Transaction terminal

• US 20040210759A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: OʼDonnell, James F., Havens, William H., McCall, Melvin D., Fitch, Timothy R., Sperduti, David, Gomez, Garrison, Smith, George S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,472,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/01 Details for indicating displaying information in general G09F, G09G
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00

Abstract

A transaction terminal including a motherboard and a display coupled to the motherboard. The transaction terminal further includes a removable data carrier reader coupled to the motherboard and an optical reader coupled to the motherboard, the optical reader having a field of view. The transaction terminal further includes a user interface coupled to the motherboard and a shroud disposed proximate to the optical reader, the shroud emitting light.

Claims

1. A transaction terminal comprising:

a housing;

a display;

a reader, said reader configured to read data from a removable data carrier;

an optical reader unit, said optical reader unit having an imaging axis and a field of view that varies with distance along the imaging axis;

an illumination unit disposed to illuminate at least a portion of the field of view of said optical reader unit; and

a luminiferous shroud extending outwardly from said optical reader unit, said lunifierous shroud disposed perimeterly around the field of view of said optical reader unit, said luminiferous shroud allowing a portion of the incident light emitted from said illumination unit to be transmitted through said luminiferous shroud and dispersed in peripheral directions, said luminiferous shroud having a first end and a second end.

2. The transaction terminal of claim 1 wherein said luminiferous shroud is made of plastic.

3. The transaction terminal of claim 1 wherein said illumination unit includes a plurality of light sources.

4. The transaction terminal of claim 1 wherein said luminiferous shroud includes an textured inner surface.

5. The transaction terminal of claim 4 wherein said optical reader unit includes a scanning laser.

6. The transaction terminal of claim 4 wherein said optical reader unit includes an image sensor.

7. The transaction terminal of claim 4 wherein said illumination unit includes a plurality of light sources.

8. The transaction terminal of claim 7 wherein said plurality of light sources includes at least one light emitting diode.

9. The transaction terminal of claim 1 wherein said illumination unit includes a light diffusing optical element.

10. The transaction terminal of claim 9 where said light diffusing optical element includes a lens.

11. The transaction terminal of claim 9 where said light diffusing optical element includes a prism.

12. An optical reader comprising:

a luminiferous shroud including a first end and a second end;

a photoelectric conversion unit adapted to read an image, said photoelectric conversion unit disposed proximate to said first end of said luminiferous shroud, said photoelectric conversion unit having a field of view; and

a light source disposed proximate to said first end, said light source providing light of a predetermined intensity and energy density;

wherein said lunifierous shroud is disposed perimeterly around the field of view of said photoelectric conversion unit;

wherein said luminiferous shroud includes a partially reflective inner surface;

wherein said partially reflective inner surface reflects a portion of the light incident thereon; and

wherein said partially reflective inner surface allows a portion of the light incident thereto to be transmitted through said luminiferous shroud and dispersed in peripheral directions.

13. The optical reader of claim 12 wherein said partially reflective inner surface includes a textured region.

14. The optical reader of claim 12 further including an optical element disposed proximate to said light source, wherein said optical element directs at least a portion of the light emitted from said light source onto said partially reflective inner surface.

15. The optical reader of claim 14, wherein said light source includes a plurality of light emitting diodes.

16. The optical reader of claim 15 wherein said optical element includes a plurality of lenses, each of said plurality of lenses disposed proximate to at least one of said plurality of light emitting diodes.

17. The optical reader of claim 15 wherein said plurality of light emitting diodes are disposed about said photoelectric conversion element.

18. The optical reader of claim 17 further including a control circuit coupled to said plurality of light emitting diodes said control circuit selectively turning on and off at least one of said plurality of light emitting diodes according to a predetermined schedule thereby reducing the the adverse effects of specular reflection of from a target object as seen by the imager.

19. The optical reader of claim 12 wherein the photoelectric conversion unit includes a laser sweeping across a target object.

20. The optical reader of claim 12 wherein the photoelectric conversion unit includes an image sensor.

21. The optical reader of claim 20 wherein the image sensor includes a linear array of photodetectors.

22. The optical reader of claim 20 wherein said image sensor includes a two-dimensional array of photodectors.

23. The optical reader of claim 12 wherein said partially reflective inner surface is disposed proximate to the boundaries of the field of view of said photoelectric conversion unit.

24. The optical reader of claim 23 wherein said luminiferous shroud is configured such that the intensity of light dispersed in peripheral directions is greater in intensity in a region proximate to a second end of said luminiferous shroud.

25. The optical reader of claim 12 wherein said second end of said luminiferous shroud is disposed a predetermined distance from said photoelectric conversion unit.

26. The optical reader of claim 25 wherein said predetermined distance is at least great enough to allow said photoelectric conversion unit to capture an image of an object placed against said second end.

27. The optical reader of claim 12 further including a user interface.

28. The optical reader of claim 27 further including control circuitry in communication with said user interface and said photoelectric conversion unit.

29. The optical reader of claim 28 wherein said user interface includes a touch screen.

30. The optical reader of claim 27 further including a card reader, said card reader configured to extract data from at least one of a magnetic stripe and smart card data.

31. The optical reader of claim 12 wherein said photoelectric conversion unit includes a plurality of photodetector arrays.

32. The optical reader of claim 31 wherein the each of said plurality of photodetector arrays captures an image at a different time.

