DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE ACQUISITION AND AUTOMATIC PROCESSING OF DATA OBTAINED FROM OPTICAL CODES
The device for the acquisition and automatic processing of data obtained from optical codes comprises a CMOS optical sensor; an analog processing unit connected to the optical sensor; an analog/digital conversion unit connected to the analog processing unit; a logic control unit connected to the CMOS optical sensor, the analog processing unit and the analog/digital conversion unit; and a data-processing unit connected to the logic control unit and the analog/digital conversion unit. The CMOS optical sensor and at least one of the analog processing, analog/digital conversion, logic control and data processing units are integrated in a single chip. The data processing unit processes the digital signals corresponding to the image acquired by the CMOS sensor and extracts the optically coded data.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/295,493 filed Nov. 14, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,368,000, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/341,460 filed Dec. 22, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,058,600, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/247,681 filed Sep. 20, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,468,499, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/432,105 filed Nov. 2, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,218, the entirety of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a device and a method for the acquisition and automatic processing of data obtained from optical codes.
Hereinafter, the term “optical code” indicates any graphic representation which has the function of storing coded data. A specific example of an optical code comprises linear or two-dimensional codes, wherein data is coded by appropriate combinations of elements with a predetermined shape, i.e. square, rectangles or hexagons, of dark colors (normally black), separated by light elements (spaces, normally white), such as bar codes, stacked codes (including PDF417), Maxicodes, Datamatrix, QR codes, or colour codes etc. More generally, the term “optical code” further comprises other graphic forms with a data-coding function, including uncoded printed characters (letters, numbers etc) and specific shapes (patterns) (such as stamps, logos, signatures etc).
In order to acquire optical data, optical sensors are required, converting the data coding image into electric signals, correlated to the brightness of the image dots, which can be automatically processed and decoded (through electronic processors).
BACKGROUND OF INVENTIONAt present, optical sensors are manufactured using CCD (Charge Coupled Device) technology. However, these sensors have disadvantages caused by a not always satisfactory reading performance, complexity, cost and size of the entire reading device.
Furthermore, for the manufacture of optical sensors it has already been proposed to use the CMOS technology, presently employed only in integrated electronic circuits. Hitherto however, CCD technology has been preferred to CMOS technology, since its performance is better as to quantic efficiency, optical “fill factor” (i.e. the fraction of the useful area occupied by the individual detection element or pixel in order to acquire optical data), dark current leakage, reading noise and dynamics.
Recently, active pixel CMOS sensors (with an amplification section inside the pixel) have been developed, which have performance levels competitive with CCD sensors, but far greater functional capabilities. An image acquisition device can be divided into two parts, i.e. a (linear or matrix-type) optical sensor, supplying output electric signals correlated to the received light, and a unit for processing the electric signals. With the CCD technology used hitherto, whenever the processing unit has to collect data from the optical sensor, it must access all the pixels forming the optical sensor in a predetermined sequence. On the other hand, CMOS technology allows the processing unit to access any pixel directly, without having to comply with a specific order, and without the need to access all the existing pixels. In addition, CMOS sensors are fully compatible with logic circuits produced using CMOS technology itself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe object of the invention is thus to provide a device and a method for acquiring optical data, exploiting the intrinsic advantages of CMOS technology, compared with CCD technology.
According to the present invention, a device is provided for the acquisition and automatic processing of data from optical codes, characterised, in combination, by:
a CMOS optical sensor;
an analog processing unit connected to said CMOS optical sensor;
an analog/digital conversion unit connected to said analog processing unit; and
a data-processing unit, connected to said analog/digital conversion unit.
The CMOS sensor can be of linear or matrix type; the device is also provided with a display unit and a keyboard and/or a mouse. An interface permits connection to radio, telephone, GSM or satellite systems.
The CMOS sensor and at least one of the analog and digital image processing units, are preferably integrated in a single chip; consequently the device is cheap, fast and less sensitive to noise.
The device initially advantageously acquires low-resolution images; in the low-resolution images, it looks for interest regions; then it acquires high-resolution images in the interest regions and decodes data in the high-resolution images.
