Back to results
US 8,944,322 B2Granted
Tri-optic scanner
AssigneeWal-Mart Stores, Inc.
InventorK. Lee White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tri-optic scanner for checking out merchandise at stores includes first and second barcode scanners, and a third barcode scanner placed back-to-back to the second barcode scanner to face an opposite direction of the second barcode scanner. The tri-optic scanner is designed to allow the third barcode scanner to conveniently capture barcodes presented by a customer without a cashier touching barcode carriers that belong to the customer.
Claims29
A tri-optic scanner for scanning barcodes, comprising:
- a first barcode scanner;
- a second barcode scanner configured to face a cashier location when the tri-optic scanner is situated on a base platform of a point-of-sale (POS) station;
- and
- a third selectively-activated camera-based scanner situated back-to-back to the second barcode scanner and configured to face a customer location when the tri-optic scanner is situated on the base platform of the POS station and in a substantially opposite direction than the second barcode scanner, the second barcode scanner and third selectively-activated camera-based scanner each having a substantially horizontal optical axis;
- a display screen;
- and
- a processor,
- wherein
- the first and second barcode scanners continuously operate to capture barcodes, while the third camera-based scanner is deactivated,
- responsive to a trigger that is automatically generated in response to a detection of an object near an optical lens of the third camera-based scanner and in the customer location, the third camera-based scanner is selectively activated to capture at least one frame of image provided by a customer,
- the third selectively activated camera-based scanner includes a video camera, and the display screen displays a window showing traffic passing through the customer location, and
- the processor is configured to execute an object recognition module to recognize objects in the traffic passing through the customer location.
9 more elements
A point-of-sale (POS) station, comprising:
- a tri-optic scanner for scanning barcodes, the tri-optic scanner including:
- a first barcode scanner;
- a second barcode scanner configured to face a cashier location;
- and
- a third selectively-activated camera-based scanner situated back-to-back to the second barcode scanner to face a customer location and in an opposite direction than the second barcode scanner, the second barcode scanner and third selectively-activated camera-based scanner each having a substantially horizontal optical axis;
- and
- a display screen oriented in substantially a same direction as the second barcode scanner;
- and
- a processor,
- wherein
- the first and second barcode scanners continuously operate to capture barcodes, while the third camera-based scanner is deactivated,
- responsive to a trigger that is automatically generated in response to a detection of an object near an optical lens of the third camera-based scanner and in the customer location, the third camera-based scanner is selectively activated to capture at least one frame of image provided by a customer,
- the third camera-based scanner includes a video camera, and the display screen displays a window showing traffic passing through the customer location, and
- the processor is configured to execute an object recognition module to recognize objects in the traffic passing through the customer location.
11 more elements
A point-of-sale (POS) station, comprising:
- a base platform having a first side at which a cashier operates in a cashier location and a second side at which a customer operates in a customer location;
- a tri-optic scanner for scanning barcodes, the tri-optic scanner including:
- a first barcode scanner;
- a second barcode scanner facing substantially toward the first side and the cashier location;
- and
- a third selectively-activated camera-based scanner backing to the second barcode scanner and facing toward the second side of the base platform and the customer location, the second barcode scanner and third selectively-activated camera-based scanner each having a substantially horizontal optical axis;
- and
- a display screen oriented in substantially same direction as the second barcode scanner;
- and
- a processor,
- wherein
- the first and second barcode scanners continuously operate to capture barcodes, while the third camera-based scanner is deactivated,
- responsive to a trigger that is automatically generated in response to a detection of an object near an optical lens of the third camera-based scanner and in the customer location, the third camera-based scanner is selectively activated to capture at least one frame of image provided by a customer,
- the third camera-based scanner includes a video camera, and the display screen displays a window showing traffic passing through the customer location, and
- the processor is configured to execute an object recognition module to recognize objects in the traffic passing through the customer location.
12 more elements
A method for checking out merchandise at a point-of-sale (POS) station, wherein the POS station includes a tri-optic scanner that includes first and second barcode scanners, the second barcode scanner configured to face a cashier location;
- a third selectively-activated camera-based scanner backing to the second barcode scanner to face a customer location and in an opposite direction from that of the second barcode scanner, the second barcode scanner and third selectively-activated camera-based scanner each having a substantially horizontal optical axis;
- a processor;
- and a display screen oriented in substantially a same direction as the second barcode scanner, the method comprising:
- responsive to a trigger automatically generated in response to a detection of an object near an optical lens of the third camera-based scanner and in the customer location, a camera in the third camera-based scanner to capture at least one frame of image;
- responsive to receiving the captured at least one frame of image, performing, by the processor, barcode recognition on the captured at least one frame of image;
- and
- recording, by the processor, a recognized barcode in a memory storage,
- wherein the first and second barcode scanners continuously operate to capture barcodes, while the third camera-based scanner is deactivated, the third camera-based scanner being selectively activated in response to the trigger;
- wherein the third camera-based scanner includes a video camera, the method further comprising:
- displaying by the display screen a window showing traffic passing through the customer location;
- and
- executing, by the processor, an object recognition module to recognize objects in the traffic passing through the customer location.
9 more elements
A multi-optic scanner, comprising:
- a first stationary barcode scanner;
- and
- a second stationary barcode scanner configured to face a customer location of a point-of-sale station,
- wherein the first stationary barcode scanner operates continuously, while the second stationary barcode scanner is deactivated, and the second stationary barcode scanner operates selectively in response to a trigger that is automatically generated in response to a detection of an object near an optical lens of the second stationary barcode scanner and in the customer location, and
- the second stationary barcode scanner performs at least one of zooming, tilting or panning of the optical lens in response to activation of a control on a display screen of a point-of-sale station.
2 more elements
A point-of-sale (POS) station, comprising:
- a tri-optic scanner for scanning barcodes, the tri-optic scanner including:
- a first barcode scanner;
- a second barcode scanner configured to face a cashier location;
- and
- a third selectively-activated camera-based scanner situated back-to-back to the second barcode scanner to face a customer location and in an opposite direction than the second barcode scanner, the second barcode scanner and third selectively-activated camera-based scanner each having a substantially horizontal optical axis;
- and
- a display screen oriented in substantially a same direction as the second barcode scanner,
- wherein
- the first and second barcode scanners continuously operate to capture barcodes, while the third camera-based scanner is deactivated,
- responsive to a trigger that is automatically generated in response to a detection of an object near an optical lens of the third camera-based scanner and in the customer location, the third camera-based scanner is selectively activated to capture at least one frame of image provided by a customer, and
- wherein the display screen displays a control that when activated performs at least one of zooming, tilting or panning of the optical lens of the third camera-based scanner.
8 more elements
A point-of-sale station, comprising:
- a scanning system including:
- a first barcode scanner;
- a second barcode scanner;
- and
- a third selectively-activated camera-based scanner situated back-to-back to the second barcode scanner to face a substantially opposite direction than the second barcode scanner;
- and
- a display screen, wherein the display screen displays a control that when activated performs at least one of zooming, tilting or panning of the third camera-based scanner.
4 more elements
A point-of-sale station, comprising:
- a scanning system including:
- a first barcode scanner;
- a second barcode scanner;
- and
- a third selectively-activated camera-based scanner situated back-to-back to the second barcode scanner to face a substantially opposite direction than the second barcode scanner;
- a display screen, wherein the display screen displays a window showing traffic passing through a customer location as captured by the third camera-based scanner;
- and
- a processor to execute an object recognition module to recognize objects in the traffic passing through the customer location.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.