Abstract: A method of equalizing the illumination produced by a planar laser illumination array within a planar laser illumination and (electronic) imaging system, comprising the steps of: providing an image formation and detection module having imaging optics with a field of view (FOV) focused upon an image detecting array; providing a planar laser illumination array having a plurality of planar laser illumination modules, each planar laser illumination module producing a planar laser beam component during image formation and detection operations, which are combined to produce a composite planar laser illumination beam extending through a working range of said FOV, wherein said working range includes both near and far fields, if the near field illumination is brighter then the far field illumination: displacing a first portion of the planar illumination modules in a first direction perpendicular to said FOV and a second portion of the planar illumination modules in a second direction opposite to said first direction,

Abstract: A method of reading bar code symbols using a digital-imaging based code symbol reading system employing an event-driven multi-tier modular software architecture and supporting automatic operating system login and loading of a bar code symbol reading application.

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.

Abstract: A hand-supportable coplanar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based code symbol reader includes: a hand-supportable housing having light transmission aperture; a linear image formation and detection module having a linear image detection array; and a planar laser illumination beam (PLIB) producing a coplanar laser illumination and imaging based device having at least one visible laser diode (VLD) for producing a planar light illumination beam (PLIB). The code symbol reader further includes an image grabber for grabbing digital linear images formed and detected by the image formation and detection module, an image data buffer for buffering the digital linear images grabbed by the image grabber, and an image processing computer for processing the buffered digital linear images so as to read code symbols graphically represented in the digital linear images.

Abstract: A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading device comprises: an IR-based object presence and range 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 narrow-area and wide area illumination modes of operation; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem; a multi-mode image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem; an input/output subsystem; a manually-activatable trigger switch; and a system control subsystem integrated with each of the above-described subsystems. The digital imaging-based bar code reading device employs a multi-mode bar code symbol reading image processor that is dynamically reconfigurable in response to real-time image analysis carried out upon captured narrow and wide area images.

Abstract: A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading device comprises: an automatic object presence and range detection subsystem; an area-type image formation and detection subsystem having a CMOS area-type image detection array, and narrow-area and wide area image capture modes of operation; an LED-based illumination subsystem having LED arrays, and narrow-area and wide area illumination modes of operation; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem; and an image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem.

Abstract: A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reader employing an event-driven system control subsystem, automatic IR-based object detection, and a trigger-switch activated image capture and processing subsystem.

Abstract: A fully automated package identification and measuring system, in which an omni-directional holographic scanning tunnel is used to read bar codes on packages entering the tunnel, while a package dimensioning subsystem is used to capture information about the package prior to entry into the tunnel. Mathematical models are created on a real-time basis for the geometry of the package and the position of the laser scanning beam used to read the bar code symbol thereon. The mathematical models are analyzed to determine if collected and queued package identification data is spatially and/or temporally correlated with package measurement data using vector-based ray-tracing methods, homogeneous transformations, and object-oriented decision logic so as to enable simultaneous tracking of multiple packages being transported through the scanning tunnel.

Abstract: A hand-supportable planar linear illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based code symbol reading system comprising: a hand-supportable housing having a light transmission aperture; and a planar laser illumination and imaging module (PLIIM), disposed in the hand-supportable housing. The PLIIM includes (i) a linear image detection array having optics providing a field of view (FOV) on said linear image detection array that projects through the light transmission aperture, and (ii) at least one planar laser illumination module (PLIM) for producing a substantially planar laser illumination beam (PLIB) that extends substantially along the same plane as the FOV of the linear image detection array. This arrangement provides a coplanar illumination and imaging plane that projects through the light transmission aperture, for capturing a series of linear (1-D) digital images of an object intersecting therewith during object illumination and imaging operations.

Abstract: A method of determining the lower limit of decoding resolution in a digital imaging-based bar code symbol reader. A software-based optical design program is used to generate the composite DOF chart of image formation optics employed in the digital imaging-based bar code symbol reader. The modulation transfer function (MTF) of the object image is used to determine the smallest mil size code that can be decoded, at a given object distance, to produce an optical performance curve. The program calculates the size of the field of view (FOV) of a single sensor pixel, when projected through the image formation optics and out into object space. For both the 1.4 and 1.6 sampling limit pixel rules, the calculated FOV values are plotted on the same axes as the optical performance curve. Using graphical solution techniques, the sampling limit line of choice determines the lower limit of the decoding resolution in the imaging-based bar code symbol reader.

