Barcode-reading system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020160010-A1
Application number	US-201916557843-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2019
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	May 21, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

This patent specification describes a barcode-reading enhancement accessory for a mobile device having a barcode-reading capability. The accessory may include an outer case and an inner carriage. A mobile device is encased in the inner carriage, and the combination of the inner carriage and the mobile device may be accommodated in the outer case. The inner carriage is configured to accommodate a mobile device of a particular size such that a mobile device of a different size may be accommodated in the outer case using a different inner carriage. The accessory may also include an optic system to fold an optical path of a field of illumination of a light source of the mobile device and/or a field of view of a camera of the mobile device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . (canceled)

2 . A barcode-reading system, comprising:
one or more processors; a memory in communication with the processors; a first illumination system; a second illumination system; and a barcode-reading application stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to cause the barcode-reading system to:
capture a test image that includes at least a portion of a barcode, wherein the test image includes a plurality of window images;
provide illumination for each of the plurality of window images using a distinct configuration of the first illumination system and the second illumination system;
determine a selected illumination system configuration based on the test image, the selected illumination system configuration comprising a configuration of the first illumination system and the second illumination system; and
capture a subsequent image using the selected illumination system configuration.

3 . The barcode-reading system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of window images includes a first window image and a second window image, the barcode-reading application causes the barcode-reading system to provide illumination from only the first illumination system for the first window image, and the barcode-reading application causes the barcode-reading system to provide illumination from only the second illumination system for the second window image.

4 . The barcode-reading system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of window images includes a first window image and a second window image, the barcode-reading application causes the barcode-reading system to provide illumination for the first window image using a first combination of the first illumination system and the second illumination system, and the barcode-reading application causes the barcode-reading system to provide illumination for the second window image using a second combination of the first illumination system and the second illumination system, the second combination being different from the first combination.

5 . The barcode-reading system of claim 4 , wherein the first combination comprises illumination at a first power level from the first illumination system and illumination at a second power level from the second illumination system and the second combination comprises illumination at the second power level from the first illumination system and illumination at the first power level from the second illumination system.

6 . The barcode-reading system of claim 2 , wherein determining the selected illumination system configuration comprises determining a highest quality image from the plurality of window images and determining the selected illumination system configuration based on the distinct configuration of the first illumination system and the second illumination system used for the highest quality image.

7 . The barcode-reading system of claim 6 , wherein determining the highest quality image from the plurality of window images comprises determining an image from the plurality of window images having a highest contrast between dark cells and light cells.

8 . The barcode-reading system of claim 6 , wherein determining the highest quality image from the plurality of window images comprises determining an image from the plurality of window images having a highest number of desired barcode features or patterns.

9 . The barcode-reading system of claim 2 , wherein the first illumination system comprises a dark field illumination system that directs dark field illumination into a field of view of the barcode-reading system at a non-zero angle relative to a plane that is perpendicular to an optical axis of the barcode-reading system.

10 . The barcode-reading system of claim 9 , wherein the second illumination system comprises a diffuse bright field illumination system that directs diffuse bright field illumination into the field of view substantially parallel to the optical axis.

11 . The barcode-reading system of claim 10 further comprises a third illumination system and wherein the barcode-reading application causes the barcode-reading system to provide illumination for each of the plurality of window images using distinct configurations of the first illumination system, the second illumination system, and the third illumination system and the selected illumination system configuration comprises a configuration of the first illumination system, the second illumination system, and the third illumination system.

12 . The barcode-reading system of claim 11 , wherein the third illumination system comprises a bright field illumination system that directs bright field illumination into a field of view of the barcode-reading system substantially parallel to an optical axis of the barcode-reading system.

13 . A barcode-reading system for a mobile device, the mobile device comprising a camera configured to capture an image in a field of view of the camera, a memory, and a processor configured to execute an operating system and one or more applications stored in the memory, the barcode-reading system comprising:
a diffuse bright field illumination system; a dark field illumination system; and a barcode-reading application stored in the memory of the mobile device and executable by the processor of the mobile device to cause the barcode-reading system to:
capture one or more test images that include at least a portion of a barcode, wherein the one or more test images include a plurality of window images;
provide illumination for each of the plurality of window images using a distinct configuration of the diffuse bright field illumination system and the dark field illumination system;
determine a selected illumination system configuration based on the one or more test images, the selected illumination system configuration comprising a configuration of the diffuse bright field illumination system and the dark field illumination system; and
capture a subsequent image using the selected illumination system configuration.

14 . The barcode-reading system of claim 13 , wherein the mobile device further comprises a white light source configured to project white illumination into the field of view of the camera and the dark field illumination system comprises:
at least one light pipe that directs the white illumination from the white light source to a periphery of the field of view of the camera; and at least one prism optic that redirects the white illumination from the white light source into the field of view of the camera at an angle greater than 45 degrees relative to an optical axis of the camera.

15 . The barcode-reading system of claim 14 , wherein the dark field illumination system comprises:
the at least one light pipe is oriented substantially parallel to the optical axis of the camera; and the at least one light pipe uses total internal reflection to propagate the white illumination from the white light source toward the at least one prism optic.

16 . The barcode-reading system of claim 15 , wherein:
the at least one light pipe comprises a chamfered end; and the at least one prism optic comprises the chamfered end of the at least one light pipe.

17 . The barcode-reading system of claim 13 , wherein the diffuse bright field illumination system comprises: an optical substrate, not within the field of view of the camera, having a front major surface and a back major surface arranged generally perpendicular to an optical axis of the camera, and between which light introduced from at least one white light source is transferred by t

Assignees

• Code Corp

Inventors

• Powell George
• Lei Ming
• Hoobler Ryan

Classifications

• G06K7/10881

  constructional details of hand-held scanners · CPC title

• G06K7/089

  hand-held scanners · CPC title

• G06K7/10564 Primary

  Light sources · CPC title

• G06K7/10722

  Photodetector array or CCD scanning · CPC title

• G06K7/10732

  Light sources · CPC title