Handheld Scanner Indicia Location via Aiming Light Parallax
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional handheld scanners face challenges in decoding small indicia in large images due to the limited ability to locate and focus on these small symbols, leading to slow or inconsistent decoding processes and potential failures.
Innovation Solution
The method involves identifying an aiming pattern zone using an aiming light source and image processing, determining its coordinates, and encoding these coordinates into an image tagline to guide the indicia decoder to the correct region for decoding, while also adjusting the focus distance to ensure accurate image capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional image capture methods are used for small indicia in large images, then the image can be captured, but the indicia appears extremely small (only a few pixels) making decoding slow or inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by using an aiming light source to pre-identify the location of the indicia before the main image capture. The aiming light pattern is captured in a first image, processed to determine indicia coordinates, and then used to guide the capture of the second image. This preliminary location identification ensures the indicia is accurately located and sufficiently large in the captured image, preventing the problem of small indicia appearing as only a few pixels and enabling fast, consistent decoding.
2Device complexity
If the handheld scanner is focused at a fixed distance, then the focusing mechanism is simple, but the indicia may be out of focus when the distance varies due to parallax
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses preliminary action by capturing a first image with an aiming light source to identify the location and distance to the indicia before capturing the main image. The system determines focus distance based on the position of the aiming light pattern in the first image, accounting for parallax effects. This preliminary distance measurement enables the system to adjust focus accurately for the actual distance to the indicia, ensuring the indicia is in focus while maintaining relatively simple focusing mechanism control through automated distance-based adjustment.
3Reliability
If the entire image is processed for decoding, then all potential indicia locations are covered, but the processing time increases significantly for large images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by using the aiming light pattern to extract and identify the specific location of the indicia in advance. The coordinates determined from the aiming light pattern are encoded into a tagline that guides the decoder to start processing from the correct region. This extraction of location information before main image capture ensures decoding completeness by targeting the exact indicia location while dramatically reducing processing time by avoiding unnecessary analysis of the entire large image.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by identifying indicia location through the aiming light pattern before the main decoding process. The first image capture and coordinate determination occur before the second image is captured and processed for decoding. This preliminary location identification ensures that when the main image is processed, the decoder starts at the correct position, maintaining decoding completeness while minimizing processing time.
4Measurement precision
If an aiming light source is added to identify indicia location, then the decoding accuracy improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the aiming light source to serve multiple functions: it provides a visual guide for users to aim at the indicia, creates a detectable pattern for automatic location identification, and enables distance estimation through parallax analysis. The image sensor captures both the aiming light pattern and the indicia itself, and the processing system uses the same captured data for both focus adjustment and decoding guidance. This multi-functionality improves measurement precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity by making existing components perform multiple roles.
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
This approach significantly reduces the time required for decoding small indicia and prevents failures by accurately locating and focusing on the indicia, enhancing the overall responsiveness of the scanning process.
Implementation Method 1
an offset between the detected or presumed location of the aiming light pattern and a center of image data varies with a distance from a handheld scanner to the indicia due to a parallax
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for locating small indicia in large images are disclosed herein. An example method includes: identifying an aiming pattern zone that includes a detected or presumed location of an aiming light pattern, wherein an offset between the location and a center of image data varies due to a parallax; determining one or more coordinates of the aiming pattern zone; capturing image data representing an image of an environment appearing within a field of view (FOV) of a scanner including the indicia; encoding the one or more coordinates into a tagline of the image; and providing the image with the tagline to an indicia decoder such that the indicia decoder attempts to decode the indicia from the image data starting in a region of the image data selected based upon the one or more coordinates.