An apparatus for automatically detecting a mark

Abstract

An automatic visual detection mark device, the device comprises: a base body integrally formed with a scanning head; a light supplementing part fixedly connected to the scanning head in a ring shape, the light supplementing part comprises a lampshade and a plurality of lamp beads fixedly connected to the scanning head in a ring array; a detection part fixedly connected to the scanning head, the detection part acquires an image of an object scanned by the device; wherein the detection part and the light supplementing part are electrically connected, and each lamp bead is independently electrically connected with the detection part; when the detection part judges that there is a dark area in a part of the image, the lamp beads on the side close to the dark area in the light supplementing part emit light, and the light transmits through the lampshade to supplement light for the scanned object.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of data acquisition equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic visual inspection and marking device. Background Technology

[0002] As an automatic identification and data acquisition device used in various application scenarios, the barcode scanner's technology is primarily based on optical sensing and digital image processing. During operation, its built-in light source system first emits an illumination beam onto the surface of the target object. Then, an image sensor receives the light signal reflected back from the object's surface and converts it into a digital image. Finally, a built-in or online decoding algorithm locates, extracts, and identifies the target features in the image, thereby converting physical information into digital data. This technology has been widely applied in numerous fields such as retail checkout, logistics sorting, inventory management, and industrial production lines, significantly improving the efficiency and accuracy of data entry.

[0003] However, despite the relatively mature technology of existing barcode scanners, significant technical drawbacks remain in complex real-world applications, particularly in terms of lighting adaptability. Firstly, the performance of existing devices deteriorates sharply, even to the point of complete failure, in insufficient ambient light. Currently, most barcode scanners rely on built-in LED light sources with fixed angles and brightness for illumination. In dimly lit environments such as warehouses and nighttime work sites, the illumination intensity of this single light source is limited and rapidly decreases with distance. When the surface of the target object has low reflectivity or the barcode contrast is insufficient, the image sensor cannot capture a sufficiently clear and distinctive image, resulting in a low signal-to-noise ratio. This makes it difficult for the decoding algorithm to effectively identify the object, leading to reading failures.

[0004] Secondly, even with supplemental lighting, the fixed angle is severely mismatched with the complex and diverse surface characteristics of objects, requiring repeated manual adjustments to the scanning angle for successful scanning. Different object surfaces, such as highly reflective metal cans, curved bottle walls, frosted plastic, or wrinkled paper labels, exhibit vastly different light reflection characteristics, such as the difference between specular and diffuse reflection. A fixed supplemental lighting angle may be effective for some flat surfaces, but when encountering objects of special materials or shapes, it easily produces strong localized reflections or shadows. This optical noise can obscure critical feature data. To solve this problem, operators must rely on experience to manually adjust the relative angle between the scanner and the object, trying multiple times to find a position that precisely avoids reflections and makes the barcode clearly visible. This process is tedious and inefficient, severely slowing down the overall data acquisition operation.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an automatic visual inspection and marking device that can provide supplementary lighting for scanned objects in dim environments and improve the accuracy of the supplementary lighting. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic visual inspection and marking device that can provide supplementary lighting for scanned objects in dim environments and improve the accuracy of the supplementary lighting.

[0007] According to one aspect of this application, an apparatus for automatically visually detecting marks is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0008] The substrate is integrally formed with the scanning head;

[0009] The supplementary lighting unit is fixedly connected to the scanning head in a ring shape. The supplementary lighting unit includes a lamp cover and a number of LED beads fixedly connected to the scanning head in a ring array.

[0010] The detection unit is fixedly connected to the scanning head, and the detection unit acquires an image of the object being scanned by the device;

[0011] The detection unit and the supplementary lighting unit are electrically connected, and each of the lamp beads is independently electrically connected to the detection unit. When the detection unit determines that there is a dark area in a certain region of the image, the lamp bead in the supplementary lighting unit that is closer to the dark area emits light, and the light passes through the lamp cover to supplement the light on the scanned object.

[0012] More preferably, the substrate also integrally forms a handheld portion, which is located on the substrate at one end away from the scanning head.

[0013] More preferably, the device further includes a trigger button, which is slidably connected to the base and located on the handheld part.

