# US 12,759,608 B1 · Image sensor module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,608 B1 - Document ID: US12759608B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 19/346,356 - Filed: 2025-09-30 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2025-09-30 - Assignees: Amazon Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Amazon Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Zeng Shou Liu; James Jehong Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759608B1 ## CPC - B62B 5/0096: {Identification of the cart or merchandise, e.g. by barcodes or radio frequency identification [RFID]} - B62B 3/1424: {Electronic display devices} - B62B 3/1428: {Adaptations for calculators, memory aids or reading aids} - G06K 7/10732: {Light sources} - G06K 7/10752: {Exposure time control} - G06K 7/10861: {sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels (postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48)} - G06K 7/1095: {the scanner comprising adaptations for scanning a record carrier that is displayed on a display-screen or the like} - B62B: HAND-PROPELLED VEHICLES, e.g. HAND CARTS OR PERAMBULATORS; SLEDGES (characterised by animal propulsion B62C; propulsion of sledges by driver or engine B62M) - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract A method and apparatus for adaptive code scanning in smart shopping environments are disclosed. The system includes a smart shopping cart with an optical module comprising an illumination source and an image sensor, and a computing module. The computing module determines sensor and illumination frequencies and adjusts the illumination frequency so that the illumination source and image sensor alternate between aligned and misaligned frames. The image sensor scans codes within a designated area, and the computing module records the resulting scanning data for further processing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A smart shopping cart, comprising: a frame having one or more wheels, configured for movement along a support surface; an optical module attached to the frame, including: an illumination source, configured to illuminate a scanning area; and an image sensor, configured to scan a code within the scanning area; and a computing module communicably coupled to the optical module, comprising a processor and a non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining a sensor frequency for the image sensor of the optical module; determining an illumination frequency for the illumination source of the optical module; adjusting the illumination frequency to define an adjusted illumination frequency, such that the sensor frequency and illumination frequency are intermittently aligned, with one or more misaligned frames occurring between aligned frames, wherein aligned frames are frames in which the illumination source and the image sensor are both active, and misaligned frames are frames in which one of the illumination source or the image sensor is inactive while the other of the illumination sources or the image sensor is active; alternating an exposure time of the image sensor between a first exposure time and a second exposure time, wherein alignment of the illumination frequency with the sensor frequency is performed for the second exposure time and misalignment is performed for the first exposure time, the first exposure time being longer than the second exposure time; scanning the code, by the image sensor, to produce scanning data; and recording the scanning data to the computing module. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The smart shopping cart of claim 1, wherein the operations are initiated in response to detection of an object within the scanning area by a proximity sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The smart shopping cart of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: producing the scanning data to a metadata by the processor, and sending the metadata to a second processor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The smart shopping cart of claim 1, wherein the illumination frequency is set so that the alignment with the sensor frequency occurs once every predetermined number of frames. ### Claim 5 One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, upon execution by one or more processors of a system, cause the system to perform operations comprising: determining a sensor frequency for an image sensor of an optical module; determining an illumination frequency for an illumination source of the optical module; adjusting the illumination frequency to define an adjusted illumination frequency, such that the sensor frequency and the illumination frequency are intermittently aligned, with one or more misaligned frames occurring between aligned frames, wherein aligned frames are frames in which the illumination source and the image sensor are both active, and misaligned frames are frames in which one of the illumination source or the image sensor is inactive while the other of the illumination source or the image sensor is active; scanning a code to produce scanning data based at least in part on the adjusted illumination frequency; and recording the scanning data to the system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein adjusting the illumination frequency comprises adjusting the illumination frequency such that a plurality of consecutive aligned frames, is followed by at least one misaligned frame, and subsequently followed by one or more additional aligned frames, thereby creating a repeating sequence of aligned frames and misaligned frames. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the illumination frequency is set so that an alignment with the sensor frequency occurs once every predetermined number of frames. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 7, wherein the sensor frequency is about 30 Hz and the illumination frequency is about 105 Hz. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, further comprising additional instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the system, cause the system to perform additional operations comprising alternating an exposure time of the image sensor between a first exposure time and a second exposure time, wherein alignment of the illumination frequency with the sensor frequency is performed for the second exposure time and misalignment is performed for the first exposure time, the first exposure time being longer than the second exposure time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the first exposure time is not greater than 4.7 milliseconds, and the second exposure time is less than 0.2 milliseconds. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the operations are initiated in response to detection of an object within a scanning area by a proximity sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the proximity sensor comprises a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the illumination source is maintained in a continuously on state during a period prior to and up to the step of adjusting the illumination frequency for the illumination source of the optical module, such that the illumination source remains steadily illuminated until the illumination frequency is adjusted. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise generating, by the processor, metadata from the scanning data, and sending the metadata to a second processor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein adjusting the illumination frequency comprises decreasing the illumination frequency. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the illumination source comprises a pulse illumination (PI) light. ### Claim 17 (depends on 5) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the code comprises a QR code or a barcode. ### Claim 18 A system, comprising: a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, upon execution by the processor, configure the system to: wake up an image sensor, in response to detection of an object within a scanning area; receive a sensor frequency for the image sensor; receive an illumination frequency for an illumination source; adjust the sensor frequency and/or the illumination frequency, such that the sensor frequency and the illumination frequency are intermittently aligned, with one or more misaligned frames occurring between aligned frames, wherein aligned frames are frames in which the illumination source and the image sensor are both active, and misaligned frames are frames in which one of the illumination source or the image sensor is inactive while the other of the illumination source or the image sensor is active; scan a code, by the image sensor, to produce scanning data based at least in part on the adjusted illumination frequency; and record the scanning data to the system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the system is further configured to produce the scanning data to a metadata by the processor, and send the metadata to a second processor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, further comprising instructions that, upon execution by the processor, configure the system to: intermittently set an exposure time of the image sensor to a first exposure time and a second exposure time, wherein alignment of the illumination frequency with the sensor frequency is performed for the second exposure time and misalignment is performed for the first exposure time, the first exposure time being longer than the second exposure time.