Automated tunnel-type scanning system enabling automated tracking and identification of packages transported therethrough

• US 7,905,410 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• 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: Good, Timothy A., 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., Zhu, Xiaoxun, Knowles, C. Harry, Au, Ka Man, Wilz, David M. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US11/906,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20080121689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/462.01, 235/462.14, 235/462.43
• 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

An automated tunnel-type scanning system arranged about a conveyor belt structure, including: a tunnel structure arranged about a conveyor belt structure for transporting packages; an omni-directional bar code symbol scanning subsystem; a package detection and dimensioning subsystem; and a data management subsystem. The package detection and dimensioning subsystem captures package measurement information about each detected package prior to the package being scanned by the omni-directional bar code symbol reading subsystem, and producing package measurement data representative of the captured package measurement information. The data management subsystem collects and queues package identification data and package measurement data, and automatically correlates both package measurement data and package identification data corresponding to each package transported through the tunnel structure so as to enable automated tracking and identification of packages being transported therethrough, in either singulated or non-singulated arrangements.

Claims

1. An automated tunnel-type scanning system arranged about a conveyor structure, comprising:

a tunnel structure arranged about a conveyor belt structure for transporting packages;

an omni-directional bar code symbol scanning subsystem, supported by said tunnel structure and including a plurality of optically-based bar code symbol scanning units,

wherein each said optically-based bar code symbol scanning unit has a scanning window capable of scanning bar code symbols on packages entering a particular region of said tunnel structure, and producing package identification data representative of each package identified by the bar code symbol scanned on said package;

a package dimensioning subsystem for capturing package measurement information about each said package, and producing package measurement data representative of said captured package measurement information; and

a data management subsystem for collecting and queuing package identification data and package measurement data, and correlating both package measurement data and package identification data corresponding to each said package transported through said tunnel structure so as to enable automated tracking and identification of packages being transported through said tunnel structure.

2. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 1, wherein said package dimensioning subsystem comprises a camera subsystem for capturing pairs of images of packages being transported through said tunnel structure, and also a real-time image processor programmed to detect multiple images present in the field of view of said imaging subsystem, and compute the vertices and dimensions of each such detected package.

3. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 1, wherein said omni-directional bar code symbol scanning subsystem comprises a plurality of laser scanning units mounted within said tunnel structure, and arranged about said conveyor structure, so that each laser scanning units projects a scanning volume above said conveyor structure into said three-dimensional scanning volume.

4. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 1, wherein packages arranged on said conveyor structure can be detected, dimensioned, and identified in a fully automated manner without human intervention, while being transported through said tunnel structure.

5. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 1, wherein said data management subsystem further comprises:

data element queuing, handling and processing subsystem for queuing, handling and processing data elements representative of package identification, dimensions and/or weight; and

a moving package tracking queue maintained in said data element queuing, handling, and processing subsystem, so that data elements including objects, representative of detected packages entering said tunnel structure, can be tracked along with dimensional and measurement data collected on such detected packages.

6. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 5, wherein said tunnel structure has an input side and an output side, and where said package dimensioning subsystem is disposed on the input side of said tunnel structure, for detecting and dimensioning packages transported through said tunnel structure.

7. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 5, wherein said data element queuing, handling and processing subsystem further comprises:

a package surface modeling subsystem for producing, relative to a local coordinate reference system symbolically embedded within each said optically-based bar code scanning unit, coordinate information including a geometric model of each surface on each package dimensioned by said package dimensioning subsystem.

8. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 1, wherein a bar code symbol applied to any one side of a six-sided package is automatically scanned and decoded when transported through said tunnel structure.

9. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 1, which further comprises a package velocity measurement subsystem for measuring the velocity of the package as it moves from said package dimensioning subsystem through said tunnel structure.

10. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 9, wherein said package velocity measurement subsystem is realized using a pair of spaced-apart laser beams projected over a conveyor structure to compute the instantaneous velocity of each and every package transported along said conveyor structure.

11. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 1, wherein said package dimensioning subsystem is capable of detecting side-by-side arrangements of packages transported through said tunnel structure, and upon detecting either a stacked configuration of packages or a side-by-side configuration of packages, automatically generates an unique data element indicative of such multiple package arrangements along the conveyor structure.

12. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 11, wherein said package dimension subsystem further comprises:

a height data processor for processing arrays of height profile data collected from the first pair of light transmitting and receiving structures in order to detect stacked arrangements of packages transported through said tunnel structure; and

a width data processor for processing arrays of width profile data collected from the second pair of light transmitting and receiving structures.

13. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 1, which further comprises a package weighing-in-motion subsystem for weighing packages moving through said package dimensioning subsystem in a singulated arrangement, and producing weight measurement information for assignment to each detected package.

14. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 1, wherein said tunnel structure comprises a scanner support framework for supporting said plurality of optically-based bar code symbol scanning units.

15. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 1, wherein said package measurement data represents one or more geometrical attributes of said detected package.

16. An automated tunnel-type scanning system arranged about a conveyor structure, comprising:

a tunnel structure arranged about a conveyor belt structure for transporting packages;

an omni-directional bar code symbol scanning subsystem, supported by said tunnel structure and including a plurality of optically-based bar code symbol scanning units,

wherein each said optically-based bar code symbol scanning unit has a scanning window with a projection axis extending into a three-dimensional scanning volume confined within said tunnel structure, and capable of scanning bar code symbols on packages entering said tunnel structure, and producing package identification data representative of each package identified by a bar code symbol scanned on said package;

a package detection and dimensioning subsystem, disposed for automatically detecting packages entering said tunnel structure and capturing package measurement information about each said package, and producing package measurement data representative of said captured package measurement information; and

a data management subsystem for collecting and queuing package identification data and package measurement data, and automatically correlating both package measurement data and package identification data corresponding to each said package transported through said tunnel structure so as to enable automated tracking and identification of packages being transported through said tunnel structure.

17. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 16, wherein said package dimensioning subsystem comprises a camera subsystem for capturing pairs of images of packages being transported through said tunnel structure, and also a real-time image processor programmed to detect multiple images present in the field of view of said imaging subsystem, and compute the vertices and dimensions of each such detected package.

18. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 16, wherein said omni-directional bar code symbol scanning subsystem comprises a plurality of laser scanning units mounted from tunnel structure, arranged about said conveyor structure, so that each laser scanning units projects a scanning volume above said conveyor structure into said three-dimensional scanning volume.

19. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 16, wherein packages arranged on said conveyor structure in a singulated and non-singulated manner can be detected, dimensioned, and identified in a fully automated manner without human intervention, while being transported through said tunnel structure.

20. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 16, wherein said tunnel structure has an input side and an output side, and where said package dimensioning subsystem is disposed on the input side of said tunnel structure, for detecting and dimensioning singulated packages passing through said package dimensioning subsystem.

21. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 16, wherein said data management subsystem further comprises:

data element queuing, handling and processing subsystem for queuing, handling and processing data elements representative of package identification, dimensions and/or weight; and

a moving package tracking queue maintained in said data element queuing, handling, and processing subsystem, so that data elements comprising objects, representative of detected packages entering said tunnel structure, can be tracked along with dimensional and measurement data collected on such detected packages.

22. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 21, wherein said data element queuing, handling and processing subsystem further comprises a package surface modeling subsystem for producing, relative to a local coordinate reference system symbolically embedded within each said optically-based bar code scanning unit, coordinate information comprising a geometric model of each surface on each package dimensioned by said package dimensioning subsystem.

23. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 16, wherein a bar code symbol applied to any one side of a six-sided package will be automatically scanned and decoded when transported through the three-dimensional scanning volume.

24. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 16, which further comprises a package velocity measurement subsystem for measuring the velocity of the package as it moves from said package dimensioning subsystem through said tunnel structure.

25. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 24, wherein said package velocity measurement subsystem is realized using a pair of spaced-apart laser beams projected over a conveyor structure to compute the instantaneous velocity of each and every package transported along said conveyor structure.

26. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 16, wherein said package dimensioning subsystem is capable of detecting side-by-side arrangements of packages transported through said tunnel structure, and upon detecting either a stacked configuration of packages or a side-by-side configuration of packages, automatically generates an unique data element indicative of such multiple package arrangements along the conveyor belt structure.

27. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 26, wherein said package dimension subsystem further comprises:

a height data processor for processing arrays of height profile data collected from the first pair of light transmitting and receiving structures in order to detect stacked arrangements of packages transported through said tunnel structure; and

a width data processor for processing arrays of width profile data collected from the second pair of light transmitting and receiving structures.

28. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 16, which further comprises a package weighing-in-motion subsystem for weighing packages moving through said package dimensioning subsystem in a singulated arrangement, and producing weight measurement information for assignment to each detected package.

29. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 16, wherein said tunnel structure comprises a scanner support framework for supporting said plurality of optically-based bar code symbol scanning units.

30. The automated tunnel-type scanning system of claim 16, wherein said package measurement data represents one or more geometrical attributes of said detected package.