Apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for comprehensive focusing in imaging environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12477220-B2
Application number	US-202418613905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2024
Priority date	Mar 22, 2024
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure include methods, computer program products, and apparatuses configured for selecting a lens focusing scheme based on a detectability level of an aimer pattern. An imaging engine projects an aimer pattern onto a target object within a field of view of a first imager of an imaging engine. The imaging engine acquires a first image of the target object via the first imager. The imaging engine selects a lens focusing scheme based on a detectability level of the aimer pattern in the first image, in which selection of the lens focusing scheme is between a first lens focusing scheme associated with a location of the aimer pattern and a second lens focusing scheme associated with at least one predefined lens position. The imaging engine determines a focus position for a lens in accordance with the lens focusing scheme.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
projecting, during a first time occasion, an aimer pattern onto a target object within a field of view of a first imager of an imaging engine; acquiring, during the first time occasion, a first image of the target object via the first imager; selecting a lens focusing scheme based at least in part on a detectability level of the aimer pattern in the first image, wherein selection of the lens focusing scheme is between a first lens focusing scheme associated with a location of the aimer pattern and a second lens focusing scheme associated with at least one predefined lens position; and determining a focus position for a lens in the imaging engine in accordance with the lens focusing scheme.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the lens focusing scheme comprises:
selecting the first lens focusing scheme based at least in part on the detectability level of the aimer pattern satisfying a threshold, wherein determination of the focus position for the lens is in accordance with the first lens focusing scheme.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
identifying the location of the aimer pattern based at least in part on the first image; and determining, using one or more lookup tables, the focus position for the lens based at least in part on the location of the aimer pattern.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more lookup tables are associated with the first imager.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the focus position comprises:
estimating, using a first lookup table of the one or more lookup tables, a distance between the imaging engine and the target object, wherein the distance is based at least in part on the location of the aimer pattern; and determining, using a second lookup table, the focus position for the lens based at least in part on the distance.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
selecting an imager of the imaging engine based at least in part on the distance, wherein the lens is included in the imager, and wherein the imager comprises the first imager or a second imager of the imaging engine.

7 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining, using the one or more lookup tables, a second focus position for the lens based at least in part on the location of the aimer pattern corresponding to an intermediate focus position between the focus position and the second focus position; acquiring a second image of the target object using the lens in accordance with the focus position; and acquiring a third image of the target object using the lens in accordance with the second focus position.

8 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
acquiring a second image of the target object using the lens in accordance with the focus position; performing one or more operations to decode visual indicia within the second image; and determining a second focus position for the lens in accordance with the second lens focusing scheme based at least in part on a failure to successfully decode the visual indicia within the second image.

9 . The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the focus position comprises:
determining, using a single lookup table, the focus position for the lens based at least in part on the location of the aimer pattern.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the lens focusing scheme comprises:
selecting the second lens focusing scheme based at least in part on the detectability level of the aimer pattern failing to satisfy a threshold, wherein determination of the focus position for the lens is in accordance with the second lens focusing scheme.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the focus position for the lens comprises:
selecting a predefined lens position of the at least one predefined lens position for the focus position of the lens, wherein the predefined lens position is based at least in part on one or more lens positions used to acquire one or more other images via the imaging engine prior to the first time occasion, wherein decoding visual indicia included in the one or more other images was successful.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the focus position for the lens comprises:
selecting a predefined lens position of the at least one predefined lens position for the focus position of the lens, wherein the predefined lens position is based at least in part on a priority associated with the predefined lens position, and wherein the priority corresponds to a likelihood of successfully decoding visual indicia in images acquired using the predefined lens position.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the priority is based at least in part on a depth of field associated with the predefined lens position, a distance between a previous position of the lens and the predefined lens position, a decoding status associated with one or more other images acquired using the predefined lens position, an environment of the target object, or any combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the predefined lens position is one of a plurality of candidate lens positions, and wherein selection of the predefined lens position is in accordance with a sequence that is based at least in part on a respective priority associated with each candidate lens position of the plurality of candidate lens positions.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprises:
acquiring, during a second time occasion after the first time occasion, a second image of the target object using the lens in accordance with the predefined lens position; and selecting, in accordance with the sequence, a second predefined lens position based at least in part on a failure to successfully decode visual indicia within the second image, wherein the second predefined lens position comprises another one of the plurality of candidate lens positions, and wherein the predefined lens position has a higher priority than the second predefined lens position.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
positioning the lens in a predefined lens position of the at least one predefined lens position during the first time occasion, wherein the lens is included in a second imager of the imaging engine.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting an illuminator source for acquisition of one or more images using the lens in accordance with the predefined lens position, wherein selection of the illuminator source is based at least in part on the focus position.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
projecting, during a second time occasion after the first time occasion, the aimer pattern onto a second target object, wherein the second target object comprises the target object or another target object; acquiring, during the second time occasion, a second image of the second target object in accordance with the focus position for the lens, wherein acquisition of the second image during the second time occasion is based at least in part on a predefined periodicity or expiration of a timer; and determining a second focus position based at least in part on the detectability level of the aimer pattern in the second image.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the detectability level is based at least in part on an average region of interest and an intensity difference between one or more pixels associated with the aimer pattern in the first image and one or more other pixels in the first image.

20 . The method

Assignees

• Hand Held Prod Inc

Inventors

• Xian Tao
• Youngblood Eric Alfons
• Good Timothy
• Harper Jeffrey
• Wilz David Matthew
• Bizoara Manjul
• Van Horn Erik
• Au Ka
• Ban Shankar
• Haggerty Thomas

Classifications

• G06K7/1439

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

• G06K7/146 Primary

  the method including quality enhancement steps · CPC title

• G06K7/1413

  1D bar codes · CPC title

• G06K7/10831

  Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms (optical elements per se G02B) · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title