Method and Apparatus for High Resolution Decoding of Encoded Symbols

Abstract

A method for scanning and decoding encoded symbols comprises processing low resolution image data from a full field of view and/or high resolution image data from one or more windowed segments of the field of view to provide imaging that is easily adaptable to different types of symbols and varying environmental conditions. The scanning method can be switched between the low resolution mode and the high resolution mode automatically based on whether the low resolution data is sufficiently accurate to decode the symbol.

1 . A method for decoding an encoded digital symbol with a digital scanner, the method comprising the following steps:
 (a) acquiring a low resolution image data set of a field of view including the symbol;   (b) evaluating the low resolution image data set to decode the symbol;   (c) acquiring a high resolution image data set of at least a portion of the field of view if the symbol has not been decoded in step (b);   (d) evaluating the high resolution image data set to decode the symbol; and   (e) if the symbol isn't decoded in step (d), acquiring a high resolution data set of another portion of the field of view of the symbol and repeating steps (c) and (d) until the symbol is decoded.