Optical scanner with top down reader

• US 9,004,359 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datalogic Adc, Inc. (Datalogic S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Datalogic Adc, Inc. (Datalogic S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Shearin, Alan, Thompson, Ryan B., Hoskinson, Jeffrey J., Williams, Jon P. C., Newman, David J., McQueen, Alexander M., Olmstead, Bryan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Claude J
• Application Number:
  US13/895,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20130306727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 235/440, 235/439, 235/435, 235/454, 235/462.01, 235/462.13, 235/462.14, 235/462.17, 235/462.35, 235/462.41, 235/462.42, 235/462.43
• US Class Current: 235/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1096 the scanner having more than one scanning window, e.g. two substantially orthogonally placed scanning windows for integration into a check-out counter of a super-market

Abstract

A data reading system including one or more imagers, the data reading system having a lower main housing structure with a horizontal surface, across which items to be read are passed, and an upper reader module, such as pole-mounted top down reader (TDR) including an imager configured to provide a top down viewing angle from above the horizontal surface of the item in a read region. In one configuration, the pole-mounted upper reader module includes a one-piece post housing section mounted to the main housing structure and extending therefrom and containing imaging electronics and optics of the upper reader.

Claims

1. A data reading system for reading an optical code on an item, the data reading system comprising:

a main housing including a lower housing section containing a horizontal window and an upper housing section containing a vertical window;

a post having a lower post end mounted proximate the main housing, the post being vertically oriented and positioned behind the upper housing section and having an upper post end extending above the upper housing section;

a top down reader (TDR) disposed on the upper post end and having (a) a downwardly facing first field of view from above the upper housing section onto a top side of an item being moved across the horizontal window of the lower housing section and (b) a second field of view facing outwardly therefrom and away from the horizontal window for reading an item presented proximate thereto.

2. A data reading system according to claim 1 wherein the post comprises a one-piece metal frame section extending from the lower post end to the upper post end, the frame section including (a) an elongated vertical post section having an internal cavity along its vertical extent, and (b) an expanded upper section disposed at an angle to the vertical post section, the expanded upper section including a central cavity.

3. A data reading system according to claim 2 wherein the TDR includes TDR electronics and optics disposed within the central cavity of the expanded upper section of the frame section.

4. A data reading system according to claim 3 wherein the TDR electronics include a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted within the central cavity, the data reader further comprising cabling connected to the PCB and being routed through the internal cavity of the vertical post section from the upper post end down to the lower post end.

5. A data reading system according to claim 1 wherein the data reader main housing includes a metal chassis, and wherein the lower post end is directly connected to the metal chassis of the main housing.

6. A data reading system according to claim 1 wherein the TDR comprises an outer enclosure containing an internal cavity, a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed in the cavity, a first imager on a bottom side of the PCB providing the downwardly facing field of view, and a second imager on a top side of the PCB for providing an upwardly or sidewardly facing field of view.

7. A data reading system according to claim 6 further comprising

a one-piece top assembly frame disposed over the second imager and having a top lens mount and a top mirror mount;

a top lens assembly mounted onto the top lens connection mount of the top assembly frame; and

a fold mirror mounted onto the top mirror mount of the top assembly frame for directing a field of view of the second imager outwardly from the TDR.

8. A data reading system according to claim 1 further comprising

a first imager with the downwardly facing field of view;

and

an illumination source disposed in the TDR for illuminating the downwardly facing field of view of the first imager.

9. A data reading system according to claim 8 wherein the illumination source is selected from the group consisting of:

multi-color LEDs, single wavelength LEDs, multiple LEDs of the same wavelength, multiple LEDs of various wavelengths.

10. A data reading system according to claim 1 wherein the TDR comprises at least one imager disposed in the outer enclosure for providing the downwardly facing field of view from above the upper housing section.

11. A data reading system according to claim 1 wherein the main housing comprises an imaging reader with one or more imagers for providing multiple fields of view out of the horizontal window and the vertical window of the lower housing section.

