Bioptical laser scanning system for providing six-sided omnidirectional bar code symbol scanning coverage at a point of sale station

• US 7,374,094 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• 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:
  US11/417,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20070017995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 23546201-46245, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/454, 235/455, 235/470
• US Class Current: 235/462.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning

Abstract

A bioptical laser scanning system at a point of sale (POS) station, that generates and projects a first plurality of laser scanning planes through a horizontal-scanning window, and a second plurality of laser scanning planes through a vertical-scanning window. The first and second pluralities of laser scanning planes intersect within predetermined scan regions contained within a 3-D scanning volume defined between the horizontal-scanning and vertical-scanning windows, and generate a plurality of groups of intersecting laser scanning planes within the 3-D scanning volume. The plurality of groups of intersecting laser scanning planes form a complex omni-directional 3-D laser scanning pattern within the 3-D scanning volume capable of scanning a bar code symbol located on the surface of any object, including a six-sided rectangular box-shaped object, presented within the 3-D scanning volume at any orientation and from any direction at the POS station so as to provide six-sided 360-degree omni-directional bar code symbol scanning coverage at said POS station.

Claims

1. A method of providing six-sided 360-degree omnidirectional bar code symbol scanning coverage from a bioptical laser scanning system located at a point of sale (POS) station, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) supporting at a POS station, a bioptical laser scanning system including

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 horizontal-scanning window,

a first laser scanning plane generation mechanism disposed within said horizontal section, and

a second laser scanning plane generation mechanism disposed within said vertical section; and

(b) generating a first plurality of laser scanning planes from said first laser scanning plane generation mechanism, and projecting said first plurality of laser scanning planes through said horizontal-scanning window, and also generating a second plurality of laser scanning planes from said second laser scanning plane generation mechanism, and projecting said second plurality of laser scanning planes through said vertical-scanning window, so that (i) 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 intersecting laser scanning planes within said 3-D scanning volume, and (ii) said plurality of groups of intersecting 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 any object, including a six-sided rectangular box-shaped object, presented within said 3-D scanning volume at any orientation and from any direction at said POS station so as to provide six-sided 360-degree omni-directional bar code symbol scanning coverage at said POS station; and

(c) manually presenting said six-sided rectangular box-shaped object within said 3-D scanning volume where at least one of said plurality of groups of quasi-orthogonal intersecting laser scanning planes are automatically projected onto each of the six sides of a six-sided rectangular box-shaped object as said six-sided rectangular box-shaped object is passed through said 3-D scanning volume while one side of said box-shaped object is facing said horizontal-scanning window and another side of said six-sided rectangular box-shaped object is facing said vertical-scanning window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said six sides of said six-sided rectangular box-shaped object comprise the bottom-facing, top-facing, back-facing, front-facing, left-facing and right-facing surfaces of said six-sided rectangular box-shaped object oriented within said 3-D scanning volume disposed between said horizontal-scanning and vertical-scanning windows.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein during step (b) said first laser scanning plane generation mechanism produces a first laser beam from a first laser beam production module and a first polygonal scanning element having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a first axis of rotation scans said first laser beam, so as to produce a first laser scanning beam that reflects off a first plurality of laser beam folding mirrors to generate and project said first plurality of laser scanning planes through said horizontal-scanning window;

and

wherein during step (b) said second laser scanning plane generation mechanism produces a second laser beam from a second laser beam production module and a second polygonal scanning element having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a second axis of rotation scans said second laser beam, so as to produce a second laser scanning beam that reflects off a second plurality of laser beam folding mirrors to generate and project said second plurality of laser scanning planes through said vertical-scanning window.

4. The method of claim 3, 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).

5. The method of claim 3, wherein during step (b), 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 horizontal 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.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein during step (b), 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 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.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said first polygonal scanning element comprises a first polygonal scanning mirror having a first plurality of rotating mirror facets, and wherein said second polygonal scanning element comprises a second polygonal scanning mirror having a second plurality of rotating mirror facets.

