Symbol Technologies, LLC

Zebra Technologies Corporation

Microvision, Inc.

Carl D Wittenberg

Chinh Tan

Dmitriy Yavid

Miklos Stern

Frederick F Wood

Paul Dvorkis

Ron Goldman

Narayan Nambudiri

Vladimir P Gurevich

Edward D Barkan

Mark E Drzymala

David Tsi Shi

Igor R Vinogradov

Joseph M Katz

David P Goren

Caihua Chen

William P Hurley, Iv

Bryan E Joles

Harry E Kuchenbrod

Alexander J Naney

Jason Y Potter

Christopher Warren Brock

Dayou Wang

Thomas Lackemann

Thomas Mazz

Jason S Mak

Maulin Sheth

Lisa Fan

Michael A Mottola

Robert T Roedig

David A Chiesa

Darran Michael Handshaw

Askold Strat

Peter E Brooks

Rong Liu

Daniel F Brown

Michael S Slutsky

Ming Yu

Costanzo Difazio

Michael Steele

Edmond L Fratianni

Paul F Denimarck, Jr

Daniel Gonzalez

Richard Rizza

Eric Park

Ronald A Petrozzo

Chunhua Chen

John E Wilson

Thomas C Mullaney

Courtney L Watson

Methods and systems to implement a miniature long range imaging engine with auto-focus, auto-zoom, and auto-illumination are disclosed herein. An example method includes detecting, by a microprocessor, a presence of an aim light pattern within the FOV; determining, by the microprocessor and in response to the detecting, a target distance of an object in the FOV based on a position of the aim light pattern in the FOV, the target distance being a distance from the imaging engine to the object; causing, by the microprocessor, a variable focus optical element to focus on the object based on the target distance; and responsive to making a first determination, by the microprocessor, selecting, based on the target distance, one of a plurality of zoom operation modes.

Miniature long range imaging engine with auto-focus and auto-zoom system

Devices, systems, and methods for providing a hybrid fixed focus during operation of an indicia reader. An example system includes at least one imaging assembly; controller; and one or more processors configured to (a) initiate a ranging operation; (b) determine a range value associated with a distance between the imaging assembly and an object; (c) retrieve a threshold range value from memory; (d) compare the range value to the threshold range value; (e) initiate a hybrid fixed focus operation comprising: (i) energizing an illumination assembly to provide illumination; and (ii) capturing a first set of images at a fixed focus position corresponding to the range value responsive to the range value not exceeding the threshold range value, and the fixed focus position corresponding to the threshold range value responsive to the range value exceeding the threshold value; and (f) terminate the hybrid fixed focus operation based upon a termination signal.

Hybrid fixed focus engine using an auto-focus engine with ranging

Methods and apparatus for aligning a lens holder in a small-height scan engine are disclosed herein. An example method for aligning a lens holder in a small-height scan engine includes: mounting an image sensor to a circuit board; optically aligning, using one or more alignment fixtures, a lens holder holding one or more lenses or optical elements with the image sensor based upon one or more images captured by the image sensor through the lens holder; and after the lens holder and image sensor are optically aligned, physically aligning, using the one or more alignment fixtures, the lens holder with the circuit board based upon a misalignment between a surface of the lens holder and an edge of the circuit board.

Methods and apparatus for aligning a lens holder in a small-height scan engine

The disclosure is an imaging system for use in a variable focus indicia reader having a controller configured to activate and deactivate a light source, an imaging assembly configured to capture imaging data of an environment appearing within a field of view of the imaging assembly, and a focus module configured to set a focus characteristic of the imaging assembly. The focus module may set the focus characteristic based on (i) an image processor successfully determining a distance to a target or (ii) ambient lighting conditions exceeding a predetermined threshold.

Scan engine ranging failure handling

An optical assembly for an autofocus lens system for imaging an object appearing in an imaging field of view (FOV) is provided. The optical assembly includes a compensator lens assembly disposed along an optical axis, with the compensator lens assembly configured to receive light along the optical axis and to provide tuning of a flange focal length of the optical assembly. A variable focus assembly, including a variable focus optical element, is disposed along the optical axis to receive light from the compensator lens assembly. The variable focus optical element has a tunable focal plane. A fixed focus optical group is disposed along the optical axis to receive light from the variable focus assembly, the fixed focus optical group is configured to focus the light at the flange focal length of the optical assembly.

Compact long focal length auto-focus lens with actively aligned front compensator

A scan engine for capturing at least one image of an object appearing in an imaging field of view (FOV) is provided that includes an imaging system, illumination system, aiming system, and a first and second chassis. The imaging system includes a lens holder and at least one lens disposed within the lens holder and both a far imaging system and a near imaging system for capturing images across multiple fields of view at different distances. The illumination system and aiming system are physically positioned to provide illumination of a target in the near and/or far fields of view, and provide an aiming pattern to the near and/or far fields of view.

