IP Library Granted Patent US 11,334,732
Granted Patent B2
US 11,334,732 · App. 16/218,101 · Granted May 17, 2022

Systems and approaches for reducing power consumption in industrial digital barcode scanners

Inventor: Chinh Tan (East Setauket, NY)
Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
G06K7/10732G06K7/10801G06K7/10881H04N1/00816H04N1/02815
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,334,732
App. No.
16/218,101
Granted
May 17, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging assembly for capturing at least one object appearing in a field of view (FOV) is provided that includes an image capturing system, a controller operatively coupled to the image capturing system to control operation thereof, and a processor operatively coupled to the controller. The image capturing system is adapted to capture an image having at least one sub-frame and is further adapted to obtain distance information of the object. The processor analyzes the image to determine a brightness value of at least a portion of the image and analyzes the distance information of the object to determine a distance value from the imaging assembly to the object. The processor further determines an illumination characteristic based on the brightness value and the distance value.

Claims (41)

1. An imaging assembly for capturing at least one image of an object appearing in a field of view (FOV), the imaging assembly comprising:

an image capturing system adapted to capture an image having at least one sub-frame, the image capturing system further adapted to obtain distance information of the object;

an illumination assembly configured to illuminate the FOV;

a controller operatively coupled to the image capturing system and the illumination assembly to control operation thereof; and

a processor operatively coupled to the controller to:

analyze the image to determine a brightness value of at least a portion of the image,

analyze the distance information of the object to determine a distance value from the imaging assembly to the object,

determine an illumination characteristic based on the brightness value and the distance value, and

simultaneously control (i) the illumination assembly to illuminate the FOV according to the illumination characteristic and (ii) the image capturing system to capture a further image.

2. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the illumination characteristic comprises a plurality of illumination levels.

3. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the brightness value is derived from at least one of an average brightness of the at least one sub-frame or an overall brightness value of the image.

4. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the distance information of the object is obtained using the captured image.

5. The imaging assembly of claim 4 , wherein the distance information of the object is obtained by calculating a distance to the at least one sub-frame.

6. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the image capturing system further comprises a range-finding assembly operably coupled to the controller, the range-finding assembly configured to obtain the distance information of the object.

7. The imaging assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an aiming assembly operatively coupled to the controller.

8. A method of selectively controlling an illumination system of an imaging assembly for capturing at least one image of an object appearing in a field of view (FOV), the method comprising:

capturing, via an image capturing system, an image having at least one sub-frame;

obtaining distance information of the object;

analyzing, using a processor, the image to determine a brightness value of at least a portion of the image;

analyzing, using the processor, the distance information of the object to determine a distance value from the imaging assembly to the object;

determining, using the processor, an illumination characteristic based on the brightness value and the distance value;

activating the illumination system to illuminate the FOV according to the illumination characteristic; and

simultaneously with the activating, controlling the image capturing system to capture a further image.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the activating is performed by illuminating the illumination assembly according to at least one of a plurality of illumination levels.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the brightness value is determined from at least one of an average brightness of the at least one sub-frame or an overall brightness value of the image.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the captured image is used to obtain the distance information.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the obtaining is performed using a rangefinder operably coupled to the imaging assembly.

13. An imaging assembly for capturing at least one image of an object appearing in a field of view (FOV), the imaging assembly comprising:

an image capturing system;

a processor;

an illumination system configured to illuminate the FOV; and

a controller coupled to the image capturing system, the processor, and the illumination system, the controller adapted to:

cause the image capturing system to capture an image having at least one sub-frame,

obtain distance information of the object,

cause the processor to analyze the image to determine a brightness value of at least a portion of the image, analyze the distance information of the object to determine a distance value from the imaging assembly to the object, and determine an illumination characteristic based on the brightness value and the distance value,

activate the illumination system to illuminate the FOV according to the illumination characteristic, and

simultaneously with the activation, control the image capturing system to capture a further image.

14. The imaging assembly of claim 13 , wherein the controller activates the illumination system at at least one of a plurality of illumination levels.

15. The imaging assembly of claim 13 , wherein the brightness value is derived from at least one of an average brightness of the at least one sub-frame or an overall brightness value of the image.

16. The imaging assembly of claim 13 , wherein the distance information of the object is obtained using the captured image.

17. The imaging assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a range-finding assembly operably coupled to the controller, the controller further being adapted to cause the range-finding assembly to obtain the distance information of the object.

Assignments (6)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2021
From: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 056471/0906 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST - 364 - DAY Recorded Mar 5, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; LASER BAND, LLC; TEMPTIME CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056036/0590 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2020
From: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; LASER BAND, LLC; TEMPTIME CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053841/0212 →
MERGER Recorded Jul 24, 2019
From: ZIH CORP.
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 049844/0596 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 3, 2019
From: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049674/0916 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2019
From: TAN, CHINH
To: ZIH CORP.
Reel/Frame 049124/0847 →