Apparatus having hybrid monochrome and color image sensor array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9454686-B2
Application number	US-201514684609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2015
Priority date	Jun 3, 2005
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

There is provided in one embodiment an apparatus having an image sensor array. In one embodiment, the image sensor array can include monochrome pixels and color sensitive pixels. The monochrome pixels can be pixels without wavelength selective color filter elements. The color sensitive pixels can include wavelength selective color filter elements.

First claim

I claim:

1. A bar code reading device comprising:
a two-dimensional image sensor array comprising:
a first subset of pixels comprising a plurality of monochrome pixels; and
a second subset of pixels;

wherein the first subset of pixels is configured to be addressed independently of the second subset of pixels by the device to read out a plurality of monochrome pixel values;
wherein the device is configured to interpolate one or more missing pixel values based upon at least a portion of the monochrome pixel values;
wherein the one or more missing pixel values correspond to positions of one or more pixels from the second subset of pixels; and
wherein the device is configured to generate a frame of image data based upon the plurality of monochrome pixel values and the one or more missing pixel values.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to interpolate the one or more pixels as monochrome pixel values.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more pixels from the second subset of pixels corresponding to the one or more missing pixel values is disposed adjacent to one or more pixels of the first subset of pixels.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the device is configured to interpolate the pixel values of the one or more adjacent pixels to generate each respective missing pixel value.

5. The device according to claim 3 , wherein each of the one or more pixels from the second subset of pixels corresponding to the one or more missing pixel values is disposed corner-adjacent to one or more pixels of the first subset of pixels.

6. The device according to claim 3 , wherein each of the one or more pixels from the second subset of pixels corresponding to the one or more missing pixel values is disposed side-adjacent to one or more pixels of the first subset of pixels.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to interpolate a respective missing pixel value of the one or more missing pixel values by combining the monochrome pixel values of at least two of the first subset of pixels.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the device is configured to combine the monochrome pixel values of the at least two of the first subset of pixels by averaging the monochrome pixel values for the at least two of the first subset of pixels.

9. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the device is configured to combine the monochrome pixel values of the at least two of the first subset of pixels by derivative correlating the monochrome pixel values for the at least two of the first subset of pixels.

10. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the at least two of the first subset of pixels are disposed adjacent a position of the respective missing pixel value.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the first subset of pixels defines at least two rows of pixels and at least two columns of pixels; wherein the rows are disposed perpendicular to the columns on the image sensor array; wherein the device is further configured to correlate the at least two rows of pixels; wherein the device is further configured to correlate the at least two columns of pixels; wherein, in an instance in which the at least two rows of pixels are more closely correlated than the at least two columns of pixels, the at least two of the first subset of pixels are disposed column-adjacent to the respective missing pixel value; and
wherein, in an instance in which the at least two columns of pixels are more closely correlated than the at least two rows of pixels, the at least two of the first subset of pixels are disposed row-adjacent to the respective missing pixel value.

12. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a bar code decode circuit, wherein the device is configured to decode representations of a decodable indicia captured in the frame of image data.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the device is configured to interpolate a respective missing pixel value of the one or more missing pixel values by combining the monochrome pixel values for at least two of the first subset of pixels; wherein the device is configured to determine a longitudinal axis of the decodable indicia; and wherein the at least two of the first subset of pixels are disposed adjacent a position of the respective missing pixel value in a direction of the longitudinal axis.

14. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least the first subset of pixels is configured to be operated in a global shutter mode, wherein all or substantially all of at least the first subset of pixels in the image sensor array are configured to be exposed in the image sensor array in response to an exposure control timing pulse.

15. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second subset of pixels are color-sensitive pixels, each of which includes a wavelength selective filter element.

16. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second subset of pixels are uniformly distributed throughout the image sensor array.

17. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first subset of pixels are uniformly distributed throughout the image sensor array.

18. A method comprising:
providing an optical reading device including a two-dimensional image sensor array, wherein the image sensor array comprises a first subset of pixels comprising a plurality of monochrome pixels, and a second subset of pixels;
addressing the first subset of pixels independently of the second subset of pixels to read out a plurality of monochrome pixel values;
interpolating one or more missing pixel values based upon at least a portion of the monochrome pixel values, wherein the one or more missing pixel values correspond to positions of one or more pixels from the second subset of pixels; and
generating a frame of image data based upon the plurality of monochrome pixel values and the one or more missing pixel values.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein interpolating one or more missing pixel values comprises interpolating the one or more pixels as monochrome pixel values.

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein each of the one or more pixels from the second subset of pixels corresponding to the one or more missing pixel values is disposed adjacent to one or more pixels of the first subset of pixels.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein interpolating one or more missing pixel values comprises interpolating the pixel values of the one or more adjacent pixels to generate each respective missing pixel value.

22. The method according to claim 20 , wherein each of the one or more pixels from the second subset of pixels corresponding to the one or more missing pixel values is disposed corner-adjacent to one or more pixels of the first subset of pixels.

23. The method according to claim 20 , wherein each of the one or more pixels from the second subset of pixels corresponding to the one or more missing pixel values is disposed side-adjacent to one or more pixels of the first subset of pixels.

24. The method according to claim 18 , wherein interpolating one or more missing pixel values comprises interpolating a respective missing pixel value of the one or more missing pixel values by combining the monochrome pixel values of at least two of the first subset of pixels.

25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein combining the monochrome pixel values of the at least two of the first subset of pixe

Assignees

• Hand Held Prod Inc

Inventors

• Wang Ynjiun P

Classifications

• H04N23/843

  Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N23/10

  for generating image signals from different wavelengths · CPC title

• H04N25/10

  for transforming different wavelengths into image signals · CPC title

• H04N9/045

  Electricity · mapped topic