According to the invention, a method is also provided for automatically acquiring data obtained from optical codes, comprising the steps of generating an analog electric signal correlated to the brightness of an image through a CMOS optical sensor; processing said analog electric signal in an analog manner; converting said analog electric signal into a digital signal; and processing said digital signal to extract coded optical data.
In addition, the invention relates to a device for automatic acquisition of data obtained from optical codes, characterised, in combination, by:
a CMOS optical sensor;
an analog processing unit connected to said CMOS optical sensor; and
an analog/digital conversion unit connected to said analog processing unit.
Further characteristics of the invention will become apparent from the description of some preferred embodiments, provided purely by way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the attached drawings, wherein:
In
In detail, the CMOS sensor 5, of known type, comprises a linear or matrix-type array of sensing elements produced using CMOS technology and intended to provide each an image element (pixel). Hereinafter, for the sake of simplicity of description, the term pixel indicates both the image elements taken from each sensing element and the sensing elements themselves. The CMOS sensor 5 then supplies at the output an analog signal correlated to the quantity of light incident on the sensing elements themselves.
The analog processing unit 6, receiving the output signal from CMOS sensor 5 on a line 8, has the function of adapting the output signal from CMOS sensor 5 and allowing subsequent digital conversion of the signal; in particular, it serves the purpose of making the signal compatible with the voltage values required by the A/D converter 7, through automatic gain control; eliminating the (thermal and electro-magnetic) noise generated inside CMOS sensor 5, or picked up from the exterior; and modifying the signal to compensate blurring or excessive image definition.
A/D converter 7, connected to the output of the analog processing unit 6 via a line 9, transforms the analog signal supplied by the analog processing unit 6 into a succession of digital pulses, by sampling the analog signal at suitable moments and coding the data in digital form. In particular, in the simplest case, A/D converter 7 can also use a single bit (and supply only a white/black data), but more generally it is a N bit converter (e.g. 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16).
A digital logic control unit 10 is connected to CMOS sensor 5, to analog processing unit band to A/D converter 7, through respective lines 11-13, and supplies them with control signals necessary for their operation, for example activation and synchronism signals. Logic control unit 10 comprises hardware and software components for managing blocks 5-7 and can also carry out very complex tasks.
The output 7a of A/D converter 7 is connected to a microprocessor 15, belonging to the processing unit 3 and connected to an own ROM memory 16 for program storing, and to an own RAM memory 17 for storing data, digital image and program information during execution. Microprocessor 15 is connected to logic control unit 10 via a line 18 and supplies control signals for acquiring the signals associated with all the pixels (frame), or acquiring the signals associated only with some specific pixels, as described hereinafter in greater detail with reference to
In the device 1, CMOS sensor 5 and at least one of the elements of the image detector 2 and/or the processing unit 3, are integrated in a single chip. In the example illustrated in
The device 1 is thus very compact and has lower production costs and a high image processing speed, due to the closeness of the components and lack of external connections.
The device 1 of
In this case also, the CMOS sensor 5 can be of the linear or matrix type.
According to a variant, also shown in the block diagram of
Image detector 2 and data transfer and control interface 35 are advantageously integrated in a single chip 38. In the illustrated example, device 1a of
The device 1a of
Data transfer and control interface 35 transfers the images acquired to the personal computer and receives the commands from the latter, so as to allow image processing (for example in the manner described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to
The additional memory 25 is part of the image detector 2 and stores the digital image formed by a plurality of dots, the digital value whereof is supplied by A/D converter 7. Thereby, a dedicated component outside image detector 2 is not necessary for image storing.
In the device 1 of
In addition, device 1 can be fully integrated (in a manner not shown) in a single-chip with data and control transfer interface 35, or it can be only partially integrated, as previously described.
DMA controller 30 is part of the image detector 2 and has the aim of quickly furnishing available digital image to microprocessor 15, by transferring it directly to RAM memory 17. In particular, when the image must be transferred to RAM memory 17, the DMA controller 30 requests the microprocessor 15 for control of the data bus 33, via the control line 32 and when it obtains this control, it generates the addresses and the control signals necessary to store the output image of A/D converter 7 directly in RAM memory 17. When the transfer has been carried out, control of data bus 33 is returned to the microprocessor 15, which processes the image which has just been loaded.
