U.S. patent application number 09/952304 was filed with the patent office on 2002-04-25 for zero-footprint camera-based point-of-sale bar code presentation scanning system.
Invention is credited to Cai, Joseph, He, Duanfeng, Kumar, Sundeep, Patel, Mehul, Poloniewicz, Paul.
Application Number | 20020047047 09/952304 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34556616 |
Filed Date | 2002-04-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020047047 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Poloniewicz, Paul ; et
al. |
April 25, 2002 |
Zero-footprint camera-based point-of-sale bar code presentation
scanning system
Abstract
A bar code scanning system and method for reading and processing
bar code symbology uses a scanning station installed above the
check-out stand and a receiving station at some distance away from
the scanning station. The scanning station projects light onto a
surface of the check-out stand. The projected light can have a well
defined border indicating where a user should place items to be
scanned. Alternatively, a pattern coincident with the projected
light can be projected onto the surface and which includes a target
indicating where items should be placed for scanning. Light
reflected by items in the target region is processed to decode
optical symbology on the item and produce a signal that is
representative of said sensed symbology. Information about the
scanned item can be processed and displayed by the receiving
station for use in, e.g., a point-of-sale transaction. The system
can also be configured to capture images of a user's payment card
for use in payment processing and to store images of at least
selected scanned items for use in subsequent processes.
Inventors: |
Poloniewicz, Paul; (East
Setauket, NY) ; Patel, Mehul; (Fort Salonga, NY)
; Kumar, Sundeep; (Plainsboro, NJ) ; Cai,
Joseph; (Holbrook, NY) ; He, Duanfeng;
(Farmingville, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Clifford Chance Rogers & Wells LLP
200 Park Avenue
New York
NY
10166-0153
US
|
Family ID: |
34556616 |
Appl. No.: |
09/952304 |
Filed: |
September 14, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09952304 |
Sep 14, 2001 |
|
|
|
09656278 |
Sep 6, 2000 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
235/454 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06K 7/10732 20130101;
G06K 7/10722 20130101; G07G 1/0054 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
235/454 |
International
Class: |
G06K 007/10; G06K
007/14 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A optical scanning system having a scanning station and a
receiving station, wherein said scanning station comprises: a light
source for projecting at least one incident beam of light onto
optical-code symbology on an item to be scanned; an optical
assembly having at least one optical lens for focusing light
reflected from said symbology; and an imager for sensing and
capturing said focused light to obtain said sensed symbology;
wherein the beam of light, when incident on a surface over which
the item to be scanned are passed, produces an illumination spot
with a well-defined boundary, the boundary indicating to a user
where the item to be scanned should be placed. the receiving
station comprises a microprocessor and a computer memory; the
scanning stating being in data communication with the receiving
station.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a decoder for
converting said sensed symbology into a signal that is
representative of said sensed symbology.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the decoder is in the scanning
station and the scanning station is configured to send said signal
from said scanning station to said receiving station.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the scanning station further
comprises a wireless transmitter and the receiving station
comprises a wireless receiver.
5. The system of claim 3, wherein said receiving station further
comprises a display screen for displaying information related to
said received signal.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein said receiving station further
comprises an input device and a receipt printer for processing
transactions associated with said received signal.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein said receiving station further
comprises a cash register.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the scanner is configured to
capture an image of a payment card placed within the beam of
light.
9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an image database, the
system configured to capture an image of the item during a scanning
process and place the image in the image database.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is configured to
capture images of a plurality of items during the scanning process
and place at least some of the captured images in the image
database.
11. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a checkout stand
having a surface, the scanning station being positioned relative to
the surface such that the beam of light is incident on and
generally perpendicular to the surface; the receiving station being
associated with the checkout stand.
12. An optical scanning system having a scanning station
comprising: a first light source projecting at least one beam of
light onto a surface over which items to be scanned are passed so
as to illuminate coded symbology on said items; an optical assembly
having at least one optical lens for focusing light reflected from
said symbology; an imager for sensing and capturing said focused
light to obtain said sensed symbology; and a second light source
configured to project at least a first pattern onto said surface,
the first pattern comprising a target indicating to a user where an
item to be scanned should be placed.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first pattern further
comprises instructional indicia related to the scanning of an
item.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the second light source is
configured to project a plurality of patterns onto said
surface.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system is for use in a
retail environment and has an item scanning phase and a second
operating phase; the system configured to display the first pattern
during the item scanning phase and a second pattern during the
second operating phase.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the scanner is configured to
capture an image of a payment card placed within the beam of light;
the second operating phase is a payment phase; the second pattern
comprising indicia related to the placement of a payment card in
the beam of light.