Compact opto-mechanical layout of long-range dual-camera bar-code imager

Methods and apparatus for locating small indicia in large images are disclosed herein. An example method includes: identifying an aiming pattern zone that includes a detected or presumed location of an aiming light pattern, wherein an offset between the location and a center of image data varies due to a parallax; determining one or more coordinates of the aiming pattern zone; capturing image data representing an image of an environment appearing within a field of view (FOV) of a scanner including the indicia; encoding the one or more coordinates into a tagline of the image; and providing the image with the tagline to an indicia decoder such that the indicia decoder attempts to decode the indicia from the image data starting in a region of the image data selected based upon the one or more coordinates.

Methods and apparatus for locating small indicia in large images

An aiming system for use in a small height scan engine chassis. The aiming system includes a beam source assembly generating an input beam along a central axis and a collimator assembly having a lens group that defines a tilt axis having a tilt angle, α, relative to the central axis, to deflect the input beam from the central axis onto the tilt axis. The collimator assembly further includes a recess within which a diffractive optical element is sealably mounted to convert the deflected input beam into an aiming pattern at a focal distance of the lens group.

Compact diffractive optical element laser aiming system

Devices, systems, and methods for providing illumination during operation of an indicia reader are described herein. An example system includes at least one imaging assembly; controller; and processor configured to: (a) initiate a ranging operation; (b) based on the ranging operation, determine a range value associated with a distance between the imaging assembly and an object in the field of view (FOV); (c) initiate a ramping operation comprising: (i) initiate a ramping sequence for the imaging assembly which captures plurality of images comprising image data of an environment appearing in the FOV using an associated plurality of focus parameters; and (ii) energizing an illumination assembly to provide illumination of the FOV during the ramping operation, the illumination intensity determined from the range value, the illumination intensity maintained substantially constant during at least a majority of the ramping operation; and (c) terminating the ramping operation based upon a termination signal.

Methods and apparatus for providing illumination during operation of an indicia reader

A system and methods for providing aiming guidance for an imaging system. The system includes an illumination field source configured to provide illumination along a illumination optical axis to (i) illuminate a target and (ii) indicate a near field of view of the imaging system and a far field aiming source configured to provide a radiation pattern along an aiming optical axis to indicate a far field of view of the imaging system. Near field optics are configured to receive the first illumination from the near field illumination source and to form the first illumination to provide illumination to, and indicate to a user or machine vision system, the near field of view of the imaging system, and far field optics are configured to receive radiation from the aiming source and provide the radiation pattern to the far field to indicate the far field of view of the imaging system.

Aiming patterns for auto-focus rolling shutter camera with dual imaging FOV and associated systems

An optical assembly for an autofocus imaging system for capturing at least one image of an object appearing in an imaging field of view (FOV) is provided. The optical assembly includes a front aperture along an optical axis and a front lens group along the optical axis that receives light from the object of interest. The position of the front lens group is adjustable to change a focal distance of the optical assembly. The optical assembly further includes an actuator physically coupled to the front lens group that adjusts the position of the front lens. A rear lens group is disposed along the optical axis to receive the light from the front lens group, and an imaging sensor is disposed at a back focal distance of the rear lens group, to detect the light.

Imaging lens check and active alignment method to maintain consistent rear focusing distance for an autofocus lens

Methods and systems to implement a miniature long range imaging engine with auto-focus, auto-zoom, and auto-illumination are disclosed herein. An example method includes detecting, by a microprocessor, a presence of an aim light pattern within the FOV; determining, by the microprocessor and in response to the detecting, a target distance of an object in the FOV based on a position of the aim light pattern in the FOV, the target distance being a distance from the imaging engine to the object; causing, by the microprocessor, a variable focus optical element to focus on the object based on the target distance; responsive to making a first determination, by the microprocessor, selecting, based on the target distance, one of a plurality of zoom operation modes; and responsive to making a second determination, by the microprocessor, selecting, based on the target distance, one of a plurality of illumination modes.

Miniature long range imaging engine with auto-focus, auto-zoom, and auto-illumination system

Methods and apparatus for locating small indicia in large images are disclosed herein. An example method includes: identifying an aiming pattern zone that includes a detected or presumed location of an aiming light pattern, wherein an offset between the location and a center of image data varies due to a parallax; determining one or more coordinates of the aiming pattern zone; capturing image data representing an image of an environment appearing within a field of view (FOV) of a handheld scanner including the indicia; encoding the one or more coordinates into a tagline of the image; and providing the image with the tagline to an indicia decoder such that the indicia decoder attempts to decode the indicia from the image data starting in a region of the image data selected based upon the one or more coordinates.

Growing community of inventors

Water Mill, NY, United States of America

Carl D Wittenberg