IP Library Granted Patent US 11,182,573
Granted Patent B2
US 11,182,573 · App. 16/902,026 · Granted Nov 23, 2021

Barcode readers including illumination assemblies with different color lights

Inventors: Edward Barkan (Miller Place, NY); Darran Michael Handshaw (Sound Beach, NY); Matthew D. Blasczak (Shirley, NY)
Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
G06K7/10732G06K7/1096G06K7/10831
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,182,573
App. No.
16/902,026
Granted
Nov 23, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Imaging arrangements and barcode readers including such imaging arrangements. An imaging arrangement for use in a barcode reader includes a housing. The imaging arrangement also includes a light source configured to emit light along a central light axis. The light source is disposed in the housing. The imaging arrangement also includes a lens having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The lens is disposed in the housing. The first surface is configured to face the light source and is structured to substantially collimate light received from the light source into a collimated beam. The second surface includes surface structures structured to generate a patterned beam in response to receiving the collimated beam.

Claims (41)

1. A barcode reader configured to be supported by a workstation, the barcode reader comprising:

a first housing portion supporting a generally horizontal platter having a generally horizontal window;

a second housing portion supporting a generally vertical window;

an image capture arrangement having a first set of optical components and a second set of optical components,

the first set of optical components are positioned at least partially within the first housing portion, the first set of optical components are configured to direct a first field of view (FOV) through the generally horizontal window; and

the second set of optical components are positioned at least partially within the second housing portion, the second set of optical components are configured to direct a second FOV through the generally vertical window;

an illumination assembly, the illumination assembly including an illumination source configured to emit a first illumination light having a first color, a second illumination light having a second color, and a third illumination light having a third color, each of the first color, the second color, and the third color being different from one another; and

a controller configured to:

cause the illumination source to sequentially 1) illuminate an object with the first illumination light and cause the image capture arrangement to capture first monochrome image data while the object is illuminated with the first illumination light; 2) illuminate the object with the second illumination light and cause the image capture arrangement to capture second monochrome image data while the object is illuminated with the second illumination light; and 3) illuminate the object with the third illumination light and cause the image capture arrangement to capture third monochrome image data while the object is illuminated with the third illumination light; and

process the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, and the third monochrome image data to determine a color associated with the object,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the color associated with the object by generating a color vector of the object based on the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, and the third monochrome image data and comparing the color vector to reference data, and

wherein the object is a non-barcode object.

2. The barcode reader of claim 1 , wherein the illumination assembly is disposed within at least one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion.

3. The barcode reader of claim 1 , wherein the illumination source includes a first illumination source and a second illumination source, the first illumination source to emit the first illumination light and the second illumination source to emit the second illumination light and the third illumination light, the first illumination source disposed within the housing.

4. The barcode reader of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to configured to decode barcode data appearing in at least one of the first FOV or the second FOV.

5. The barcode reader of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the illumination source to sequentially illuminate the object and is configured to cause the image capture arrangement to capture the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, and the third monochrome image data in response to the object being stabilized within a product scanning region of the barcode reader.

6. The barcode reader of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines that the object is stabilized based on at least one of a dwell of a weight of the object on the platter, a dwell identified by an infrared proximity sensor system, a manual input, or an audio input.

7. The barcode reader of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to compensate for the movement by shifting the object within at least one of the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, or the third monochrome image data to enable a position of the object within the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, and the third monochrome image data to substantially align.

8. The barcode reader of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to compensate for the movement by applying a filter to at least one of the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, or the third monochrome image data.

9. A barcode reader, comprising:

an illumination assembly, the illumination assembly including an illumination source configured to emit a first illumination light having a first color, a second illumination light having a second color, and a third illumination light having a third color, each of the first color, the second color, and the third color being different from one another;

an imaging assembly including image capture components; and

a controller configured to:

cause the illumination assembly to illuminate an object with the first illumination light, the second illumination light, and the third illumination light and configured to cause the imaging assembly to capture monochrome image data when the illumination assembly illuminates the object with the first illumination light, the second illumination light, and the third illumination light; and

process the monochrome image data to determine a color associated with the object,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the color associated with the object by generating a color vector of the object based on the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, and the third monochrome image data and comparing the color vector to reference data, and

wherein the object is a non-barcode object.

10. The barcode reader of claim 9 , wherein the monochrome image data includes first monochrome image data, second monochrome image data, and third monochrome image data, and wherein the controller is configured to cause the illumination source to sequentially 1) illuminate the object with the first illumination light and cause the imaging assembly to capture the first monochrome image data while the object is illuminated with the first illumination light; 2) illuminate the object with the second illumination light and cause the imaging assembly to capture the second monochrome image data while the object is illuminated with the second illumination light; and 3) illuminate the object with the third illumination light and cause the imaging assembly to capture third monochrome image data while the object is illuminated with the third illumination light, the controller is configured to process the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, and the third monochrome image data to determine the color associated with the object.

11. The barcode reader of claim 9 , wherein the controller determines that the object is stabilized based on at least one of a dwell in a weight of the object on a platter of the barcode reader, and a dwell identified by an infrared proximity sensor system.

12. The barcode reader of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the illumination assembly to emit the first illumination light, the second illumination light, and the third illumination light substantially simultaneously and for the imaging assembly to capture the monochrome image data when the object is being illuminated by the first illumination light, the second illumination light, and the third illumination light, the controller is configured to decode barcode data.

13. A barcode reader, comprising:

a housing;

an illumination assembly disposed in the housing, the illumination assembly including an illumination source configured to emit a first illumination light having a first color, a second illumination light having a second color, and a third illumination light having a third color, each of the first color, the second color, and the third color being different from one another;

an imaging assembly including image capture components; and

a controller configured to:

cause the illumination source to sequentially 1) illuminate an object with the first illumination light and cause the imaging assembly to capture first monochrome image data while the object is illuminated with the first illumination light; 2) illuminate the object with the second illumination light and cause the imaging assembly to capture second monochrome image data while the object is illuminated with the second illumination light; and 3) illuminate the object with the third illumination light and cause the imaging assembly to capture third monochrome image data while the object is illuminated with the third illumination light; and

process the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, and the third monochrome image data to determine a color associated with the object,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the color of the object by generating a color vector of the object based on the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, and the third monochrome image data and comparing the color vector to reference data, and

wherein the object is a non-barcode object.

14. The barcode reader of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the object is stabilized based on at least one of: 1) a dwell of a weight of the object on a platter of the barcode reader; 2) a dwell identified by an infrared proximity sensor system; 3) a manual input; 4) or an audio input.

15. The barcode reader of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to process the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, and the third monochrome image data and is configured to identify and compensate for movement of the object within at least one of the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, or the third monochrome image data to enable a position of the object within the first monochrome image data, the second monochrome image data, and the third monochrome image data to substantially align.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2021
From: BARKAN, EDWARD; HANDSHAW, DARRAN MICHAEL; BLASCZAK, MATTHEW D.
To: ZIH CORP.
Reel/Frame 057733/0823 →
MERGER Recorded Oct 7, 2021
From: ZIH CORP.
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057733/0921 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2021
From: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 056471/0868 →
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 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16224446 · Dec 18, 2018
Related Publication 20200380224A1 · Dec 3, 2020