US 7,581,681 B2Granted

Tunnel-type digital imaging system for use within retail shopping environments such as supermarkets

AssigneeMetrologic Instruments, Inc.

InventorsConstantine J. Tsikos, C. Harry Knowles, Xiaoxun Zhu, Michael D. Schnee, Ka Man Au, Allan Wirth, Timothy A. Good, Andrew Jankevics, Sankar Ghosh, Charles A. Naylor, Thomas Amundsen, Robert Blake, William Svedas, Shawn Defoney, Edward Skypala, Pirooz Vatan, Russell Joseph Dobbs, George Kolis, Mark C. Schmidt, Jeffery Yorsz, Patrick A. Giordano, Stephen J. Colavito, David W. Wilz, Sr., Barry E. Schwartz, Steven Y. Kim, Dale Fisher, Jon Van Tassell

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Abstract

A tunnel-type digital imaging system for use within retail shopping environments such as supermarkets. The system includes a tunnel configuration arranged about a conveyor structure for transporting objects therethrough, and an image capturing and processing subsystem embodied within the tunnel configuration, for generating a 3D digital imaging volume above the conveyor structure and within the tunnel configuration, for capturing digital 1D images of objects transported through the 3D imaging volume. The image capturing and processing subsystem includes a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations. Each station includes a linear imaging array having optics providing a field of view (FOV) on the linear imaging array that is projected and extends into the 3D imaging volume, and one or more light emitting devices configured together to produce a substantially planar illumination beam (PLIB) that extends in substantially along the same plane as the FOV of the linear imaging array so that each the linear imaging array and corresponding one or more light emitting devices produce at least one coplanar illumination and imaging plane that projects into the 3D imaging volume. A digital image processing subsystem processing digital 1D images of objects passing through the 3D imaging volume, and a system control subsystem controls and/or orchestrates the coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems during system operation.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A tunnel-type digital imaging system for within retail shopping environments such as supermarkets, said tunnel-type digital imaging system comprising:

a tunnel configuration arranged about a conveyor structure for transporting objects through said tunnel configuration;
and
an image capturing and processing subsystem embodied within said tunnel configuration, and supporting a 3D digital imaging volume above said conveyor structure and within said tunnel configuration, for capturing digital 1D images of objects transported through said 3D digital imaging volume;
wherein said image capturing and processing subsystem includes a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems,
wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem generates a coplanar light illumination beam (PLIB) and field of view (FOV), coplanar (PLIB/FOV), that projects into said 3D digital imaging volume for imaging of objects passing therethrough and generating digital 1D images of each said object intersecting with one or more of said coplanar PLIB/FOVs;
and
a digital image processing subsystem for processing said digital 1D images of objects passing through said 3D digital imaging volume;
and
a system control subsystem for controlling and/or orchestrating said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems during system operation;
wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem includes one or more coherent light sources, and said plurality of coplanar light illumination beams are generated by said one or more coherent light sources;
and
wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem further includes a despeckling mechanism for substantially reducing the coherence of said PLIB so as to substantially reduce speckle-pattern noise power observed in said captured digital 1D images.

9 more elements

A tunnel-type digital imaging system for use within retail shopping environments such as supermarkets, said tunnel-type digital imaging system comprising:

a tunnel configuration arranged about a conveyor structure for transporting objects through said tunnel configuration;
and
an image capturing and processing subsystem embodied within said tunnel configuration, and supporting a 3D digital imaging volume above said conveyor structure and within said tunnel configuration, for capturing digital 1D images of objects transported through said 3D digital imaging volume;
wherein said image capturing and processing subsystem includes a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations;
wherein each coplanar illumination and imaging station includes:
(i) a linear imaging array having optics providing a field of view (FOV) on said linear imaging array that is projected and extends into said 3D digital imaging volume;
and
(ii) one or more light emitting devices configured together to produce a substantially planar light illumination beam (PLIB) that extends in substantially along the same plane as the FOV of said linear imaging array so that each said linear imaging array and corresponding one or more light emitting devices produce at least one said coplanar illumination and imaging plane that projects into said 3D digital imaging volume;
wherein said plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging planes project through and intersect within said 3D digital imaging volume, for imaging of objects passed therethrough and generating digital 1D images of each said object intersecting with one or more of said coplanar illumination and imaging planes;
a digital image processing subsystem for processing said digital 1D images of objects passing through said 3D digital imaging volume;
and
a system control subsystem for controlling andlor orchestrating said coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems during system operation.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/980,076Filed 30 Oct 2007 · continuation
Priority: 24 Mar 1998
Published: US 2008/0128508 A15 Jun 2008
Granted: 1 Sep 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

G06K 7/10732
Photodetector array or CCD scanning: light sources
G06K
Graphical data reading

Family

Application09/047,146Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Mar 1998
Application09/157,778Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Sep 1998
Application09/274,265Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Mar 1999
PCT/US99/06505Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Mar 1999
Application09/327,756Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Jun 1999
PCT/US00/15624Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Jun 2000
Application09/721,885Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Nov 2000
Application09/780,027Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Feb 2001
Application09/781,665Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Feb 2001
Application09/883,130Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 15 Jun 2001
Application09/954,477Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Sep 2001
Application09/999,687Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 31 Oct 2001
Application10/164,845Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Jun 2002
Application11/471,470Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Jun 2006
US 2008/0128508 A1Pre-grant publication · published 5 Jun 2008
US 7,303,132 B2Parent of this continuation
US 7,070,106 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application10/164,845Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,736,321 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,830,189 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,742,707 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,629,641 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,631,842 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,360,947 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,517,004 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,382,515 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2001/0015380 A1Published application
US 2002/0014533 A1Published application
US 2002/0043561 A1Published application
US 2002/0117545 A1Published application
US 2002/0139853 A1Published application
US 2002/0145042 A1Published application
US 2006/0086794 A1Published application
US 2007/0012777 A1Published application
US 7,527,200 B2Related patent
US 7,581,681 B2This patent

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