MAIMUUTTUNUT US009747482B2U UIT TE CON CON MINI (12 ) United States Patent ( 10 ) Patent No. : US 9 ,747 ,482 B2 Gifford et al. ( 45 ) Date of Patent : Aug. 29, 2017 ( 54 ) AIMER ACCESSORY FOR CAPTURING A 9 , 110 ,355 B1 8 /2015 Nourbakhsh CODED IMAGE 2010 /0134679 A1* 6 / 2010 Lin HO4N 5 / 2354 348 / 371 @ 2013 / 0013813 AL 1 / 2013 Lee (71 ) Applicant : COGNEX CORPORATION , Natick , 2013 / 0109316 A 5 / 2013 Lee MA (US ) 2014 /0071547 A13 /2014 O 'Neill et al . 2014 /0078594 AL 3 /2014 Springer @( 72 ) Inventors : Micheal Gifford , San Leandro , CA (US ) ; David James Stein , Purlear, NC (Continued ) ( US ) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS ( 73 ) Assignee: Cognex Corporation , Natick , MA (US ) EP @ 2500758 AL 9 / 2012 ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer , the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 OTHER PUBLICATIONS U . S . C . 154 (b ) by 0 days . Webpage : http : / /www .scandit . com /products /case / ; 6 pages ; down (21 ) Appl. No. : 14 /682 ,072 load date Jan . 4 , 2017 . (Continued ) ( 22 ) Filed : Apr. 8 , 2015 (65 ) Prior Publication Data Primary Examiner - Seung Lee US 2016 /0300090 A1 Oct . 13 , 2016 (74 ) Attorney , Agent, or Firm - Quarles & Brady LLP (51 ) Int . Cl. GO6K 5 / 04 ( 2006 . 01) (57 ) ABSTRACT G06K 710 ( 2006 .01 ) G06K 7 / 14 ( 2006 . 01 ) An aimer accessory for a mobile device and method of use D( 52 ) U . S . CI. is provided . The accessory includes a body configured for CPC .. .. GO6K 7 / 10732 ( 2013 .01 ) ; GO6K 7 / 10831 being affixed to the mobile device . The body includes a ( 2013 .01 ) ; G06K 7 / 1443 (2013 .01 ) collimator terminating with a grating disposed in a distal ( 58 ) Field of Classification Search portion thereof. The grating is configured to receive light CPC . .. GO6F 1 / 1635 ; G06K 7 /0004 ; G06K 7 / 089; from a lamp of the mobile device and to generate a light G06K 7 / 10722 ; G06K 7 /10732 ; G06K pattern on the surface containing a barcode . Registration of 7 / 10752 ; G06K 7 / 10811 ; G06K 7 / 10881 ; the light pattern and the barcode in a scan area enhances the G06K 7 / 10831 ; G06K 7 / 1443 ability of the mobile device to capture a barcode image . USPC . .. 235 / 462 . 24 , 454 , 462 .08 , 462. 28 , 462. 45 Registration may be configured for blind or target mode See application file for complete search history . scanning . In blind mode , the registration occurs on detection of the light pattern and barcode in a viewing angle of a (56 ) References Cited camera of the mobile device . In target mode, the registration occurs on a detection of the light pattern hovering over the U . S . PATENT DOCUMENTS barcode in a viewing angle of the camera . 8 ,346 ,979 B11 / 2013 Lee 8 , 832 , 323 B2 9 / 2014 Lee 9 , 107 , 484 B2 8 / 2015 Chaney 20 Claims, 23 Drawing Sheets 50 US 9 ,747 ,482 B2 Page 2 (56 ) References Cited U . S . PATENT DOCUMENTS 2015 /0199549 A1 * 7 / 2015 Lei .. .. .. GO6K 7 / 10811 235 /462 . 24 2015/ 0220766 AL 8 / 2015 Russell et al . 2015 / 0254485 A1 * 9 / 2015 Feng .. .. .. H04M 1 /0202 455 / 556 . 1 2015 /0356336 A1 * 12 / 2015 Hoobler . .. .. G06K 7 /089 235 /455 2016 / 0188940 AL 6 / 2016 Lu et al. 2016 /0209735 A17 / 2016 Anderson 2016 / 0232389 AL 8 / 2016 Gifford 2016 /0292477 Al 10 / 2016 Bidwell OTHER PUBLICATIONS European Patent Office , Extended European Search Report, Appli cation No . 16164426 . 5 , dated Aug. 17 , 2016 . * cited by examiner U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 1 of 23 US 9 , 747, 482 B2 Fig . 1A Fig . 1B QQ 9 FRONT BACK Fig . 2 System bus - 25 User Memory - 21 Controls - 8 Lamp - 9 Power - 27 CPU . Communication Power = 27 co26 Interface - 23 Software - 22 Display - 5 Camera - 7 U . S . Patent Aug. 29 , 2017 Sheet 2 of 23 US 9 , 747, 482 B2 Fig . 3A mwen 30 36 Fig . 3B 35 36 33 U . S . Patent Aug . 29 , 2017 Sheet 3 of 23 US 9 ,747 ,482 B2 Fig . 4A 55 Fig . 4B 55 Fig . 4C 55 Fig . 4D HELLO ). Fig . 4E m U . S . Patent Aug. 29 , 2017 Sheet 4 of 23 US 9 ,747 , 482 B2 Fig . 5A 10 Fig . 5B 59 50 ? U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 5 of 23 US 9, 747 , 482 B2 58 57 Fig . 5C 10 Fig . 5D 52 58 5956 U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 6 of 23 US 9 ,747 ,482 B2 Point light near , around , or Start me on barcodemost sounds of sound Capture / store image ( s ) Look at edge of image Recognize NO ã Barcode type ? Quit Request Yes (User or Program ) ? ã Decode barcode Calculate and Match error value No ã Correct error value ? Yes ö Prompt user scan successful End Fig . 6 U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 7 of 23 US 9 ,747 ,482 B2 TERAKTI PDF417 Fig . 7 U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 8 of 23 US 9 ,747 ,482 B2 Codabar PDF417 Code 11 Aztec Code Code 93 QR code Other Other Fig . 8 U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 9 of 23 US 9, 747, 482 B2 Fig . 