Apparatus comprising light sensing assemblies with range assisted gain control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9465967-B2
Application number	US-201313743063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2013
Priority date	Nov 14, 2012
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

There is set forth herein an indicia reading apparatus comprising two or more light sensing assemblies. In one embodiment, the indicia reading apparatus can comprise a linear light sensing assembly and an area light sensing assembly, and can be operative to determine the range between the apparatus and the indicia. In one embodiment, the indicia reading apparatus can be operative to apply a range-assisted gain to the data output by one or more of the linear light sensing assembly and the area light sensing assembly to increase the likelihood of indicia reading and improve expected indicia read time.

First claim

We claim:

1. An indicia reading apparatus comprising:
a linear light sensing assembly, the linear light sensing assembly comprising an image sensor and a light source configured to project a light pattern onto a decodable indicia within a linear field of view of the image sensor and to detect reflected light from the light pattern onto the image sensor, the linear light sensing assembly being operative to output a first signal representing the reflected light, the linear light sensing assembly having a first amplifier for amplification of the first signal;
an area light sensing assembly having an area image sensor array and an imaging lens for focusing an image onto the area image sensor array, the area light sensing assembly having an area field of view and being operative to output a second signal representing reflected light incident on the image sensor array, the area light sensing assembly having a second amplifier for amplification of the second signal; and
wherein said area light sensing assembly is configured to capture at least one area frame of image data during both a two dimensional frame exposure decoding attempt and a one dimensional frame exposure decoding attempt;
wherein said linear light sensing assembly emits said light pattern to decode the decodable indicia within both the linear field of view of the image sensor and the field of view of said area light sensing assembly such that said second signal comprises image data from said sensor array corresponding to an image of a decodable indicia and said light pattern from said linear light sensing assembly in a single frame of image data;
wherein said single frame of image data in the second signal is processed to determine the range of the apparatus from the decodable indicia;
wherein the indicia reading apparatus is operative for attempting to decode said decodable indicia utilizing one or more of the first signal and the second signal; and
wherein the indicia reading apparatus is operative so that one or more of a gain of the first amplifier and a gain of the second amplifier is responsive to the image of the light pattern of the linear light sensing assembly included in the second signal output by the area light sensing assembly.

2. The indicia reading apparatus of 1 , wherein the indicia reading apparatus is operative so that the linear light sensing assembly projects the light pattern within the area field of view of the area light sensing assembly while the area image sensor array detects reflected light incident on the image sensor array.

3. The indicia reading apparatus of 2 , wherein the indicia reading apparatus is operative to determine the range of the apparatus from a decodable indicia by utilizing the second signal to determine the area of the representation of the light pattern in the representation of the area field of view, and wherein one or more of a gain of the first amplifier and a gain of the second amplifier is responsive to the range.

4. The indicia reading apparatus of 2 , wherein the indicia reading apparatus is operative to determine the range of the apparatus from a decodable indicia by utilizing the second signal to determine the location of the representation of the light pattern in the representation of the area field of view, and wherein one or more of a gain of the first amplifier and a gain of the second amplifier is responsive to the range.

5. The indicia reading apparatus of 4 , wherein the location of the representation of the light pattern in the area field of view is utilized to determine the range of the apparatus from a decodable indicia through triangulation of the location of the light pattern with respect to a fixed point in the representation of the area field of view of the area light sensing assembly.

6. The indicia reading apparatus of 1 , wherein the indicia reading apparatus is operative to utilize the representation of the light pattern of the linear light sensing assembly included in the second signal output by the area light sensing assembly to determine the range of the apparatus from a decodable indicia, and wherein one or more of a gain of the first amplifier and a gain of the second amplifier is responsive to the range.

7. The indicia reading apparatus of 6 , wherein one or more of a gain of the first amplifier and a gain of the second amplifier is determined via a lookup table utilizing the range of the apparatus.

8. The indicia reading apparatus of 1 , wherein the area light sensing assembly includes an illumination assembly for projection of an illumination pattern at least partially within the area field of view, and wherein the illumination assembly is responsive to a representation of the light pattern of the linear light sensing assembly included in the second signal output by the area light sensing assembly.

9. The indicia reading apparatus of 1 , wherein the output first signal includes a first analog signal representing the reflected light, and wherein the first amplifier applies a gain to the first analog signal.

10. The indicia reading apparatus of 9 , wherein the output second signal includes a second analog signal representing the reflected light incident on the image sensor array, and wherein the second amplifier applies a gain to the second analog signal.

11. The indicia reading apparatus of 10 , wherein the apparatus is operative to determine the range of the apparatus from a decodable indicia from the representation of the light pattern of the linear light sensing assembly included in the second signal output by the area light sensing assembly, and wherein the gain of the first amplifier and the gain of the second amplifier is responsive to the range.

12. The indicia reading apparatus of 1 , wherein the linear light sensing assembly comprises a laser assembly operative to at least emit laser light for projection of the light pattern and to detect reflected laser light, and wherein the first signal represents the reflected laser light along a scan path or plane.

13. The indicia reading apparatus of 12 , wherein processing for attempting to decode a decodable indicia includes determining whether there is a decodable indicia in the scan path or plane of the linear light sensing assembly.

14. The indicia reading apparatus of 1 , wherein the linear light sensing assembly comprises an illumination assembly for projection of the light pattern as a linear illumination pattern, and an image sensor array and an imaging lens for focusing an image onto the image sensor array, the linear light sensing assembly having a field of view with a height less than a width, and wherein the first signal represents the reflected light of the linear illumination pattern within the field of view and incident on the image sensor array of the linear light sensing assembly.

15. An indicia reading apparatus comprising:
a first light sensing assembly projecting a light pattern onto a decodable indicia, the indicia reading apparatus having an image sensor to detect reflected light from the light pattern on the decodable indicia and outputting a first signal from the assembly corresponding to the reflected light, the assembly further comprising a first amplifier capable of amplifying the first signal and utilizing the first signal for attempting to decode the decodable indicia in a one dimensional frame exposure decoding attempt;
a second light sensing assembly outputting a second signal, the indicia reading apparatus having a second amplifier capable of amplifying the second signal and utilizing the second signal for attempting to decode the decodable indicia in a two dimensional frame exposure decoding attempt;
wherei

Assignees

• Hand Held Prod Inc

Inventors

• Xian Tao
• Good Timothy
• Wang Ynjiun Paul

Classifications

• G06K7/10851 Primary

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

• G06K7/10732

  Light sources · CPC title

• G06K7/10564 Primary

  Light sources · CPC title

• G06K7/10792

  Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned · CPC title

• G06K7/10811

  Focalisation · CPC title