Combined sensing device

• US 20040195333A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,537,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10554 Moving beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10623 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10772 Moved readers, e.g. pen, wand
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/59 by controlling the amount of charge storable in the pixel, e.g. modification of the charge conversion ratio of the floating node capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/671 for non-uniformity detection or correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/745 : Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 : Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 : Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/778 : comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/1568 : for disturbance correction or prevention within the image-sensor, e.g. biasing, blooming, smearing correction circuits H04N25/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A sensing device for sensing a product item provided in a sensing region, wherein the product item includes an interface surface having disposed thereon at least one of:

(a) coded data which includes, at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the product item; and,

(b) a barcode which encodes an identifier; the sensing device including:

(i) a coded data sensor for sensing at least one coded data portion;

(ii) a barcode sensor for sensing the barcode;

(iii) a processor for generating identity data indicative of the identity of the product item using at least one of:

(1) the at least one sensed coded data portion; and,

(2) the barcode;

(c) a communicator for transferring the indicating data to a computer system.

Claims

1. ) A sensing device for sensing a product item provided in a sensing region, wherein the product item includes an interface surface having disposed thereon at least one of:

(a) coded data which includes, at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the product item; and

,

(b) a barcode which encodes an identifier;

the sensing device including;

(i) a coded data sensor for sensing at least one coded data portion;

(ii) a barcode sensor for sensing the barcode;

(iii) a processor for generating identity data indicative of the identity of the product item using at least one of;

(1) the at least one sensed coded data portion; and

,

(2) the barcode;

(c) a communicator for transferring the indicating data to a computer system.

2. ) The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the coded data sensor and barcode sensor utilise a 2D image sensor, for sensing at least one of:

(i) an entire coded data portion; and

,

(ii) the entire barcode.

3. ) The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the coded data sensor and barcode sensor utilise a sensor adapted to sense a spot of radiation, and wherein in use, the sensing device is moved relative to the product item to thereby sense the barcode.

4. ) The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes a radiation source for exposing at least one of the coded data and the barcode to radiation.

5. ) The sensing device of claim 4, wherein the sensing device includes a respective radiation source for exposing each of the coded data and the barcode.

6. ) The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes a laser for emitting at least one scanning beam, the scanning beam being directed in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch, the scanning patch being provided in the sensing region such that it exposes at least one of a coded data portion and the barcode.

7. ) The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the sensing device includes at least one beam controller for directing the at least one scanning beam along selected ones of a number of patch beam paths, each patch beam path extending into the sensing region at a respective angle.

8. ) The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the scanning device includes an amplitude modulator for modulating the amplitude of the scanning beam.

9. ) The sensing device of claim 8, wherein the scanning device:

(a) determines from radiation sensed by the coded data sensor, using the modulation of the scanning beam, ambient light incident on the coded data sensor;

(b) determines from radiation sensed by the coded data sensor, using the determined ambient light incident on the coded data sensor, the radiation reflected from the interface surface; and

,

(c) senses the coded data from the radiation reflected from the interface surface.

10. ) The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the scanning device includes a focussing element.

11. ) The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the scanning device includes a filter for filtering radiation incident on at least one of the coded data sensor and the barcode sensor, the filter being at least one of:

(a) a near infrared filter;

(b) a bandpass filter; and

,

(c) a longpass filter.

12. ) The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the coded data portions are provided at respective positions on the interface surface, wherein each coded data portion is indicative of the identity of the product item, and wherein the sensing device:

(a) senses at least one coded data portion; and

,

(b) generates the indicating data using the sensed coded data portion, the indicating data being indicative of at least one of;

(i) a position of the sensed coded data;

(ii) a position of the sensing device relative to the interface surface;

(iii) an orientation of the sensed coded data;

(iv) an orientation of the sensing device relative to the interface surface; and

,

(v) movement of the sensing device relative to the coded data portions.

13. ) The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the interface surface includes at least one region, including coded data indicative of an identity of the at least one region, and wherein the sensing device:

(a) senses the coded data disposed within the at least one region; and

,

(b) generates, using the sensed coded data, indicating data indicative of the region identity.

14. ) The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the product item includes an RFID tag which encodes an identifier and wherein the sensing device includes an RFID tag reader for reading RFID tags, and wherein the processor is further adapted to determine indicating data using the identifier sensed by the RFID tag reader.

27. ) The sensing device of claim 1 and claim 26, wherein the barcode is a 2D barcode.

28. ) The sensing device of claim 1 and claim 26, wherein the barcode is provided on the interface surface using visible markings.

29. ) The sensing device of any one of claims 1 and 15, wherein the coded data is indicative of an EPC associated with the product item.

30. ) The sensing device of any one of claims 1 and 15, wherein the coded data distinguishes the product item from every other product item.

31. ) The sensing device of any one of claims 1 and 15, wherein the coded data is redundantly encoded.

32. ) The sensing device of any one of claims 1 and 15, wherein the coded data is redundantly encoded using Reed-Solomon encoding.