17. The system of claim 15, wherein the second pattern comprises a
target indicating to a user where a payment card should be
placed.
18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a decoder for
converting said sensed symbology into a signal that is
representative of said sensed symbology.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the scanning station is in
communication with a receiving station and is configured to send
the signal to the receiving station; the receiving station
comprising a microprocessor for processing said signal and a
computer memory for storing received signal.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein said receiving station further
comprises an input device and a display screen for displaying
information related to said signal.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the receiving station further
comprises a printer and a cash register.
22. The system of claim 19, wherein the scanning station further
comprises a wireless transmitter and the receiving station
comprises a wireless receiver.
23. The system of claim 12, wherein the scanning station is ceiling
mounted over the surface over which items to be scanned are
passed.
24. The system of claim 12, wherein said imager of said scanning
station is one of a CCD-based detector and a CMOS-based camera.
25. The system of claim 12, wherein said first light source
comprises at least one of a laser diode, an incandescent lamp, and
a light emitting diode.
26. A bar code scanning system for use in scanning bar coded
symbology on items for purchase in a retail environment comprising
a scanning station, and a checkout stand comprising a surface over
which items to be scanned are passed by a operator and a receiving
station in communication with the scanning station, the scanning
station being mounted above the surface; the scanning station
comprising: a first light source projecting at least one beam of
light onto the surface so as to illuminate coded symbology on items
passed through the light beam; an optical assembly having at least
one optical lens for focusing light reflected from said symbology;
an imager for sensing and capturing said focused light to obtain
said sensed symbology; a decoder for converting said sensed
symbology into a signal that is representative of said sensed
symbology, the scanning station configured to send the symbol to
the receiving station; and a second light source configured to
project at least a first pattern onto the surface, the first
pattern comprising a target indicating to a user where on the
surface an item to be scanned should be placed; the receiving
station comprising: a microprocessor for processing the signal; a
computer memory for storing the signal; a display screen for
displaying information related to said signal; and an input
device.
27. The system of claim 26, wherein the information related to said
signal comprises a price of the item.
28. The system of claim 26, wherein the scanning station further
comprises a wireless transmitter and the receiving station
comprises a wireless receiver.
29. The system of claim 26, wherein the first pattern further
comprises instructional indicia related to the scanning of an
item.
30. The system of claim 26, wherein the second light source is
configured to project a plurality of patterns onto said
surface.
31. The system of claim 26, wherein the system has an item scanning
phase and a second operating phase; the scanning system configured
to display the first pattern in when the system is in an item
scanning phase and a second pattern when the system is in the
second operating phase.
32. The system of claim 31, wherein the scanner is configured to
capture an image of a payment card placed within the beam of light;
the second operating phase is a payment phase; the second pattern
comprising indicia related to the placement of a payment card in
the beam of light.
33. The system of claim 32, wherein the second pattern comprises a
target indicating to a user where a payment card should be
placed.
34. The system of claim 26, wherein said scanning station is
mounted one of on or at least partially within a ceiling above the
surface.
35. The system of claim 26, wherein the imager of said scanning
station is one of a CCD-based and detector and CMOS-based
camera.
36. The system of claim 26, wherein said first light source
comprises at least one of a laser diode, an incandescent lamp, and
a light emitting diode.
37. The system of claim 26, wherein said second light source
comprises a laser and a diffractive optical element
38. The system of claim 26, wherein the beam of light emitted by
the first light source produces a light spot having a generally
uniform intensity across an area of the surface indicated by the
target.
39. The system of claim 38, wherein the first light source emits
substantially non-visible light.
40. In scanning system having a scanning station and a receiving
station, a method of reading and processing optical symbology
comprising the steps of: providing a first light source projecting
at least one incident beam of light a portion of a surface over
which items to be scanned can be passed, the light source forming
an illumination spot on the surface, the spot having a well-defined
boundary indicating to a user where the item to be scanned should
be placed; focusing light reflected from symbology on an item
placed by the user within the spot with at least one optical lens
of said scanning station; sensing and capturing said focused light
with an imager of said scanning station to obtain sensed symbology;
converting said sensed symbology into a signal that is
representative of said sensed symbology; transmitting said signal
from said scanning station to said receiving station; capturing
said transmitted signal with a wireless receiver of said receiving
station; and displaying information related to the captured signal
on a display associated with the receiving station.
41. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of converting said
sensed symbology into said signal that is representative of said
sensed symbology is performed by a decoder at said scanning
station.
42. The method of claim 18, further comprising a step of processing
said received signal on said receiving station using a
microprocessor and a computer memory for storing said received
signal.
43. The method of claim 40, wherein the displayed information
comprises a price associated with the scanned item.
44. The method of claim 43, further comprising a step of processing
transactions associated with said received signal using an input
device, a cash register and a receipt printer associated with the
receiving station.
45. In scanning system having a scanning station and a receiving
station, a method of reading and processing optical symbology
comprising the steps of: illuminating a portion of a surface over
which items to be scanned; projecting at least a first pattern onto
the surface comprising a target indicating to a user an area on the
surface where an item to be scanned should be placed, the target
being at least partially coincident with the illuminated portion of
the surface; focusing light reflected from symbology on an item
placed by the user within the target area onto an imager associated
with the scanning station; sensing and capturing the light focused
on the imager to obtain sensed symbology; converting the sensed
symbology into a signal that is representative of said sensed
symbology; transmitting said signal from said scanning station to
said receiving station; capturing said transmitted signal with a
wireless receiver of said receiving station; and displaying
information related to the captured signal on a display associated
with the receiving station.
46. The method of claim 45, wherein the step of converting said
sensed symbology into the signal representative of said sensed
symbology is performed by a decoder at the scanning station.
47. The method of claim 45, wherein the displayed information
comprises a price associated with the scanned item.
48. The method of claim 47, further comprising a step of processing
transactions associated with said received signal using an input
device, a cash register and a receipt printer associated with the
receiving station.
49. The method of claim 45, wherein the first pattern further
comprises instructional indicia related to the scanning of an
item.
50. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of
projecting a second pattern onto said surface.
51. The method of claim 50, wherein the first pattern is projected
during an item scanning phase and the second pattern is projected
during a second operating phase.
52. The method of claim 5 1, further comprising the step of
capturing an image of a payment card placed within the illuminated
portion of the surface; wherein the second operating phase is a
payment phase and the second pattern comprises indicia related to
the placement of a payment card in the beam of light.
53. The method of claim 52, wherein the second pattern comprises a
target indicating to a user where a payment card should be
placed.
54. The method of claim 50, wherein the second pattern comprises a
product advertisement.
55. The method of claim 50, wherein the second pattern comprises a
logo.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
application Ser. No. 09/656,278 filed on Sep. 6, 2000.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to bar code scanning and
imaging systems that are utilized at point-of-sale in stores,
supermarkets and in other businesses or applications where the bar
codes on items are regularly scanned by bar code scanning devices
and the captured information is transferred to a host computer
system, which then processes, registers and stores information
transferred to it.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] With the advent of the electronic age, bar codes and bar
code scanning systems became the primary means for identifying,
tracking, cataloging and otherwise managing objects of various
sizes in a variety of different industries and applications.
Grocery, food processing and retail industries, assembly lines and
warehouses, among many others, utilize bar codes to store
information, either directly on the items, or on printed labels
that are attached or associated with the items.
[0004] Bar codes typically consist of a series of lines and spaces
of various widths, or other types of symbols comprised of a series
of contrasting markings. These contrasting markings usually
represent strings of binary ones and zeroes. These patterns are
read by a number of different bar code readers, hand-held wands and
laser scanning systems that have been developed to capture and
decode the symbol pattern to a numeric or alphanumeric
representation for inventory, production tracking, check-out or
sales purposes. One common example of a bar code is the Universal
Product Code (UPC).
[0005] Most point-of-sale systems that utilize bar codes, such as
retail stores and supermarkets, or factories, warehouses and other
businesses utilize stationary laser-based bar code readers or
scanners. The scanners are generally installed in or on the
check-out counter and thus take up some otherwise useful physical
space at the counter. These types of systems also are often
installed, at least in part, within the physical housing. For
example, in-counter slot scanners typically have glass exit windows
in the same horizontal plane as the counter. One of the drawbacks
of utilizing these scanners is that the debris and dirt that
accumulate on the horizontal plane can scratch, damage, or
otherwise obscure the glass surface, degrading performance of the
scanner and possibly causing malfunctions. Moreover, the addition
of such a scanning system to a check-out station requires
specialized and often expensive installation to provide custom-made
surfaces, cut-outs, etc. at the counter where scanning is
performed. Even if the check-out station is constructed initially
with cut-outs and other features designed to accept a scanning
system, such features can severely limit the use of the check-out
counter for non-scanning purposes.
