US 12,353,949 B2
Indicia tracking and decoding systems
Darran Michael Handshaw, Sound Beach, NY (US); Edward Barkan, Miller Place, NY (US); Mark Drzymala, Saint James, NY (US); David P. Goren, Smithtown, NY (US); and Binyamin Stein, Flushing, NY (US)
Assigned to Zebra Technologies Corporation, Lincolnshire, IL (US)
Filed by ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, Lincolnshire, IL (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/140,587.
Prior Publication US 2024/0362438 A1, Oct. 31, 2024
Int. Cl. G06K 7/10 (2006.01); G06T 7/50 (2017.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06V 10/74 (2022.01); G06V 40/10 (2022.01)
CPC G06K 7/10722 (2013.01) [G06T 7/50 (2017.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06V 10/761 (2022.01); G06V 40/107 (2022.01); G06T 2207/10024 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30196 (2013.01); G06V 2201/07 (2022.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for decoding indicia comprising:
a depth imaging assembly operable to capture depth data of items;
a 2-dimesional (2D) imaging assembly operable to capture 2D data of items that is different from the depth data of items; and
a processing device, wherein the processing device is configured to
(a) attempt to detect and decode an indicium affixed to a first-passed item that is passing through at least one of a field of view of the 2D imaging assembly or a field of view of the depth imaging assembly,
(b) determine a first characteristic associated with the first-passed item based on depth data from the depth imaging assembly, and
(c) responsive to the first-passed item leaving the field of view of the 2D imaging assembly upon a failed attempt to decode the indicium,
(i) detect a second-passed item that is passing through the field of view of the 2D imaging assembly and the field of view of the depth imaging assembly,
(ii) determine a second characteristic associated with the second-passed item based on depth data from the depth imaging assembly,
(iii) determine if the first-passed item is a same item as the second-passed item based on comparing the first characteristic the second characteristic, and
(iv) responsive to determining that the first-passed item and the second-passed item are not the same item, transmit a message to an alert module that is indicative of a non-decode event, and (v) responsive to determining that the first-passed item and the second-passed item are the same item, the processing device proceeds to at least one of (i) attempt to decode an indicium affixed to the second-passed item or (ii) start a search for a new first-passed item,
wherein the field of view of the 2D imaging assembly and the field of view of the depth imaging assembly at least partially overlap, wherein responsive to a failed attempt to decode the indicium, the system is further configured to detect whether the first-passed item is returning for a second decode attempt based on depth data from the depth imaging assembly indicating that a direction of travel of the first-passed item being different from an initial direction of travel of the first-passed item, and wherein the depth imaging assembly and the 2d imaging assembly are behind at least one window of a housing.