Packing system

• US 7,267,273 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2006
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): ST CYR, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US11/499,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20060266828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/380, 235/383, 235/439, 235/440, 235/462.01, 235/462.46, 235/472
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10554 Moving beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10623 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10772 Moved readers, e.g. pen, wand
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/59 by controlling the amount of charge storable in the pixel, e.g. modification of the charge conversion ratio of the floating node capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/671 : for non-uniformity detection or correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/745 : Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 : Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 : Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/77 : Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/778 : comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/7795 : Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 : Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/1568 : for disturbance correction or prevention within the image-sensor, e.g. biasing, blooming, smearing correction circuits H04N25/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A packing system is provided comprising a first object and a sensing device. The first object comprises an interface surface having a plurality of tags printed thereon, with each tag containing coded data identifying the object. The sensing device is configured to read the tags and send data to a packing device.

Claims

1. A packing system comprising:

a first object to be packed, said object comprising an interface surface having a plurality of tags printed thereon, each tag containing coded data identifying the object; and

a sensing device comprising;

(a) an optical sensor for sensing at least one tag;

(b) a processor for generating, using the sensed tag, indicating data identifying the object and at least one of;

(i) a position of the sensed tag;

(ii) a position of the sensing device relative to the interface surface;

(iii) an orientation of the sensed tag; and

,

(iv) an orientation of the sensing device relative to the interface surface; and

,

(c) means for transferring the indicating data to at least one of;

(i) a packing device which is responsive to the indicating data to pack the object;

(ii) a computer system which is responsive to the indicating data to cause a packing device to pack the object; and

,

(iii) a packing device which is responsive to the indicating data to determine the orientation of the object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes a laser for emitting at least one scanning beam, the scanning beam being directed in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch, the scanning patch being provided in the sensing region such that the scanning patch exposes at least one tag.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the object has a plurality of faces, each face having at least one tag provided at a respective position thereon.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one tag identifies the face, and wherein the processor is configured for generating, using the sensed tag, indicating data identifying the face.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each tag identifies its own position on the interface surface.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second object in which the first object is to be packed, the second object comprising a second interface surface having a plurality of second tags printed thereon, each second tag containing second coded data identifying the second object and the position of that second tag on the second interface surface,

wherein the sensing device is configured for;

(a) sensing at least one second tag;

(b) generating, using the sensed second tag, second indicating data identifying the second object; and

,

(c) transferring the second indicating data to the packing device, the packing device being responsive to the second indicating data to pack the first object in the second object.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the coded data is substantially invisible to the unaided eye.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the coded data is printed using infrared ink.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the coded data is indicative of an EPC associated with the object.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the coded data uniquely distinguishes the object from other objects.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the coded data is redundantly encoded.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the coded data is redundantly encoded using Reed-Solomon encoding.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the coded data is provided on the interface surface coincident with visible markings representing at least one of:

(a) object information;

(b) orientation information;

(c) the identity of the object; and

,

(d) object status information.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface surface is at least a portion of at least one of:

(a) object packaging;

(b) object labelling; and

,

(c) a surface of the object.