[0014] More preferably, the device further includes:

[0015] The power supply unit is fixedly connected to the bottom of the handheld unit;

[0016] The power supply section is electrically connected to the LED beads, the scanning head, and the detection section, respectively.

[0017] More preferably, the LED bead is electrically connected to the detection unit and is also signal-connected to the detection unit.

[0018] More preferably, when the trigger button moves toward the handheld part, the detection part and the power supply part are energized, the scanning head and the power supply part are energized, and the scanning head is activated to scan the object.

[0019] More preferably, when the scanning head scans an object, the scanning light is emitted along a first direction perpendicular to the mirror surface of the scanning head.

[0020] More preferably, the lamp emits cool white light, and the lumen value L of the light emitted by one of the lamps satisfies the relationship: 5lm≤L≤20lm;

[0021] Where lm is the luminous flux unit of light, lumen.

[0022] More preferably, the substrate is made of a combination of one or more of engineering plastics, PC plastics, or aluminum alloys.

[0023] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] The detection unit acquires an image of the object being scanned by the device, and controls the LEDs to emit light when the detection unit determines that there are dark areas in a portion of the image. This allows the device to provide supplementary lighting for the scanned object in dim environments. Furthermore, by using LEDs located near the dark areas in the supplementary lighting unit, the light passes through the lampshade to illuminate the scanned object, achieving directional supplementary lighting and improving the device's lighting accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the equipment described in one embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the equipment described in one embodiment of this application after the lamp cover has been removed, viewed from the front.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the equipment described in one embodiment of this application, viewed from another direction.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the equipment described in one embodiment of this application, viewed from the side.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals: 100, Device; 10, Substrate; 11, Scanning head; 12, Handheld part; 20, Illumination part; 21, Lamp cover; 22, Lamp bead; 30, Detection part; 40, Trigger button; 50, Power supply part; F1, First direction. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings. However, this application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this application.

[0032] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly attached to the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 1 - Figure 4 One embodiment of this application provides an automatic visual detection device 100 for marking, the device 100 including: a substrate 10, a supplementary lighting unit 20 and a detection unit 30.

[0035] The substrate 10 integrally forms a scanning head 11. A supplementary lighting unit 20 is fixedly connected in a ring to the scanning head 11. The supplementary lighting unit 20 includes a lampshade 21 and a plurality of LED beads 22 fixedly connected in a ring array to the scanning head 11. A detection unit 30 is fixedly connected to the scanning head 11, and the detection unit 30 acquires an image of the object scanned by the device 100. The detection unit 30 and the supplementary lighting unit 20 are electrically connected, and each LED bead 22 is independently electrically connected to the detection unit 30. When the detection unit 30 determines that there is a dark area in a portion of the image, the LED bead 22 in the supplementary lighting unit 20 near the dark area emits light, and the light passes through the lampshade 21 to supplement the scanning object.

[0036] In this application's technical solution, after the trigger button 40 is pressed, the scanner simultaneously activates the detection unit 30 and the scanning head 11 to capture an image. The detection unit 30 acquires the overall image of the scanned object, and the scanner's built-in processor analyzes the overall grayscale level of this image. If the ambient light reflection in some areas is insufficient, the color of that area will be darker, making it difficult to capture the features to be scanned. If the grayscale value reaches the processor's preset value, the LEDs 22 in the supplementary lighting unit 20 will be turned on, and the LEDs 22 will be individually controlled according to the location of the dark area to accurately supplement the light. For highly reflective objects, the area surrounding the locally overexposed area is often a dark area. By supplementing the dark area only, the illumination across the entire field of view can be balanced, while suppressing glare and eliminating shadows, without requiring the user to manually find the angle. The scanner itself finds the optimal illumination angle.

[0037] More preferably, the substrate 10 also integrally forms a handheld part 12, which is located on the substrate 10 at one end away from the scanning head 11.

[0038] When the operator holds the device naturally, the wrist and forearm form a stable support point, and the weight and center of gravity of the entire device 100 are evenly distributed in the palm, significantly reducing fatigue caused by prolonged operation. Secondly, this layout provides ample operating distance for the hand, allowing the user to finely adjust the angle and distance between the scanning head 11 and the object being measured without twisting the wrist or moving the arm significantly, thus achieving precise and flexible aiming.

