov 3, 2011
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A method and apparatus for decoding codes applied to objects for use with an image sensor that includes a two dimensional field of view (FOV), the method comprising the steps of providing a processor programmed to perform the steps of obtaining an image of the FOV and applying different decode algorithms to code candidates in the obtained image to attempt to decode the code candidates wherein the decode algorithm applied to each candidate is a function of the location of the code candidate in the FOV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for decoding codes applied to objects for use with an image sensor that includes a two dimensional field of view (FOV), the method comprising:
obtaining, using the image sensor, an image, wherein the image includes a first region corresponding to a central portion of the image sensor FOV and a second region;
attempting to decode a first code candidate in the first region of the image using a first decode algorithm; and
attempting to decode a second code candidate in only the second region of the image using a second decode algorithm, wherein the first decode algorithm requires a greater amount of time to complete than the second decode algorithm.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
attempting to identify one or more code candidates in the first region using a first identification algorithm; and
attempting to identify one or more code candidates in the second region using a second identification algorithm, wherein the first identification algorithm requires a greater amount of time to complete than the second identification algorithm.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the attempt to identify one or more code candidates in the first region is executed in parallel with the attempt to identify one or more code candidates in the second region.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining, using the image sensor, a second image, wherein the second image includes the second code candidate in the first region corresponding to the central portion of the image sensor FOV;
attempting to decode the second code candidate in the first region of the second image using the first decode algorithm; and
attempting to decode a third code candidate in the second region of the second image using the second decode algorithm.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining that the first decode algorithm was applied to all code candidates in the first region prior to obtaining the second image; and
in response to determining the first decode algorithm was applied to all code candidates in the first region prior to obtaining the second image, increasing the size of the size of the first region.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining that the first decode algorithm was not applied to all code candidates in the first region prior to obtaining the second image; and
in response to determining the first decode algorithm was not applied to all code candidates in the first region prior to obtaining the second image, decreasing the size of the size of the first region.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first decode algorithm comprises a first identifying algorithm, and the second decode algorithm comprises a second identifying algorithm, wherein the first identification algorithm requires a greater amount of time to complete than the second identification algorithm.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the greater amount of time to complete the first decode algorithm corresponds to the greater amount of time to complete the first identification algorithm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attempt to decode the second code candidate is executed in parallel with the attempt to decode the first code candidate.

10. A method of claim 1 , for decoding codes applied to objects for use with an image sensor that includes a two dimensional field of view (FOV), the method comprising:
obtaining, using the image sensor, an image, wherein the image includes a first region corresponding to a central portion of the image sensor FOV and a second region;
attempting to decode a first code candidate in the first region of the image using a first decode algorithm; and
attempting to decode a second code candidate in the second region of the image using a second decode algorithm,
wherein the first decode algorithm requires a greater amount of time to complete than the second decode algorithm, and
wherein the attempt to decode the second code candidate is executed in parallel with the attempt to decode the first code candidate.

11. An apparatus for decoding codes applied to objects for use with an image sensor that includes a two dimensional field of view (FOV), the apparatus comprising:
an image sensor including a two dimensional field of view (FOV); and
a processor linkable to the image sensor and programmed to perform the steps of:
obtaining, using the image sensor, an image, wherein the image includes a first region corresponding to a central portion of the image sensor FOV and a second region;
attempting to decode a first code candidate in the first region of the image using a first decode algorithm; and
attempting to decode a second code candidate in only the second region of the image using a second decode algorithm, wherein the first decode algorithm requires a greater amount of time to complete than the second decode algorithm.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of:
attempting to identify one or more code candidates in the first region using a first identification algorithm; and
attempting to identify one or more code candidates in the second region using a second identification algorithm, wherein the first identification algorithm requires a greater amount of time to complete than the second identification algorithm.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the attempt to identify one or more code candidates in the first region is executed in parallel with the attempt to identify one or more code candidates in the second region.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of:
obtaining, using the image sensor, a second image, wherein the second image includes the second code candidate in the first region corresponding to the central portion of the image sensor FOV;
attempting to decode the second code candidate in the first region of the second image using the first decode algorithm; and
attempting to decode a third code candidate in the second region of the second image using the second decode algorithm.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of:
determining that the first decode algorithm was applied to all code candidates in the first region prior to obtaining the second image; and
in response to determining the first decode algorithm was applied to all code candidates in the first region prior to obtaining the second image, increasing the size of the size of the first region.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of:
determining that the first decode algorithm was not applied to all code candidates in the first region prior to obtaining the second image; and
in response to determining the first decode algorithm was not applied to all code candidates in the first region prior to obtaining the second image, decreasing the size of the size of the first region.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first decode algorithm comprises a first identifying algorithm, and the second decode algorithm comprises a second identifying algorithm, wherein the first identification algorithm requires a greater amount of time to complete than the second identification algorithm.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the greater amount of time to complete the first decode algorithm corresponds to the greater amount of time to complete the first identification algorithm.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the attempt to deco

Assignees

• Cognex Corp

Inventors

• Negro James A
• Ye Xiangyun

Classifications

• G06K7/10722 Primary

  Photodetector array or CCD scanning · CPC title

• G06V30/224

  of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks · CPC title

• G06K7/1404

  Methods for optical code recognition · CPC title

• G06K19/06037

  multi-dimensional coding · CPC title

• G06K7/1417

  2D bar codes · CPC title