Christopher L Allen

US Patent:

7841533, Nov 30, 2010

Filed:

Dec 12, 2007

Appl. No.:

12/001758

Inventors:

Anatoly Kotlarsky - Churchville PA, US
Xiaoxun Zhu - Marlton NJ, US
Michael Veksland - Marlton NJ, US
Ka Man Au - Philadelphia PA, US
Patrick Giordano - Blackwood NJ, US
Weizhen Yan - Clementon NJ, US
Jie Ren - Suzhou, CN
Taylor Smith - Haddon Township NJ, US
Michael V. Miraglia - Hamilton NJ, US
C. Harry Knowles - Hanover NH, US
Sudhin Mandal - Ardmore PA, US
Shawn De Foney - Haddon Heights NJ, US
Christopher Allen - Plainsboro NJ, US

Assignee:

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

International Classification:

G03B 7/08

US Classification:

23546224, 23546201, 23546209, 23546225

Abstract:

A method of capturing processing digital images of an object, using a hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system having a trigger switch, an imaging window and a field of view (FOV) projected therethrough and onto an area-type image detection array. The method involves automatically detecting an object within the FOV, and generating a first trigger event indicative of automatic object detection within the FOV. In response to the generation of the first trigger event signal, the object targeting illumination subsystem automatically generates and projects a visible targeting illumination beam within the FOV. The human operator aligns the visible targeting illumination beam with the object in the FOV, and then manually actuates the trigger switch to generate a second trigger event signal. In response to the generation of the second trigger event signal, a field of illumination is automatically generated and projected through the imaging window and within the FOV, while the targeting illumination beam is momentarily ceased, and 2D digital images of the object are formed and detected on the area-type image detection array, and one or more of the detected 2-D digital images are captured, buffered and processed, so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in the one or more detected 2D digital images.

US Patent:

7845559, Dec 7, 2010

Filed:

Dec 21, 2007

Appl. No.:

12/005169

Inventors:

Anatoly Kotlarsky - Churchville PA, US
Xiaoxun Zhu - Marlton NJ, US
Michael Veksland - Marlton NJ, US
Ka Man Au - Philadelphia PA, US
Patrick Giordano - Blackwood NJ, US
Weizhen Yan - Clementon NJ, US
Jie Ren - Suzhou, CN
Taylor Smith - Haddon Twp. NJ, US
Michael V. Miraglia - Hamilton NJ, US
C. Harry Knowles - Hanover NH, US
Sudhin Mandal - Ardmore PA, US
Shawn De Foney - Haddon Heights NJ, US
Christopher Allen - Plainsboro NJ, US

Assignee:

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

International Classification:

G06K 7/10

US Classification:

23546207, 23546201, 23546209, 2354622

Abstract:

A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system including a hand-supportable housing having an imaging window. A printed circuit (PC) board is mounted in the hand-supportable housing, and has front and rear surfaces and a light transmission aperture formed centrally therethrough. An image formation and detection subsystem has image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through the imaging window and upon an object within the FOV, and an area-type image detection array for forming and detecting 2D digital images of the object during object illumination and imaging operations. A first FOV folding mirror is supported above the rear surface of the PC board over the light transmission aperture, and a second FOV folding mirror is supported above the rear surface of the PC board and over the area-type image detection array. These mirrors fold and project the FOV through the light transmission aperture and the imaging window. An automatic targeting illumination subsystem is disposed in the hand-supportable housing, and has a plurality of visible light sources mounted on the rear surface of the PC board for generating a targeting illumination beam, which reflects off at least one beam folding mirror, and then off the first FOV mirror and then projects the targeting illumination beam through the light transmission aperture and the imaging window, into a portion of said FOV extending outside of the hand-supportable housing and onto the object therein.

US Patent:

7845561, Dec 7, 2010

Filed:

Dec 21, 2007

Appl. No.:

12/005070

Inventors:

Anatoly Kotlarsky - Churchville PA, US
Xiaoxun Zhu - Marlton NJ, US
Michael Veksland - Marlton NJ, US
Ka Man Au - Philadelphia PA, US
Patrick Giordano - Blackwood NJ, US
Weizhen Yan - Clementon NJ, US
Jie Ren - Suzhou, CN
Taylor Smith - Haddon Township NJ, US
Michael V. Miraglia - Hamilton NJ, US
C. Harry Knowles - Hanover NH, US
Sudhin Mandal - Ardmore PA, US
Shawn De Foney - Haddon Heights NJ, US
Christopher Allen - Plainsboro NJ, US

