Scanning device for scanning interface surface of product item

• US 7,612,923 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2008
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul, Rusman, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II; Jerome
• Application Number:
  US12/234,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20090014526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 408 Days
• Field of Search: 358/473, 358/475, 358/509, 358/510, 358/513, 358/480, 358/482, 382/313, 382/321, 235/462.01, 235/462.14, 235/462.24, 235/462.25, 235/462.38, 235/462.39, 235/462.32, 235/462.33, 235/472.01, 235/472.02
• US Class Current: 358/473
• 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 scanning device is provided which has a beam emitter for emitting a beam, a deflector for deflecting the beam to generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch on a product item, a sensor for receiving a reflected beam from the scanning patch and sensing from the reflected beam data encoded by coded tags printed on an interface surface of the product item, and a processor for determining a description of the interface surface and at least one region of interface surface. The data encoded by each tag includes an identity of the product item, an identity of the interface surface and the position of the respective tag on the interface surface. The processor determines the description from the sensed interface surface identity and determined the region from the determined description and at least one of the position of the sensed tag and a position of the scanning patch relative to the interface surface.

Claims

1. A scanning device comprising:

a beam generator for emitting a beam;

a deflector for deflecting the beam to generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch on a product item;

a sensor for receiving a reflected beam from the scanning patch and sensing from the reflected beam data encoded by coded tags printed on an interface surface of the product item, the data encoded by each tag including an identity of the product item, an identity of the interface surface and the position of the respective tag on the interface surface; and

a processor for determining a description of the interface surface from the sensed interface surface identity and at least one region of interface surface from the determined description and at least one of the position of the sensed tag and a position of the scanning patch relative to the interface surface.

2. A scanning device according to claim 1, further comprising a beam controller for selectively providing the scanning patch at one of a number of positions in a sensing region.

3. A scanning device according to claim 1, further comprising a beam controller for directing the beam along at least a selected one of a number of patch beam paths.

4. A scanning device according to claim 3, wherein each patch beam path extends into a sensing region at a respective angle.

5. A scanning device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is adapted to sense the reflected beam from the product item along the selected patch beam path.

6. A scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the data encoded by the tags is redundantly encoded and the processor uses the redundantly encoded data to detect one or more errors therein.