Compact bar code symbol reading system employing a complex of coplanar illumination and imaging stations for omni-directional imaging of objects within a 3D imaging volume

• US 7,540,424 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2006
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Knowles, C. Harry, Good, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US11/489,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.42, 235/462.32, 235/462.24, 235/462.27, 235/462.01
• US Class Current: 235/462.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1012 Special detection of object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10712 Fixed beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• 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: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination

Abstract

An omni-directional bar code symbol reading system employing a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations for generating and projecting a complex of coplanar illumination and imaging planes through an imaging window into a 3D imaging volume, through which object can be passed in flexible ways. The system has an ultra-compact construction, ideally suited for space-constrained retail scanning environments, and requires no moving parts.

Claims

1. An omni-directional image capturing and processing based bar code symbol reading system comprising:

a housing of compact construction having an imaging window formed in said housing; and

a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems, disposed in said housing, for generating a plurality of coplanar light illumination beams (PLIBs) and field of views (FOVs), that are projected through and intersect above said imaging window to generate a complex of linear-imaging planes within a 3D imaging volume defined above said imaging window, for omni-directional imagine of objects passed through said 3D imaging volume,

wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem includes an array of coherent light sources, and said plurality of coplanar light illumination beams (PLIBs) are generated by said array of coherent light sources.

2. The omni-directional image capturing and processing based bar code symbol reading system of claim 1, wherein said array of coherent light sources comprises an array of visible laser diodes (VLDs).

3. The omni-directional image capturing and processing based bar code symbol reading system of claim 1, wherein said complex of linear-imaging planes within said 3D imaging volume is capable of reading (i) bar code symbols having bar code elements that are oriented substantially horizontal with respect to said imaging window, as well as (ii) bar code symbols having bar code elements that are oriented substantially vertical with respect to said imaging window.

4. The omni-directional image capturing and processing based bar code symbol reading system of claim 1, wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem produces at least one coplanar PLIB and FOV within a predetermined region of space contained within said 3-D imaging volume.

5. The omni-directional image capturing and processing based bar code symbol reading system of claim 1, wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem comprises a planar light illumination module (PLIM) that generates one said PLIB.

6. The omni-directional image capturing and processing based bar code symbol reading system of claim 5, wherein said plurality of coplanar PLIBs and FOVs are projected through said 3D imaging volume so as to provide 360 degrees of imaging coverage at a POS station.

7. The omni-directional image capturing and processing based bar code symbol reading system of claim 6, which can read bar code symbols on five sides of an imaged object passed through said 3D imaging volume.

8. An omni-directional image capturing and processing system for installation in a POS environment, comprising:

a system housing of compact construction having a 3D imaging volume;

a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems disposed in said system housing, and wherein each coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem includes

(i) a linear imaging array having optics providing a field of view (FOV) on said linear imaging array and extending into said 3D imaging volume; and

(ii) a linear array of light emitting devices configured together to produce a substantially planar illumination beam (PLIB) that extends in substantially along the same plane as the FOV of said linear imaging array so that each said linear imaging array and corresponding linear array of light emitting devices produce a coplanar illumination and imaging plane (PLIB/FOV) that projects into said 3D imaging volume; and

wherein said PLIB/FOVs project through said 3D imaging volume, for omni-directional imaging of objects passed through said 3D imaging volume.

9. The omni-directional image capturing and processing system of claim 8, wherein each said linear array of light emitting devices comprises an array of coherent light sources, and wherein said substantially planar light illumination beam is generated by said array of coherent light sources.

10. The omni-directional image capturing and processing system of claim 9, wherein said array of coherent light sources comprises an array of visible laser diodes (VLDs).

11. The omni-directional image capturing and processing system of claim 8, wherein each said linear array of light emitting devices comprises an array of incoherent light sources, and wherein said substantially planar light illumination beam is generated by said array of incoherent light sources.

12. The omni-directional image capturing and processing system of claim 11, wherein said array of incoherent light sources comprises an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

13. The omni-directional image capturing and processing system of claim 8, wherein said system housing further comprises an imaging window, and wherein said complex of linear-imaging planes within said 3D imaging volume is capable of reading (i) bar code symbols having bar code elements that are oriented substantially horizontal with respect to said imaging window, as well as (ii) bar code symbols having bar code elements that are oriented substantially vertical with respect to said imaging window.

14. The omni-directional image capturing and processing system of claim 8, wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem produces at least one said coplanar PLIB and FOV within a predetermined region of space contained within said 3-D imaging volume.

15. The omni-directional image capturing and processing system of claim 8, wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem comprises a planar light illumination module (PLIM) that generates one said PLIB.

16. The omni-directional image capturing and processing system of claim 15, wherein said plurality of coplanar PLIBs and FOVs are projected through said imaging window and into said 3D imaging volume so as to provide 360 degrees of imaging coverage at a POS station.

17. The omni-directional image capturing and processing system of claim 16, which can read bar code symbols on five sides of an imaged object passed through said 3D imaging volume.