Image analysis – Image sensing – Hand-held
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-17
2001-10-02
Couso, Jose L. (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Image sensing
Hand-held
C382S312000, C235S462010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298176
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to imager based data collection devices and methods for using such devices; and particularly to a system including an optical reader and a specially structured symbol adapted to cause the reader to commence image data reading according to a protocol determined in part by at least one indicator of the symbol.
2. Background of the Prior Art
With increasing sophistication of imaging assemblies used in optical readers there has been a growing effort to utilize information from captured images representing indicia in areas surrounding a bar code symbol being decoded.
Various suggestions have been made in the prior art to capture and read image data representing extraneous indicia in addition to image data representing a bar code symbol subject to decoding. For example, in some applications a signature field in a known location in relation to a bar code symbol is captured, read, and output in addition to a bar code symbol. A major drawback of existing optical reader systems which suggest utilization of non-symbol image data is that these readers, generally speaking, can successfully process non-symbol image data only in the case where the non-symbol image data reading region is of a prescribed orientation and location in relation to a symbol. Furthermore, readers in such systems in general can process image data according to only one established protocol for each symbol that is read.
There is a need for a large area image capture image data reading system which can capture and process image data from an image data reading region which may be in a location in relation to a symbol that is unknown by the reader prior to reading, and which can flexibly process image data according to various types of protocols.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to its major aspects and broadly stated the present invention is a system including a bar code reader and a specially structured image reading instruction symbol adapted to cause the reader to commence a reading of image data according to a protocol determined in part by at least one indicator of the symbol.
The bar code reader of the system may include a
2
D image sensor and is preferably of a type whose operating program may be changed by capturing with the reader a specially structured bar code symbol. The symbol of the system is a
1
D or
2
D symbol including encoded indicia which when read by a complementarily programmed reader results in the reader processing image data according to a protocol controlled in part by at least one indicator structure of the symbol.
In one embodiment of the invention, the symbol of the system includes a plurality of image data reading indicators. A first type of image data reading indicator in the image reading instruction symbol may indicate that the symbol is an image reading instruction symbol and that there is region in space in relation to the symbol that is to be imaged by the reader; and a second type of image capture indicator at least partially encoded in the system's symbol may indicate image data reading parameters such as the dimension of the image data reading region, and the position of the image data reading region in relation to the image reading instruction symbol. When the reader reads an image data reading indicator of the first type from the capture instruction symbol, the reader reads data in an image data reading region in accordance with the parameters encoded by image data reading indicators of the second type.
In other aspects of the invention, the image reading symbol being read must be of a symbology type adapted so that the reader capturing and reading the image reading instruction symbol can determine imaging characteristics relating to the image reading instruction symbol. Such imaging characteristics which may be determined by the reader may involve, for example, the scaling of a captured symbol; an orientation of the symbol; and/or distortion characteristics of the captured image as revealed in the captured symbol. If the image reading instruction symbol and the reader of the system are appropriately configured, the reader may determine a scaling factor, an orientation factor, and distortion characteristics from the captured image reading instruction symbol.
The scaling, orientation, and distortion characteristics determined for the image reading instruction symbol can be used to determine which pixels in an original bit map representation of a scene to read in the constructing of a secondary bit map representation of a scene in which an image in an image data reading region is represented in a true size and in which distortions apparent in an original bit map representation are corrected for.
In addition to reading image data reading parameters from the image reading instruction symbol, and determining from the captured image reading instruction symbol imaging characteristics pertaining to the orientation, scaling, and distortion of the captured images, an optical reader in the system of the invention may read indicator structures from the image reading instruction symbol of a type which control an aspect of outputting image data. When read by a complementarily programmed reader, such image data output parameters may control at least one aspect of image data output. An image data output parameter may control, for example, the output location of the image data, the data formatting of outputted image data, and can also control certain aspects of processing the outputted image data. For example, an output parameter indicator may control an aspect of a character recognition algorithm in an OCR application.
These and other details, advantages and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment hereinbelow.
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Husssey Robert M.
Longacre Jr. Andrew
Couso Jose L.
Dang Duy M.
Wall Marjama & Bilinski
Welch Allyn Data Collection Inc.
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