Optical information gathering device and method

Abstract

The present invention provides an optical information collecting device and a method thereof. The optical information collecting device includes an image sensor, a decode unit, and a central processing unit. The image sensor collects image data of optical information. The decode unit decodes the image data according to a preset decoding algorithm. When the central processing unit is triggered, the central processing unit controls the image sensor to collect image data and controls the decode unit to decode the image data. When the central processing unit is triggered, the central processing unit sends a command to remove image data of N frames having a predetermined frame number. The image data of N frames having a predetermined frame number is image data collected by a previous trigger and remaining in the optical information collecting device. This can avoid the remaining image data being decoded and output, avoid decoding errors, and improve decoding efficiency.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of optical information gathering technology, and more particularly to an optical information gathering device and method. [Background technology]

[0002] Collecting optical information through image scanning includes collecting various optical information that can be read by the device, such as one-dimensional codes, two-dimensional codes, OCR graphics and text, ultraviolet anti-counterfeit codes, infrared anti-counterfeit codes, etc.

[0003] When collecting optical information, supplemental illumination is usually used to obtain a clear image. However, in conventional supplemental illumination methods, supplemental illumination is continuously used when collecting optical information, which can result in increased heat generation and energy consumption.

[0004] The Chinese patent application number CN201810098421.0 discloses a low-power consumption supplemental lighting method invented by the inventor of the present application, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. An optical imaging unit activates supplemental lighting during the exposure time of a frame period and turns off the supplemental lighting during the collection time of the frame period. By periodically opening and closing the supplemental lighting device, energy consumption can be reduced.

[0005] The frame period of the optical imaging unit is 50 ms or less, and the preferred frame period of the optical imaging unit is 20 ms or less. This allows the optical imaging unit to collect tens of frames of images within 1 second. The optical imaging unit usually collects images continuously using a digital streaming method, and successfully recognized optical information corresponds to one frame of image. Once the optical information is successfully recognized, the optical imaging unit will not collect other images again and will stop collecting optical information.

[0006] When the optical information is successfully recognized, the optical imaging unit continuously collects images in a digital stream manner. If the optical information is successfully recognized for one frame of the image and multiple frame images are subsequently collected continuously, the subsequently collected multiple frame images will not be used to recognize the optical information, which may result in energy waste.

[0007] A Chinese patent with application number CN201811485945.1 discloses a low-power barcode scanning system and method invented by the inventor of the present application, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The image sensor is in a standby state before being triggered, and once decoding is successfully performed or the decoding time exceeds a predetermined duration, the image sensor is put into standby again. This method differs from the way a mobile phone is used. When a mobile phone launches a camera-related application, the camera may continuously scan images, which may increase energy consumption. However, since mobile phones do not use the camera for long periods of time, this energy consumption can be ignored. Although the method of scanning barcodes is different, the image sensor remains in a continuous active state due to the prolonged use of the image sensor to scan barcodes, which may reduce battery life.

[0008] However, the above issue may cause other problems. Research by the inventors of this application has shown that when an image sensor continuously acquires images using a digital stream method, the image sensor stops acquiring images once the decoding is successful or the decoding time exceeds a predetermined duration. (At this time, the barcode scanning system is put into a standby state, and the image sensor is powered on, but the image sensor does not scan or output images, thereby reducing energy consumption.) Although the probability of the image sensor having already acquired an image is low, it may have certain adverse effects. In this case, the acquired image is not output but remains in the image sensor's storage area (in image sensors with a buffer, the image remains in the buffer). In image sensors without a buffer, the electrical signals of the image remain in the PN junctions of the image sensor's pixel units, so when the image sensor acquires the next image, the image remaining in the PN junctions is output first.

[0009] According to the research of the inventors of the present application, when using a platform from Qualcomm or MediaTek, the image is stored not only in the image sensor but also in other storage devices, for example, in the buffer of the image signal processing device.

[0010] Therefore, it is necessary to solve the shortcomings of the conventional techniques by proposing new technical matters. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an optical information collecting device and method that can avoid decoding errors and reduce energy consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical features. The present invention provides an optical information collecting device, which includes an image sensor, a decoding unit, and a central processing unit, wherein the image sensor collects image data of optical information, and the decoding unit decodes the image data according to a preset decoding algorithm. When the central processing unit is triggered, the central processing unit controls the image sensor to collect image data and controls the decoding unit to decode the image data. When the central processing unit is triggered, the central processing unit sends a command to remove image data of N frames having a predetermined frame number, where the image data of the N frames having the predetermined frame number are image data collected by a previous trigger and remaining in the optical information collecting device.

[0013] N frames of image data having a predetermined number of frames comprise image data remaining in the storage area of ​​the image sensor.

[0014] The optical information collecting device further includes an image signal processor, which receives image data collected by the image sensor and sends the image data to the decoding unit, and N frames of image data having a predetermined number of frames include image data remaining in the image signal processor.

[0015] The N frames of image data from which a predetermined number of frames have been removed include image data of N frames that the decoding unit has not received and has a predetermined number of frames, image data of N frames that the decoding unit has not decoded and has a predetermined number of frames, or image data for which the decoding unit does not output or display decoded information for image data of N frames that has a predetermined number of frames.

[0016] The decoding unit starts decoding from the image data of the N+1th frame.

[0017] The present invention further provides the following optical information collection method, triggering the central processing unit to control the image sensor to collect and output image data; a step of removing image data of N frames having a predetermined frame number by a central processing unit receiving the image data and sending a command, wherein the image data of N frames having the predetermined frame number is image data collected by a previous trigger and remaining in the optical information collecting device; The decoding unit decodes the image data.

[0018] N frames of image data having a predetermined number of frames comprise image data remaining in the storage area of ​​the image sensor.

[0019] An image signal processor receives the image data collected by the image sensor, and the image signal processor further transmits the image data to the decoding unit, and N frames of image data having a predetermined number of frames include the image data remaining in the image signal processor.

[0020] The N frames of image data from which a predetermined number of frames have been removed include image data of N frames that the decoding unit has not received and has a predetermined number of frames, image data of N frames that the decoding unit has not decoded and has a predetermined number of frames, or image data for which the decoding unit does not output or display decoded information for image data of N frames that has a predetermined number of frames.

[0021] The decoding unit starts decoding from the image data of the N+1th frame.

