BIOPTICAL POINT-OF-SALE (POS) SCANNING SYSTEM EMPLOYING DUAL POLYGON-BASED LASER SCANNING PLATFORMS DISPOSED BENEATH HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL SCANNING WINDOWS FOR 360° OMNI-DIRECTIONAL BAR CODE SCANNING

• US 6,918,540 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Good, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/045,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20030052173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/472, 23546201-46248, 23547201-47203, 235/454, 235/455, 235/470
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/106 having diffraction gratings as scanning elements, e.g. holographic scanners holographic optical elements G02B5/32, holography G03H
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1012 Special detection of object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1013 Multi-focal
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1016 Motor control or optical moving unit control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1017 Programmable
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1018 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10594 Beam path
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10603 Basic scanning using moving elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10663 using hologram
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10673 Parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10702 Particularities of propagating elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors G06K7/10831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10801 Multidistance reading
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 Focalisation
• 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: G06K 7/10861 : sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10871 : randomly oriented data-fields, code-marks therefore, e.g. concentric circles-code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 : constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10891 : the scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/109 : adaptations to make the hand-held scanner useable as a fixed scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 : using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 : with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 : with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

A bioptical laser scanning system employing a plurality of laser scanning stations about a two independently controlled rotating polygonal mirrors. The system has an ultra-compact construction, ideally suited for space-constrained retail scanning environments, and generates a 3-D omnidirectional laser scanning pattern between the bottom and side-scanning windows during system operation. The laser scanning pattern of the present invention comprises a complex of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes, including a plurality of substantially-vertical laser scanning planes for reading bar code symbols having bar code elements (i.e. ladder type bar code symbols) that are oriented substantially horizontal with respect to the bottom-scanning window, and a plurality of substantially-horizontal laser scanning planes for reading bar code symbols having bar code elements (i.e. picket-fence type bar code symbols) that are oriented substantially vertical with respect to the bottom-scanning window.

Claims

1. A bioptical laser scanning system capable of scanning a bar code symbol locate on the surface of an object presented within a 3-D scanning volume at any orientation and from any direction at a point of sale (POS) station, said bioptical laser scanning system;

comprising;

a horizontal section integrally connected to a vertical section;

a horizontal-scanning window formed in said horizontal section;

a vertical-scanning window formed in said vertical section, and being substantially orthogonal to said bottom-scanning window;

a first plurality of laser beam folding mirrors disposed within said horizontal section;

a second plurality of laser beam folding mirrors disposed within said vertical section;

a first laser beam production module for producing first laser beam, and a second laser beam production module for producing a second laser beam;

a first polygonal scanning element disposed within said horizontal section and having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a first axis of rotation, for scanning said first laser beam and producing a first laser scanning beam that reflects off said first plurality of laser beam folding mirrors to generate and project a first plurality of laser scanning planes through said horizontal-scanning window; and

a second polygonal scanning element disposed within said vertical section and having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a second axis of rotation, for scanning said second laser beam and producing a second laser scanning beam that reflects off said second plurality of laser beam folding mirrors to generate and project a second plurality of laser scanning planes through said vertical-scanning window,

whereby said first and second pluralities of laser scanning planes (i) intersect within predetermined scan regions contained within a 3-D scanning volume defined between said horizontal-scanning and vertical-scanning windows, and (ii) generate a plurality of groups of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes within said 3-D scanning volume, and

wherein said plurality of groups of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes form a complex omni-directional 3-D laser scanning pattern within said 3-D scanning volume capable of scanning a bar code symbol located on the surface of an object presented within said 3-D scanning volume at any orientation and from any direction at said POS station.

2. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 1, wherein the height dimension of the said horizontal section is less than about 4.5 inches for installation of said horizontal section within a countertop surface at said POS.

3. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of groups of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes comprises over 60 different laser scanning planes cooperating within said 3-D scanning volume to generate said complex omni-directional 3-D laser scanning pattern.

4. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 3, wherein each said group of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes comprises (i) a plurality of substantially-vertical laser scanning planes for reading bar code symbols having bar code elements (i.e., ladder type bar code symbols) that are oriented substantially horizontal with respect to said horizontal-scanning window, and (ii) a plurality of substantially-horizontal laser scanning plane for reading bar code symbols having bar code elements (i.e., picket-fence type bar code symbols) that are oriented substantially vertical with respect to said horizontal-scanning window.

5. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 1, wherein said first laser beam production module comprises a first visible laser diode (VLD), and said second laser beam production module comprises a second visible laser diode (VLD).

6. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of laser beam folding mirrors and said first laser production module cooperate with first and second light collecting/focusing optical elements and first and second photodetectors disposed within said bottom housing section to form first and second scanning stations disposed about said first polygonal scanning element, and

wherein the light collecting/focusing optical element within each said laser scanning station collects light from predetermined scan regions within said 3-D scanning volume and focuses such collected light onto the photodetector to produce an electrical signal having an amplitude proportional to the intensity of light focused thereon, and said electrical signal being supplied to analog/digital signal processing circuitry for processing analog and digital scan data signals derived therefrom to perform bar code symbol reading operations.

8. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 1, wherein said first polygonal scanning element comprises a first polygonal scanning mirror having a first plurality of rotating mirror facets, and wherein said polygonal scanning element comprises a second polygonal scanning mirror having a second plurality of rotating mirror facets.

9. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 8, wherein said second plurality of rotating mirror facets on said second polygonal scanning mirror are classifiable into a first class of facets having High Elevation (HE) angle characteristics, and a second class of facets having Low Elevation (LE) angle characteristics.

10. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 9, wherein said high and low elevation angle characteristics are referenced by a plane P1 that contains the incoming laser beam and is normal to the rotational axis of said second polygonal scanning mirror;

wherein each facet in said first class of facets, having high beam elevation angle characteristics, produces an outgoing laser beam that is directed above the plane P1 as the facet sweeps across the point of incidence of said third laser scanning station; and

wherein each facet in said second class of facets, having low beam elevation angle characteristics, produces an outgoing laser beam that is directed below the plane P1 as the facet sweeps across the point of incidence of said third laser scanning station.

11. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 1, wherein said complex omni-directional 3-D laser scanning pattern is generated from said horizontal-scanning window and said vertical-scanning window during the revolution of said first and second polygonal scanning mirrors.

12. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 8, wherein during each evolution of said first polygonal scanning mirror, a first group of laser scanning planes are produced by said first and second laser scanning stations, and concurrently therewith, during each revolution of said second polygonal scanning mirror, second and third groups of laser scanning planes are produced by said third laser scanning station.

7. The bioptical laser scanning system of 6, wherein said second plurality of laser beam folding mirrors and said second laser production module cooperate with a third light collecting/focusing optical element and a third photodetector disposed within said vertical housing section to form third scanning station disposed about said second polygonal scanning element, and

wherein the light collecting/focusing optical element within said third laser scanning station collects light from predetermined scan regions within said 3-D scanning volume and focuses such collected light onto the photodetector to produce an electrical signal having an amplitude proportional to the intensity of light focused thereon, and said electrical signal being supplied to analog/digital signal processing circuitry for processing analog and digital scan data signals derived therefrom to perform bar code symbol reading operations.

13. A bioptical laser scanning system capable of scanning a bar code symbol located on the surface of an object presented within a 3-D scanning volume at any orientation and from any direction at a point of sale (POS) station, said bioptical laser scanning system comprising:

a housing having a bottom housing section integrally connected to a side housing section;

a bottom-scanning window provided in said bottom housing section;

a side-scanning window provided in said side housing section, and being substantially orthogonal to said bottom-scanning window;

a first plurality of laser beam folding mirrors disposed within said bottom housing section;

a second plurality of laser beam folding mirrors disposed within said side housing section;

a first laser beam production module for producing a first laser beam, and a second laser beam production module for producing a second laser beam;

a first polygonal scanning element disposed within said bottom housing section and having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a first axis of rotation, for scanning said first laser beam and producing a first laser scanning beam that reflects off said first plurality of laser beam folding mirrors to generate and project a first plurality of laser scanning planes through said bottom-scanning window, and

a second polygonal scanning element disposed within said side housing section and having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a second axis of rotation, for scanning said second laser beam and producing a second laser scanning beam that reflects off said second plurality of laser beam folding mirrors to generate and project a second plurality of laser scanning planes through said side-scanning window,

whereby said first and second pluralities of laser scanning planes (i) intersect within predetermined scan regions contained within a 3-D scanning volume defined between said bottom-scanning window and side-scanning window, and (ii) generate a plurality of groups of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes within said 3-D scanning volume, and

wherein said plurality of groups of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes form a complex omni-directional 3-D laser scanning pattern within said 3-D scanning volume capable of scanning a bar code symbol located on the surface of an object presented within said 3-D scanning volume at any orientation and from any direction at said POS station.

14. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 13, wherein the height dimension of the said bottom housing section is less than about 4.5 inches for installation of said bottom housing section within a countertop surface at said POS.

15. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 13, wherein said plurality of groups of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes comprises over 60 different laser scanning planes cooperating within said 3-D scanning volume to generate said complex omni-directional 3-D laser scanning pattern.

16. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 15, wherein each said group of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes comprises (i) a plurality of substantially-vertical laser scanning planes for reading bar code symbols having bar code elements (i.e., ladder type bar code symbols) that are oriented substantially horizontal with respect to said bottom-scanning window, and (ii) a plurality of substantially-horizontal laser scanning plane for reading bar code symbols having bar code elements (i.e., picket-fence type bar code symbols) that are oriented substantially vertical with respect to said bottom-scanning window.

17. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 13, wherein said first laser beam production module comprises a first visible laser diode (VLD), and said second laser beam production module comprises a second visible laser diode (VLD).

18. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 13, wherein said first plurality of laser beam folding mirrors and said first laser beam production module cooperate with first and second light collecting/focusing optical elements and first and second photodetectors disposed within said bottom housing section to form first and second scanning stations disposed about said first polygonal scanning element, and

wherein the light collecting/focusing optical element within each said laser scanning station collects light from predetermined scan regions within said 3-D scanning volume and focuses such collected light onto the photodetector to produce an electrical signal having an amplitude proportional to the intensity of light focused thereon, and said electrical signal being supplied to analog/digital signal processing circuitry for processing analog and digital scan data signals derived therefrom to perform bar code symbol reading operations.

19. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 18, wherein said second plurality of laser beam folding mirrors and said second laser beam production module cooperate with a third light collecting/focusing optical element and a third photodetector disposed within said vertical housing section to form third scanning station disposed about said second polygonal scanning element, and

wherein the light collecting/focusing optical element within said third laser scanning station collects light from predetermined scan regions within said 3-D scanning volume and focuses such collected light onto the photodetector to produce an electrical signal having an amplitude proportional to the intensity of light focused thereon, and said electrical signal being supplied to analog/digital signal processing circuitry for processing analog and digital scan data signals derived therefrom to perform bar code symbol reading operations.

20. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 13, wherein said first polygonal scanning element comprises a first polygonal scanning mirror having a first plurality of rotating mirror facets, and wherein said said polygonal scanning element comprises a second polygonal scanning mirror having a second plurality of rotating mirror facets.

21. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 20, wherein said second plurality of rotating mirror facets on said second polygonal scanning mirror are classifiable into a first class of facets having High Elevation (HE) angle characteristics, and a second class of facets having Low Elevation (LE) angle characteristics.

22. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 13, wherein said high and low elevation angle characteristics are referenced by a plane P1 that contains the incoming laser beam and is normal to the rotational axis of said second polygonal scanning mirror;

wherein each facet in said first class of facets, having high beam elevation angle characteristics, produces an outgoing laser beam that is directed above the plane P1 as the facet sweeps across the point of incidence of said third laser scanning station; and

wherein each facet in said second class of facets, having low beam elevation angle characteristics, produces an outgoing laser beam that is directed below the plane P1 as the facet sweeps across the point of incidence of said third laser scanning station.

23. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 13, wherein said complex omni-directional 3-D laser scanning pattern is generated from said bottom-scanning window and said side-scanning window during each revolution of said first and second polygonal scanning mirrors.

24. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 20, wherein during each revolution of said first polygonal scanning mirror, a first group of laser scanning planes are produced by said first and second laser scanning stations, and concurrently therewith, during each revolution of said second polygonal scanning mirror, second and third groups of laser scanning planes are produced by said third laser scanning station.

25. A bioptical laser scanning system, wherein a single visible laser diode (VLD) is used to create a laser scanning pattern projected through a side-scanning window.

26. A bioptical laser scanning system which generates a plurality of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes that project through a bottom-scanning window and a side-scanning window to provide 360 degrees of scan coverage at a POS station.

27. A bioptical laser scanning system providing 360 degrees of scan coverage at a POS station comprising a means for producing a plurality of pairs of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes that are projected within predetermined scanning regions contained within a 3-D scanning volume defined between bottom and side scanning windows of the system.