US 8,998,092 B2 · Systems and methods of optical code reading using a color imager

Abstract

Systems and methods of optical code reading include production of image data by a color image sensor array and processing of the image data to decode an optical code. In one configuration, the color image sensor array includes first and second sets of sensor pixels sensitive to light having different wavelengths. Reflected light is focused by an optical system to form one or more images of an optical code on the color image sensor array. The optical system includes optics to form first and second images of an object bearing the optical code, where the first image excludes light of the second wavelength and the second image excludes light of the first wavelength, thereby enabling the first set of sensor pixels to sense the first image without substantially sensing the second image and the second set of sensor pixels to sense the second image without substantially sensing the first image.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An optical code reader comprising:

a color image sensor array including:
a first set of sensor pixels sensitive to a first wavelength of light, and
a second set of sensor pixels sensitive to a second wavelength of light different from the first wavelength of light;
and
optics forming on the color image sensor array a first image of a first view of an object and a second image of a second view of the object, wherein the first image is formed by light of the first wavelength emanating from the first view and the second image is formed by light of the second wavelength emanating from the second view, the optics substantially excluding from the first image light of the second wavelength emanating from the first view and substantially excluding from the second image light of the first wavelength emanating from the second view to thereby enable the sensor pixels of the first set to sense the first image without substantially sensing the second image and the sensor pixels of the second set to sense the second image without substantially sensing the first image.

2 more elements

A method of data reading via an optical code reader having light directing optics and a color image sensor array, the color image sensor array including a first set of sensor pixels sensitive to light of a first wavelength and a second set of sensor pixels sensitive to light of a second wavelength, the light directing optics providing a first view of an object positioned in a read region of the optical code reader and a second view of the object, the method comprising:

directing light emanating from the first view along a first path to the color image sensor array to form a first image of the first view on the color image sensor array, the light emanating from the first view including light of the first wavelength and light of the second wavelength;
directing light emanating from the second view along a second path to the color image sensor array to form a second image of the second view on the color image sensor array, the light emanating from the second view including light of the first wavelength and light of the second wavelength;
diverting from the first path in a first direction away from the color image sensor array the light of the second wavelength emanating from the first view so that the first image substantially excludes the light of the second wavelength emanating from the first view, the light of the first wavelength emanating from the first view traveling along the first path to the color image sensor array to form the first image of the first view on the color image sensor array;
and
diverting from the second path in second direction away from the color image sensor array the light of the first wavelength emanating from the second view so that the second image substantially excludes the light of the first wavelength emanating from the second view, the light of the second wavelength emanating from the second view traveling along the second path to the color image sensor array to form the second image of the second view on the color image sensor array.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods of optical code reading using a color imager

Life of this patent

Systems and methods of optical code reading using a color imager

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19