[0006] Another shortcoming of the bar code readers that are
utilized with existing point-of-sale systems is that they require
the operator to visually locate the bar code on the item that is
being scanned and to position it in the scanner's field of view.
For example, when the scanner is installed on the opposite side of
a check-out counter, the operator must rotate the surface
containing the bar code away from himself and toward the field of
view of the scanner. Bi-optic or multi-planer scanning systems,
which typically have two (or more) active "sides" (ie. able to scan
a bar code on both the bottom surface and from the side) alleviate
the need to rotate the object toward the scanner. They are very
expensive, however, and overly complex in their installation and
maintenance.
[0007] In addition to laser-based scanning, some camera-based
scanning systems are known. These systems use conveyer belts to
move and scan items with bar codes, such as inventory or mail, past
the scanning system at high rates of speed. These scanning systems
rely upon the automated conveyor and other automated systems to
accurately place items to be scanned within the proper field of
view of the scanning camera system. Such large-scale conveyor
scanning systems are too expensive and impractical for use in a
typical point-of-sale environment. Moreover, automated item
placement by a conveyor and other systems is generally not
available in a point-of-sale. Instead, establishments rely upon
typically untrained customers to manually scan items. Thus,
additional mechanisms are necessary to aid users in correctly
placing items during the scanning process.
[0008] Some known point-of-sale self-checkout scanning systems for
use by customers in a retail environment include a camera. Such a
system is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,965,861 and
6,236,736. However, such systems do not use the camera to detect
and process the bar-code on the items. Instead, a conventional
in-counter laser-based scanning system is provided which has the
drawbacks discussed above. The camera system is used to provide
additional security, e.g., by tracking the motions of a customer's
hand to detect scanning-type motions or to detect when items have
been placed in a bag before it has been scanned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] One objective of the present invention is to avoid the
drawbacks and shortcomings of the existing scanning systems
utilized at the point-of-sale in retail stores and supermarkets,
and in factories, warehouses or other businesses or applications
where items to be scanned are manually positioned relative to the
scanning apparatus.
[0010] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
bar scanning system that is relatively inexpensive, easy to install
and simple to operate and maintain.
[0011] It is yet another objective of the present invention to
provide a bar scanning system that does not require the operator to
turn the bar code away from the operator's line of sight in order
to get it into the field of view of the scanner. In other words,
the operator can scan items while the code is in full sight,
thereby removing the "blind" operation.
[0012] A further objective of the present invention is to provide a
bar scanning system for which the scanning component (scanning
station) does not take up useful physical space on or inside of the
check-out counter.
[0013] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
bar scanning system that is easily adapted to for use with the
different types of scanners that are known in the art today, such
as CCD-type scanners, CMOS-type cameras, etc., as well as new or
improved scanners that may be developed in the future.
[0014] Yet a further objective of the present invention is to
provide a scanning system which utilizes the scanning system to
receive credit or debit information from a customer's payment card
without requiring the use of a magnetic card reader.
[0015] The bar scanning system of the present invention
accomplishes the above-described and other objectives by providing
a novel bar code scanning system for reading and processing bar
code symbology that has at least two separate stations, namely, a
scanning station that has a scanner installed above the check-out
stand, as for example in the ceiling or on a bracket above the
stand, and a receiving station at some distance away from the
scanning station. The scanning station of this system consists of a
light emitting diode (LED), laser diode, an incandescent lamp or
any other type of illumination source that projects light onto the
symbology to be scanned, an optical assembly that focuses light
reflected from the symbology, an imager that senses and captures
the reflected image, a decoder that converts that reflected image
of the symbology into a signal that is representative of said
sensed symbology, and a wireless transmitter. In one embodiment,
the light source may be a bright incandescent lamp, focused by
means known in the art to provide a sharp, bright scanning spot for
scanning bar codes or other types of optical indicia.