The device 1 of
The device 1 of
The 8-bit A/D conversion limits the image transfer and processing complexity and speeds up the image processing operations for acquiring data contained in the image.
According to another embodiment shown in
In the device of
The 8-bit converter ensures that the signal is converted with higher resolution than in the case of
To improve the reading speed, the device 1 functions as shown in the flowchart of
Double acquisition of the above-described type can be obtained through a CMOS sensor 5, allowing direct access to the pixels and/or having variable shape pixels, as described hereinafter. In addition, data management is based on the following sequence of steps: detecting optical data (also known as image acquisition) via CMOS sensor 5; identifying interest areas (also known as localization), carried out by the microprocessor 15, program-controlled; and interpreting the data (also known as decoding), also carried out by microprocessor 15 through a software.
In practice, the present device 1 works in every processing step (localization or decoding), with detail levels (image resolution) fitted to the purpose, without making the process excessively onerous. In particular, during localization, lower and rougher resolution is used, to reduce the dimensions of the image to be processed, for determining the position of the data in the image as a whole. Subsequently, only the interest regions, which are supposed to contain data to be interpreted, are acquired by CMOS sensor 5 at a higher resolution; thereby, the decoding algorithms can be applied only to reduced portions of image and the times necessary both for localization and decoding as a whole can be reduced.
In particular, an acquisition method is now described, in which there is direct access to the pixels of the image detector 2, with reference to the flowchart of
In this hypothesis, low-resolution acquisition 40 is carried out by a regular subsampling of the image with maximum resolution (thus obtaining for example a first image formed from one line out of every two and one column out of every two, of the image with maximum resolution).
The step of image analysis 41 is carried out by using an algorithm for identifying interest regions on the first image (with reduced dimensions) obtained in step 40. This algorithm can for example search for the regions with greatest contrast and ignore the regions with low contrast, since the conventional optical codes use the alternation of light and dark regions to encode data. Thereby, a list of interest regions is obtained.
The step of high-resolution acquisition 42 then comprises acquiring, for each interest region, only the window containing the interest region, at the maximum resolution. The decoding step 43 then applies the decoding algorithm to each portion of thus obtained image.
A different acquisition method is now described, using variable shape pixels. In particular, it is assumed that a CMOS sensor 5 is used, wherein all pixels are the same and adjacent pixels can be grouped together by hardware so as to be physically connected to one another through controllable switches in order to obtain macropixels with larger dimensions. In this respect, see
According to the variable-shape pixel method and with reference to
According to another aspect of the present invention, pixels with a variable height are used. This approach is particularly advantageous to improve the reading capability in case of linear bar codes and stacked codes (i.e obtained by superimposing a series of bar codes with a very low height). Specifically, this method is based either on the possibility of producing macropixels with a rectangular shape and a different number of elementary pixels, or on the possibility of configuring height and active area of the pixel of the CMOS sensors in the manner described hereinafter.
Specifically, for reading linear codes (conventional bar codes), use of sensors with rectangular pixels having vertical dimensions much greater than horizontal dimensions (considering as horizontal the direction of the reading line), makes it possible to obtain a relatively broad sensitive detection area with respect to the horizontal dimension; thereby giving greater sensitivity and a better signal to noise ratio, as is immediately apparent by comparing
On the other hand, sensors with a reduced pixel height are advantageous in reading optical codes having elements not in line with the pixels (
In particular, the configurability of the pixel shape in CMOS sensors can be obtained by reducing appropriately the sensing area of each pixel. In fact, as is known, each CMOS pixel is formed by a photoelement generating at the output an electric current correlated to the received light quantity and used to charge a storage capacitor. The photoelement has superimposed a gate element, whose biasing makes it possible to isolate a portion of the facing sensing area, thus activating only part of the photoelement sensing area. Therefore, with a sensing area of rectangular shape, such as that shown in
The above-described possibility of varying the shape of the pixels allows a same detector device to have two (or more) different operative configurations and thus to employ a single data acquisition device for different codes or in a priori unknown reading conditions (for example with unknown inclination of a bar code).
