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.

A single piece light pipe is designed to provide dual-field, multi-color, multi-directional illumination. The light pipe is combined with a single PCB having a plurality of LEDs to create a compact illuminator that can selectively provide dark field and bright field with red, green, blue color, broad spectrum, or combination of any color in horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or combination of any direction. The single piece light pipe is compact in size and light in weight. The non-closed form option not only can further reduce the weight but also can allow arrange opening area clearance for: (1) visual aiming and alignment in application, especially for hand held application; (2) reducing illumination crosstalk to unwanted directions; and for (3) mechanical integration. The improvements allow the illuminator to read direct product marking (DPM) type of barcodes.

A data capture device includes: a display, a primary image sensor having a primary field of view centered on a primary optical axis; an auxiliary image sensor having an auxiliary field of view centered on an auxiliary optical axis, wherein the auxiliary field of view is larger than the primary field of view; a memory storing offset data defining an offset between the primary field of view and the auxiliary field of view; a data capture controller connected to the primary image sensor, the auxiliary image sensor and the memory; wherein the data capture controller is configured to: responsive to activation of an aiming mode, control the auxiliary image sensor to capture a video stream; select, according to the offset data, a portion of the video stream corresponding to the primary field of view; and present the selected portion of the video stream on the display.

A handheld code reader may include a main structure, a handle extending from the main structure, and a trigger configured to be pulled by a finger of a user holding the handle. The code reader may further include a conductive element, an antenna configured to sense an inductive change caused by the trigger moving the conductive element, and electronics in electrical communication with the antenna, the electronics configured to determine when the inductive change is indicative of a user selecting to activate a pre-trigger aiming function.

Example methods and apparatus to provide radial aiming patterns are disclosed herein. An example assembly includes an imaging assembly configured to capture an image of a portion of an environment in a field of view (FOV); and an aiming light generator configured to form an illuminated radial aiming pattern and present the illuminated radial aiming pattern to enable the portion of the environment to be positioned within the FOV, the illuminated radial aiming pattern including an illuminated central mark in a central area of the illuminated radial aiming pattern, an illuminated first line, an illuminated second line, an illuminated third line, and an illuminated fourth line, wherein the first line, the second line, the third line, and the fourth line extend outward from the central mark and are angularly distributed about the central mark.

An optical information reading device 100 includes an aiming module 60 configured to irradiate aiming light for instructing an imaging area of image data generated by an imaging module, a trigger switch 30 for starting imaging processing by the imaging module, an aiming switch 43B for causing the aiming module 60 to irradiate the aiming light, and a reading unit 81 configured to read information of the symbol. The reading unit 81 is configured to, in an aiming state in which irradiation processing for the aiming light by the aiming module 60 is executed by operation of the aiming switch 43B, detect that the trigger switch 30 is operated and read, based on the image data generated by the imaging processing of the imaging module, information of the symbol included in a predetermined partial area PA corresponding to an irradiation position of the aiming light.

An apparatus for controlling a depth of field for a reader in a vision system includes a dual aperture assembly having an inner region and an outer region. A first light source can be used to generate a light beam associated with the inner region and a second light source can be used to generate a light beam associated with the outer region. The depth of field of the reader can be controlled by selecting one of the first light source and second light source to illuminate an object to acquire an image of the object. The selection of the first light source or the second light source can be based on at least one parameter of the vision system.

A multi-functional optical illuminator comprises: a light pipe (302) with an open frame structure for visual aiming of the illuminator to facilitate an alignment of a barcode; and a circuit board (304), attached to a back opening of the light pipe (302), comprising six dark field LEDs (308) for generating six dark field illuminations and two bright field LEDs (306) for generating bright field illuminations; wherein, the two bright field LEDs (306) produce two alternating point sources for providing bright field illuminations in different directions to minimize a specular reflection hot spot without using any diffuser during the bright field illuminations; wherein, chamfered inner edges of the light pipe (302) emit the dark field illuminations in different orientations from the light pipe (302). The illuminator is designed to provide dual-field, multi-color, multi-directional illumination. The non-closed form option not only can further reduce the weight but also can allow arrange opening area clearance for: (1) visual aiming and alignment in application, especially for hand held application; (2) reducing illumination crosstalk to unwanted directions; and for (3) mechanical integration. The improvements allow the illuminator to read direct product marking (DPM) type of barcodes.

A reader includes a smartphone configured to read information from an image of a symbol included in a photographed image created by a camera module, and a unit attached to the smartphone. The unit includes a semiconductor laser to display a marker in a photographing range of the camera module. A user simply adjusts the orientation of the reader so that the marker overlaps on the symbol for reading processing of the smartphone, whereby information can be read from the symbol.

Disclosed herein is an attachment for a smartphone. The smartphone may include i) a camera with an image sensor and a focusing lens located on a back side of the smartphone for capturing an image of a target area; and ii) a white light source on the back side of the smartphone. The attachment may include a targeting optic system. When the attachment is secured to the back side of the smartphone, the targeting optic system may receive illumination emitted by the white light source and direct the illumination towards the target area from a location that is not directly in front of the camera's image sensor. The location may be farther from the focusing lens than the white light source when measured parallel to the back side of the smartphone. The attachment may also direct the illumination into the target area via the targeting optic system.