33. The optical reader of claim 12 wherein said photoelectric conversion unit further includes an imaging axis, wherein the second end of said

34. An optical reader comprising:

a shroud, said shroud including;

a partially reflective inner surface; and

an outer surface, said outer surface including opaque regions and light dispersing regions;

a photoelectric conversion unit adapted to read an image, said photoelectric conversion unit disposed proximate to a first end of said shroud, said photoelectric conversion unit having a field of view; and

a light source disposed proximate to said first end, said light source providing light of a predetermined intensity and energy density;

wherein said shroud is disposed perimeterly around the field of view of said photoelectric conversion unit;

wherein said partially reflective inner surface reflects a portion of the light incident thereon;

wherein said partially reflective inner surface allows a portion of the light incident thereto to dispersed in peripheral directions through said light dispersing regions.

35. A transaction terminal comprising:

a motherboard;

a display coupled to said motherboard;

a removable data carrier reader coupled to said motherboard;

an optical reader coupled to said motherboard, said optical reader having a field of view;

a user interface coupled to said motherboard; and

a shroud disposed proximate to said optical reader, said shroud emitting light.

36. The transaction terminal of claim 35 a wherein said shroud includes:

an inner surface;

a first end disposed proximate to said optical reader; and

a second end;

wherein said inner surface allows at least a portion of the light incident thereto to propagate through said shroud and be dispersed in peripheral directions;

wherein a portion of the light propagating through said shroud is confined to propagated to said second end where the light exits said second end; and

wherein the light exiting said second end is dispersed peripherally; and

wherein light dispersed peripherally from said second end has a greater intensity than light dispersed peripherally from the remainder of said shroud.

37. The transaction terminal of claim 36 wherein said inner surface is a partially reflective surface.

38. The transaction terminal of claim 37 wherein said inner surface includes a textured region.

39. The transaction terminal of claim 36 wherein said shroud is made from a plastic material.

40. The transaction terminal of claim 39 wherein at least a portion of said plastic material is a translucent plastic material.

41. The transaction terminal of claim 40 wherein said translucent plastic includes a filler material for enhancing the light scattering properties of said translucent plastic.

42. The transaction terminal of claim 36 wherein said removable data carrier reader is configured to read a magnetic stripe card.

43. The transaction terminal of claim 36 wherein said removable data carrier reader is configured to read a smart card.

44. The transaction terminal of claim 36 wherein said removable data carrier reader is configured to read non-contact data carrying object.

45. The transaction terminal of claim 36 wherein said removable data carrier reader is configured to read an RF ID object.

46. The transaction terminal of claim 36 wherein said user interface includes a touch pad.

47. The transaction terminal of claim 36 wherein said user interface includes a keypad.

48. The transaction terminal of claim 36 wherein said display is an LCD display.

49. The transaction terminal of claim 36 further including a biometric reader.

50. The transaction terminal of claim 36 wherein said optical reader includes:

a photoelectric conversion unit adapted to read an image, said photoelectric conversion unit disposed proximate to said first end of said shroud, said photoelectric conversion unit having a field of view; and

a light source disposed proximate to said first end, said light source providing light of a predetermined intensity.

51. The transaction terminal of claim 50 further including:

a digital signal processing module coupled to said photoelectric conversion unit; and

an illumination controller coupled to said light source.

52. The transaction terminal of claim 51 wherein said light source includes a first light source and a second light source disposed apart from one another.

53. The transaction terminal of claim 52 wherein said illumination controller selectively turns on and off said first light source and said second light source.

54. The transaction terminal of claim 53 wherein said illumination controller cyclically turns on said first light source, turns off said first light source, turns on said second light source and turns off said second light source.

55. The transaction terminal of claim 53 wherein said first light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

56. The transaction terminal of claim 55 wherein said second light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

57. The transaction terminal of claim 53 wherein said second light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

58. The transaction terminal of claim 53 wherein said first light source includes a plurality of light emitting diode.

59. The transaction terminal of claim 58 wherein said second light source includes a plurality of light emitting diodes.

60. The transaction terminal of claim 53 wherein said second light source includes a plurality of light emitting diodes.

61. The transaction terminal of claim 52 wherein said first light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

62. The transaction terminal of claim 52 wherein said second light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

63. The transaction terminal of claim 51 wherein said photoelectric conversion unit includes an imaging module.

64. The transaction terminal of claim 63 wherein said imaging module includes a two dimensional array of photodetectors.

65. The transaction terminal of claim 51 wherein said photoelectric conversion unit includes a linear array of photodetectors.

66. The transaction terminal of claim 51 wherein said photoelectric conversion unit includes a laser sweeping scan engine.

67. The transaction terminal of claim 51 wherein said photoelectric conversion unit includes a plurality of image sensors.

68. The transaction terminal of claim 67 wherein said plurality of image sensors includes a near field imager and a far field imager.

69. The transaction terminal of claim 50 wherein said shroud is a luminiferous shroud, said luminiferous shroud extending outwardly from said optical reader unit, said lunifierous shroud disposed perimeterly around the field of view of said optical reader unit, said luminiferous shroud allowing a portion of the incident light emitted from said illumination unit to be transmitted through said luminiferous shroud and dispersed in peripheral directions.

70. The transaction terminal of claim 69 further including a light diffusing optical element disposed proximate to said first end of said luminiferous shroud and optically coupled to said light source.

71. The transaction terminal of claim 70 where said light diffusing optical element includes a lens.

72. The transaction terminal of claim 70 where said light diffusing optical element includes a prism.