Abstract: Methods and systems to implement a miniature long range imaging engine with auto-focus, auto-zoom, and auto-illumination are disclosed herein. An example method includes detecting, by a microprocessor, a presence of an aim light pattern within the FOV; determining, by the microprocessor and in response to the detecting, a target distance of an object in the FOV based on a position of the aim light pattern in the FOV, the target distance being a distance from the imaging engine to the object; causing, by the microprocessor, a variable focus optical element to focus on the object based on the target distance; responsive to making a first determination, by the microprocessor, selecting, based on the target distance, one of a plurality of zoom operation modes; and responsive to making a second determination, by the microprocessor, selecting, based on the target distance, one of a plurality of illumination modes.

Abstract: A method of auxiliary data capture control includes: storing, at a data capture device, a trigger condition and a baseline value captured by a sensor; controlling the sensor to obtain captured data; determining, based on the captured data and the baseline value, whether the trigger condition is satisfied, wherein the trigger condition includes whether the captured data exceeds the baseline value and whether a variance in the captured data over a configurable time period is below a variance threshold; and when the trigger condition is satisfied, controlling an auxiliary data capture sensor to obtain auxiliary captured data.

Abstract: A mobile device includes a rangefinder to measure ranges to points external to the device; a tracking sensor; and a controller connected with the rangefinder and the tracking sensor, the controller configured to: track successive poses of the mobile device in a frame of reference via the tracking sensor; responsive to a first activation of the rangefinder at a first one of the poses, generate a first position, in the frame of reference, of a first external point based on a first range from the rangefinder and the first pose; responsive to a second activation of the rangefinder at a second one of the poses, generate a second position, in the frame of reference, of a second external point based on a second range from the rangefinder and the second pose; and determine a distance between the first and second external points based on the first and second positions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for aligning a lens holder in a small-height scan engine are disclosed herein. An example method for aligning a lens holder in a small-height scan engine includes: mounting an image sensor to a circuit board; optically aligning, using one or more alignment fixtures, a lens holder holding one or more lenses or optical elements with the image sensor based upon one or more images captured by the image sensor through the lens holder; and after the lens holder and image sensor are optically aligned, physically aligning, using the one or more alignment fixtures, the lens holder with the circuit board based upon a misalignment between a surface of the lens holder and an edge of the circuit board.

Abstract: A printer includes: a body with a set of interior walls defining a media enclosure configured to receive a media cartridge, and a latch recess in one of the interior walls, including a retaining surface, and a ramp surface; a lid rotatably coupled to the body and movable between open and closed positions; and a latch movably supported by the lid between a locked position and an unlocked position, the latch including: a bias member biasing the latch towards the locked position, a hook surface configured to engage the retaining surface when the lid is closed and the latch is in the locked position, and a cam surface configured via the bias member, when the lid is closed and the latch is released to the unlocked position, to slide against the ramp surface and lift the lid to an intermediate position between the open and closed positions.

Abstract: A barcode reader having lower and upper housings, a weigh platter in the lower housing, and an off-platter detection assembly. The weigh platter has a proximal edge adjacent the upper housing, a first lateral edge, and a distal edge. The off-platter detection assembly comprises an off-platter indication system having a plurality of linearly aligned light sources, each light source representing a location along the first lateral edge, and controller operatively coupled to the plurality of light sources. The controller is configured to: determine if an object extends over the first lateral edge; determine a location of the object along the first lateral edge; and illuminate a first portion of the light sources representing a distance between the proximal edge of the weigh platter and the object and de-illuminate a second portion of the light sources representing a distance between the object and the distal edge of the weigh platter.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting medically related events at a point of sale are disclosed herein. An example method of detecting droplets associated with a sneeze or cough at a point of sale includes: capturing, by an image sensor associated with a checkout workstation, one or more images; analyzing, by one or more processors, the images captured by the image sensor associated with the checkout workstation, to detect an indication that one or more droplets associated with a sneeze or cough are present upon one or more equipment associated with the checkout workstation; and triggering, by the one or more processors, a disinfection of the checkout workstation responsive to detecting the indication that the one or more droplets associated with the sneeze or cough are present upon the one or more equipment associated with the checkout workstation.

Abstract: A bioptic barcode reader is disclosed for selective use of illumination color to capture appropriate data. The bioptic barcode reader includes a housing and a primary imager positioned within the housing, configured to scan a target object during a first time period. The bioptic barcode reader further includes a primary illumination source positioned within the housing configured to emit primary illumination in a primary wavelength range during the first time period. The bioptic barcode reader further includes a secondary imager configured to capture one or more images of a target object during a second time period. The bioptic barcode reader further includes a secondary illumination source configured to emit secondary illumination in a secondary wavelength range during the second time period, wherein the second time period and first time period are interleaved and the secondary wavelength range is different from the primary wavelength range.

Abstract: A scan engine for capturing at least one image of an object appearing in an imaging field of view (FOV) is provided that includes an imaging system, illumination system, aiming system, and a first and second chassis. The imaging system includes a lens holder and at least one lens disposed within the lens holder and both a far imaging system and a near imaging system for capturing images across multiple fields of view at different distances. The illumination system and aiming system are physically positioned to provide illumination of a target in the near and/or far fields of view, and provide an aiming pattern to the near and/or far fields of view.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatuses to mitigate specular reflections and direct illumination interference in bioptic barcode readers are disclosed. An example method includes creating a first sub-field of view passing through a first window, creating a second sub-field of view passing through a second window, while activating a first illumination source to illuminate the first sub-field of view and deactivating a second illumination source associated with the second sub-field of view, capturing first images of the first sub-field of view, while activating the second illumination source to illuminate the second sub-field of view and deactivating the first illumination source, capturing second images of the second sub-field of view, and attempting to decode a barcode within at least one of the first images and the second images.

