Patent · US Expired

Hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading system employing a method of intelligently illuminating an object so as to generate a digital image thereof which is substantially free of noise caused by specular-type reflection

US7281661B2 · kind B2 · utility

55Cited by
124References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 29, 2004
Grant dateOct 16, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 14, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K7/10881
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reader comprises: an automatic object presence detection subsystem; a multi-mode area-type image formation and detection subsystem having narrow-area and wide-area image-capture modes of operation; a multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem having independently controllable LED illumination arrays; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem; an image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem; an input/output subsystem; and a system control subsystem for controlling the subsystems. The hand-supportable imaging-based bar code reader employs a method of intelligently illuminating objects during image capture, wherein the LED illumination arrays are independently controlled during particular moments of object illumination to generate digital images of objects which, through digital image analysis, are determined to be substantially free of noise (i.e. intense spatial intensity variations) caused by specular-type reflection of illumination off objects during illumination and imaging operations.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.