[0022] The present invention further provides an optical information collecting device, which includes an image sensor, a decode unit, and a central processing unit. The image sensor collects image data of optical information. The decode unit receives and decodes the image data. The central processing unit controls the image sensor to collect image data and the decode unit to decode the image data. When the central processing unit is triggered, it controls the image sensor to collect and output image data for a fixed number of frames in a fixed frame mode and controls the decode unit to decode the image data. When image data for any one frame is successfully decoded, it stops decoding the remaining image data in the image data for the fixed number of frames.

[0023] The fixed frame mode includes image data of a fixed number of frames that the image sensor has not yet collected when the decoding unit is successful, and the image sensor further collects the image data of the fixed number of frames that have not yet been collected and outputs the image data of the fixed number of frames.

[0024] The fixed frame mode includes a fixed number of frames of image data that the decoding unit receives and decodes in sequence under the control of the central processing unit, and controls the image sensor to collect the fixed number of frames of image data again when the image data of the last frame of the fixed number of frames is not successfully decoded or before it is decoded.

[0025] The optical information collecting device does not include an image signal processor or does not use an image signal processor to optimize the image data collected by the image sensor.

[0026] The image sensor is configured to collect image data in the following order: a fixed frame mode with a preset number of frames, or a digital streaming mode where image data is collected continuously.

[0027] The present invention further provides the following optical information collection method, A step of triggering the central processing unit to control the image sensor to collect and output image data of a fixed number of frames in a fixed frame mode; The decoding unit receives and decodes the image data, and when the image data of any one frame is successfully decoded, stops decoding the remaining image data in the image data of the fixed number of frames.

[0028] When the decoding unit has successfully decoded the image data but the image sensor has not yet collected all of the image data for the fixed number of frames, the image sensor further collects the image data for the fixed number of frames that have not yet been collected and outputs the image data for the fixed number of frames.

[0029] The decoding unit sequentially receives and decodes image data of a fixed number of frames under the control of the central processing unit, and controls the image sensor to collect image data of the fixed number of frames again when the image data of the last frame of the image data of the fixed number of frames is not successfully decoded or before it is decoded.

[0030] The optical information collection method does not include an image signal processor or an image signal processor to optimize the image data collected by the image sensor.

[0031] The image sensor is configured to collect image data in the following order: a fixed frame mode with a preset number of frames, or a digital streaming mode where image data is collected continuously.

[0032] The present invention further provides an optical information collecting device, which includes an image sensor, a storage device, a decoding unit, and a central processing unit. The image sensor collects image data of optical information. One or more decoding algorithms are pre-installed in the storage device. The decoding unit receives and decodes the image data. The central processing unit controls the image sensor to continuously collect image data in a digital streaming mode and controls the decoding unit to sequentially decode the image data. When the decoding unit succeeds in decoding or the decoding time exceeds a predetermined duration, the central processing unit stops the image sensor from continuously collecting image data in the digital streaming mode and controls the image sensor to continuously collect and output image data for a fixed number of frames.

[0033] The optical information gathering device does not include an image signal processor or does not perform optimization processing of image data by an image signal processor.

[0034] The image sensor outputs image data in RAW format, and the decoding unit obtains grayscale image data according to the image data in RAW format and performs decoding according to the grayscale image data.

[0035] The image data of the fixed number of frames is one frame or two frames.

[0036] The image data collected by the image sensor is directly transmitted to the decoding unit for decoding.

[0037] The present invention further provides the following optical information collection method, the central processing unit controls the image sensor to continuously collect and output image data in a digital streaming mode; a decoding unit receiving and decoding the image data, and stopping the image sensor from collecting image data in a digital streaming mode when the decoding unit is successful; and controlling the image sensor to continuously collect and output a fixed number of frames of image data.

[0038] The optical information gathering device does not include an image signal processor or does not perform optimization processing of image data by an image signal processor.

[0039] The image sensor outputs image data in RAW format, and the decoding unit obtains grayscale image data according to the image data in RAW format and performs decoding according to the grayscale image data.

[0040] The image data of the fixed number of frames is one frame or two frames.

[0041] The image data collected by the image sensor is directly transmitted to the decoding unit for decoding. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0042] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of an optical information collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an optical information collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the optical information collecting device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of an optical information collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5]1 is a timing diagram illustrating an optical information collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention collecting optical information in a digital streaming mode. [Figure 6] 4 is a timing diagram illustrating how the optical information collecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention collects optical information. [Figure 7] 10 is another timing diagram illustrating how the optical information collecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention collects optical information. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the structure of an optical information collecting device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a timing diagram illustrating an optical information collecting device according to another embodiment of the present invention collecting optical information. [Figure 10] 10 is a timing diagram illustrating an optical information collecting device according to another embodiment of the present invention collecting optical information in a fixed frame mode. [Figure 11] 10 is a timing diagram illustrating an optical information collecting device according to another embodiment of the present invention collecting optical information in a mixed mode. [Figure 12] 10 is a timing diagram illustrating an optical information collecting device according to another embodiment of the present invention collecting optical information in another mixed mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] In order to make the object, structure, features, and effects of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings and specific examples.

[0044] Referring to Fig. 1, Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of an optical information collector 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As will be described below, the optical information collector 100 can collect one or more types of optical information, such as one-dimensional code, two-dimensional code, OCR graphics and text, ultraviolet anti-counterfeiting code, infrared anti-counterfeiting code, etc.

[0045] The optical information collecting device 100 includes at least one camera 1, which includes an optical system 2 (lens) that collects light and an image sensor 3 (sensor) that performs photoelectric conversion on the light collected by the optical system 2. The optical system 2 includes one or more reflectors, prisms, lenses, or a combination thereof, and the number of image sensors 3 can be one or more. One image sensor 3 can correspond to one or a set of the optical systems 2, or multiple image sensors 3 can share one or a set of the optical systems 2, or multiple or multiple sets of the optical systems 2 can share one image sensor 3. The image sensor 3 can be a CCD, CMOS, or other type of image sensor. The image sensor 3 converts optical signals into electrical signals and outputs digital signals representing image data.

[0046] The light information collecting device 100 includes one or more fill lights 4, which illuminate the camera 1 when it collects image data, thereby increasing the brightness of the light information. When the ambient brightness is high, the fill lights 4 may be omitted from providing supplementary lighting, or the light information collecting device 100 may not have any fill lights 4 at all. There are various supplementary lighting methods for the fill lights 4. For example, the fill lights 4 may continue providing supplementary lighting while the camera 1 collects light information, or the fill lights 4 may provide supplementary lighting during the exposure period of the image sensor 3 of the camera 1. Chinese Patent Application No. CN201810098421.0 discloses a fill light 4 providing supplementary lighting during the exposure period of the image sensor 3, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The fill lights 4 provide pulsed supplementary lighting, and the pulse time of the fill lights 4 may overlap with a portion of the exposure time of the image sensor 3.