In this case, an algorithm may be implemented, initially attempting reading with maximum height and reducing the height in case of unsuccessful reading. Height reduction can be gradual, if CMOS sensor 5 allows a discrete regulation of the pixel height to obtain a plurality of different heights.
In this case, the data acquisition device with variable shape pixels can operate according to
The advantages of the described device and method are as follows. Firstly, they allow integration in a single chip of both the sensor and at least part of the VLSI logic circuits, thus reducing the costs for the components and packaging of the entire device; in addition, they exploit the inherent advantages of CMOS technology for reading optical coded data; in particular, they allow acquisition of selective image sub-sets, on the basis of the image processing stage, thus simplifying and speeding up data processing.
The present device can be produced according to one of the various above-described architectures, according to the specific application requirements and specific characteristics.
The possibility of integrating significant portions of the device in a single chip permits firstly reduction of the device dimensions (which is particularly advantageous in case of manual optical readers, physically supported by an operator) and secondly, reduction of the processing times and interferences caused by connections, wires etc.
Finally, it is apparent that many modifications and variants can be made to the device and the method described and illustrated here, all of which come within the context of the invention, as defined in the attached claims. In particular, the various blocks described with reference to specific architectures can also be used in different architectures, in accordance with very varied combinations, on the basis of the specific requirements.
Claims
1. A device for the acquisition of data obtained from reading at least one type of optical code having data coded therein by a combination of elements in accordance with pre-defined rules, comprising:
- means for generating an electric signal correlated to the brightness of an image including a CMOS optical sensor comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of lines and columns; and
- acquisition means for acquiring an electric signal from at least one window of pixels of said CMOS optical sensor, said window comprising a sub-portion of said plurality of pixels, said acquisition means comprising configuration means for configuring at least one of the size and shape of said window dependent upon the type of optical code being read.
2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said window includes at least a portion of at least two lines or two columns of said CMOS optical sensor.
3. The device according to claim 2 wherein said at least two lines or two columns are respectively adjacent lines or adjacent columns.
4. The device according to claim 2 wherein said at least two lines or two columns are respectively non adjacent lines or non-adjacent columns.
5. The device according to claim 1 further comprising:
- processing means for processing the electrical signal acquired from said window,
- wherein said acquisition means is configured for acquiring an electric signal from at least one further window of pixels of said CMOS optical sensor according to a result of the processing of the electrical signal by the processing means, said further window being different from said window in at least one of size and shape.
6. A device for the acquisition of data obtained from reading at least one type of optical code having data coded therein by a combination of elements in accordance with pre-defined rules, comprising:
- an image detector comprising a CMOS optical sensor, the CMOS optical sensor comprising a plurality of CMOS sensing elements, the image detector further comprising an analog to digital conversion unit connected to said CMOS optical sensor;
- a data-processing unit, connected to said image detector, comprising; a microprocessor; and a data memory unit connected to said microprocessor;
- wherein the device further comprises a volatile memory which is interposed between said analog to digital conversion unit and said microprocessor.
7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said volatile memory is connected to said analog to digital conversion unit by means of a first connection and to said microprocessor by means of a second connection, said second connection being entirely distinct from said first connection.
8. The device according to claim 6, wherein said volatile memory is part of said image detector.
9. The device according to claim 6, wherein said volatile memory is a RAM.
10. The device according to claim 6, further comprising a Direct Memory Access Controller connected between said analog to digital conversion unit and said data memory unit.
11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said Direct Memory Access Controller is part of said image detector.
12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the configuration means has different operative configurations corresponding to reading a linear code, reading a stacked code and reading a two-dimensional code.
13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the configuration means has two or more different operative configurations corresponding to reading different types of optical codes.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 30, 2013
Publication Date: Jun 6, 2013
Applicant: DATALOGIC S.P.A. (Lippo di Calderara di Reno)
Inventor: DATALOGIC S.P.A. (Lippo di Calderara di Reno)
Application Number: 13/753,912