US 7,451,917 B2 · Transaction terminal comprising imaging module

Abstract

A transaction terminal including a display, a housing, an imaging module assembly wherein the imaging module assembly comprises a control and decode circuit, an imaging module, and a light pipe disposed optically forward of the imaging module. The light pipe may be in a tubular configuration and may include a first end disposed inside the housing and a second end extending to an exterior of the housing. The transaction terminal may include a motion detector generating a motion detection signal that serves as a trigger signal. When a motion detection signal changes state from OFF to ON, light sources of the LEDs are actuated so that a user is notified of a decoding function of the terminal.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A transaction terminal comprising:

a housing;
a display;
and
an imaging module assembly including a control and decode circuit, an imaging module and a light pipe extending forward of said imaging module, said imaging module including at least one light source,
wherein said light pipe includes a first end and a second end, the second end extending to a position at an exterior of said housing.

2 more elements

A terminal adapted for reading information from an indicia bearing object comprising:

an image sensor housed within a housing, the image sensor having an imaging axis, the image sensor configured for use in capturing an image of a bar code symbol, the bar code symbol located on product presented by a person at a retail store, the image sensor electrically coupled to an image sensor control and decoder circuit housed within the housing, the image sensor control and decoder circuit configured to capture the image of the bar code symbol comprising encoded information from the image sensor and to decode the indicia comprising information to obtain decoded information;
a display screen disposed in a surface of the housing and viewable by the person, the display screen to display at least a first message, the display screen electrically coupled to the control and decoder circuit;
and
a light emitting component housed within the housing, the light emitting component comprising a light source configured to generate light and a light pipe, the light pipe being of tubular shape and having a central cylindrical opening, the light pipe disposed in the housing with the central cylindrical opening situated about the imaging axis of the image sensor such that the terminal can capture an image by viewing the one or more indicia through the central cylindrical opening of the light pipe, the light pipe optically coupled to the light source to receive the light and to guide the light to cause the surface of the light pipe to luminesce, the light pipe having a shape suitable to create an illumination for comfortable viewing by the person, wherein the person is shielded from a direct view of the light source and the light emitting component guides the attention of the person to the location of the terminal image sensor to read the information from the bar code bearing product presented by the person.

1 more element

A terminal for use in a retail store including an in-store computer network having a store server, the network storing a price lookup table, said terminal comprising:

an image sensor housed within a housing, the image sensor having an imaging axis, the image sensor for use in capturing an image of one or more indicia, the one or more indicia comprising information and located on an indicia bearing product for sale presented by a person, the image sensor electrically coupled to an image sensor control and decoder circuit housed within the housing, the terminal housing adapted for vertical mounting with the imaging axis oriented in a substantially vertical direction and the image sensor viewing in a downward direction, the image sensor control and decoder circuit to receive and capture the image of the one or more indicia comprising information from the image sensor and to decode the indicia comprising information to obtain decoded out information;
a display screen disposed in a surface of the housing and viewable by the person, the display screen to display at least the price of product for sale, the display screen electrically coupled to the control and decoder circuit;
a light emitting component housed within the housing, the light emitting component comprising a light source to generate light and a light pipe, the light pipe optically coupled to the light source to receive the light and to guide the light to cause the surface of the light pipe to luminesce, the light pipe having a shape suitable to create an illumination for comfortable viewing by the person, wherein the person is shielded from a direct view of the light source and the light emitting component guides the attention of the person to the location of the image sensor to read the information from the indicia bearing product for sale presented by the person;
and
an RF communication module for providing wireless communication of data between said terminal and a component of said in-store computer network.

2 more elements

A terminal for use in a retail store including an in-store computer network having a store server, the network storing a price lookup table, said terminal comprising:

an image sensor housed within a housing, the image sensor having an imaging axis, the image sensor for use in capturing an image of one or more indicia, the one or more indicia comprising information and located on an indicia bearing product for sale presented by a person, the image sensor electrically coupled to an image sensor control and decoder circuit housed within the housing, the terminal housing adapted for vertical mounting with the imaging axis oriented in a substantially vertical direction and the image sensor viewing in a downward direction, the image sensor control and decoder circuit to receive and capture the image of the one or more indicia comprising information from the image sensor and to decode the indicia comprising information to obtain decoded out information;
a display screen disposed in a surface of the housing and viewable by the person, the display screen to display at least the price of product for sale, the display screen electrically coupled to the control and decoder circuit;
a light emitting component housed within the housing, the light emitting component comprising a light source to generate light and a light pipe, the light pipe optically coupled to the light source to receive the light and to guide the light to cause the surface of the light pipe to luminesce, the light pipe having a shape suitable to create an illumination for comfortable viewing by the person, wherein the person is shielded from a direct view of the light source and the light emitting component guides the attention of the person to the location of the image sensor to read the information from the indicia bearing product for sale presented by the person;
and
a module for providing wireless communication of data between said terminal and a component of said in-store computer network.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/339,444Filed 9 Jan 2003 · continuation in part

Priority

11 Jan 2002

Published

US 2003/0132292 A111 Dec 2003

Granted

18 Nov 2008

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

G07C 9/23
In combination with an identity check of the pass holder: by means of a password
G06Q 20/00
Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
G06Q 20/341
Using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards: active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including…
G06Q 20/4014
Transaction verification: identity check for transactions

Family

Application10/044,137Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 Jan 2002

Application60/347,708Us provisional application · filed 11 Jan 2002

Application60/348,738Us provisional application · filed 14 Jan 2002

Application10/252,227Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Sep 2002

US 2003/0229793 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Dec 2003

US 2003/0132292 A1Published application

US 2003/0135751 A1Published application

US 7,631,807 B2Related patent

US 7,748,620 B2Related patent

US 7,451,917 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Transaction terminal comprising imaging module

Life of this patent

Transaction terminal comprising imaging module

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27