POINT-OF-SALE (POS) CODE SENSING APPARATUS

• US 20160188942A1
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Pierce, Robert, Good, Timothy, Kearney, Sean Philip, Giordano, Patrick Anthony, Van Horn, Erik, Colavito, Stephen, Wilz, David, Cunningham, Charles Joseph IV, Miraglia, Michael Vincent, Xian, Tao
• Granted Patent: US 9,898,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/048 automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• 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
• 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

Abstract

Point-of sale (POS) devices and checkout devices are provided. An exemplary checkout apparatus includes a plurality of sensing elements arranged in fixed relationship with each other at the mouth of a bag. At least one of the sensing elements senses a code arranged on a product as the product is being placed into the bag.

Claims

1. A point-of-sale (POS) device, comprising:

a housing configured to at least partially surround a scanning space outside the mouth of a bag; and

a plurality of sensing elements mounted on the housing, each of the sensing elements having a field of view including at least a portion of the scanning space outside the mouth of the bag;

wherein the sensing elements are configured to sense an identification code arranged on a product when the identification code is in the scanning space outside the mouth of the bag as the product is being placed into the bag.

2. The POS device of claim 1, wherein the fields of view of the plurality of sensing elements, when combined, substantially encompass the entire scanning space outside the mouth of the bag.

3. The POS device of claim 1, wherein at least two of the sensing elements are oriented at different angles with respect to each other.

4. The POS device of claim 1, comprising a support assembly coupled to the housing, the support assembly configured to position the mouth of the bag at the scanning space.

5. A checkout apparatus comprising a plurality of sensing elements arranged in fixed relationship with each other at the mouth of a bag, wherein at least one of the sensing elements senses a code arranged on a product as the product is being placed into the bag.

6. The checkout apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the sensing elements has a field of view including at least a portion of a scanning space outside the mouth of the bag.

7. The checkout apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least two of the plurality of sensing elements are oriented at different angles with respect to each other.

8. The checkout apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least one of the sensing elements is oriented at an angle with respect to an imaginary plane generally parallel with the mouth of the bag.

9. The checkout apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sensing elements are mounted on a housing.

10. The checkout apparatus of claim 9, wherein the housing at least partially surrounds a scanning space outside the mouth of the bag.

11. The checkout apparatus of claim 9, comprising a support assembly coupled to the housing, the support assembly configured to position the mouth of the bag near the housing.

12. The checkout apparatus of claim 11, wherein the support assembly is configured to support the housing and a plurality of bags.

13. The checkout apparatus of claim 9, comprising at least one light mounted on the housing, wherein the at least one light is configured to enhance the ability of the sensing elements to sense the code arranged on the product.

14. The checkout apparatus of claim 5, wherein the code arranged on the product is at least one of a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, and a data matrix code, and wherein the plurality of sensing elements includes at least one of barcode readers, laser scanners, one-dimensional scanners, two-dimensional scanners, two-dimensional imagers, and linear imagers.

15. The checkout apparatus of claim 5, comprising at least one indicator configured to indicate whether the code arranged on the product is successfully sensed when the product is being placed into the bag.

16. The checkout apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one indicator includes at least one of visual indicators and audio indicators.

17. The checkout apparatus of claim 15, comprising a product-flow detector configured to detect when the product is being placed into the bag and when the product is being removed from the bag.

18. The checkout apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the sensing elements has a depth of field sufficient to sense the code arranged on the product at a distance at least as great as a line-of-sight distance from the sensing element to a center point of the mouth of the bag.

19. A product-sensing device, comprising:

a plurality of sensors arranged in fixed relationship with each other such that a field of view of each sensor includes at least a portion of a scanning space near the mouth of a merchandise bag; and

a sensor housing configured to at least partially surround the scanning space near the mouth of the merchandise bag;

wherein the plurality of sensors are mounted on the sensor housing; and

wherein at least one sensor includes a field of view to enable the at least one sensor to sense a code associated with a product when the code is in the scanning space area near the mouth of the merchandise bag.

20. The product-sensing device of claim 19, comprising a support assembly coupled to the sensor housing, the support assembly configured to position the mouth of the merchandise bag near the sensor housing.

21. The product-sensing device of claim 20, wherein the support assembly includes a platform and a scale formed in a top surface of the platform, the platform and scale configured to support and detect the weight of the merchandise bag and products in the merchandise bag.

22. The product-sensing device of claim 21, wherein the support assembly includes a stand and at least one leg, the platform coupled to a top portion of the stand, the at least one leg extending upward from the platform and configured to support the sensor housing.

23. The product-sensing device of claim 19, comprising:

at least one illumination element mounted on the sensor housing, the at least one illumination element being configured to enhance the ability of the sensors to sense the code associated with the product; and

at least one indication element mounted on the sensor housing, the at least one indication element being configured to indicate to a user whether the code associated with the product is successfully sensed when the code is in the scanning space near the mouth of the merchandise bag.

24. The product-sensing device of claim 19, wherein the code associated with the product is at least one of a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, and a data matrix code, and wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one of barcode readers, laser scanners, one-dimensional scanners, two-dimensional scanners, two-dimensional imagers, and linear imagers.

25. The product-sensing device of claim 19, comprising a product-flow detector configured to detect when the product is being placed into the bag and when the product is being removed from the bag.

26. The product-sensing device of claim 19, wherein each of the sensors has a depth of field sufficient to sense the code associated with the product at a distance at least as great as a line-of-sight distance from the sensor to an approximate center point of the scanning space near the mouth of the merchandise bag.