[0047] The optical information collecting device 100 may further include a central processing unit 5 for carrying out various commands.

[0048] The optical information collecting device 100 may further include a storage device 6, which may be external to the optical information collecting device or integrated into the optical information collecting device. One or more decoding algorithms may be pre-installed in the storage device 6 as needed. Other programs or instructions may also be stored in the storage device 6. The storage device 6 may include one or more non-transient storage media, such as volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory, which may be portable or non-portable. The storage device 6 stores information, data, applications, instructions, etc., enabling the processing module to perform various functions according to embodiments of the present invention. For example, the storage device 6 buffers input data so that the central processing unit 5 can process the data. In another embodiment, the storage device 6 may be configured to store instructions processed by the central processing unit 5. The storage device 6 may be a main storage device and may be included in RAM or other volatile memory. The volatile memory may retain the contents stored in the volatile memory only during operation. The storage device 6 may also be included in a non-volatile memory, such as a ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, FLASH, or other storage device. The non-volatile memory maintains the contents stored therein by operating in conjunction with the power supply of the processing module. The storage device 6 may also be included in an auxiliary storage device for storing large amounts of data, such as an external magnetic disk storage device. In an embodiment of the present invention, the storage device 6 may communicate with the central processing unit 5 via input / output components, a data bus, or other components. The auxiliary storage device may include a hard disk, a compact disk, a DVD, a storage card, or other mass storage device commonly used by those skilled in the art. The storage device 6 may store one or more steps or methods related to the collection, transmission, processing, and decoding of various optical information of the present invention.

[0049] The optical information collecting device 100 further includes an image signal processor 7 (abbreviated as ISP), which performs optimization processing on the image data collected by the camera 1. The optimization processing can be one or more of linear correction, noise removal, bad point repair, color interpolation, white balance correction, exposure correction, etc. The optimization processing can improve the quality of the image data. For optical information that does not require color recognition, some or all of the optimization steps may not be performed. For example, color interpolation may not be performed. The image signal processor 7 can process one frame of image data per processing using a single core and single thread. The image signal processor 7 can process multiple frames of image data simultaneously using a multi-core and multi-thread. In other embodiments, the optical information collecting device 100 does not include an image signal processor 7 or does not perform optimization processing of the image data by the image signal processor 7.

[0050] The optical information collecting device 100 further includes a decode unit 8, which decodes the image data collected by the camera 1 using a pre-installed decoding algorithm and thereby recognizes optical information, such as decoding one-dimensional or two-dimensional codes, recognizing OCR graphics, or recognizing ultraviolet / infrared anti-counterfeit codes. The decode unit 8 can process one frame of image data per processing using a single core and single thread, or can decode multiple frames of image data simultaneously using multiple cores and multi-thread.

[0051] In another embodiment, some or all of the functional modules of the image signal processor 7 may be integrated into the central processing unit 5. For example, Chinese Patent Application No. CN201811115589.4 discloses a central processing unit 5 with an integrated image signal processor 7, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In another embodiment, some or all of the functional modules of the image signal processor 7 may be integrated into the image sensor 3. In another embodiment, the decode unit 8 may be integrated into the central processing unit 5, and the storage device 6 may be integrated into the central processing unit 5. In the following embodiment, when the image signal processor 7 performs image data optimization processing, it is preferable to integrate the image signal processor 7 and the decode unit 8 into the central processing unit 5, thereby reducing costs. The image signal processor 7 and the decode unit 8 do not necessarily have to be integrated into the central processing unit 5.

[0052] 2 and 3 show a handheld terminal as a specific embodiment of the optical information collecting device 100. The handheld terminal includes a case 9, a display panel 11, and buttons 12. A scanning window 10 is formed at the front end of the case 9, and the camera 1 housed inside the case 9 can collect optical information through the scanning window 10. In another embodiment, the optical information collecting device 100 may not include the display panel 11. In that case, the optical information collecting device 100 can transmit information to the external display panel 11 for display. The optical information collecting device 100 may be a fixed terminal, a desktop terminal, or other type of terminal. The optical information collecting device 100 may also be integrated into another device as a part of the other device.

[0053] The central processing unit 5 can output a trigger command in response to an external trigger, which is generated when a user presses a predetermined button 12, touches a predetermined area on the display panel 11, or performs a predetermined gesture to operate the optical information collecting device 100. When the central processing unit 5 is triggered by an external trigger, it outputs a trigger command according to a preset algorithm, thereby triggering the image sensor 3 to collect image data.

[0054] The image signal processor 7 performs an optimization process on the image data collected by the image sensor 3, and then outputs the optimized image data to the decoding unit 8 for decoding. Referring to FIG. 4, a bar code is collected by the optical information collecting device 100 according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. A user can trigger supplemental illumination by the fill light 4 and image data collection by the image sensor 3 by pressing a button 12. The image signal processor 7 sequentially receives image data collected by the image sensor 3 via a MIPI interface (Mobile Industry Processor Interface, abbreviated as MIPI) and performs an optimization process on the image data. The decoding unit 8 decodes the image data optimized by the image signal processor 7. When image data for one frame is successfully decoded, the decoding unit 8 stops decoding and notifies the central processing unit 5 of the successful decoding result. The central processing unit 5 outputs a command to stop the image sensor 3 from collecting image data.

[0055] The image sensor 3 continuously collects image data in digital streaming mode. Digital streaming mode means that the image sensor 3 continuously collects image data within a preset time period according to a preset algorithm. The decode unit 8 sequentially decodes the continuously collected image data using a single thread, or simultaneously decodes the continuously collected image data using multiple threads. When the decoding is successful or the decoding time exceeds a predetermined time period, the image sensor 3 stops collecting image data and the decode unit 8 stops decoding. For example, if the preset time period is 5 seconds, this means that the image sensor 3 continuously collects image data within 5 seconds. When all the image data collected by the image sensor 3 within 5 seconds is decoded, it is determined that the decoding time has exceeded the predetermined time period. When the image data of any one frame is successfully decoded, the central processing unit 5 stops the image sensor 3 from collecting image data and the decode unit 8 from decoding, even if the full 5 seconds have not yet elapsed.