[0016] When scanned symbology is captured at the scanning station,
it is then decoded and transmitted to the wireless receiver of the
receiving station, which then stores and processes that signal. If
used at point-of-sale in a store or supermarket, the receiving
station may be a check-out counter, with an input device (for
example, a keyboard), a display, a cash register, and a receipt
printer. Alternatively, the receiving station may be separate from
the check-out counter and include a transmitter that would relay
signals received from the scanning station to the check-out
counter.
[0017] In a particular embodiment, the scanning station comprises a
video camera which captures images of objects as they are passed
through the illumination spot. The images are processed to locate
the bar code symbology and extract the relevant item data. The
video scanning system can also be used to capture an image of a
customer's credit or debit card for processing to extract the card
number and other printed data and so avoid the necessity of
providing a separate magnetic card scanner.
[0018] The camera images can be stored in a database to maintain a
visual record of scanned items. The images can be associated with
e.g., a customer's receipt or credit-card number, and recalled in
the event there is a dispute about a purchased item. The stored
image data can also be used for various other security and
non-security purposes.
[0019] Preferably, the light source which illuminates the scanning
area is configured to project a light spot with a well defined
boundary onto a surface of the checkout stand. The light spot
boundary indicates to a user where an item to be scanned should be
placed.
[0020] In a further embodiment, a second light source is provided
which projects a target, such as a box or cross-hairs, at least
partially co-incident with the light spot and onto a surface of the
checkout stand. The target defines an area where an item should be
placed in order for it to be properly scanned. Different target
patterns can be provided for use during different phases of
checkout. The target can also include instructional designs or
text. Less-specific target patterns can also be provided, including
logos and advertisements, for use during non-scanning periods.
[0021] These and other objectives, characteristic and advantages of
the present invention will be disclosed in more detail with
reference to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram of the scanning
system according to the present invention;
[0023] FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic box diagrams of the scanning
station and receiving stations, respectively, in accordance with
the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a retail scanning system showing a
scanning spot with an projected target thereon; and
[0025] FIGS. 4A-4C show a top view of a checkout counter with a
various projected patterns coincident with the scanning
illumination spot.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the bar scanning
system according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1, 2A
and 2B. The bar code scanning system 10 of the present invention
consists of two basic components: a scanning station 100 and a
receiving station 900. The scanning station 100 can be ceiling
mounted with such that the station is on or at least partially
within the ceiling 300 of the room where it is intended to operate.
Preferably, a durable outer shell 110 is provided to house at least
some of the components of the scanning station, and particularly
portions of the scanning station which are visible in the room
where it is to operate. When scanning station 100 is mounted inside
the ceiling 300, some or all of the outer shell 110 can be
omitted.
[0027] The scanning station 100 contains a light source 120 for
projecting light beams 400 onto the bar code symbology 510 of the
object 500 that is being scanned. The light source 120 may consist
of one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), a laser diode, or
other types of illumination sources, such as, for example, a bright
incandescent lamp with a focusing assembly that produces a spot of
bright light, which may be as small as a few inches in diameter, to
which the bar code symbology 510 on the item 500 is brought by the
operator for scanning operation. The diameter 650 of the light spot
projected by the light source 120 may be as small as a few inches,
covering only the bar code symbology 510, or large enough to cover
the whole item 500, as shown in FIG. 1.
[0028] Preferably, the light source which illuminates the scanning
area is configured to project a light spot 600 with a well defined
boundary 610 onto a surface 810 of the checkout stand 800 (See FIG.
3). The light spot boundary indicates to a user where an item to be
scanned should be placed. In a particular embodiment, the light
spot is sized and shaped to cover an area generally coincident with
the field of view of the image capturing system such that an image
of everything illuminated by the spot will be captured and imaged.
In a typical embodiment, the light spot will be round. However,
other shaped light spots, such as squares, rectangles, etc., can
also be provided.
[0029] Preferably, the light source 120 utilizes the same coaxial
lens assembly 140 (schematically shown on FIG. 2A) as the imager
150 for focusing light beams. The utilization of various possible
arrangements of LEDs and laser diodes as an illumination or
lighting source for optical scanners are well known in the art and
are described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,981, U.S. Pat.
No. 5,828,050, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,750, the disclosure of which
is hereby incorporated by reference. Similarly, various optical
assemblies for focusing light onto the symbology and for focusing
light reflected from the scanned symbology are described in detail
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,981, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,241, which are
also hereby incorporated by reference.
