Barcode Reading Attachment for Mobile Camera
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smartphones and similar portable devices have poor barcode reading capabilities, which hinder their effectiveness in reading barcodes efficiently.
Innovation Solution
The development of attachments for mobile devices that include a target generating mechanism, proximity sensor, optimized illumination, alternative optical paths, and supplementary lens systems to enhance barcode reading capabilities, such as corner-positioned, encapsulating, or mounted attachments that provide additional components like a mirror or supplementary lenses to improve focusing and illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a smartphone uses its built-in camera for barcode reading, then the device can perform basic barcode reading function, but the barcode reading capability is poor due to insufficient focusing and illumination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an attachment as an intermediary device that couples between the user and the smartphone. This attachment includes dedicated barcode reading components (illumination sources, lenses, focusing mechanisms) that act as mediators to enhance the smartphone's native camera capabilities, thereby improving barcode reading reliability and accuracy without modifying the smartphone itself
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment enables dynamic parameter changes for barcode reading by adjusting illumination intensity, focal length, and exposure settings specifically optimized for barcode capture. These parameter adjustments are controlled based on detection of barcode presence and reading conditions, improving capture accuracy while maintaining the smartphone's general-purpose functionality
2Adaptability or versatility
If the smartphone camera is used for general photography, then the camera has a fixed optical path, but barcode reading requires optimized optical paths for close-range capture
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment serves as an intermediary optical system that provides dedicated, optimized optical paths for barcode reading while leaving the smartphone's native camera optics unchanged. This intermediary layer includes specialized lenses and optical components configured specifically for close-range barcode capture
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment is designed to work with the smartphone's existing camera system, providing universal compatibility while adding specialized barcode reading functionality. The attachment's optical system can be integrated with the smartphone's camera module, enabling the combined system to perform both general photography and optimized barcode reading
3Device complexity
If no additional components are added to the smartphone, then the device remains simple and compact, but barcode reading accuracy is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment acts as a self-contained intermediary module that adds necessary barcode reading components (illumination, focusing lenses, optical elements) without requiring modification of the smartphone's internal structure. This modular approach improves accuracy while maintaining the smartphone's structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment is designed to couple with the smartphone in a nested configuration, where the attachment's components are arranged to fit around or over the smartphone's existing camera module. This nesting allows additional functionality to be added in a compact form factor without significantly increasing overall device complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These attachments significantly enhance the barcode reading capabilities of mobile devices by ensuring proper positioning, optimal illumination, and improved optics, leading to more accurate and efficient barcode capture and decoding.
Implementation Method 1
The attachment may include a target generating mechanism, proximity sensor, targeting illumination
Implementation Method 2
one or more such components may be incorporated into an attachment for a mobile device. The attachment may include a target generating mechanism, proximity sensor, targeting illumination that facilitates proper positioning of a barcode in the camera field-of-view, exposure illumination that is optimized for barcode reading, optics that provide an alternative optical path to the mobile device
Implementation Method 3
optics that provide an alternative optical path to the mobile device, and/or a supplementary lens system that is optimized for barcode reading
Data Source
AI summary
A barcode reading enhancement system includes an attachment for a mobile device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or a hybrid combination thereof, with a camera. The attachment may include an optics system that cooperates with the mobile device camera to facilitate the capture of decodable barcodes. The optics system may increase the camera's depth of field, increase ratio of focal length to entrance pupil diameter, and/or decrease the angular size of the field of view of the camera. The system includes a mobile barcode reading application for setting a camera lens of the camera to one of a plurality of predetermined focus positions or enabling autofocus of the camera within a limited range of focus positions less than a full range of focus positions of the camera. The application may cause the camera to capture an image of a barcode and decode the image of the barcode.