[0056] FIG. 5 shows a timing diagram 200 in which the optical information collecting device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention collects optical information in digital streaming mode. The timing diagram 200 shows a trigger signal 201 generated by an external trigger, supplemental illumination timing 202 of the fill light 4, image data collection timing 203 in which the image sensor 3 continuously collects image data, and decode timing 204 of the decode unit 8. The trigger signal 201 triggers image data collection by the image sensor 3 and supplemental illumination by the fill light 4 at a high level, and stops image data collection by the image sensor 3 and supplemental illumination by the fill light 4 at a low level. The fill light 4 provides supplemental illumination at a high level of supplemental illumination timing 202 and stops supplemental illumination at a low level. The image data collection timing 203 and supplemental illumination timing 202 of the image sensor 3 operate simultaneously, and the image sensor 3 performs exposure at a high level of the image data collection timing 203 and outputs image data at a low level. The dashed arrow in Figure 5 indicates that the first frame of image data is output to the decoding unit 8 for decoding. The decoding unit 8 receives the first frame of image data at timing a, successfully decodes the first frame of image data at timing b, and feeds back the successfully decoded information to the central processing unit 5. The central processing unit 5 stops the image sensor 3 from collecting image data and stops the fill light 4 from providing supplemental illumination at timing c. Due to signal delays, the rising edge of the high level of the trigger signal 201 is slightly earlier than the rising edge of the high level of the image data collection timing 203, and the falling edge of the high level of the trigger signal is slightly earlier than timing c, at which the image sensor 3 stops collecting image data. Note that supplemental illumination may not be required when the ambient brightness is high.

[0057] As shown in timing diagram 200, when the decode unit 8 decodes image data, the image sensor 3 simultaneously collects new image data. When the image data of the first frame is decoded by the decode unit 8, the image sensor 3 collects seven frames of image data. The image data of the first to seventh frames is not sent to the decode unit 8 and is stored (remains) in the storage area 13 (cache or PN junction) of the image sensor 3 or in the register 14 corresponding to the image signal processor 7. According to the first in, first out principle, the image data collected later covers the image data collected earlier, so the image data of the seventh frame is stored in the register 14 of the image signal processor 7, the image data of the sixth frame is stored in the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3, and the image data of the second to fifth frames are covered by the new image data and are therefore removed.

[0058] When the optical information collecting device 100 is triggered again to collect new optical information, the decoding unit 8 first receives and decodes the image data remaining in the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3 or the register 14 of the image signal processor 7, which may result in a decoding error because the remaining image data is not the image data of the new optical information.

[0059] The present invention can solve the above problem and avoid the decoding error by the following method.

[0060] As shown in timing diagram 300 of Figure 6, a method according to an embodiment of the present invention can avoid decoding errors by removing image data for N frames (N≧1) and starting to decode image data for the (N+1)th frame. Timing diagram 300 shows a trigger signal 301 generated by an external trigger, a supplemental illumination timing 302 for the fill light 4, an image data collection timing 303 for the image sensor 3 to continuously collect image data, and a decode timing 304 for the decoding unit 8. When trigger signal 301 is at a high level, it triggers image data collection by the image sensor 3 and supplemental illumination by the fill light 4, and when it is at a low level, it stops image data collection by the image sensor 3 and supplemental illumination by the fill light 4. The fill light 4 provides supplemental illumination when supplemental illumination timing 302 is at a high level and stops supplemental illumination when it is at a low level. The image data collection timing 303 and supplemental illumination timing 302 of the image sensor 3 are simultaneously activated, and the image sensor 3 performs exposure when the image data collection timing 303 is at a high level and outputs image data when it is at a low level. One frame of image data remains in the image sensor 3 and the image signal processor 7, respectively. Two frames of image data are discarded from the predetermined number of frames N, and the image data for the previous two frames during image data collection timing 303 is not sent to the decoding unit 8. The dashed arrow in FIG. 6 indicates that the third frame of image data is output to the decoding unit 8 for decoding. At decoding timing 304, the decoding unit 8 receives and decodes the third frame of image data at timing d, successfully decodes the third frame of image data at timing e, and feeds back the successfully decoded information to the central processing unit 5. Due to a signal delay, the image sensor 3 stops collecting image data and the fill light 4 stops providing supplemental illumination at timing f. Note that supplemental illumination may not be required when the ambient brightness is high.As shown in image data collection timing 303, the image sensor 3 collects image data of the eighth frame, and the image data of the eighth frame remains in the register 14 of the image signal processor 7, and the image data of the seventh frame remains in the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3. When the light information collecting device 100 is triggered again to collect new light information, the light information collecting device 100 again removes the image data remaining in the image sensor 3 and the image signal processor 7, and decodes and outputs the image data of the third frame, thereby avoiding decoding errors.

[0061] As is well known, the predetermined number N of frames to be removed is greater than or equal to the number of frames of image data remaining when the image data was previously collected, and the predetermined number N is not limited to two frames. For example, when removing image data remaining in the image sensor 3 and the image signal processor 7, the predetermined number N of frames of remaining image data to be removed can be greater than or equal to two frames. The image data from which the remaining image data has been removed can include remaining image data not received by the decoding unit 8, remaining image data received by the decoding unit 8 but not decoded, or remaining image data decoded by the decoding unit 8. The decoded information is not output or displayed on the display panel 11. The information output and displayed on the display panel 11 is decoded information of new light information. For example, the image data collected by the previous trigger is stored in the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3 and the register 14 of the image signal processor 7, respectively. When new light information is collected by the next decoding, the image data of the previous two frames is removed, and the image data of the third frame and subsequent frames is used as image data of new light information, and the image data from the third frame onward is decoded. The steps are repeated until the decoding is successful or the decoding time exceeds a predetermined duration.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present invention, the optical information collecting device 100 may not require the image signal processor 7 to perform optimization processing on the image data. In this case, the image signal processor 7 only receives RAW image data from the image sensor 3, and transmits the unoptimized image data to the decode unit 8 for decoding. When the image data directly received by the decode unit 8 is grayscale image data (collecting only the luminance signal of the RAW image data), binary decoding can be easily performed on the image data. The image signal processor 7 is simply used as a data transmission path, and no image data remains in the register 14 of the image signal processor 7. In other embodiments, the optical information collecting device 100 may not include the image signal processor 7. The RAW image data collected by the image sensor 3 is directly transmitted to the decode unit 8 via a DVP (Digital Video Port) interface or an LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) interface. When only one frame of image data remains in the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3, new optical information is collected. In this case, the image data of one frame is removed, the image data of the second frame and subsequent frames are used as new light information image data, and the image data of the second frame and subsequent frames are decoded. The above steps are repeated until the decoding is successful or the decoding time exceeds a predetermined duration. In this embodiment, the light information is decoded starting from the second frame. Compared with the above method of decoding light information starting from the third frame, this embodiment reduces the time required to process the image data of one frame and the time required for supplemental illumination, thereby improving the decoding speed and reducing energy consumption. In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the light information collecting device 100 does not perform image data optimization processing using the image signal processor 7, thereby slightly reducing the time required to process the image data.

