Digital image capturing and processing system employing imaging window protection plate having an aperture pattern and being disposed over said imaging window and beneath which resides a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations

• US 20070241193A1
• Filed: 03/29/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C Knowles, Timothy Good, Xiaoxun Zhu
• Original Assignee: C Knowles, Timothy Good, Xiaoxun Zhu
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Good, Timothy, Knowles, C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,540,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1012 Special detection of object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10712 Fixed beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination

Abstract

A digital image capturing and processing system for use in retail point of sale (POS) environments. The system comprises a system housing having an imaging window, and a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations mounted beneath the imaging window in the system housing. The stations generate and projects a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging planes through the imaging window and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to the imaging window. An imaging window protection plate is mounted over the imaging window and has an aperture pattern that corresponds to the plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging planes projected through the imaging window, so that the plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging planes are allowed to project through the aperture pattern and into the 3D imaging volume, while the imaging window protection plates protects the imaging window during system operation.

Claims

1. An digital image capturing and processing system for use in retail point of sale (POS) environments, comprising:

a system housing having an imaging window;

a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations mounted beneath said imaging window in said system housing, for generating and projecting a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging planes through said imaging window and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to said imaging window; and

an imaging window protection plate mounted over said imaging window and having an aperture pattern that corresponds to said plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging planes projected through said imaging window, so that said plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging planes are allowed to project through said aperture pattern and into said 3D imaging volume, while said imaging window protection plates protects said imaging window during system operation.

2. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said aperture pattern comprises:

a central X aperture pattern and a pair of parallel apertures aligned parallel to the sides of the system housing, and said plurality of said coplanar illumination and imaging planes are configured to project through said central X aperture pattern and said pair of parallel apertures.

3. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said imaging window is made from optically transparent glass;

and wherein said imaging window protection plate can be removed from said imaging window for cleaning said glass imaging window, during routine maintenance operations.

4. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging station includes:

(i) an array of planar illumination modules (PLIMs) for producing a substantially planar illumination beam (PLIB), wherein each said PLIM includes at least one illumination source and optics for producing said PLIB, and

(ii) a linear image detection array having a field of view (FOV) on said linear image detection array and extending in substantially the same plane as said PLIB, and providing a coplanar illumination and imaging plane (PLIB/FOV) that is projected through said 3D imaging volume defined relative to said imaging window, for capturing linear digital images of the object passing therethrough.

5. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 4, wherein each said illumination source comprises an incoherent light source, and said plurality of PLIBs are generated by an array of said incoherent light sources.

6. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 5, wherein said array of incoherent light sources comprises an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

7. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 4, wherein each said illumination source comprises a coherent light sources, and said plurality of PLIBs are generated by an array of said coherent light sources.

8. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 7, wherein said array of coherent light sources comprises an array of visible laser diodes (VLDs).

9. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 4, wherein said linear image detection array comprises an imaging array selected from the group of a CMOS image sensing array and a CCD image sensing array.