METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOCATING DATA REGIONS IN STORED IMAGES OF SYMBOLS

A method and apparatus locates a periphery or "bounding box" of an image of a symbol located within an image stored by a reader. The symbol preferably has a recognition pattern with an longitudinally extending bar and at least one vertically extending reference bar, such as in the Code One symbology. The method locates the positions of landmark points within the stored image. Landmark points include points at the end of the longitudinally extending bar, points at the corner or root formed between the longitudinally extending bar and the vertically extending bar, and points at the ends of the vertically extending bars. Based on the locations of the landmark points, lines are projected between pairs of the landmark points to determine an amount, if any, of optical distortion to which the image of the symbol suffers. Based on the landmark points, lines projected therebetween and the angles of any distortion, one or more bounding boxes are constructed to determine the periphery of the symbol within the stored image.