[0063] Referring to timing diagram 400 of FIG. 7, timing diagram 400 shows a trigger signal 401 generated by an external trigger, a supplemental illumination timing 402 of the fill light 4, an image data collection timing 403 in which the image sensor 3 continuously collects image data, and a decoding timing 404 of the decoding unit 8. When trigger signal 401 is at a high level, it triggers image data collection by the image sensor 3 and supplemental illumination by the fill light 4, and when it is at a low level, it stops image data collection by the image sensor 3 and supplemental illumination by the fill light 4. The fill light 4 provides supplemental illumination when supplemental illumination timing 402 is at a high level and stops supplemental illumination when it is at a low level. The optical information collecting device 100 may not perform image data optimization processing using the image signal processor 7. In this case, only one frame of image data from the previously collected image data remains in the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3, and the optical information collecting device 100 discards the image data of the first frame. The dashed arrow in FIG. 7 indicates that the image data of the second frame is output to the decoding unit 8 for decoding. The decoding unit 8 receives and decodes the image data of the second frame at timing g, successfully decodes the image data of the second frame at timing h, and feeds back the successfully decoded information to the central processing unit 5. Due to signal delays, the central processing unit 5 stops the image sensor 3 from collecting image data and stops the fill light 4 from providing supplemental illumination at timing i. Note that supplemental illumination may not be required when the ambient brightness is high. As shown in image data collection timing 403, the image sensor 3 collects six frames of image data, and the image data of the sixth frame remains in the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3. When the light information collecting device 100 is triggered again to collect new light information, the light information collecting device 100 again removes the image data of one frame remaining in the image sensor 3 and decodes and outputs the image data of the second frame, thereby avoiding decoding errors.

[0064] In the above method, each time new light information is collected, one or two frames of image data remaining in the image sensor 3 or image signal processor 7 are removed, thereby solving the problem of image data remaining in the image sensor 3 or image signal processor 7. According to actual needs, two or more frames of image data remaining in the image sensor 3 or image signal processor 7 can also be removed.

[0065] The above method has certain drawbacks. When collecting new light information, the image sensor 3 needs to output one frame of image data or various remaining image data for removal, and the decoding unit 8 needs to decode at least the second frame of image data, resulting in time waste. As is well known, when collecting new light information, the image data of the first frame output by the image sensor 3 is valid image data (image data of new light information), which can improve efficiency.

[0066] As is well known, emptying the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3 or the register 14 of the image signal processor 7 after each successful decoding prevents residual image data from remaining when collecting new light information. The image data of the first frame is image data of new light information, and starting decoding from the image data of the first frame can improve the decoding speed. This step can be performed using a preset algorithm. That is, the algorithm can be used to control the emptying of the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3 or the register 14 of the image signal processor 7 after a successful decoding. The preset algorithm for emptying the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3 or the register 14 of the image signal processor 7 is typically pre-installed by the manufacturer of the image sensor 3 or the image signal processor 7 (or the central processing unit 5 in which the image signal processor 7 is integrated). Manufacturers of the light information collecting device 100 typically purchase and use the image sensor 3 or the image signal processor 7. The arithmetic logic for processing image data is typically pre-installed in the image sensor 3 or the image signal processor 7 and cannot be easily modified. That is, the manufacturer's settings must be used as they are. When image data stored in the image sensor 3 or the image signal processor 7 is not decoded, the image data of the last frame is still stored in the image sensor 3 or the image signal processor 7, and the manufacturer of the optical information collecting device 100 cannot easily change it or directly remove the image data remaining in the image signal processor 7. The arithmetic logic installed in the image sensor 3 may differ depending on the manufacturer of the image sensor 3. The arithmetic logic installed in the image signal processor 7 may differ depending on the manufacturer of the image signal processor 7.Although image data remaining in the image sensor 3 or image signal processor 7 can be directly removed by adjusting it at the manufacturer of the optical information collecting device 100, when using an image sensor 3 or image signal processor 7 from another manufacturer, the image sensor 3 or image signal processor 7 must be adjusted again, which can significantly increase the amount of work. Therefore, it is necessary to propose a versatile method that can empty image data remaining in image sensors 3 or image signal processors 7 of different model numbers, thereby reducing the amount of work.

[0067] In the block diagram shown in FIG. 8 , the image data processing method preset in the image signal processor 7 can be omitted, and residual image data can be removed by other methods. In the optical information collecting device 100 of this embodiment, the image data optimization process is not performed by the image signal processor 7. The image data collected by the image sensor 3 is transmitted to the image signal processor 7 via a conventional MIPI interface and stored in a buffer 15 attached to the optical information collecting device 100. The buffer 15 can be integrated into the image signal processor 7 or external to the image signal processor 7. The decode unit 8 can read and decode the image data in the buffer 15. In this embodiment, the image data collected by the image sensor 3 can be transmitted to the image signal processor 7 via a conventional MIPI interface and then transmitted to the decode unit 8. Using a conventional MIPI interface simplifies the transmission of image data. In another embodiment, the image data collected by the image sensor 3 can be directly transmitted to the decode unit 8 for decoding without being transmitted to the image signal processor 7. Because the image data optimization process is not performed by the image signal processor 7, only one frame of image data remains in the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3. In this case, the image data of one frame remaining in the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3 can be removed by a predetermined method.

[0068] In an embodiment of the present invention, once the original decoding step is completed, for example, if the decoding is successfully performed, the central processing unit 5 sends a stop command to the image sensor 3 to stop collecting image data. Then, the central processing unit 5 sends a command again to the image sensor 3 to control the image sensor 3 to collect one frame of image data or multiple frames of image data and output the image data for that frame. Preferably, the image sensor 3 is controlled to collect one frame of image data, thereby emptying the image data in the storage area 13 of the image sensor 3 and allowing new light information to be collected next. The first frame of image data output by the image sensor 3 is the image data for the new light information. The last frame of image data output by the image sensor 3 can be output to the buffer 15 attached to the light information collecting device 100 and then deleted. Finally, the image data remaining in the image sensor 3 is deleted.

