Abstract: This invention provides a point-of-sale scanning device that employs vision sensors and vision processing to decode symbology and matrices of information of objects, documents and other substrates as such objects are moved (swiped) through the field-of-view of the scanning device's window. The scanning device defines a form factor that conforms to that of a conventional laser-based point-of-sale scanning device using a housing having a plurality of mirrors, oriented generally at 45-degree angles with respect to the window's plane so as to fold the optical path, thereby allowing for an extended depth of field. The path is divided laterally so as to reach opposing lenses and image sensors, which face each other and are oriented along a lateral optical axis between sidewalls of the device. The sensors and lenses can be adapted to perform different parts of the overall vision system and/or code recognition process. The housing also provides illumination that fills the volume space.

Abstract: An image processing system includes an image sensor circuit. The image sensor circuit is configured to obtain an image using a type of shutter operation in which an exposure pattern of a pixel array is set according to exposure information that changes over time based at least partially on charge accumulated in at least a portion of the pixel array. An image sensor circuit includes a pixel array and one or more circuits. The one or more circuits are configured to update exposure information based at least partially on one or more signals output from the pixel array, and to control an exposure pattern of the pixel array based on the exposure information. A pixel circuit includes a first transistor connected between a photodiode and a sense node, and a second transistor connected between an exposure control signal line and a gate of the first transistor.

Abstract: This invention provides a system and method for processing discrete image data within an overall set of acquired image data based upon a focus of attention within that image. The result of such processing is to operate upon a more limited subset of the overall image data to generate output values required by the vision system process. Such output value can be a decoded ID or other alphanumeric data. The system and method is performed in a vision system having two processor groups, along with a data memory that is smaller in capacity than the amount of image data to be read out from the sensor array. The first processor group is a plurality of SIMD processors and at least one general purpose processor, co-located on the same die with the data memory. A data reduction function operates within the same clock cycle as data-readout from the sensor to generate a reduced data set that is stored in the on-die data memory.

Abstract: This invention provides a system and method captures a moving image of a scene that can be more readily de-blurred as compared to images captured through the above-referenced and other known methods operating on an equivalent exposure-time interval. Rather than stopping and starting the integration of light measurement during the exposure-time interval, photo-generated current is switched between multiple charge storage sites in accordance with a temporal switching pattern that optimizes the conditioning of the solution to the inverse blur transform. By switching the image intensity signal between storage sites all of the light energy available during the exposure-time interval is transduced to electronic charge and captured to form a temporally decomposed representation of the moving image.

Abstract: A single chip vision sensor of an embodiment includes a pixel array and one or more circuits. The one or more circuits are configured to search an image for one or more features using a model of the one or more features. A method of an embodiment in a single chip vision sensor includes obtaining an image based at least partially on sensed light, and searching the image for one or more features using a model of the one or more features. A system of an embodiment includes the single chip vision sensor and a device. The device is configured to receive one or more signals from the single chip vision sensor and to control an operation based at least partially on the one or more signals.

Abstract: An image processing system includes an image sensor circuit. The image sensor circuit is configured to obtain an image using a type of shutter operation in which an exposure pattern of a pixel array is set according to exposure information that changes over time based at least partially on charge accumulated in at least a portion of the pixel array. An image sensor circuit includes a pixel array and one or more circuits. The one or more circuits are configured to update exposure information based at least partially on one or more signals output from the pixel array, and to control an exposure pattern of the pixel array based on the exposure information. A pixel circuit includes a first transistor connected between a photodiode and a sense node, and a second transistor connected between an exposure control signal line and a gate of the first transistor.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for creating a user interface for a spreadsheet-based software application. The method includes providing a spreadsheet having a plurality of standard cells displayable as standard spreadsheet cells, and a plurality of user interface cells displayable only as a window superimposed upon the standard spreadsheet cells; and providing at least one control function adapted to create the window superimposed upon the standard spreadsheet cells. Also disclosed is a user interface for a spreadsheet-based software application that includes a spreadsheet having a plurality of standard cells displayable as standard spreadsheet cells; and at least one custom view control function adapted to create a window superimposed upon the standard spreadsheet cells, the window displaying a subset of the standard cells. This invention substantially simplifies the task of programming a user interface using a spreadsheet environment.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining the absence or presence of one or more instances of a predetermined pattern in an image, and for determining the location of each found instance within a multidimensional space. A model represents the pattern to be found, the model including a plurality of probes. Each probe represents a relative position at which a test is performed in an image at a given pose, each such test contributing evidence that the pattern exists at the pose. The method further includes a comparison of the model with a run-time image at each of a plurality of poses. A match score is computed at each pose to provide a match score surface. Then, the match score is compared with an accept threshold, and used to provide the location any instances of the pattern in the image.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the calculation of a pattern similarity metric that is locally normalized with respect to illumination intensity, and is invariant with respect to rigid body preserving gray scale variations, such as scale, rotation, translation, and non-linear intensity transformations. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for comparing a model image with a run-time image so as to provide a quantitative measure of image similarity. In another general aspect of the invention, a method is provided for searching a run-time image with a model image so as to provide at least one location of the model image within the run-time image.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for forming an image of the periphery of an object with a camera having optics disposed at a working distance that is significantly less than the focal length of the optics, without introducing image distortion. The invention provides an image formation apparatus having a reduced effective profile height by exploiting a folded optical path to provide reduced working distance between a camera and an object of interest, such as a semiconductor wafer, as compared with direct viewing of the object. In a preferred embodiment, the invention includes two reflecting substrates, a first reflecting substrate and a second reflecting substrate. The distance between the first and second reflecting substrates determines the number of times the light rays that form the image will bounce therebetween, and consequently, the number of images of an object periphery that will appear in the field of view (FOV) of the camera.

Abstract: The image formation system of the invention provides a compact apparatus for viewing indicia on a planar mirror-like (specular) substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. The invention is particularly effective in viewing indicia that require either brightfield or high-angle darkfield illumination. These and other benefits of the invention are provided in part by providing selective directional focusing and defocusing of the reflected image of the illumination elements that illuminate the indicia, while providing substantial focusing of the image of the indicia at high contrast. In the case of high-angle darkfield illumination, directionally selective focusing maximizes useful darkfield area by minimizing interference between the reflected image of the illumination sources and the image of the indicia, while the contrast of the image of the indicia is maximized.