Assignee:

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

International Classification:

G03B 7/08

US Classification:

23546224, 23546201, 23546209, 23546215

Abstract:

A digital image capture and processing system including a housing having an imaging window; and an image formation and detection subsystem supporting a periodic snap shot mode of the operation. The system includes image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said imaging window and upon an object within the FOV, and forming an image of the object on an area-type image detection array having a plurality of rows of image detection elements, and detecting 2D digital images of the object while object illumination and imaging operations. The system also includes an LED-based illumination subsystem, with a LED illumination array, for producing a field of narrow-band illumination within the FOV, and illuminating the object detected in the FOV, so that the illumination reflects off the object and is transmitted back through the light transmission aperture and onto the image detection array to form the 2D digital image of the object. During the periodic snap shot mode of the operation, the image detection array supports periodic image acquisition cycles, and during each image acquisition cycle, substantially all image detection elements in the image detection array are exposed simultaneously to the illumination. In the illustrative embodiment, each image acquisition cycle has a predetermined time duration followed by a decode-processing cycle having a time duration approximately equal to the duration of the image acquisition cycle so that at least ten (10) image frames can be acquired per second.

US Patent:

7900839, Mar 8, 2011

Filed:

Dec 28, 2007

Appl. No.:

12/006105

Inventors:

Anatoly Kotlarsky - Churchville PA, US
Xiaoxun Zhu - Marlton NJ, US
Michael Veksland - Marlton NJ, US
Ka Man Au - Philadelphia PA, US
Patrick Giordano - Blackwood NJ, US
Weizhen Yan - Clementon NJ, US
Jie Ren - Suzhou, CN
Taylor Smith - Haddon Township NJ, US
Michael V. Miraglia - Hamilton NJ, US
C. Harry Knowles - Hanover NH, US
Sudhin Mandal - Ardmore PA, US
Shawn De Foney - Haddon Heights NJ, US
Christopher Allen - Plainsboro NJ, US

Assignee:

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

International Classification:

G06K 7/10

US Classification:

23546242, 23546201, 23546209, 23546243

Abstract:

A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system including a hand-supportable housing having an imaging window. A printed circuit (PC) board is mounted in the hand-supportable housing, and has front and rear surfaces and a light transmission aperture formed centrally therethrough. An image formation and detection subsystem has image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through the imaging window and upon an object within the FOV, and an area-type image detection array for forming and detecting 2D digital images of the object during object illumination and imaging operations. An automatic targeting illumination subsystem is disposed in the hand-supportable housing for projecting a targeting illumination beam into a portion of the FOV extending outside of the hand-supportable housing.

US Patent:

7922089, Apr 12, 2011

Filed:

Dec 21, 2007

Appl. No.:

12/005158

Inventors:

Anatoly Kotlarsky - Churchville PA, US
Xiaoxun Zhu - Marlton NJ, US
Michael Veksland - Marlton NJ, US
Ka Man Au - Philadelphia PA, US
Patrick Giordano - Blackwood NJ, US
Weizhen Yan - Clementon NJ, US
Jie Ren - Suzhou, CN
Taylor Smith - Haddon Township NJ, US
Michael V. Miraglia - Hamilton NJ, US
C. Harry Knowles - Hanover NH, US
Sudhin Mandal - Ardmore PA, US
Shawn De Foney - Haddon Heights NJ, US
Christopher Allen - Plainsboro NJ, US

Assignee:

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

International Classification:

G06K 7/10

US Classification:

23546242, 23546201, 23546209, 23546231

Abstract:

A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system including a hand-supportable housing having an imaging window, and an area-type image formation and detection subsystem having image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through the imaging window and upon an object within the FOV, and forming and detecting 2D digital images of the object on an area-type image detection array. The system includes an object presence detection subsystem for automatically detecting an object within the FOV, and generating a first trigger event indicative of automatic object detection within the FOV. The system also includes an object targeting illumination subsystem for generating and projecting a visible targeting illumination beam within the FOV, in response to the generation of the first trigger event signal. A manual trigger switch is integrated with the hand-supportable housing, for generating a second trigger event, indicating that a code symbol on the detected object is aligned with the visible targeting illumination beam and is ready for illumination and imaging. Also, the system includes an LED-based illumination subsystem, responsive to the second triggering event, for generating and projecting a field of illumination through the imaging window and within the FOV so that light transmitted through the imaging window and reflected/scattered off the object and detected by the area-type image detection array within the hand-supportable housing.