[0069] Referring to timing diagram 500 of FIG. 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention, timing diagram 500 shows a trigger signal 501 from central processing unit 5, a supplemental illumination timing 502 from fill light 4, an image data collection timing 503 in which image sensor 3 continuously collects image data, and a decode timing 504 from decoding unit 8. When trigger signal 501 is high, it triggers image data collection by image sensor 3 and supplemental illumination by fill light 4, and when it is low, it stops image data collection by image sensor 3 and supplemental illumination by fill light 4. The fill light 4 provides supplemental illumination when supplemental illumination timing 502 is high and stops supplemental illumination when it is low. The image data collection timing 503 and supplemental illumination timing 502 of image sensor 3 are simultaneously activated, and the image sensor 3 performs exposure when the image data collection timing 503 is high and outputs image data when it is low. The dashed arrow in FIG. 9 indicates that the first frame of image data is output to decoding unit 8 for decoding. The decoding unit 8 receives the first frame of image data at timing j, successfully decodes the first frame of image data at timing k, and feeds back the successfully decoded information to the central processing unit 5. The central processing unit 5 sends a trigger signal at timing i to stop the image sensor 3 from collecting image data and the fill light 4 from providing supplemental illumination. The difference from the above embodiment is that the central processing unit 5 again sends a control signal 510 to control the image sensor 3 to collect and output one frame of image data at high level 530. As a result, no image data remains in the image sensor 3, and the next trigger triggers the collection of new light information. The first frame of image data collected and output by the image sensor 3 is new light information image data, and the decoding unit 8 can directly receive and decode the first frame of image data. The fill light 4 is set to low level 520 and no supplemental illumination is provided, thereby saving energy consumption.Please note that when the ambient brightness is high, supplemental lighting may not be needed all the time.

[0070] In the above embodiments, image data is continuously collected and decoded in digital streaming mode. The first frame of image data received by the decode unit 8 is successfully decoded, and the image sensor 3 has collected multiple frames of image data. For example, in timing diagram 200, when the image sensor 3 collects seven frames of image data, collecting the second through seventh frames of image data may increase energy consumption. Optical information collecting devices 100 manufactured by companies such as iData, Honeywell, and Zebra can all successfully decode image data after collecting only three frames of image data. That is, when the image sensor 3 collects only the first three frames of image data, the decode unit 8 can decode at least one frame of image data. As described above, when the optical information collecting device 100 successfully decodes the third frame of image data, the image sensor 3 has already collected three or more frames of image data, e.g., six or seven frames. Collecting the fourth through seventh frames of image data also requires the operation of the image sensor 3 or the use of supplemental illumination from the fill light 4. Since there is no need to decode the image data of the fourth to seventh frames, collecting the image data of the fourth to seventh frames may result in wasted energy. Note that in embodiments of the present invention, supplemental illumination may not be required when the ambient brightness is high. For example, supplemental illumination may not be required when scanning a barcode with a mobile phone.

[0071] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the optical information collecting device 100 collects image data in a fixed frame mode, which differs from the continuous collection of image data in a digital streaming mode. In the fixed frame mode, the central processing unit 5 controls the image sensor 3 to collect a fixed number of image data frames, and the decoding unit 8 decodes the image data frames. When the currently collected image data frames are successfully decoded (either one frame of image data is successfully decoded or none of the image data frames are successfully decoded), or when the decoding is complete, the central processing unit 5 determines whether it is necessary to collect the image data frames again. This step is repeated until the decoding is successful or the decoding time exceeds a predetermined duration. In the fixed frame mode, there is a time interval between two sets of image data frames collected one after the other. The time interval between the two sets of image data allows the central processing unit 5 time to make a decision.

[0072] Referring to timing diagram 600 of FIG. 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, timing diagram 600 shows a trigger signal 601 from central processing unit 5, supplemental illumination timing 602 from fill light 4, image data collection timing 603 in which image sensor 3 continuously collects image data, and decode timing 604 from decode unit 8. When trigger signal 601 is high, it triggers image data collection by image sensor 3 and supplemental illumination by fill light 4, and when it is low, it stops image data collection by image sensor 3 and supplemental illumination by fill light 4. The fill light 4 provides supplemental illumination when supplemental illumination timing 602 is high and stops supplemental illumination when it is low. The image data collection timing 603 and supplemental illumination timing 602 of image sensor 3 operate simultaneously, and the image sensor 3 performs exposure when the image data collection timing 603 is high and outputs image data when it is low. Four dashed arrows in FIG. 10, arranged from left to right, indicate that image data for the first through fourth frames are output to decode unit 8 for decoding. None of the image data of the first to third frames have been successfully decoded, but the image data of the fourth frame has been successfully decoded. As shown in image data collection timing 603, there is a time interval between the time when the image data of the first three fixed frames is collected and the time when the image data of the last three fixed frames is collected. This allows the central processing unit 5 to determine whether the image data of the first three fixed frames has been successfully decoded, and to control the image sensor 3 to collect the image data of the last three fixed frames.

[0073] Image data collection timing 603 shows that the image sensor 3 collects image data in a fixed frame mode with a fixed number of three frames. The central processing unit 5 controls the image sensor 3 to first collect image data with a fixed number of three frames and transmits the image data for the three frames to the decoding unit 8. If the image data for the three frames is not successfully decoded, the central processing unit 5 controls the image sensor 3 to collect the image data for the three frames again and transmits the image data for the three frames again to the decoding unit 8 for decoding. This step is repeated until the decoding is successful (or the decoding time exceeds a predetermined duration). As shown in timing diagram 600, when the image data for the fourth frame collected by the image sensor 3 is successfully decoded, if the image sensor 3 has not yet collected image data for the three fixed frames, the image sensor 3 continues to operate in the fixed frame mode until the image data for the fixed frames is completely collected. That is, the image data for the fifth and sixth frames continues to be collected and the image data for the fifth and sixth frames of the fixed frame number is output. Next, the image sensor 3 stops collecting image data. As a result, no image data remains in the image sensor 3. Conversely, if decoding is successfully performed, the image sensor 3 stops collecting image data. Even if there is a fixed number of frames of image data that the image sensor 3 has not yet collected, the image sensor 3 stops collecting image data. This reduces energy consumption, but there is a risk that image data may remain in the image sensor 3. When new light information is collected, the image data remaining in the image sensor 3 can be removed.

