Method of reading bar code symbols on objects at a point-of-sale station by passing said objects through a complex of stationary coplanar illumination and imaging planes projected into a 3D imaging volume

• US 8,042,740 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Furlong, John A., Zhu, Xiaoxun, Veksland, Michael, Ren, Jie, Knowles, C. Harry, Xian, Tao, Liu, Yong, Good, Timothy, Giordano, Patrick, Schmidt, Mark, Kotlarsky, Anatoly, Tao, Xi, Liu, JiBin, Essinger, Steven, Gardner, John, Kearney, Sean, Ellis, Duane, Ciarlante, Nicholas, Hernandez, Mark, Zhuo, Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US11/880,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20080283611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.42, 235/462.01, 235/462.09, 235/462.43
• US Class Current: 235/462.42
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/046 Arrangement of recording means in or on check-out counters record carriers or readers per se G06K
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/48 Laser speckle optics
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1012 Special detection of object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10574 Multiple sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10613 by rotation, e.g. polygon
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10623 Constructional details
• 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 7/10782 Slot readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• 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: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 : with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/00 : Alarm indicators, e.g. bells
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/006 : False operation

Abstract

Digital image capture and processing systems and methods for generating and projecting coplanar illumination and imaging planes and/or coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zones, through one or more imaging windows, and into a 3D imaging volume in a retail POS environments, while employing automatic object motion and/or velocity detection, real-time image analysis and other techniques to capture and processing high-quality digital images of objects passing through the 3D imaging volume, and intelligently controlling and/or managing the use of visible and invisible forms of illumination, during object illumination and imaging operations, that might otherwise annoy or disturb human operators and/or customers working and/or shopping in such retail environments.

Claims

1. A method of automatically reading one or more bar code symbols on objects presented at a point of sale (POS) station, comprising the steps of

(a) providing a digital image capturing and processing system installed at a point of sale (POS) station having a countertop surface, wherein said digital image capturing and processing system includes a system housing supported in or on said countertop surface, and having an imaging window, and containing a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations, and a digital image processor;

(b) said plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations generating and projecting a complex of stationary coplanar illumination and imaging planes through said imaging window, and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to said imaging window and said countertop surface;

(c) said plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations generating digital linear images of said object as said object is passed through said 3D imaging volume in a pass-through manner, and intersects one or more of said complex of stationary coplanar illumination and imaging planes within said 3D imaging volume as said object is passed through said 3D imaging volume; and

(d) said digital image processor processing said digital linear images and automatically reading one or more bar code symbols graphically represented in said digital linear images of said object being presented at said POS station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises:

(b)(1) each said coplanar illumination and imaging station including an illumination subsystem producing a planar illumination beam (PLIB), and providing a field of view (FOV) extending substantially along said PLIB so as to form one said stationary coplanar illumination and imaging plane (PLIB/FOV) which is projected through said imaging window and into said 3D imaging volume, for capturing digital linear images of the object moving through said 3D imaging volume.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) further comprises:

(b)(2) each said coplanar illumination and imaging station controlling the production of illumination by said illumination subsystem into said 3D imaging volume, as objects are detected moving within said 3D imaging volume, and capturing and buffering digital linear images of said object as said object is passed through said 3D imaging volume.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises:

(d)(1) combining a sequence of said digital linear images of said object, to form one or more 2D digital images of said object, and then processing said one or more 2D digital images to read one or more bar code symbols on said object being passed through said 3D imaging volume.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises automatically reading one or more bar code symbols selected from the group consisting of 1D bar code symbols, 2D bar code symbols, and data matrix type code symbols.

6. A method of automatically reading one or more bar code symbols on objects presented at a point of sale (POS) station, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a digital image capturing and processing system installed at a point of sale (POS) station having a countertop surface, wherein said digital image capturing and processing system includes a system housing supported in or on said countertop surface, and having an imaging window, and containing a plurality of coextensive illumination and imaging stations, and a digital image processor;

(b) said plurality of coextensive illumination and imaging stations generating and projecting a plurality of stationary coextensive illumination and imaging zones through said imaging window, and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to said imaging window and said countertop surface;

(c) said plurality of coextensive illumination and imaging stations generating 2D digital images of said object as said object is passed through said 3D imaging volume and intersects one or more of said plurality of coextensive illumination and imaging zones as said object is passed through said 3D imaging volume; and

(d) said digital image processor processing said 2D digital images and automatically reading one or more bar code symbols graphically represented in said 2D digital images of said object being presented at said POS station.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein step (b) comprises:

(b)(1) each said coextensive illumination and imaging station including an illumination subsystem producing an illumination beam, and providing a field of view (FOV) extending substantially coextensive with the illumination beam so as to form one said coextensive illumination and imaging zone which is projected through said imaging window and into said 3D imaging volume, for capturing digital images of the object moving through said 3D imaging volume.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein step (b) further comprises:

(b)(2) each said coextensive illumination and imaging station controlling the production of illumination by said illumination subsystem into said 3D imaging volume, as objects are detected moving within said 3D imaging volume, and capturing and buffering 2D digital images of said object as said object is passed through said 3D imaging volume.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein step (d) comprises automatically reading one or more bar code symbols selected from the group consisting of 1D bar code symbols, 2D bar code symbols, and data matrix type code symbols.