[0030] The imager 150 of the scanning station 100 may be a
CCD-based detector, a CMOS-based camera or any other type of image
detecting device that senses and captures light reflected off the
sensed symbology 510, preferably by using the lens assembly 140 to
focus the reflected light. CCD-based image detectors are well known
in the art and are described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,786,582; 5,291,009; 5,349,172; 5,354,977, the disclosure of which
is hereby incorporated by reference, while use of a CMOS-based
camera imager is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,616, the
disclosure of which is also incorporated by reference. The imager
150, together with the lens assembly 140, are preferably capable of
imaging bar codes placed within the spot of light 600 from four to
sixteen feet, with a depth of field 700 of eighteen to thirty-six
inches.
[0031] Once the imager 150 captures the image of the reflected
symbology 510, it converts it to an electronic or digital image of
the sensed symbology. Thereafter, the decoder 160 converts this
electronic or digital image into a signal that is representative of
said sensed symbology. This signal is then transmitted by the
wireless transmitter 180 of a scanning station 100 to the wireless
receiver 980 of a receiving station 900 for subsequent processing
by the microprocessor 910, which utilizes the computer memory 920
to store and process information received by the receiving station.
The transmission may be accomplished utilizing either radio
frequency (RF) or infrared signal (IR) (or multiple signals). Both,
RF and IR transmitters and receivers are well known in the art.
(See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,359,448, and 4,622,681, the disclosure of
which is hereby incorporated by reference.)
[0032] The decoding of a digital (or electronic) image of the
sensed symbology, thereby converting it to a signal that is
representative of said sensed symbology, is preferably performed at
the scanning station 100 by the decoder 160. Alternatively, the
transmitter 180 may transmit the digital (or electronic) image of
the sensed symbology as an IR or RF signal to the wireless receiver
980 of the receiving station 900, where it is converted to a signal
that is representative of said sensed symbology by the decoder 960
(not shown).
[0033] In order to permit processing of sales transactions at the
receiving station 900, the receiving station 900 is preferably
equipped with a display screen 930, an input apparatus 940 (for
example, a keyboard), a cash register 950 and a receipt printer
970.
[0034] Electric current is supplied to the scanning and receiving
stations via power inputs 199 and 999 (schematically shown in FIGS.
2A and 2B), coming from an AC power supply, battery, rechargeable
battery or any other source of an electric current.
[0035] With reference to FIGS. 2A and 3, a second light source and
associated projection assembly 122 is provided. The projection
assembly will typically be separate from lens assembly 140 which
may be used by the illuminating light source 120. However,
depending on the configuration, sharing of optical components is
possible. The second light source 122 is configured to project a
targeting image 820 onto the surface 810 of the checkout station
800. The target image 820 is designed to indicate to a user where
an object should be placed for scanning purposes.
[0036] The target from the second light source can be better
defined than the spot 600 because a generally uniform illumination
is not required. Advantageously, the use of a target separate from
the illumination light source 120 permits a wider variety of
scanning devices to be used and, in particular, allows the use of
non- or poorly visible light illumination, such as infra-red
illumination, since the target pattern shows the placement
separately from the illumination spot.
[0037] Various target images can be utilized and additional images,
such as text or graphic based instructions, can also be projected.
For example, FIG. 3 shows a top view of surface 810 with a cross or
X-target 820, projected text instructions 822, and images of arrows
824 to illustrate the direction items should moved through the
target area.
[0038] Any suitable image projection system can be used to produce
the target image. Because items can be scanned throughout the depth
of field of the scanning assembly, targeting light source and
assembly 122 should be placed close enough to the illuminating
light source 120 to reduce parallax throughout the scanning field
to acceptable levels. Preferably the targeting light source is
adjacent to the illuminating light source.
[0039] In a preferred embodiment, different projection patterns are
provided for use during different phases of checkout. The target
and instructions shown in FIG. 4A are suitable for use during
scanning of items for purchase. In a particular implementation,
scanning system is configured to capture an image of a customer's
credit or debit card after all items for purchase have been
scanned.
[0040] Upon receiving a signal by a customer that all items have
been scanned, the projection pattern can be changed, such as to the
pattern shown in FIG. 4B which instructs the user to place their
card in a specified location. Once the image of a card has been
captured, it can be processed to extract the customer's name,
account numbers, card expiration date, and other relevant data.
