Polygon-based bioptical pos scanning system employing dual independent optics platforms disposed beneath horizontal and vertical scanning windows
First Claim
1. A bioptical laser scanning system providing 360°
- of omnidirectional bar code symbol scanning coverage 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 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 horizontal section and having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a first axis of rotation, for automatically 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 automatically 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 each group of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes comprises 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 horizontal-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 horizontal-scanning window; 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 so as to provide 360°
of omnidirectional bar code symbol scanning coverage at said POS station.
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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.
142 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A bioptical laser scanning system providing 360°
- of omnidirectional bar code symbol scanning coverage 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 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 horizontal section and having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a first axis of rotation, for automatically 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 automatically 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 each group of quasi-orthogonal laser scanning planes comprises 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 horizontal-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 horizontal-scanning window; 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 so as to provide 360°
of omnidirectional bar code symbol scanning coverage at said POS station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- of omnidirectional bar code symbol scanning coverage at a point of sale (POS) station, said bioptical laser scanning system comprising;
Specification