Automated tunnel-type scanning system enabling automated tracking and identification of packages transported therethrough

An automated tunnel-type scanning system arranged about a conveyor belt structure, comprising:

• a tunnel structure arranged about a conveyor belt structure for transporting packages;
• an omni-directional bar code symbol scanning subsystem, supported by said tunnel structure and including a plurality of optically-based bar code symbol scanning units,
• wherein each said optically-based bar code symbol scanning unit has a scanning window with a projection axis extending into a three-dimensional scanning volume confined within said tunnel structure, and capable of scanning bar code symbols on packages entering said tunnel structure, and producing package identification data representative of each package identified by the bar code symbol scanned on said package;
• a package detection and dimensioning subsystem, disposed for automatically detecting packages entering said tunnel structure and capturing package measurement information about each said package, and producing package measurement data representative of said captured package measurement information;
• and
• a data management subsystem for collecting and queuing package identification data and package measurement data, and automatically correlating both package measurement data and package identification data corresponding to each said package transported through said tunnel structure so as to enable automated tracking and identification of packages being transported through said tunnel structure.