Pos-based digital image capturing and processing system employing automatic ...

US 20090065584A1

(io) Pub. No.: US 2009/0065584 Al (43) Pub. Date: Mar. 12, 2009

(54) POS-BASED DIGITAL IMAGE CAPTURING
AND PROCESSING SYSTEM EMPLOYING
AUTOMATIC OBJECT MOTION DETECTION
AND SPECTRAL-MIXING BASED
ILLUMINATION TECHNIQUES

(75) Inventors: C. Harry Knowles, Hanover, NH
(US); Xiaoxun Zhu, Marlton, NJ
(US); Timothy Good, Clementon,
NJ (US); Tao Xian, Bensalem, PA
(US); Anatoly Kotlarsky,
Churchville, PA (US); Michael
Veksland, Marlton, NJ (US); Mark
Hernandez, Bridgeton, NJ (US);
John Gardner, Mullica Hill, NJ
(US); Steven Essinger, Philadephia,
PA (US); Patrick Giordano,
Blackwood, NJ (US); Sean
Kearney, Hamilton, NJ (US);
Mark Schmidt, Blackwood, NJ
(US); John A. Furlong,
Blackwood, NJ (US); Nicholas
Ciarlante, Woolwich Township, NJ
(US); Yong Liu, YunDong Hui
(CN); Jie Ren, Suzhou (CN); Xi
Tao, Wuzhong District (CN); JiBin
Liu, Suzhou (CN); Ming Zhuo,
Suzhou (CN); Duane Ellis,
Medford, NJ (US)

Correspondence Address:
Thomas J. Perkowski, Esq., P.C.
1266 East Main Street
Stamford, CT 06902 (US)

(73) Assignee: Metrologic Instruments, Inc.,

Blackwood, NJ (US)

(21) Appl.No.: 11/977,432

(22) Filed: Oct. 24, 2007

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation of application No. 11/880,087, filed on Jul. 19, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of applicationNo. 11/820,497, filed on Jun. 19,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/820,010, filed on Jun. 15, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/809,173, filed on May 31, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/809,174, filed on May 31,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/809,240, filed on May 31,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of applicationNo. 11/809,238, filedonMay 31,2007, whichis a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/788,769, filed on Apr. 20, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. PCT/US07/09763, filed on Apr.

(Continued)
Publication Classification

(51) Int. CI.

G06K 7/10 (2006.01)

(52) U.S. CI 235/462.42

(57) ABSTRACT

A POS-based digital image capturing and processing system for illuminating objects using automatic object detection and spectral-mixing illumination technique. The system comprises an area-type illumination and imaging station for projecting a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging field (i.e. zone) into a 3D imaging volume during object illumination and imaging operations. The area-type illumination and imaging station includes an illumination subsystem for producing a first field of visible illumination from an array of visible LEDs, and producing a second field of invisible illumination from an array of infrared (IR) LEDs. wherein the first and second fields of illumination spatially overlap and intermix with each other and are substantially coextensive with the FOV of the image sensing array. An automatic obj ect motion detection subsystem automatically detects the motion of an obj ect moving through the 3D imaging volume, while an illumination control subsystem controls the relative power ratio (VIS/IR) of visible illumination and invisible illumination during system operation so as to minimize the amount of visible illumination energy required to capture sufficiently high-contrast images of said objects and successfully process the same.

Page 2

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) 20, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/731,866, filed on Mar. 30,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/731,905, filed on Mar. 30, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/729,959, filed on Mar. 29, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/729,525, filed on Mar. 29,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/729,945, filed on Mar. 29,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application^. 11/729,659, filed onMar. 29,2007, whichis a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/729,954, filed on Mar. 29, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/810,437, filed on Mar. 29, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/713,535, filed on Mar. 2, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/811,652, filed on Mar. 2, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/713,785, filed on Mar. 2, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/712,588, filed on Feb. 28, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/712,605, filed on Feb. 28, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/711,869, filed on Feb. 27,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/711,870, filed on Feb. 27,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/711,859, filed on Feb. 27,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/711,857, filed on Feb. 27, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/711,906, filed onFeb. 27, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No.

11/711,907, filed on Feb. 27,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/711,858, filed on Feb. 27,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/711,871, filed on Feb. 27,2007, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/640,814, filed on Dec. 18, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. PCT/US06/48148, filed on Dec. 18, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/489,259, filed on Jul. 19, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/408,268, filed on Apr. 20, 2006, now Pat. No. 7,464,877, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/305, 895, filed on Dec. 16, 2005, which is a continuationin-part of application No. 10/989,220, filed onNov. 15, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 10/712,787, filed on Nov. 13, 2003, now Pat. No. 7,128,266, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 10/186,320, filed on Jun. 27, 2002, now Pat. No. 7,164,810, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 10/186,268, filed on Jun. 27, 2002, now Pat. No. 7,077,319, which is a continuation-inpart of application No. PCT/US04/89389, filed on Nov. 15,2004, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/990,585, filed on Nov. 21, 2001, now Pat. No. 7,028,899, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/781,665, filed on Feb. 12, 2001, now Pat. No. 6,742,707, which is a continuation-inpart of application No. 09/780,027, filed on Feb. 9, 2001, now Pat. No. 6,629,641, whichis a continuationin-part of application No. 09/721,885, filed onNov. 24, 2000, now Pat. No. 6,631,842.