12. A method for reading an optical code on an item using a data reader located at a point of sale (POS) station to effectively read the optical code as the item is passed through a scan region, the data reader having a housing with a lower housing section with an upwardly-facing horizontal window and an upper housing section disposed on a side of the lower section with a sidewardly-facing vertical window, comprising the steps of:

passing a six-sided rectangular box-shaped object within or through the scan region with a first lateral side of the box-shaped object facing the vertical window, a bottom side facing the horizontal window, a top side facing away from the horizontal window, a second lateral side facing away from the vertical window, a leading lateral side, and a trailing lateral side;

reading out through the horizontal window to read the bottom side of the item;

reading out through the vertical window to read the first lateral side of the item;

reading out from a top down reader (TDR) in a first field of view over the upper housing section and downwardly and into the scan region to read the top side of the item, the TDR disposed on a post positioned behind the upper housing section and extending above the upper housing section;

reading out from the TDR in a second field of view outwardly therefrom and away from the scan region for reading an item presented proximate thereto.

13. A method of data reading according to claim 12, wherein the second field of view is directed away from the scan region for reading an electronic device display presented proximate thereto.

14. A data reading system for point of sale (POS) for reading various sides of an item being presented in a scan region, comprising

a main housing structure constructed and arranged for installation in a checkout counter or checkout stand, the main housing structure defining a primary scan region operative for reading multiple sides of a six sided box-shaped item being passed through the primary scan region;

a vertical support connected to the main housing structure and extending vertically upward therefrom;

an upper reader module comprising a module housing attached to an upper end of the vertical support and having (a) a first aperture disposed at a top side of the module housing with a first field of view directed out from module housing away from the primary scan region for reading an object presented thereto, and (b) a second aperture disposed at a bottom side of the module housing with a second field of view directed downwardly into the primary scan region operative for reading a top side of the item.

15. A data reading system according to claim 14 wherein the upper reader module comprises a top down reader (TDR).

16. A data reading system according to claim 15 wherein the vertical support comprises a post, the TDR being mounted on a top end of the post and disposed above the main housing structure.

17. A data reading system according to claim 16 further comprising

a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within a housing of the TDR;

a first imager disposed on a bottom side of the PCB for providing the first field of view, and

a second imager disposed on a top side of the PCB for providing the second field of view.

18. A data reading system according to claim 14

wherein the upper reader module comprises a top down reader (TDR) having a second field of view directed downwardly into the primary scan region operative for reading a top side of the item,

wherein the main housing structure includes a lower housing section containing a horizontal window and an upper housing section containing a vertical window,

wherein the TDR includes (a) a post having a lower post end coupled to the lower housing structure, the post being vertically oriented and having an upper post end extending above the upper housing section, the upper post end supporting an expanded upper end section disposed at an angle to the vertical post section, the expanded upper end section including a central cavity;

(b) a first imager housed in the central cavity for providing the first field of view via projecting through a first window on the expanded upper end section and directed toward the scan region, the first field of view overlapping with at least a portion of the horizontal window on the lower housing section; and

(c) a second imager housed in the central cavity and for providing the second field of view via projecting through a second window on the expanded upper end section, the second field of view projecting through the second window and directed away from the lower housing structure.

19. The data reading system of claim 18, wherein the lower housing section supports a weigh platter configured for weighing an item when placed on the weigh platter, and wherein the post is coupled to the lower housing structure in a position where the post is not weighed by the weigh platter.

20. The data reading system of claim 18, wherein the second imager is configured to read information from an electronic device display presented thereto by a customer.

21. A data reading system comprising

a main housing structure constructed and arranged for installation in a checkout counter or checkout stand, the main housing structure including a lower housing section containing a horizontal window and an upper housing section containing a vertical window, the main housing structure defining a primary scan region operative for reading multiple sides of a six sided box-shaped item being passed through the primary scan region;

a vertical support connected to the main housing structure and extending vertically upward therefrom;

a top down reader (TDR) disposed on a top end of the vertical support, the TDR having a first field of view downwardly facing from above the primary scan region onto a top side of an item being moved through the primary scan region,

wherein the vertical support is disposed outside the upper housing section and wherein the vertical support and the TDR are disposed within an outer footprint of the main housing structure,

wherein the TDR comprises (a) a first imager for providing the first field of view via projecting through a first window downwardly toward the scan region, and (b) a second imager for providing a second field of view via projecting through a second window upwardly or sidewardly away from the main housing structure.

22. A data reading system according to claim 21 wherein the vertical support comprises a post having a lower post end coupled to the lower housing structure, the post being vertically oriented and having an upper post end extending above the upper housing section.

23. A data reading system according to claim 21 wherein the upper housing section comprises a curved structure and wherein the vertical support is disposed at a corner of the lower housing section adjacent a rear side of the upper housing section.