9 ha a Fig . 10 ! U . S . Patent Aug. 29, 2017 Sheet 10 of 23 US 9 ,747 , 482 B2 Fig . 11 © íg Los Fig . 12 Ratge U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 11 of 23 US 9 ,747 ,482 B2 Fig . 13A -- - - --- - - -- * * * * SSSS - o o Fig . 13B 130 - 30 * . *. * ** ** - Fig . 13C * * * 130 :- - - 30 . - . - W . - - - . U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 12 of 23 US 9 , 747, 482 B2 Fig . 14A .. .. .* ** * 30 * , -- - * ** . : :. 7 11 **- - . ..* . 2 . Fig . 14B - - - - . .. .. - ** * ** ** . * ** * * . .* *. * * * .. *. - .. .. - . , . - ** .* W - . - .. - .+* + - + - + + . .. .. .. .. .. +, - . * .. .. .. .. .. .. Fig . 14C " . 4 ! * * 32 -* ** - .. - - -- - co.. .. U . S . Patent Aug. 29 , 2017 Sheet 13 of 23 US 9 ,747 , 482 B2 Fig . 15A *** - - - - 36 Fig . 15B 32 * ** - - .. .. e 30 Lov . .- . * .. * Fig . 15C 130 **.. 130 . U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 14 of 23 US 9, 747 , 482 B2 Fig . 16A . .. - - .. .. .. - - * - -., - - - - - - - - - 9€ Fig . 16B . *.*.*71 .7 *** * ** ** . ... * * . .. *. - - - -- - * * *** - --- - --- *** * * * * Fig . 16C .. .* *** * . .. .. *** * o .. .. ... *** * ** of ... **** * * * * ... * * . * --* * ** * . 130 * .... .. * * ** * 4 * U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 15 of 23 US 9, 747 , 482 B2 Fig . 17A . - - - - 30 . 36 Fig . 17B - - -- 92 * .- * :. * . * .:- .. - * .. * . .. - - -- mm 08 . Fig . 170 ** ** .-*** * 1 *WW -* * .*- * 30 .* ** . ** *7 * *..*7 1.* *. - * . *** . * . wa . 1 . U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 16 of 23 US 9 ,747 ,482 B2 Fig . 18A VY n . 30 - - . 2 71 . eb * . w . Titio aris . *** ** * * * * . *** * - *** V *.* * . * . ** * 31 - More** 36 Fig . 18B ** 30 * - . * * * * * U . S . Patent Aug. 29 , 2017 Sheet 17 of 23 US 9 ,747 , 482 B2 Fig . 19 Data storage software - 212 Scanning software - 214 Library Engine - 201 Decoder software software - 210 - 217 User interface HW controller Communication interface software - 211 software - 215 software - 216 200 Fig . 20A 222 220 221 U . S . Patent Aug. 29 , 2017 Sheet 18 of 23 US 9, 747 , 482 B2 Fig . 20B 55 Fig . 20C 55 U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 19 of 23 US 9 , 747, 482 B2 Fig.21 OGO U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 20 of 23 US 9 , 747, 482 B2 Fig . 22 Emitting light from a lamp of the mobile device along a first optical path toward a barcode target; the first optical path defining a light axis L - 231 Changing the optical path of the emitted light from the first optical path to a second optical path that is oblique to the barcode target - 232 230 Changing the optical path of the emitted light from the oblique opticalpath to a third optical path that is directed at the barcode target, the third optical path defining a light shifted axis Ls - 233 Capturing the image of the barcode target - 234 U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 21 of 23 US 9 , 747, 482 B2 Fig . 23 coma Fig . 24 U . S . Patent Aug. 29 , 2017 Sheet 22 of 23 US 9 ,747 , 482 B2 Fig . 25 Fig. 26 10 38 U . S . Patent Aug . 29, 2017 Sheet 23 of 23 US 9 , 747, 482 B2 Fig . 27 Select aimer module - 261 260 Affix module to mobile device - 262 US 9 , 747 , 482 B2 AIMER ACCESSORY FOR CAPTURING A barcode image. Registration may be configured for blind CODED IMAGE mode or target mode scanning . In blind mode scanning , the registration occurs on a detection of the light pattern and the BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION barcode in a viewing angle of a camera of the mobile device . 5 In target mode scanning , the registration occurs on a detec 1 . Field of the Invention tion of the light pattern hovering over the barcode in a The present invention relates to devices for optically viewing angle of a camera of the mobile device . acquiring data , and in particular , to optical barcode scanning In another illustrative embodiment, a mobile device con devices . figured for either blind or targeted scanning of a barcode is 2 . Description of the Related Art 10 provided . The mobile device includes a body configured for Handheld image and barcode scanning devices are well being clipped onto the mobile device . The body includes a known and used in a wide range of enterprise applications. collimator terminating with a grating disposed in a distal Barcode scanners are regularly used in connection with portion thereof . The grating is configured to receive light checkout stations at supermarkets and other retail establish - from a lamp of the mobile device and to generate a light ments for reading barcodes on consumer goods. They are 15 pattern on the surface containing the barcode . Registration also useful in inventory collection and control for warehous - of the light pattern and the barcode in a scan area enhances ing , shipping and storage of products .