US Patent:

7967209, Jun 28, 2011

Filed:

Jan 31, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/012223

Inventors:

Anatoly Kotlarsky - Churchville PA, US
Xiaoxun Zhu - Marlton NJ, US
Michael Veksland - Marlton NJ, US
Ka Man Au - Philadelphia PA, US
Patrick Giordano - Blackwood NJ, US
Weizhen Yan - Clementon NJ, US
Jie Ren - Suzhou, CN
Taylor Smith - Haddon Township NJ, US
Michael V. Miraglia - Hamilton NJ, US
C. Harry Knowles - Hanover NH, US
Sudhin Mandal - Ardmore PA, US
Shawn De Foney - Haddon Heights NJ, US
Christopher Allen - Plainsboro NJ, US

Assignee:

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

International Classification:

G06K 7/14

US Classification:

23546224, 23546201, 23546209, 23546242

Abstract:

A method of illuminating objects on a countertop surface using an automatically-triggered digital image capture and processing system installed thereupon, and having a single array of LEDs disposed behind the upper edge portion of its imaging window, above which a light ray blocking shroud portion is provided. During object detection, illumination and imaging operations above the countertop surface, typically at a retail point of sale (POS) station, visible illumination rays are generated by the LEDs and projected substantially within the field of view (FOV) of the system, while the light ray blocking shroud blocks a portion of illumination rays generated from the single array of LEDs and projected above and beyond the FOV of the system, and thus prevents such blocked illumination rays from striking the eyes of the system operator or nearby consumers during system operation.

US Patent:

7988053, Aug 2, 2011

Filed:

Jan 31, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/012204

Inventors:

Anatoly Kotlarsky - Churchville PA, US
Xiaoxun Zhu - Marlton NJ, US
Michael Veksland - Marlton NJ, US
Ka Man Au - Philadelphia PA, US
Patrick Giordano - Blackwood NJ, US
Weizhen Yan - Clementon NJ, US
Jie Ren - Suzhou, CN
Taylor Smith - Haddon Township NJ, US
Michael V. Miraglia - Hamilton NJ, US
C. Harry Knowles - Hanover NH, US
Sudhin Mandal - Ardmore PA, US
Shawn De Foney - Haddon Heights NJ, US
Christopher Allen - Plainsboro NJ, US

Assignee:

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

International Classification:

G06K 7/10

US Classification:

23546242, 23546201, 23546209

Abstract:

A digital image capture and processing system including a housing having an imaging window. An area-type image formation and detection subsystem is disposed in the housing, and has image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through the imaging window and onto an area-type image detection array, for forming and detecting 2D digital images of an object in the FOV, during object illumination and imaging operations. The housing also includes a multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem having (i) a near-field LED array for producing a field of wide-area narrow-band illumination over a near field region of said FOV, and (ii) a far-field LED array for producing a field of wide-area narrow-band illumination over a far field region of the FOV. During object illumination and imaging operations, illumination from illumination arrays reflects off the object and is transmitted back through the imaging window and onto the area-type image detection array to form 2D digital images of the object.

US Patent:

7997489, Aug 16, 2011

Filed:

Jan 31, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/012210

Inventors:

Anatoly Kotlarsky - Churchville PA, US
Xiaoxun Zhu - Marlton NJ, US
Michael Veksland - Marlton NJ, US
Ka Man Au - Philadelphia PA, US
Patrick Giordano - Blackwood NJ, US
Weizhen Yan - Clementon NJ, US
Jie Ren - Suzhou, CN
Taylor Smith - Haddon Township NJ, US
Michael V. Miraglia - Hamilton NJ, US
C. Harry Knowles - Hanover NH, US
Sudhin Mandal - Ardmore PA, US
Shawn De Foney - Haddon Heights NJ, US
Christopher Allen - Plainsboro NJ, US

Assignee:

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

International Classification:

G06K 7/10

US Classification:

235454, 23546201, 23546209, 23546242

Abstract:

A countertop-mounted digital image capture and processing system that includes a housing having an imaging window with an illumination-focusing lens component integrated therewithin. The area-type image formation and detection subsystem, also disposed in the housing, has image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through the imaging window and onto an area-type image detection array, for forming and detecting 2D digital images of an object in the FOV, during object illumination and imaging operations. The single array of LEDs is disposed immediately behind the illumination-focusing lens structure, for generating a field of visible illumination that reflects off an object within said FOV and is transmitted back through said imaging window and onto said area-type image detection array.