Imaging Device Indicia Decoding via Dynamic Search Region Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional barcode scanning devices struggle to detect and decode small indicia at longer distances, leading to inefficient product identification and tracking, resulting in delayed or missing shipments due to excessive processing resource consumption and time wastage.

Innovation Solution

An imaging device method that iteratively adjusts the search region based on the distance to the indicia by capturing subsequent images and adjusting the search region size and seed density, ensuring successful decoding by analyzing image data from multiple seeds within the search region.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the imaging device searches a large search region for small indicia at long distances, then the coverage area increases, but the processing time and resource consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesearch region areaVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The search region is divided into multiple search seeds distributed across the area. Instead of analyzing the entire large search region uniformly, the system segments it into discrete seed points that are sampled and analyzed individually, reducing the overall processing burden while maintaining detection capability across the full search area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs partial analysis by examining only specific seed points within the search region rather than processing every pixel or area element. This selective sampling approach allows the device to handle large search regions without proportionally increasing processing time, as only representative samples (seeds) are fully analyzed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Reliability

If the imaging device uses a fixed search region size, then the device complexity is low, but the detection reliability decreases for indicia at varying distances

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindicia detection reliabilityVSAvoidsearch region adjustment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The search region size is made dynamic rather than fixed. The system automatically adjusts the search region dimensions based on the detected distance to the indicia, expanding the search area when indicia are far away and contracting it when indicia are close. This dynamic adaptation improves detection reliability across varying distances without requiring complex manual configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from distance measurements to adjust the search region parameters. By continuously monitoring the distance to the indicia and using this information to modify the search region size and seed distribution, the system achieves reliable detection across different ranges while maintaining relatively simple operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If the imaging device analyzes image data from multiple seeds, then the decoding accuracy improves, but the processing resources consumed increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindicia decoding accuracyVSAvoidprocessing resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial analysis by examining image data from multiple seed points within the search region rather than processing the entire image uniformly. This selective multi-point sampling approach improves decoding accuracy by capturing variations in the indicia appearance while consuming fewer processing resources than a complete image analysis would require.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Reliability

If the imaging device captures multiple subsequent images, then the detection reliability improves, but the time required increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindicia detection reliabilityVSAvoidimage capture time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary adjustments to the search region based on distance information before attempting full indicia decoding. By pre-adjusting the search parameters and seed locations based on measured distance, the system increases the likelihood of successful detection in subsequent images, reducing the total number of captures needed and thereby reducing overall time while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11847523B2Methods and devices for improving indicia decoding with an imaging device

Publication Date: 2023.12.19 ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORP

AI summary

Methods and devices for improving indicia decoding with an imaging device are disclosed herein. An example method includes: (a) searching, by an imaging device, a search region within a current image for an indicia, wherein the search region includes a plurality of search seeds; (b) attempting, by the imaging device, to decode the indicia within the search region by analyzing image data corresponding to each seed of the plurality of search seeds; (c) responsive to not decoding the indicia, capturing, by the imaging device, a subsequent image featuring the indicia; (d) adjusting, by the imaging device, the search region based on a distance between the imaging device and the indicia featured in the subsequent image; (e) designating the subsequent image as the current image; and (f) iteratively performing (a)-(f) until the imaging device decodes the indicia.