Hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system supporting a multi-tier modular software architecture

A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system, comprising:

• a digital image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having (i) image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said light transmission window and upon an object to be imaged in said FOV, and (ii) an area-type image detecting array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations so as to detect one or more 2D digital images of the object formed on said area-type image detecting array;
• an illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having at least one illumination source for producing and projecting a field of illumination within said FOV during the image capture mode;
• an illumination control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for controlling the operation of said illumination subsystem during said image capture mode;
• an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing and buffering said one or more 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem;
• a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for processing said one or more 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem, so as to read one or more code symbols graphically represented in said 2D digital images, and producing symbol character data representative of said read one or more code symbols;
• a system control system for controlling and/or coordinating the operation of one or more of said subsystems above;
• and
• a computing platform for supporting the implementation of one or more of said subsystems above, and including (i) memory for storing at least one code symbol reading application, and (ii) a microprocessor for running at least one code symbol reading application;
• and
• wherein said memory comprises a memory architecture that supports a multi-tier modular software architecture characterized by an operating system (OS) layer and an application layer in which at least one said code symbol reading application is run and responsive to the generation of a triggering event within said hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system;
• wherein said computing platform further comprises Flash ROM for storing said at least one code symbol reading application, and RAM for storing said one or more 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem.

A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system comprising:

• a digital image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having (i) image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said light transmission window and upon an object to be imaged in said FOV, and (ii) an area-type image detecting array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations so as to detect one or more 2D digital images of the object formed on said area-type image detecting array;
• an illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having at least one illumination source for producing and projecting a field of illumination within said FOV during the image capture mode;
• an illumination control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for controlling the operation of said illumination subsystem during said image capture mode;
• an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing and buffering said one or more 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem;
• a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for processing said one or more 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem, so as to read one or more code symbols graphically represented in said 2D digital images, and producing symbol character data representative of said read one or more code symbols;
• a system control system for controlling and/or coordinating the operation of one or more of said subsystems above;
• and
• a computing platform for supporting the implementation of one or more of said subsystems above, and including (i) memory for storing at least one code symbol reading application, and (ii) a microprocessor for running at least one code symbol reading application;
• and
• wherein said memory comprises a memory architecture that supports a multi-tier modular software architecture characterized by an operating system (OS) layer and an application layer in which at least one said code symbol reading application is run and responsive to the generation of a triggering event within said hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system;
• said computing platform implements said digital image processing subsystem, said input/output subsystem and said system control subsystem, and wherein said application layer includes said one or more libraries and said one or more libraries include one or more software modules selected from the group consisting of a code symbol decoding module, a function programming module, an application events manager module, a user commands table module, and a command handler module.

A digital image capture and processing system comprising:

• a digital image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having (i) image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said light transmission window and upon an object to be imaged in said FOV, and (ii) an area-type image detecting array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations so as to detect one or more 2D digital images of the object formed on said area-type image detecting array;
• an illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having at least one illumination source for producing and projecting a field of illumination within said FOV during the image capture mode;
• an illumination control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for controlling the operation of said illumination subsystem during said image capture mode;
• an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing and buffering said one or more 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem;
• a digital image processing subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for processing said one or more 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem, so as to read one or more code symbols graphically represented in said 2D digital images, and producing symbol character data representative of said read one or more code symbols;
• a system control system for controlling and/or coordinating the operation of one or more of said subsystems above;
• and
• a computing platform for supporting the implementation of one or more of said subsystems above, and including (i) memory for storing at least one code symbol reading application, and (ii) a microprocessor for running at least one code symbol reading application;
• and
• wherein said memory comprises a memory architecture that supports a multi-tier modular software architecture characterized by an operating system (OS) layer and an application layer in which at least one said code symbol reading application is run and responsive to the generation of a triggering event within said hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system;
• wherein said hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system is realized as a mobile device selected from the group consisting of an image-capturing cell phone, a digital camera, a video camera, mobile computing terminal and portable data terminal (PDT), and each said mobile device being provided with a suitable hardware platform, communication protocols and user interfaces.