This data can then be sent to a payment system (not shown) for
processing. Advantageously, this configuration eliminates the need
to provide a separate magnetic card scanner at the checkout
station.
[0041] Alternatively, the system can be configured to scan images
captured by the scanning system for the presence of a credit or
debit card in the image. The presence of a card in the scanning
region can be used as a signal that the customer has scanned all
items and to enter the payment phase.
[0042] If entry of a PIN number is required, the number can be
typed by the customer on the keyboard 940. If a signature is
required, a signature slip can be printed and delivered to the
customer to sign. Alternatively, the customer can sign using an
electronic signature capturing device. Such devices are known to
those of skill in the art. The signature verification can be done
by a store clerk or other personnel.
[0043] In a further embodiment, the customer can be instructed to
place their credit card signature-side up in the scanning target so
that the signature can be imaged. The imaged signature can then be
compared with an image of the signature on the signature slip or an
electronically captured signature and an alert or
assistance-required signal produced if the signatures are not
sufficiently similar.
[0044] Other projection patterns can also be provided for use at
different phases of the checkout process, such as including logos
and advertisements. FIG. 4C shows an example of a store logo 830
projected over the illumination spot and which can be shown during
idle periods or after payment has been received.
[0045] Various image projection assemblies known to those of skill
in the art can be used to form the second light source and assembly
122. In one embodiment, the second light source comprises a light
source which projects an image contained in a slide. Various
projection images can be provided by moving different slides into
the optical path, by using multiple lights, each of which
illuminates a different image, or through other means.
[0046] In another embodiment, the light is provided by a laser,
such as a laser diode, and the image formed by passing the light
through a diffractive optical element (DOE). Separate projection
patterns can be provided by using multiple DOEs. Alternatively, the
image can be formed by using a laser projection system which
"paints" the image by using a series of computer controlled
mirrors. This variation, while more complex than static DOEs,
provides a great deal of flexibility since a wide variety of images
and text can be programmed for display. A computer controlled video
projection system can also be used.
[0047] One particular advantage of the use of lasers to produce the
projection pattern is that the laser light is of a well defined
frequency. This permits use of a suitable narrow-pass filter in the
system to eliminate the projection pattern light from the light
passed to the imager for capture and processing and thereby
eliminate any interference which may be produced by a projected
pattern superimposed over the item being scanned.
[0048] According to a further aspect of the invention, images
captured during scanning of various items are placed stored in a
database or image store for subsequent use. As used herein, placing
or storing an image encompasses storing the entire image or storing
a portion of the image, such as the portion containing the item
which was scanned. The stored images comprise a record of the state
of those items at the time of scanning and can be used for various
purposes. In one implementation, the stored image data can be
associated with a user-ID or receipt number. The user-ID can be
from a personal ID card, a credit or debit card, or associated with
the user via other means.
[0049] The images can be stored in compressed form and archived
periodically, e.g., by dumping data to an optical disk, or written
directly to the disk in the first place. Images can be deleted
after a specified time period. The image-store function can be
enabled by the setting of an appropriate flag in a product database
used to associated item bar-codes with, e.g., a price, such that
specific products to image can be specified. In a variation, images
can be placed in the image store for all products of a particular
type or exceeding a specified threshold price.
[0050] The stored images can recalled as needed for various
purposes. For example, the images can be recalled when there is a
customer dispute about the state of a purchased object to determine
the state of the packaging when the product was purchased. For
packaging which indicates a product serial number, the image can be
used to determine whether the serial number of a subsequently
returned product is the same as the one on the scanned package. The
stored images can also be used for security and other purposes
which will be appreciated by those of skill in the art.
[0051] Although the invention has been described with reference to
the specific embodiments, it will be apparent to one skilled in the
art that variations and modifications are contemplated within the
spirit and scope of the invention. For example, while an initial
embodiment of the invention has been disclosed for use in a
wireless-data communication environment, the scanning stations can
be connected to the receiving station using physical connections.
Similarly, the term bar-coding has been used throughout. This term
should be considered as encompassing one- and two-dimensional bar
code symbols as well as other multi-dimensional optical coding
symbologies. The drawings and description of the specific
embodiments are made by way of example rather than to limit the
scope of the invention, and it is intended to cover within the
spirit and scope of the invention all such changes and
modifications.
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