Abstract: A system for determining a distance between a receiver and a transmitter are disclosed herein. The transmitter includes a first antenna array having a first spatial orientation and is configured to transmit a signal. The receiver includes a second antenna array and an orientation sensor to determine a second spatial orientation of the second antenna array and is configured to receive the signal. A logic circuit is configured compare the first spatial orientation to the second spatial orientation to determine a relative orientation of the second antenna array; determine an angle of arrival of the signal; identify, based on the relative orientation of the second antenna array and the angle of arrival of the signal, a received signal strength compensation value; and calculate a distance between the transmitter and the receiver based on a measured received signal strength of the signal and the identified compensation value.

Abstract: A system and methods for implementing a transflective mirror as a rolling shutter sensor. The method includes. The method includes a controller setting a current state of an obfuscator to a transmissive state at a first point in time, the first point in time being a time when all pixels of an imaging sensor are in an active state. An imaging sensor then obtains an image of an object in a field of view of the imaging sensor. The image is obtained at a time when the obfuscator is in the transmissive state. The controller then sets the current state of the obfuscator to an obfuscative state at a point in time before a single pixel of the plurality of pixels is switched to an inactive state, wherein the active state of a pixel is a state in which a pixel is an active optical detector, and the inactive state is a state in which a pixel is not an active optical detector.

Abstract: Methods and systems to focus an imager for machine vision applications are disclosed. A disclosed example machine vision method includes: capturing, via an imaging assembly, an image of an indicia appearing within a field of view (FOV) of the imaging assembly; recognizing, via a controller, the indicia as a focus adjustment trigger, the focus adjustment trigger operative to trigger an adjustment of at least one focus parameter associated with the imaging assembly; adjusting the at least one focus parameter based at least in part on the indicia; locking the at least one focus parameter such that the at least one focus parameter remains unaltered for a duration; and responsive to the locking of the at least one focus parameter, capturing, via the imaging assembly, at least one subsequent image of an object of interest.

Abstract: Methods for assessing trailer utilization are disclosed herein. An example method includes capturing an image featuring a trailer, and segmenting the image into a plurality of regions. For each region the example method may include cropping the image to exclude data that exceeds a respective forward distance threshold, and iterating over each data point to determine whether or not a matching point is included. Responsive to whether or not a matching point included for a respective data point, the method may include adding the respective data point or the matching point to a respective region based on a position of the respective data point. Further, the method may include calculating a normalized height of the respective region based on whether or not a gap is present in the respective region; and creating a 3D model visualization of the trailer that depicts trailer utilization.

Abstract: A system for choosing a printer based on proximity comprising: a beacon to broadcast a transmission having a beacon ID; a printer to: receive the transmission, determine a received signal strength indicator for the transmission, generate a printer location signal including the beacon ID, the received signal strength indicator, and a printer ID associated with the printer, and transmit the printer location signal to a host server; the host server including a processor and a memory, the server configured to: receive the printer location signal from the printer, determine a printer location based on a predetermined location of the beacon, the beacon ID, and the received signal strength indicator, and associate the printer location with a printer zone; a printer proximity application to: receive a print request, the print request including a print data and a target zone, and transmit the print data to the printer in the target zone.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the present invention is an imaging engine assembly that includes a housing with a window, an imaging assembly positioned within the housing, the imaging assembly operable to capture image data over a field of view extending through the window and decode an indicium captured in the image data, and a cover positioned at least partially over the housing. The imaging engine housing and the cover are configured such that the cover is alternatively mountable between a first orientation and a diametrically opposed second orientation relative to the housing.

Abstract: A system includes a mobile robot, the robot comprising a sensor; and a server operably connected to the robot over a network, the robot being configured to detect an object by processing sensor data using a convolutional neural network. A pipeline for robotic object detection using a convolutional neural network includes: a system comprising a mobile robot, the robot comprising a sensor, the system further comprising a server operably connected to the robot over a network, the robot being configured to detect an object by processing sensor data using a pipeline, the pipeline comprising a convolutional neural network, the pipeline configured to perform a data collection step, the pipeline further configured to perform a data transformation step, the pipeline further configured to perform a convolutional neural network step, the pipeline further configured to perform a network output transformation step, the pipeline further configured to perform a results output step.

Abstract: An example object recognition and weighing apparatus for use with a POS terminal includes a weigh platter; a scale configured to measure a weight of the item when placed on the weigh platter; an off-platter detection assembly configured to detect an off-platter condition; an object recognition assembly configured to capture image data associated with the item, and based on the image data that includes non-barcode data, identify the item; a communication interface configured to communicate with the POS terminal; a processor in communication with the scale, the off-platter detection assembly, and the communication interface; and a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the object recognition and weighing apparatus to, responsive to detecting the off-platter condition, prevent a transmission of the identified item to the POS terminal until the off-platter condition is no longer detected.