US 6,837,432 B2 · METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CROPPING CAPTURED LINEAR IMAGES OF A MOVING OBJECT PRIOR TO IMAGE PROCESSING USING REGION OF INTEREST (ROI) COORDINATE SPECIFICATIONS CAPTURED BY AN OBJECT PROFILING SUBSYSTEM

Abstract

A method of and system for automatically cropping linear images of a moving object is disclosed. The method comprises automatically capturing a linear range and intensity data map from an object moving with respect to a coordinate reference system. The linear range and intensity data map includes a sequence of data sets taken along a sequence of sample points along the moving object. Each data set includes a set of coordinates specifying the location of the sample point and an intensity value specifying the intensity of light reflected from the moving object at the sample point. The intensity values in the linear range and intensity data map are automatically analyzed so as to determine the coordinates associated with a region of interest (ROI) on the moving object bearing object identifying information (e.g. bar code symbol, textual information, graphics, etc.) A linear image of the object moving within the coordinate reference is automatically captured. The coordinates of the region of interest (ROI) are automatically converted into a set of pixel indices corresponding to the region of interest (ROI) present in the linear image. The set of pixel indices and the linear image are then used to automatically produce a cropped linear image of the moving object. Cropped linear images can be buffered to produce two-dimensional images of the moving object, and then the two-dimensional image can be processed using image-based bar code decoding and/or OCR operators. By virtue of the present invention, it is now possible to crop linear images prior to image processing, on a linear image by linear image basis, thereby substantially reducing the amount of image data that requires image processing. By reducing image data through the cropping operations of the present invention, significant computational savings is achieved.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method of automatically cropping linear images of a moving object, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically capturing a linear range and intensity data map from an object moving with respect to a coordinate reference system, wherein said lenear range and intensity data map includes a sequence of data sets taken along a sequence of sample points along said object, and whereing each said data set includes a set of coordinates specifying the location of the sample point and an intensity value specifying the intensity of light reflected from said object at said sample point;
(b) automatically analyzing the intensity values in said linear range and intensity data map captured in step (a) so as to determine the coordinates associated with a region of interest (ROI) on said object bearing object identifying information;
(c) automatically capturing a linear image of said object moving within said coordinate reference system;
(d) automatically converting said coordinates of the region of interest (ROI) determined in step (b) into a set of pixel indices corresponding to said region of interest present in said linear image captured in step (c);
and
(e) using said set of pixel indices determined in step (d) and said linear image captured in step (c), to automatically produce a cropped linear image of said object.

3 more elements

A system for automatically cropping linear images of a moving object, said system comprising:

an object profiling subsystem for projecting a light beam towards an object moving past said object profiling subsystem, collecting light reflected from said moving object and detecting the intensity of said collected light to produce an intensity signal, and processing said intensity signal so as to produce a linear range and intensity data map which includes a sequence of data sets taken along a sequence of sample points along said moving object, and wherein each said data set includes a set of coordinates specifying the location of the sample point and an intensity value specifying the intensity of light reflected from said object at said sample point, said object profiling subsystem further including means for automatically analyzing the intensity values in said linear range and intensity data map so as to determine the set of coordinates associated with a region of interest (ROI) on said object bearing object identifying information;
a linear imaging subsystem having a linear imaging formation and detection module for capturing a linear image of said object;
and
a control computer having means for receiving said linear image and said coordinates of said region of interest (ROI), means for converting the coordinates of said region of interest (ROI) into a set of pixel indices corresponding with said region of interest present in said linear image, and means for transmitting said linear image and said set of pixel indices to an image processing computer operably connected to said control computer;
wherein said image processing computer uses said set of pixel indices and said linear image to automatically produce a cropped linear image of said object.

2 more elements

A system for automatically cropping linear images of a moving object, said system comprising:

an object profiling subsystem for projecting a light beam towards an object moving past said object profiling subsystem, collecting light reflected from said moving object and detecting the intensity of said collected light to produce an intensity signal, and processing said intensity signal so as to produce a linear range and intensity data map which includes a sequence of data sets taken along a sequence of sample points along said moving object, and wherein each said data set includes a set of coordinates specifying the location of the sample point and an intensity value specifying the intensity of light reflected from said object at said sample point, said object profiling subsystem further including means for automatically analyzing the intensity values in said linear range and intensity data map so as to determine the set of coordinates associated with a region of interest (ROI) on said object bearing object identifying information;
a linear imaging subsystem having a linear imaging formation and detection module for capturing a linear image of said object;
and
a camera control computer having a first means for receiving said linear image and said coordinates of said region of interest (ROI), a second means for converting the coordinates of said region of interest (ROI) into a set of pixel indices corresponding with said region of interest present in said linear image, and a third means for automatically producing a cropped linear image of said moving object.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/099,142Filed 14 Mar 2002 · continuation

Priority

24 Mar 1998

Published

US 2003/0062414 A13 Apr 2003

Granted

4 Jan 2005

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification25 codes

G06K 7/10
Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns: by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular…
G02B 19/0014
Having refractive surfaces only: at least one surface having optical power
G02B 19/0052
For use with a light source: the light source comprising a laser diode
G02B 19/0085
Characterised by the use: for use with both a detector and a source

Family

Application09/047,146Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Mar 1998

Application09/157,778Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Sep 1998

Application09/274,265Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Mar 1999

PCTUS99/06505Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Mar 1999

Application09/327,756Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Jun 1999

PCTUS00/15624Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Jun 2000

Application09/721,885Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Nov 2000

Application09/780,027Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Feb 2001

Application09/781,665Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Feb 2001

Application09/883,130Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 15 Jun 2001

Application09/954,477Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Sep 2001

Application09/999,687Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 31 Oct 2001

Application09/990,585Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Nov 2001

US 2003/0062414 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Apr 2003

Application09/990,585Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,629,641 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,631,842 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,382,515 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,517,004 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,360,947 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2001/0015380 A1Published application

US 2002/0014533 A1Published application

US 2002/0043561 A1Published application

US 2002/0117545 A1Published application

US 2002/0139853 A1Published application

US 2002/0145042 A1Published application

US 2003/0098349 A1Published application

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US 6,837,432 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Method of and apparatus for automatically cropping captured linear images of a moving object prior to image processing using region of interest (roi) coordinate specifications captured by an object profiling subsystem

Life of this patent

Method of and apparatus for automatically cropping captured linear images of a moving object prior to image processing using region of interest (roi) coordinate specifications captured by an object profiling subsystem

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22