[0074] In the above embodiment, after the image data of the previous three frames is decoded (whether the decoding is successful or not), the image sensor 3 is controlled to collect three frames of image data. There is a time interval between the steps of collecting the image data of the previous and next three frames. If the image data of a fixed number of frames of the previous three frames is not successfully decoded, there is a delay in collecting the image data of a fixed number of frames of the next three frames. In another embodiment, when the image data of the second frame of the previous three frames is not successfully decoded or the image data of the third frame is input to the decoding unit 8 for decoding, the image sensor 3 is controlled to collect three frames of image data again, thereby balancing energy consumption and decoding speed. The time to start collecting the image data of the next three frames can be determined according to actual needs, thereby minimizing the delay between the steps of collecting the image data of the previous and next three frames.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the fixed frame count in the fixed frame mode is three frames. That is, the image sensor 3 collects three frames of image data at a time. In other embodiments, the fixed frame count can be determined specifically based on the performance of the optical information collecting device 100. For example, the optical information collecting device 100 can set the fixed frame count in the fixed frame mode to two frames or one frame when the image data of the previous two frames or the first frame is successfully decoded, thereby avoiding increased energy consumption due to collecting a large amount of image data. When a frame of image data is decoded but not successfully decoded, the image sensor 3 collects the next frame of image data. The fixed frame count can also be set to two, four, five, or more frames. As shown in the above embodiment, current optical information collecting devices 100 can usually successfully decode image data after collecting the previous three frames of image data, and the fixed frame count must be less than or equal to the timeout for the decoding unit 8 to decode one frame of image data. In conventional technology, the timeout is typically set to 100 ms. If the decoding unit 8 takes 100 ms to decode one frame of image data but the image data is not successfully decoded, the decoding of that frame of image data is stopped and the next frame of image data is decoded. The number of fixed frames in fixed frame mode is preferably five frames or less (20 ms * 5 = 100 ms), and more preferably three to five frames. This ensures that the image data of the fixed number of frames collected in the first fixed frame mode are successfully decoded, avoids collecting a large amount of image data, and reduces energy consumption compared to the conventional digital streaming mode. When the optical information collecting device 100 uses digital streaming mode, if five frames of image data are required to successfully decode the image data, the number of fixed frames must be set to five frames or more.

[0076] In an embodiment of the present invention, a mixed mode is adopted that combines the advantages of the fixed frame mode and the digital streaming mode, allowing the present invention to be used in various fields and achieving a balance between energy consumption and decoding speed. When recognizing optical information that is difficult to recognize, such as high-density two-dimensional codes, DPM (Direct Part Mark), or complex character codes, image data can be first collected and decoded using the fixed frame mode. If decoding is not successful, image data can be continuously collected and decoded using the digital streaming mode. The mixed mode can also be used to recognize simple optical information.

[0077] As is well known, mixed modes can include many different combinations.

[0078] The camera 1 may be configured to collect image data using the fixed frame mode a preset number of times and then collect image data using the digital streaming mode. For example, the camera 1 may collect image data for a fixed number of frames once using the fixed frame mode, and then continuously collect image data using the digital streaming mode. Referring to timing diagram 700 of FIG. 11 , timing diagram 700 shows a trigger signal 701 from the central processing unit 5, supplemental illumination timing 702 from the fill light 4, image data collection timing 703 in which the image sensor 3 continuously collects image data, and decoding timing 704 from the decoding unit 8. The optical information collecting device 100 first collects image data for three frames using the fixed frame mode, which has a fixed number of frames. If the image data is not successfully decoded, the camera 1 may continuously collect and decode image data using the digital streaming mode. The decoding unit 8 may successfully decode the image data using the image data for the first frame collected using the digital streaming mode.

[0079] In another embodiment, image data may be collected using the fixed frame mode multiple times, and if the image data is not successfully decoded, the image data may be collected and decoded using the digital streaming mode. For example, image data may be collected twice using the fixed frame mode, and then collected using the digital streaming mode. That is, image data with a fixed number of three frames may be collected and decoded first. If the image data is not successfully decoded, image data with a fixed number of three frames may be collected and decoded again. If the image data is still not decoded, the image data may be decoded again using the digital streaming mode. As described above, the image data may be decoded three or more times using the fixed frame mode, and if the image data is not successfully decoded, the image data may be decoded again using the digital streaming mode.

[0080] As described above, when decoding image data in digital streaming mode, if the image data is successfully decoded, there is a risk that the image data may remain in the image sensor 3. To solve this problem, a mixed mode can be used, i.e., first using fixed frame mode, then using digital streaming mode, and finally using fixed frame mode again.

[0081] 12 , a timing diagram 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrates a trigger signal 801 from the central processing unit 5, a supplemental illumination timing 802 from the fill light 4, an image data collection timing 803 in which the image sensor 3 continuously collects image data, and a decoding timing 804 from the decoding unit 8. The optical information collecting device 100 first collects three frames of image data using a fixed frame mode with a fixed number of frames of three. If the image data is not successfully decoded, the optical information collecting device 100 collects and decodes the image data again using the digital streaming mode. When the decoding unit 8 successfully decodes the image data of the first frame of image data collected using the digital streaming mode and the image data of the fourth frame of image data, the decoding unit 8 stops the image data collection of the image sensor 3 and the supplemental illumination of the fill light 4. The difference from the above embodiment is that the central processing unit 5 again sends a control signal 810 to control the image sensor 3 to collect and output one frame of image data at a high level 830. As a result, no image data remains in the image sensor 3. In this case, the image signal processor 7 is not used, and no image data remains in the image signal processor 7 either. The next trigger triggers the collection of new light information, and the image data of the first frame collected and output by the image sensor 3 is the image data of the new light information, so the decoding unit 8 can directly receive and decode the image data of the first frame. The fill light 4 is set to a low level 820 and no supplemental lighting is provided, thereby saving energy consumption. Please note that when the ambient brightness is high, supplemental lighting does not need to be provided all the time.

[0082] As is well known, when using the mixed mode, image data is first collected and decoded in the digital streaming mode, and once the image data is successfully decoded, the image sensor 3 is controlled to collect a fixed number of frames of image data again in the fixed frame mode, and to output all of the image data for the fixed number of frames. As a result, no image data remains in the image sensor 3. In the above embodiment, a special form of the present invention has been described. That is, after successfully decoding the image data in the digital streaming mode, the image sensor 3 collects one frame of image data again.

