BARCODE SCANNER WITH MIRROR ANTENNA

• US 20090101717A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Claessen, Albert M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,850,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.130
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10702 Particularities of propagating elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors G06K7/10831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

An barcode scanner with a pattern mirror that doubles as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader antenna to provide better overlap between barcode label and RFID tag reader reading zones. The barcode scanner includes at least one of pattern mirror with a conductive coating, and a radio frequency identification tag reader coupled to the conductive coating of the one pattern mirror. The conductive coating of the one pattern mirror functions as an antenna for the radio frequency identification tag reader.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a mirror including a conductive coating.

2. A radio frequency identification tag reader system suitable for use in a barcode scanner comprising:

a mirror for reflecting a laser beam including a conductive coating; and

a radio frequency identification tag reader coupled to the conductive coating of the mirror.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the radio frequency identification tag reader is wirelessly coupled to the conductive coating of the mirror.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a resonator for coupling the conductive coating to the radio frequency identification tag reader.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the resonator comprises a ground plane with a slot and a transmission line coupled to the radio frequency identification tag reader on the ground plane over the slot.

6. A barcode scanner comprising:

at least one of pattern mirror with a conductive coating; and

a radio frequency identification tag reader coupled to the conductive coating of the one pattern mirror;

wherein the conductive coating of the one pattern mirror functions as an antenna for the radio frequency identification tag reader.

7. A barcode scanner comprising:

a laser for producing a laser beam;

a plurality of pattern mirrors for producing a scan pattern from the laser beam for scanning an item and for receiving light reflected from the item, wherein at least one of the pattern mirrors includes a conductive coating;

a mirrored spinner for directing the laser beam at the pattern mirrors and for directing the light reflected from the item;

a detector for converting the light reflected from the item into electrical signals;

a collector for receiving the light reflected from the item from the mirrored spinner and for focusing it on the detector;

a radio frequency identification tag reader;

wherein the radio frequency identification tag reader is coupled to the one pattern mirror and the conductive coating of the one pattern mirror functions as an antenna; and

control circuitry for decoding a barcode label if present on the item to obtain information about the item from the electrical signals, for obtaining the information about the item from the radio frequency identification tag reader if a radio frequency identification tag is present on the item, and for sending the information about the item to a computer.

8. The barcode scanner of claim 7, wherein the scan pattern produces a barcode label reading zone, the radio frequency identification tag reader produces a radio frequency identification tag reading zone, and wherein the radio frequency identification tag reading zone substantially overlaps the barcode label reading zone.

9. The barcode scanner of claim 7, wherein the barcode scanner comprises a first housing portion containing a substantially horizontal aperture for scanning the item from a first plurality of directions, and a second housing portion containing a substantially vertical aperture for scanning the item from a second plurality of directions.

10. The barcode scanner of claim 9, wherein the one pattern mirror is located in the second housing portion.

11. The barcode scanner of claim 10, wherein the one pattern mirror directs the laser beam towards a top surface of the item.

12. The barcode scanner of claim 11, further comprising:

a mirror housing in the second housing portion, wherein the mirror housing includes an inside surface and an outside surface and the one pattern mirror is mounted to the inside surface; and

a resonator for wirelessly coupling the radio frequency identification tag reader to the one pattern mirror, wherein the resonator is mounted to the outside surface opposite the one pattern mirror.

13. The barcode scanner of claim 7, further comprising a resonator for wirelessly coupling the radio frequency identification tag reader to the one pattern mirror.

14. The barcode scanner of claim 13, wherein the resonator comprises a ground plane and a drive circuit over the ground plane.

15. The barcode scanner of claim 14, wherein the ground plane includes a slot and the drive circuit includes a transmission line over the slot.

16. The barcode scanner of claim 15, wherein the drive circuit is a balanced drive circuit.

17. The barcode scanner of claim 15, wherein the drive circuit is an unbalanced drive circuit.

18. The barcode scanner of claim 13, wherein the resonator is located parallel to the one pattern mirror.

19. The barcode scanner of claim 18, wherein the resonator has a first area, the one pattern mirror has a second area, and the first area of the resonator is larger than the second area of the one pattern mirror.

20. A barcode scanner comprising:

a housing including a first housing portion containing a substantially horizontal aperture, and a second housing portion containing a substantially vertical aperture;

a laser in the housing for producing a laser beam;

a plurality of pattern mirrors in the housing including a first set of pattern mirrors in the first housing portion for scanning an item from a first plurality of directions, and a second set of pattern mirrors in the second housing portion for scanning the item from a second plurality of directions;

wherein the second set of pattern mirrors includes at least one mirror for directing the laser beam diagonally down for scanning a top surface of the item, and wherein the one mirror includes a conductive coating which functions as an antenna;

a mirrored spinner in the housing for directing the laser beam at the pattern mirrors and for directing the light reflected from the item;

a detector in the housing for converting the light reflected from the item into electrical signals;

a collector in the housing for receiving the light reflected from the item from the mirrored spinner and for focusing it on the detector;

a radio frequency identification tag reader;

a resonator including a ground plane and a drive circuit coupled to the radio frequency identification tag reader over the ground plane;

wherein the resonator has a first area, the one pattern mirror has a second area, and the first area of the resonator is larger than the second area of the one pattern mirror;

wherein the second housing portion includes a mirror housing having an inside surface and an outside surface, and wherein the one pattern mirror is mounted to the inside surface and the resonator is mounted to the outside surface opposite the one pattern mirror; and

control circuitry for decoding a barcode label if present on the item to obtain information about the item from the electrical signals, for obtaining the information about the item from the radio frequency identification tag reader if a radio frequency identification tag is present on the item, and for sending the information about the item to a computer.