Handheld Image Reader Video Reversal for Barcode Decoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical reading devices face challenges in efficiently and accurately reading and decoding various types of data-bearing indicia, including 1D and 2D barcodes, especially in scenarios where symbols are misoriented, damaged, or printed in complex formats, leading to incomplete or degraded scans and requiring high operator skill and multiple attempts for successful decoding.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held image reader system equipped with a 2D image sensor and microcontroller, capable of automatically focusing, illuminating, and processing images using aiming patterns and video reversal algorithms to assist in accurately reading and decoding diverse data formats, including 1D and 2D barcodes, by converting light signals into digital representations and transmitting undecodable images for further processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual operation and multiple attempts are used to read damaged or misoriented symbols, then decoding accuracy may be maintained, but operator effort and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary image processing operations including automatic focusing, illumination adjustment, and video reversal before decoding attempts. These preliminary actions prepare the image in advance to facilitate successful decoding on the first attempt, reducing the need for multiple retry cycles and operator intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs automated algorithms for focusing, illumination control, and video reversal that operate without operator intervention. The self-service nature of these automated functions allows the system to handle damaged or misoriented symbols independently, maintaining decoding accuracy while eliminating manual effort and reducing time consumption associated with multiple attempts.
2Quantity of substance
If high resolution scanning is performed to read complex 2D matrix codes, then data capacity increases, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex 2D matrix code reading process into distinct functional components: image capture, automatic focusing, illumination control, video reversal, and decoding. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, managing device complexity while maintaining high data capacity reading capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system integrates multiple functions into a unified platform that can read various symbol types (1D barcodes, 2D matrix codes, damaged symbols, misoriented symbols) using a single device. The automatic focusing and video reversal capabilities serve multiple symbol types, reducing the need for specialized equipment for each symbol type and managing overall device complexity.
3Reliability
If video reversal is automatically applied to difficult to read symbols, then decoding success rate improves, but processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
Video reversal is performed as a preliminary action during the image processing stage, before the decoding attempt. By preparing the reversed video image in advance, the system ensures that if reversal is needed for successful decoding, the work is already done, minimizing additional processing time during the actual decoding phase and reducing overall processing time while improving success rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the initial decoding attempt to determine whether video reversal is necessary. If the first decoding attempt fails, the system automatically applies video reversal and retries decoding. This feedback-driven approach ensures video reversal is only applied when needed, optimizing the balance between decoding success rate and processing time by avoiding unnecessary reversal operations.
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
The system enables intuitive and efficient data collection from various data formats, reducing operator effort and increasing scanning speed by automatically focusing and processing images, even in complex lighting conditions, and transmitting undecodable images for further analysis, thus improving data accuracy and processing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a two dimensional (2D) imager to capture an image of the symbol
Implementation Method 2
Indicia reading devices typically transmit light onto a symbol and receive light scattered and/or reflected back from a bar code symbol
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a bar code scanning system adapted for assembling information bearing indicia (IBI) information from partial scans of IBI data which may comprise some undecodable characters, the method comprising the steps of: converting light reflected from a target into output signals representative thereof utilizing an image sensor; illuminating the target utilizing an illumination source; directing light from the target to the image sensor array utilizing receive optics; determining if information contained in IBI within the target derived from the output signals is not decodable; transmitting an image of the IBI to a host processor if the IBI is not decoded.