Automated system and method for identifying and measuring packages transported through a laser scanning tunnel

• US 7,275,693 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Good, Timothy A., Au, Ka Man, Wilz, David M. Sr., Ghosh, Sankar, Scott, Ian A., Kolis, George, Blake, Robert E., Germaine, Gennady, Colavito, Stephen J., Dickson, LeRoy, Amundsen, Thomas, Dehennis, Andrew D., Rockstein, George B., Knowles, Carl Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech; Karl
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US11/213,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20060102726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/462.01, 235/462.06, 235/462.14, 235/462.22, 235/462.24
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• 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 provisions 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 2207/1013 Multi-focal
• 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 1/0054 : with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

A fully automated package identification and measuring system, in which an omni-directional holographic scanning tunnel is used to read bar codes on packages entering the tunnel, while a package dimensioning subsystem is used to capture information about the package prior to entry into the tunnel. Mathematical models are created on a real-time basis for the geometry of the package and the position of the laser scanning beam used to read the bar code symbol thereon. The mathematical models are analyzed to determine if collected and queued package identification data is spatially and/or temporally correlated with package measurement data using vector-based ray-tracing methods, homogeneous transformations, and object-oriented decision logic so as to enable simultaneous tracking of multiple packages being transported through the scanning tunnel.

Claims

1. An automated system for automatically identifying and measuring packages moving along a conveyor structure, said automated system comprising:

a package conveyor system having a conveyor structure to support one or more package transport lanes along the conveyor structure;

a scanning tunnel having an input side and an output side, and including bar code symbol reading subsystems supported overhead, alongside, and/or below the conveyor structure by a support frame, for producing a scanning volume thereabove, for scanning bar codes on packages transported therethrough and generating a data element identifying each scanned package;

a package detection and dimensioning subsystem arranged on the input side of said scanning tunnel, and including a laser-based scanning mechanism for (i) generating an amplitude modulated laser beam that is repeatedly scanned across the width-wise dimension of the scanning tunnel while oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of said conveyor structure, and (ii) producing data representative of a height profile of packages entering said scanning tunnel and processing the data to automatically generate a data element representative of the dimensions of the scanned package;

a package velocity measurement subsystem for generating data elements representative of the velocity of packages transported along said conveyor structure;

a master clock for generating a global time reference used in connection with a time stamping of data elements generated within said automated system; and

a data management computer for queuing, handling and processing data elements generated within said automated system.

2. The automated system of claim 1, which further comprises a weighing-in-motion subsystem, installed beneath said package detection and dimensioning subsystem, along the conveyor structure, for weighing packages as the packages are transported therealong.

3. The automated system of claim 1, wherein each said bar code symbol reading subsystem employs a laser scanning mechanism.