Hand-supportable digital image-processing based bar code symbol reading system employing image cropping zone (ICZ) framing and post-image capture cropping

US7568625B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Metpologic Instruments, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Xiaoxun Zhu · Marlton, US
• Yong Liu · Sunnyvale, US
• Ka Man Au · Philadelphia, US
• Rui Hou · Suzhou, CN
• Hongpeng Yu · Tianjin, CN
• Xi Tao · Suzhou, CN
• Liang Liu · Taipei, TW
• Wenhua Zhang · Suzhou, CN
• Anatoly Kotlarsky · Holland, US
• Sankar Ghosh · Philadelphia, US
• Michael Schnee · Chester, US
• Pasqual Spatafore · Marlton, US
• Thomas Amundsen · Turnersville, US
• Sung Byun · Cherry Hill, US
• Mark Schmidt · Williamstown, US
• Garrett Russell · Newark, US
• John Bonanno · Woodbury, US
• C. Harry Knowles · Moorestown, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 3, 2004
• Grant date: Aug 4, 2009
• Expiry date: May 15, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06K2207/1012
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method of reading bar code symbols comprising the steps of: (a) projecting an image cropping zone (ICZ) framing pattern within the FOV of an image sensing array during wide-area illumination and image capturing operation; (b) visually aligning an object to be imaged within the ICZ framing pattern; (c) forming and capturing an wide-area image of the entire FOV, which spatially encompasses the ICZ framing pattern aligned about the object to be imaged; (d) using automatic software-based image cropping algorithm to automatically crop the pixels within the spatial boundaries defined by the ICZ framing pattern, from those pixels contained in the entire wide-area image frame captured during step (c); and (e) automatically decode processing the image represented by the cropped image pixels in the ICZ framing pattern so as to read a 1D or 2D bar code symbol graphically represented therein.