Abstract: An imaging device comprising a plurality of linear imaging arrays and image formation optics that provide field of views corresponding to the plurality of linear image arrays. At least one illumination module produces planar light illumination that substantially overlaps the field of views corresponding to the plurality of linear imaging arrays. Image processing circuitry performs image-based velocity estimation operations, which analyzes pixel data values of a plurality of composite 2-D images each derived from sequential image capture operations of a corresponding one linear imaging array to derive velocity data that represents an estimated velocity of the imaging device with respect to at least one target object disposed in the fields of view.

Abstract: A digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading system which comprises: an automatic object presence and range detection subsystem; an image formation and detection subsystem having an area-type image sensing array with a field of view (FOV); a multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem having LED illumination arrays for producing fields of narrow-band illumination in near and far portions of the FOV; 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 LED illumination arrays are automatically driven by the automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem in response to the generation of control activation signals by the automatic object presence and range detection subsystem.

Abstract: Digital-imaging based code symbol reading system employing an event-driven multi-tier modular software architecture and supporting automatic operating system login and loading of a bar code symbol reading application.

Abstract: A wireless hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading device comprising: an automatic object presence and range detection subsystem; a multi-mode image formation and detection subsystem having narrow-area and wide area image capture modes of operation; a multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem having narrow-area and wide area illumination modes of operation; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem; a multi-mode image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem; an input/output subsystem; a manually-actuatable trigger switch; and a system control subsystem for controlling these subsystems.

Abstract: A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading system comprises: an automatic object presence detection subsystem; an image formation and detection subsystem having an area-type image sensing array with a field of view (FOV); a LED-based illumination subsystem having an LED illumination array for producing a field of narrow-band illumination within the FOV; 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 image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem has a mode of image processing, wherein a captured digital image is automatically processed along a set of parallel virtual scan lines spaced-apart by a number of pixel-offset distances proportional to the maximum pixel height of the region of interest (ROI) in the captured digital image containing a bar code symbol.

Abstract: A hand-supportable semi-automatic digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading system comprises: an automatic object presence detection subsystem; a multi-mode image formation and detection subsystem having narrow-area and wide area image capture modes of operation; a multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem having narrow-area and wide area illumination modes of operation; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem; a multi-mode image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem; an input/output subsystem; a manually-actuatable trigger switch; and a system control subsystem for controlling the subsystems. The digital imaging-based bar code reading system employs a three-tier modular software architecture for carrying out its image-processing based bar code symbol reading operations. The three-tier software architecture comprises an application layer, a system core layer, and an operating system (OS) layer.

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.

Abstract: A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reader comprises: an automatic object presence detection subsystem; an image formation and detection subsystem; a LED-based illumination subsystem having a wide area illumination mode of operation; 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 each of the above-described subsystems. The image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem performs helically-sweeping feature-extraction analysis on a captured digital image of an object referenced from the center thereof, so as to enable the rapid reading of a bar code symbol graphically represented therein, using advanced image-processing based bar code reading techniques.

Abstract: A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading system comprises: an automatic object presence and range detection subsystem; an image formation and detection subsystem; a multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem having an LED illumination array; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem; a multi-mode image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem having a first mode and a second mode of operation; an input/output subsystem; and a system control subsystem for controlling the subsystems. The multi-mode image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem automatically switches its modes of image-processing during a single bar code symbol reading cycle, and within each mode of image-processing based bar code symbol reading a different image-processing based bar code symbol reading methodology is automatically applied.

Abstract: A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reader comprises: an automatic object presence detection subsystem; an image formation and detection subsystem employing a CMOS area-type image detection array; an LED-based illumination subsystem employing an LED illumination array to generate a field of narrow-band LED-based illumination within the FOV; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem employing LED illumination driver circuitry; 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.