[0083] As is well known, when the optical information collecting device 100 collects image data in a mixed mode, the optical information collecting device 100 performs an optimization process on the image data using the image signal processor 7. To remove the image data remaining in the image signal processor 7, a method of removing image data having a predetermined number N of frames can be used. The number of predetermined frames N that needs to be removed can be determined based on the remaining image data. For example, if the image sensor 3 and the image signal processor 7 each store remaining image data, two frames of image data need to be removed when collecting image data again. If no image data remains in the image sensor 3 but one frame of image data remains in the image signal processor 7, only the image data of one frame remaining in the image signal processor 7 can be removed when collecting new image data. In another embodiment, the optical information collecting device 100 does not need to perform an optimization process on the image data using the image signal processor 7. If one frame of image data remains in the image sensor 3, only the image data of the remaining frame can be removed when collecting new image data. In an embodiment using the mixed mode, when the fixed frame mode is used last, there is no image data remaining in the image sensor 3, so when collecting image data again, there is no need to remove the remaining image data.

[0084] The optical information collecting device and method of the present invention can provide the following inventive effects. 1. The image sensor 3 collects image data by a trigger, and the central processing unit 5 sends a command to remove N frames of image data having a predetermined number of frames. The N frames of image data having a predetermined number of frames are the remaining image data collected by the previous trigger, thereby avoiding decoding errors caused by the remaining image data being decoded and output, and reducing energy consumption by not decoding the remaining image data.

[0085] 2. The image sensor 3 collects and outputs a fixed number of frames of image data at a time in fixed frame mode, thereby reducing energy consumption compared to the conventional method of continuously collecting and outputting image data in digital streaming mode, and avoiding the need to continuously collect image data in digital streaming mode. In addition, when decoding is successfully performed, there is no need to decode multiple frames of image data collected later, thereby avoiding energy waste.

[0086] 3. The image sensor 3 collects image data in a digital streaming mode and does not perform optimization processing on the image data through the image signal processor 7, thereby preventing image data from remaining in the image signal processor 7. Furthermore, when decoding is successfully performed or the decoding time exceeds a predetermined duration, the image sensor 3 stops collecting image data and controls the image sensor 3 to collect and output image data in a fixed frame mode. This prevents image data from remaining in the image sensor 3, avoids decoding errors when collecting the next optical information, and improves efficiency.

[0087] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art may change, improve, substitute, or modify the design without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it is understood that such changes are within the scope of the claims of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 100 Optical information gathering device 1 camera 2. Optical System 3. Image sensor 4 Fill Light 5 Central Processing Unit 6 Storage device 7 Image Signal Processor 8 Decoding Unit 9 cases 10 Scanning window 11 Display panel 12 buttons 13 Storage Area 14 Registers 15 buffers

Claims

1. An optical information collecting device including an image sensor, a storage device, a decoding unit and a central processing unit, The image sensor collects image data of optical information; the storage device is pre-installed with one or more decoding algorithms; the decoding unit decodes the image data according to a preset decoding algorithm; When the central processing unit is triggered, the central processing unit controls the image sensor to continuously collect image data in a digital streaming mode and controls the decode unit to decode the image data, and when the central processing unit is triggered, the central processing unit removes a predetermined number of frames of image data by sending a command, the predetermined number of frames of image data being image data collected by a previous trigger and remaining in the optical information collecting device.

2. 2. The optical information collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the image data of the predetermined number of frames includes image data remaining in a storage area of ​​the image sensor.

3. 2. The optical information collecting device of claim 1, further comprising an image signal processor, wherein the image signal processor receives image data collected by the image sensor and transmits the image data to the decoding unit, and the image data for a predetermined number of frames includes image data remaining in the image signal processor.

4. The optical information collecting device of claim 1, characterized in that the image data from which a predetermined number of frames have been removed includes image data of a predetermined number of frames that are not received by the decoding unit, image data of a predetermined number of frames that are not decoded by the decoding unit, or image data for which the decoding unit does not output or display decoded information for image data of a predetermined number of frames.

5. The optical information collecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the decoding unit starts decoding from image data of an (N+1)th frame.

6. An optical information collecting device including an image sensor, a storage device, a decoding unit and a central processing unit, The image sensor collects image data of optical information; the storage device is pre-installed with one or more decoding algorithms; the decoding unit receives and decodes image data; the central processing unit controls the image sensor to continuously collect image data in a digital streaming mode, and the decode unit to sequentially decode the image data; and when the decode unit succeeds in decoding or the decoding time exceeds a predetermined duration, the central processing unit controls the image sensor to stop continuously collecting image data in the digital streaming mode, and to continuously collect and output image data of a fixed number of frames in a fixed frame mode.

7. 7. The optical information collecting device of claim 6, wherein the fixed frame mode includes a fixed number of frames of image data that the image sensor collects and outputs when the decoding unit successfully decodes or when the decoding time exceeds a predetermined duration.

8. 7. The optical information collecting device according to claim 6, wherein the optical information collecting device does not include an image signal processor or does not perform optimization processing of image data by an image signal processor.

9. 7. The optical information collecting device of claim 6, wherein the image sensor outputs image data in a RAW format, and the decoding unit obtains grayscale image data from the image data in the RAW format and performs decoding using the grayscale image data.

10. 7. The optical information collecting device of claim 6, wherein the image sensor collects and outputs a fixed number of frames of image data in a fixed frame mode before continuously collecting image data in a digital streaming mode.

11. the central processing unit controls the image sensor to continuously collect and output image data in a digital streaming mode; a decoding unit receiving and decoding the image data, and stopping the image sensor from collecting image data in a digital streaming mode when the decoding unit is successful; and controlling the image sensor to continuously collect and output a fixed number of frames of image data.

12. 12. The optical information collecting method of claim 11, wherein the fixed frame mode includes a fixed number of frames of image data, in which the image sensor collects and outputs all of the fixed number of frames of image data when the decoding unit is successful or the decoding time exceeds a predetermined duration.

13. 12. The optical information collecting method according to claim 11, wherein the optical information collecting method does not include an image signal processor or does not perform optimization processing of image data by an image signal processor.

14. 12. The optical information collecting method of claim 11, wherein the image sensor outputs image data in a RAW format, and the decoding unit obtains grayscale image data from the image data in the RAW format and performs decoding using the grayscale image data.

15. 12. The optical information collecting method of claim 11, wherein the image sensor collects and outputs a fixed number of frames of image data in a fixed frame mode before continuously collecting image data in a digital streaming mode.

Images