[0039] More preferably, the device 100 further includes a trigger button 40, which is slidably connected to the base 10 and located on the handheld part 12.

[0040] In this system, while the operator's hand fully grips the handle to stabilize the device 100, a simple tightening grip with the index finger drives the sliding button inward, triggering the scan. This significantly increases the speed of continuous scanning, and the triggering action itself does not cause any interference with the aiming posture of the scanning head 11, thus ensuring extremely high accuracy when scanning small or distant objects.

[0041] More preferably, the device 100 further includes a power supply unit 50.

[0042] The power supply unit 50 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the handheld unit 12. The power supply unit 50 is electrically connected to the lamp bead 22, the scanning head 11, and the detection unit 30.

[0043] Among these components, the battery, being the heaviest single unit in the device 100, directly determines the stability and maneuverability when held. Placing it at the bottom of the handheld unit 12 acts as a natural counterweight below the grip point, ensuring the device 100's natural center of gravity falls within the palm of the hand. This effectively suppresses the tendency for the front end to droop due to top-heavy design, significantly reducing the torque required by the user's wrist to maintain the scanning angle. This results in effortless and stable hovering aiming, particularly beneficial for high-intensity work scenarios requiring long-term continuous scanning. Simultaneously, this layout maximizes the use of the internal space of the handheld unit 12, isolating the high-power scanning head 11 and the supplementary lighting unit 20 from the power supply unit 50, preventing heat accumulation and facilitating overall heat dissipation.

[0044] More preferably, the LED bead 22 is electrically connected to the detection unit 30 and is also signal-connected to the detection unit 30.

[0045] Traditional barcode scanner fill lights are typically driven by a simple power supply circuit, enabling only a global on / off switch function for all LEDs 22. In this solution, the processor within the detection unit 30 acts as the control center, issuing precise on / off commands to the fill light unit 20 for each LED 22 based on image analysis results. Independent signal connections provide each LED 22 with its own dedicated communication channel, ensuring that the digital control signals from the processor are accurately transmitted and applied to the designated individual LED 22, thus achieving independent and precise control over its on / off state. This point-to-point control capability is key to transforming the ring-shaped fill light unit 20 from a single illumination component into a pixelated light and shadow brush directly controlled by the processor. It allows the system to provide precise localized fill light for specific dark areas identified in the image, rather than cumbersome full-field illumination, thereby efficiently overcoming reflection and overexposure shadow problems.

[0046] More preferably, when the trigger button 40 moves toward the handheld part 12, the detection part 30 and the power supply part 50 are energized, the scanning head 11 and the power supply part 50 are energized, and the scanning head 11 is activated to scan the object.

[0047] Using the mechanical movement of the trigger button 40 as the sole switch for powering on the entire system means that the device 100 can achieve complete electrical isolation from the power supply unit 50 when not in use, thus achieving true zero standby power consumption. This is crucial for portable devices 100 that rely on batteries, as it can greatly extend their battery life.

[0048] More preferably, when the scanning head 11 scans an object, the scanning light is emitted along a first direction F1 perpendicular to the mirror surface of the scanning head 11.

[0049] The perpendicular outgoing light path to the mirror ensures that the scanning light reaches the target object's surface directly with zero-angle incidence. This normal incidence minimizes perspective distortion caused by oblique light, ensuring that the image sensor captures a true orthographic projection of the marker's size and shape, providing a geometrically accurate data foundation for subsequent precise decoding and measurement. Secondly, this layout optimally receives the mirror-reflected light returning from the object's surface along the original path; this is the reflected light with the highest signal intensity, providing the sensor with the brightest image signal and the best signal-to-noise ratio, greatly enhancing recognition capabilities in low-contrast or poorly lit environments.

[0050] More preferably, the lamp bead 22 emits cool white light, and the lumen value L of the light emitted by one lamp bead 22 satisfies the relationship: 5lm ≤ L ≤ 20lm. lm is the unit of luminous flux of light, lumen.