8. The method of claim 7, 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.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein during step (d) 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 elements.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein said first polygonal scanning element is disposed within said horizontal section, and said second polygonal scanning element is disposed within said vertical section.

11. The method 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 station.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein during step (c) said plurality of groups of intersecting laser scanning planes comprises over sixty (60) different laser scanning planes cooperating within said 3-D scanning volume to generate said complex omni-directional 3-D laser scanning pattern.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein during step (c) each said group of quasi-orthogonal intersecting laser scanning planes comprises:

a plurality of substantially-vertical laser scanning planes for reading bar code symbols having bar code elements that are oriented substantially parallel with respect to said horizontal-scanning window, and

a plurality of substantially-horizontal laser scanning plane for reading bar code symbols having bar code elements that are oriented substantially orthogonal with respect to said horizontal-scanning window.

14. A bioptical laser scanning system providing six-sided 360-degree omni-directional 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 horizontal-scanning window;

a first laser scanning plane generation mechanism disposed within said horizontal section for generating a first plurality of laser scanning planes and projecting said first plurality of laser scanning planes through said horizontal-scanning window;

a second laser scanning plane generation mechanism disposed within said vertical section for generating a second plurality of laser scanning planes and projecting said second plurality of laser scanning planes through said vertical-scanning window; and

wherein 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 intersecting laser scanning planes within said 3-D scanning volume;

wherein said plurality of groups of intersecting 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 any object, including a six-sided rectangular box-shaped object, presented within said 3-D scanning volume at any orientation and from any direction at said POS station so as to provide six-sided 360-degree omni-directional bar code symbol scanning coverage at said POS station; and

where at least one of said plurality of groups of quasi-orthogonal intersecting laser scanning planes is projected onto each of the six sides of a six-sided rectangular box-shaped object as said six-sided rectangular box-shaped object is passed through said 3-D scanning volume while one side of said six-sided rectangular box-shaped object is facing said horizontal-scanning window and another side of said six-sided rectangular box-shaped object is facing said vertical-scanning window.

15. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 14, wherein said six sides of said six-sided rectangular box-shaped object comprise the bottom-facing, top-facing, back-facing, front-facing, left-facing and right-facing surfaces of said six-sided rectangular box-shaped object oriented within said 3-D scanning volume disposed between said horizontal-scanning and vertical-scanning windows.

16. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 14,

wherein said first laser scanning plane generation mechanism produces a first laser beam from a first laser beam production module and a first polygonal scanning element having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a first axis of rotation scans said first laser beam, so as to produce a first laser scanning beam that reflects off a first plurality of laser beam folding mirrors to generate and project said first plurality of laser scanning planes through said horizontal-scanning window;

and

wherein said second laser scanning plane generation mechanism produces a second laser beam from a second laser beam production module and a second polygonal scanning element having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a second axis of rotation scans said second laser beam, so as to produce a second laser scanning beam that reflects off a second plurality of laser beam folding mirrors to generate and project said second plurality of laser scanning planes through said vertical-scanning window.

17. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 16, 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 16, 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 horizontal 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 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 16, wherein said first polygonal scanning element comprises a first polygonal scanning mirror having a first plurality of rotating mirror facets, and wherein said second 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 16, wherein said first polygonal scanning element is disposed within said horizontal section, and said second polygonal scanning element is disposed within said vertical section.

23. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 14, 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 station.

24. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 14, wherein during step (c) said plurality of groups of intersecting laser scanning planes comprises over sixty (60) different laser scanning planes cooperating within said 3-D scanning volume to generate said complex omni-directional 3-D laser scanning pattern.

25. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 14, wherein each said group of quasi-orthogonal intersecting laser scanning planes comprises:

a plurality of substantially-vertical laser scanning planes for reading bar code symbols having bar code elements that are oriented substantially parallel with respect to said horizontal-scanning window, and

a plurality of substantially-horizontal laser scanning plane for reading bar code symbols having bar code elements that are oriented substantially orthogonal with respect to said horizontal-scanning window.

26. The bioptical laser scanning system of claim 14, wherein during step (d) 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 elements.