SYMBOL READING SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATED SCALE BASE

• US 20140326787A1
• Filed: 07/17/2014
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Barten, Henri Jozef Maria
• Granted Patent: US 9,305,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/046 Arrangement of recording means in or on check-out counters record carriers or readers per se G06K
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4144 for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/22 Weigh pans or other weighing receptacles; Weighing platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/30 Means for preventing contamination by dust
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1096 the scanner having more than one scanning window, e.g. two substantially orthogonally placed scanning windows for integration into a check-out counter of a super-market
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing

Abstract

A symbol-reading system includes a system housing having a horizontal housing portion and a vertical housing portion, the vertical housing portion being configured substantially orthogonal to the horizontal housing portion. The symbol-reading system also includes a symbol reading subsystem, disposed in the system housing, for reading symbols on objects and producing data representative of the read symbols. Additionally, the symbol-reading system includes a weigh scale subsystem including at least one load cell that supports the entirety of the system housing, the weigh scale subsystem being configured for measuring the weight of objects on the system housing and producing data representative of measured weights.

Claims

1. A symbol-reading system, comprising:

a system housing comprising;

a horizontal housing portion comprising a window;

a vertical housing portion comprising a window, the vertical housing portion being configured substantially orthogonal to the horizontal housing portion;

a symbol reading subsystem, disposed in the system housing, for reading symbols on objects within a reading volume defined relative to the vertical housing portion'"'"'s window and the horizontal housing portion'"'"'s window and producing data representative of the read symbols; and

a weigh scale subsystem comprising at least one load cell that supports the entirety of the system housing, the weigh scale subsystem being configured for measuring the weight of objects on the system housing and producing data representative of measured weights;

wherein the symbol reading subsystem is configured for projecting illumination and imaging planes to read symbols on objects within the reading volume.

2. The symbol-reading system of claim 1, wherein the illumination and imaging planes comprise coplanar illumination and imaging planes.

3. The symbol-reading system of claim 1, wherein the symbol reading subsystem is configured for projecting illumination and imaging planes through the vertical housing portion'"'"'s window and the horizontal housing portion'"'"'s window.

4. The symbol-reading system of claim 1, wherein the weigh scale subsystem comprises four load cells beneath four corners of the system housing.

5. The symbol-reading system of claim 1, wherein the symbol reading subsystem is configured for projecting laser scanning planes to read symbols on objects within a scanning volume defined relative to the vertical housing portion'"'"'s window and the horizontal housing portion'"'"'s window.

6. The symbol-reading system of claim 5, wherein the laser scanning planes comprise an omni-directional laser scanning pattern within the scanning volume.

8. The symbol-reading system of claim 1, wherein the weigh scale subsystem comprises four load cells beneath four corners of the system housing.

9. The symbol-reading system of claim 1, wherein the symbol reading subsystem is configured for projecting illumination and imaging planes through the vertical housing portion'"'"'s window.

10. The symbol-reading system of claim 9, wherein the illumination and imaging planes comprise coplanar illumination and imaging planes.

11. The symbol-reading system of claim 1, wherein the symbol reading subsystem is configured for projecting laser scanning planes to read symbols on objects within a scanning volume defined relative to the vertical housing portion'"'"'s window and the horizontal housing portion'"'"'s window.

7. A symbol-reading system, comprising:

a system housing comprising;

a horizontal housing portion comprising a window;

a vertical housing portion comprising a window, the vertical housing portion being configured substantially orthogonal to the horizontal housing portion;

a symbol reading subsystem, disposed in the system housing, for reading symbols on objects within a reading volume defined relative to the vertical housing portion'"'"'s window and the horizontal housing portion'"'"'s window and producing data representative of the read symbols; and

a weigh scale subsystem comprising at least one load cell that supports the entirety of the system housing, the weigh scale subsystem being configured for measuring the weight of objects on the system housing and producing data representative of measured weights.

12. A symbol-reading system, comprising:

a system housing comprising a horizontal housing portion and a vertical housing portion, the vertical housing portion being configured substantially orthogonal to the horizontal housing portion;

a symbol reading subsystem, disposed in the system housing, for reading symbols on objects and producing data representative of the read symbols; and

a weigh scale subsystem comprising at least one load cell that supports the entirety of the system housing, the weigh scale subsystem being configured for measuring the weight of objects on the system housing and producing data representative of measured weights.

13. The symbol-reading system of claim 12, wherein the weigh scale subsystem comprises four load cells beneath four corners of the system housing.

14. The symbol-reading system of claim 12, wherein:

the vertical housing portion comprises a window; and

the symbol reading subsystem is configured for projecting illumination and imaging planes to read symbols on objects within an imaging volume defined relative to the vertical housing portion'"'"'s window.

15. The symbol-reading system of claim 14, wherein the illumination and imaging planes comprise coplanar illumination and imaging planes.

16. The symbol-reading system of claim 14, wherein:

the horizontal housing portion comprises a window; and

the symbol reading subsystem is configured for projecting illumination and imaging planes through the horizontal housing portion'"'"'s window to read symbols on objects within the imaging volume.

17. The symbol-reading system of claim 12, wherein:

the vertical housing portion comprises a window; and

the symbol reading subsystem is configured for projecting laser scanning planes to read symbols on objects within a scanning volume defined relative to the vertical housing portion'"'"'s window.

18. The symbol-reading system of claim 17, wherein the laser scanning planes comprise an omni-directional laser scanning pattern within the scanning volume.

19. The symbol-reading system of claim 12, wherein:

the vertical housing portion comprises a window;

the horizontal housing portion comprises a window; and

the symbol reading subsystem is configured for projecting laser scanning planes to read symbols on objects within a scanning volume defined relative to the vertical housing portion'"'"'s window and the horizontal housing portion'"'"'s window.

20. The symbol-reading system of claim 12, wherein the weigh scale subsystem is integrated into the system housing.

21. The symbol-reading system of claim 12, wherein the weigh scale subsystem comprises a touch-screen display panel for facilitating a user'"'"'s selection of items to be weighed and displaying price and weight information.

22. The symbol-reading system of claim 12, wherein the weigh scale subsystem comprises a display panel mounted on a customer-facing side of the system.