33. ) The sensing device of any one of claims 1 and 15, wherein the processor is adapted to use the redundantly encoded coded data to detect one or more errors in the coded data

34. ) The sensing device of any one of claims 1 and 15, wherein, in response to the detection of one or more errors, the scanning device performs at least one of:

(a) correcting the one or more detected errors;

(b) signaling a failed scan; and

,

(c) ignoring the coded data.

35. ) The sensing device of any one of claims 1 and 15, wherein the coded data is substantially invisible to the unaided eye.

36. ) The sensing device of any one of claims 1 and 15, wherein the coded data is printed using infrared ink.

37. ) The sensing device of any one of claims 1 and 15, wherein the coded data is provided on the interface surface coincident with visible markings representing at least one of:

(a) product item information;

(b) the identity of the product item; and

,

(c) product item status information.

38. ) The sensing device of any one of claims 1 and 15, wherein the interface surface is at least a portion of at least one of:

(a) product item packaging;

(b) product item labelling; and

,

(c) a surface of the product item.

39. ) The sensing device of any one of claims 1 and 15, wherein the coded data is disposed over at least one of:

(a) substantially all of any one of;

(i) an entire product item surface;

(ii) packaging; and

,

(iii) a product item label;

(b) more than 25% of any one of;

(i) an entire product item surface;

(ii) packaging; and

,

(iii) a product item label;

(c) more than 50% of any one of;

(i) an entire product item surface;

(ii) packaging; and

,

(iii) a product item label;

(d) more than 75% of any one of;

(i) an entire product item surface;

(ii) packaging; and

,

(iii) a product item label.

15. ) A sensing device adapted to scan a product item provided in a sensing region, wherein the product item includes an interface surface having disposed thereon at least one of:

(a) coded data which includes, at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the product item, the product item being provided in a sensing region; and

,

(b) an RFID tag which encodes an identifier; and

, the sensing device including;

(i) a coded data sensor for sensing at least one coded data portion;

(ii) a RFID tag reader for reading RFID tags;

(iii) a processor for determining indicating data using at least one of;

(1) the identity of the product item determined from at least one sensed coded data portion; and

,

(2) the identifier determined using the RFID tag reader;

(c) a communicator for transferring the indicating data to a computer system.

16. ) The sensing device of claim 15, wherein the coded data sensor is formed from at least one of:

(a) a 2D image sensor, for sensing at least one coded data portion; and

,

(b) a sensor adapted to sense a spot of radiation.

17. ) The sensing device of claim 15, wherein the sensing device includes a radiation source for exposing at least one coded data portion.

18. ) The sensing device of claim 15, wherein the sensing device includes a laser for emitting at least one scanning beam, the scanning beam being directed in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch, the scanning patch being provided in the sensing region such that it exposes at least one coded data portion.

19. ) The sensing device of claim 18, wherein the sensing device includes at least one beam controller for directing the at least one scanning beam along selected ones of a number of patch beam paths, each patch beam path extending into the sensing region at a respective angle.

20. ) The sensing device of claim 19, wherein the scanning device includes an amplitude modulator for modulating the amplitude of the scanning beam.

21. ) The sensing device of claim 20, wherein the scanning device:

(a) determines from radiation sensed by the coded data sensor, using the modulation of the scanning beam, ambient light incident on the coded data sensor;

(b) determines from radiation sensed by the coded data sensor, using the determined ambient light incident on the coded data sensor, the radiation reflected from the interface surface; and

,

(c) senses the coded data from the radiation reflected from the interface surface.

22. ) The sensing device of claim 20, wherein the scanning device includes a focussing element.

23. ) The sensing device of claim 15, wherein the scanning device includes a filter for filtering radiation incident on the coded data sensor, the filter being at least one of:

(a) a near infrared filter;

(b) a bandpass filter; and

,

(c) a longpass filter.

24. ) The sensing device of claim 15, wherein the coded data portions are provided at respective positions on the interface surface, wherein each coded data portion is indicative of the identity of the product item, and wherein the sensing device:

(a) senses at least one coded data portion; and

,

(b) generates the indicating data using the sensed coded data portion, the indicating data being indicative of at least one of;

(i) a position of the sensed coded data;

(ii) a position of the sensing device relative to the interface surface;

(iii) an orientation of the sensed coded data;

(iv) an orientation of the sensing device relative to the interface surface; and

,

(v) movement of the sensing device relative to the coded data portions.

25. ) The sensing device of claim 15, wherein the interface surface includes at least one region, including coded data indicative of an identity of the at least one region, and wherein the sensing device:

(a) senses the coded data disposed within the at least one region; and

,

(b) generates, using the sensed coded data, indicating data indicative of the region identity.

26. ) The sensing device of claim 15, wherein the sensing device further includes a barcode sensor for sensing an identifier encoded with a barcode on the data surface and wherein the processor generates indicating data indicative of the identity of the product item using the barcode.