Point-of-sale (POS) based laser scanning system providing six-sided 360 degree omni-directional bar code symbol scanning coverage at a POS station

• US 7,740,175 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2008
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• 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:
  US12/214,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20090121023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 23546201-46245, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03
• US Class Current: 235/462.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning

Abstract

The laser scanning system includes a laser scanning plane generation mechanism disposed within a housing mounted in or on a countertop at the POS station. The mechanism generates first and second pluralities of laser scanning planes which (i) intersect within predetermined scan regions contained within a 3-D scanning volume defined outside of the housing, and (ii) 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 the POS station.

Claims

1. A point-of-sale (POS) based laser scanning system providing six-sided 360-degree omni-directional bar code symbol scanning coverage at a POS station, said POS-based laser scanning system comprising:

a housing mounted in or supported on a countertop at said POS station;

a horizontal-scanning window formed in said housing, and a vertical-scanning window formed in said housing;

a laser scanning plane generation mechanism disposed within a housing, for generating first and second pluralities of laser scanning planes which (i) intersect within predetermined scan regions contained within a 3-D scanning volume defined outside of said housing, and (ii) generate a plurality of groups of intersecting laser scanning planes within said 3-D scanning volume;

wherein said laser scanning plane generation mechanism includes a first laser beam production module for producing a first laser beam, and a first polygonal scanning element having multiple reflective surfaces and rotating about a first axis of rotation, for scanning 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;

wherein said laser scanning plane generation mechanism includes a second laser beam production module for producing a second laser beam, and a second polygonal scanning element having multiple reflective surfaces and rotating about a second axis of rotation, for scanning 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;

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

wherein at least one of said plurality of groups of intersecting laser scanning planes are 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.

2. The POS-based laser scanning system of claim 1, wherein said six sides 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.

3. The POS-based laser scanning system of claim 1, wherein 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.

4. The POS-based laser scanning system of claim 1, wherein each said group of intersecting laser scanning planes comprises:

(i) 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

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

5. The POS-based laser scanning system of claim 1, 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).

6. The POS-based laser scanning system of claim 1, 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 housing 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 first and second 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 POS-based laser scanning system of claim 6, 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 housing to form said 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.

8. The POS-based laser scanning system of claim 1, 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.

9. The POS-based laser scanning system of claim 8, 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.

10. The POS-based laser scanning system of claim 1, wherein said complex omni-directional 3-D laser scanning pattern is generated during each revolution of said first and second polygonal scanning elements.