[0051] The cool white light, with a color temperature of 6000K-7000K, allows the scanning head 11 to convert received light signals into electrical signals more efficiently. This results in brighter, less noisy, high-quality images under the same lighting conditions, laying the foundation for subsequent image recognition. Simultaneously, cool white light produces a stronger reflection difference when encountering the black and white bars and spaces of a barcode, significantly improving the sharpness of image edges and overall contrast. The luminous flux of a single LED 22 is precisely limited to between 5 and 20 lumens. The lower limit of 5 lumens ensures that even when scanning highly reflective objects at extremely close range, the brightness of a single LED 22 is sufficient to effectively compensate for local shadows without causing fatal glare due to excessive brightness. The upper limit of 20 lumens constrains the power consumption and heat generation of a single LED 22, ensuring that the total brightness of the entire ring array is sufficient to cover the needs of mid-range scanning when fully lit, while the total power consumption is still controlled within a range easily supported by the battery, avoiding unnecessary energy waste and heat dissipation pressure.

[0052] More preferably, the substrate 10 is made of a combination of one or more of engineering plastics, PC plastics, or aluminum alloys.

[0053] Among them, ABS plastic is the engineering plastic, which is the most economical choice, offering good moldability and insulation, and is the foundation for achieving lightweighting and cost control, mainly targeting commercial applications. PC plastic, or polycarbonate, significantly improves the impact strength and heat resistance of the equipment 100. Its high toughness effectively absorbs the energy generated by drops and collisions, ensuring that the equipment 100 can work stably for a long time in harsh industrial environments. It is often blended with ABS plastic to balance performance and cost. Aluminum alloy serves as the skeleton, providing the equipment 100 with unparalleled structural rigidity and excellent heat dissipation capabilities, able to withstand the most extreme physical impacts and heat accumulation during long-term high-load operation.

[0054] In this way, by acquiring an image of the object scanned by the device 100 through the detection unit 30, and controlling the LED beads 22 to emit light when the detection unit 30 determines that there are dark areas in a certain region of the image, the device 100 can provide supplementary lighting for the scanned object in a dim environment. Furthermore, by using the LED beads 22 near the dark area in the supplementary lighting unit 20 to emit light, and having the light pass through the lampshade 21 to supplement the scanned object, directional supplementary lighting is achieved, improving the supplementary lighting accuracy of the device 100.

[0055] The embodiments described above are merely examples of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic visual inspection device for marking, characterized in that, The device includes: The substrate is integrally formed with the scanning head; The supplementary lighting unit is fixedly connected to the scanning head in a ring shape. The supplementary lighting unit includes a lamp cover and a number of LED beads fixedly connected to the scanning head in a ring array. The detection unit is fixedly connected to the scanning head, and the detection unit acquires an image of the object being scanned by the device; The detection unit and the supplementary lighting unit are electrically connected, and each of the lamp beads is independently electrically connected to the detection unit. When the detection unit determines that there is a dark area in a certain region of the image, the lamp bead in the supplementary lighting unit that is closer to the dark area emits light, and the light passes through the lamp cover to supplement the light on the scanned object.

2. The device for automatic visual inspection of markings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate also integrally forms a handheld portion, which is located at one end of the substrate away from the scanning head.

3. The device for automatic visual inspection of markings according to claim 2, characterized in that, The device also includes a trigger button, which is slidably connected to the base and located on the handheld part.

4. The device for automatic visual inspection of markings according to claim 3, characterized in that, The device also includes: The power supply unit is fixedly connected to the bottom of the handheld unit; The power supply section is electrically connected to the LED beads, the scanning head, and the detection section, respectively.

5. The device for automatic visual inspection of markings according to claim 4, characterized in that, The LED bead is electrically connected to the detection unit and is also signal-connected to the detection unit.

6. The device for automatic visual inspection of markings according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the trigger button moves toward the handheld part, the detection part and the power supply part are energized, the scanning head and the power supply part are energized, and the scanning head is activated to scan the object.

7. The device for automatic visual inspection of markings according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the scanning head scans an object, the scanning light is emitted along a first direction perpendicular to the mirror surface of the scanning head.

8. The device for automatic visual inspection of markings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lamp bead emits cool white light, and the lumen value L of the light emitted by one of the lamp beads satisfies the following relationship: 5lm≤L≤20lm; Where lm is the luminous flux unit of light, lumen.

9. The device for automatic visual inspection of markings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate is made of a combination of one or more of engineering plastics, PC plastics, or aluminum alloys.

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