US4064390A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for reading coded labels
Assignee: Newport Corp USA
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Filing: 1976-12-23
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Granted: 1977-12-20
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Expires: 1996-12-23
Abstract
Abstract Method and apparatus for reading machine readable coded labels on merchandise at a check-out station. A window is associated with the check-out station, together with means for supporting merchandise for movement past the window. A laser source having an output beam focused at a plane slightly beyond the window produces multiple vertical beams V 1 , V 2 , V 3 having predetermined angular divergence and a horizontal beam H. Scanning optics, including a mirror wheel having a plurality of mirrors thereon, provides a raster location and a sub-raster location. Relay optics accept and inject the horizontal beam into the raster location movement of the wheel causing the horizontal movement of the H scan line at the window. The vertical beams impinge upon the sub-raster location from which the relay optics accept and inject the beams V 1 , V 2 , V 3 over to the raster location. The relay optics serve to transform the motion of the wheel at the sub-raster location into a vector cancelling the horizontal scanning component at the raster location while adding a resultant of the sub-raster scan into a point image with a purely angular scan component at the raster location. Gating means is provided for permitting only one of the beams V 1 , V 2 , V 3 , or H to pass through the system at a time. Retrodirective viewing means receives reflective light from the area of impingement of the beam on the label, the reflected light being converted into electric signals indicative of the strength of reflection.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred P. Hildebrand
- 👤 Howard E. Morrow
- 👤 Henry W. Jones
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 04:34
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/10544; G06K7/10821; G06K7/10861; G06K7/10871
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of reading coded labels on merchandise passing a window defining a short vertical dimension in the direction of movement of said merchandise and a longer horizontal dimension across the direction of movement thereof, creating a laser beam moving said beam sequentially in a pattern consisting of a plurality of substantially vertical scans interspersed with substantially horizontal scan, said horizontal scan being stable with respect to said window, said vertical scans being moved across said window by predetermined increments until said window area has been covered by said scans, retrodirectively scanning the horizontal path of travel of said beam to receive reflection variations from said label, developing an electrical signal indicative of said reflection variations.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of reading coded labels on merchandise passing a window defining a short vertical dimension in the direction of movement of said merchandise and a longer horizontal dimension across the direction of movement thereof, creating a laser beam moving said beam sequentially in a pattern consisting of a plurality of substantially vertical scans interspersed with substantially horizontal scan, said horizontal scan being stable with respect to said window, said vertical scans being moved across said window by predetermined increments until said window area has been covered by said scans, retrodirectively scanning the horizontal path of travel of said beam to receive reflection variations from said label, developing an electrical signal indicative of said reflection variations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
Method as in claim 1 in which said scanning is arranged in cycles consisting of sub-cycles, each comprising one horizontal scan and multiple vertical scans, said vertical scans beginning at one location of said window followed by at least one intermediate vertical scan starting across an intermediate location of said window, each subcycle of vertical scans being progressively shifted by a predetermined amount so that upon completion of sub-cycles said window has been substantially uniformly, vertically scanned.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
Method as in claim 1 in which said vertical scan and said horizontal scan are made at the same speed in a plane immediately above said window and in a plane located vertically above said window at the edge where said merchandise first crosses.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
293 words
Apparatus for reading machine readable coded labels on merchandise at a check-out station comprising window means associated with said check-out station, means for supporting said merchandise for movement past said window means, a laser source having an output beam, means for focusing said beam at a plane slightly beyond said window, means for splitting said beam into multiple vertical beams V 1 , V 2 , V 3 having a predetermined angular divergence and a horizontal beam H, scanning optics including a mirror wheel having a plurality of mirrors thereon, a raster location, a sub-raster location, relay optics including means for having an input for accepting and for injecting said horizontal beam onto said raster location, movement of said wheel causing said horizontal beam to scan a horizontal angle translatable into a horizontal movement of said H scan line, means for delivering said vertical beams to said sub-raster location, said relay optics means having another input for accepting and for injecting said vertical beams V 1 , V 2 , and V 3 into said raster location, said relay optics means serving to transform motion of said wheel at said sub-raster location into a vector cancelling the horizontal scanning vector component at said raster location while adding a resultant vertical component thereto, and further serving to convert the resultant of the sub-raster scan into a point image with a purely angular scan component at the raster location, gating means for permitting only one of said beams V 1 , V 2 , V 3 , H to pass through the system, and retrodirective viewing means for receiving reflected light from the area of impingement of said beam on a label, means for converting reflected light into electric signals indicative of the strength thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
293 words
Apparatus for reading machine readable coded labels on merchandise at a check-out station comprising window means associated with said check-out station, means for supporting said merchandise for movement past said window means, a laser source having an output beam, means for focusing said beam at a plane slightly beyond said window, means for splitting said beam into multiple vertical beams V 1 , V 2 , V 3 having a predetermined angular divergence and a horizontal beam H, scanning optics including a mirror wheel having a plurality of mirrors thereon, a raster location, a sub-raster location, relay optics including means for having an input for accepting and for injecting said horizontal beam onto said raster location, movement of said wheel causing said horizontal beam to scan a horizontal angle translatable into a horizontal movement of said H scan line, means for delivering said vertical beams to said sub-raster location, said relay optics means having another input for accepting and for injecting said vertical beams V 1 , V 2 , and V 3 into said raster location, said relay optics means serving to transform motion of said wheel at said sub-raster location into a vector cancelling the horizontal scanning vector component at said raster location while adding a resultant vertical component thereto, and further serving to convert the resultant of the sub-raster scan into a point image with a purely angular scan component at the raster location, gating means for permitting only one of said beams V 1 , V 2 , V 3 , H to pass through the system, and retrodirective viewing means for receiving reflected light from the area of impingement of said beam on a label, means for converting reflected light into electric signals indicative of the strength thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus as in claim 4 in which each element of said mirror wheel has a predetermined tilt angle with respect to a radius vector passing through the axis of rotation of said wheel, each combination of raster and sub-raster tilt vectors for vertical scans being arranged to shift successive vertical scans across said window by a predetermined increment.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
126 words
In apparatus for reading machine readable coded labels on merchandise at a check-out station including window means associated with said check-out station, means for supporting said merchandise for movement past said window means, a laser source having an output beam, scanning optics including means for moving said beam to generate a scan pattern of multiple vertical scans oriented in the direction of movement of said merchandise, said vertical scans being progressively shifted across to said window, and means for moving said beam to generate a horizontal scan for crossing said vertical scans at predetermined intervals, retrodirective viewing means for receiving reflected light from the area of impingement of said beam on said label, means for converting reflected light into electric signals indicative of the strength thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
126 words
In apparatus for reading machine readable coded labels on merchandise at a check-out station including window means associated with said check-out station, means for supporting said merchandise for movement past said window means, a laser source having an output beam, scanning optics including means for moving said beam to generate a scan pattern of multiple vertical scans oriented in the direction of movement of said merchandise, said vertical scans being progressively shifted across to said window, and means for moving said beam to generate a horizontal scan for crossing said vertical scans at predetermined intervals, retrodirective viewing means for receiving reflected light from the area of impingement of said beam on said label, means for converting reflected light into electric signals indicative of the strength thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
96 words
Apparatus as in claim 6 in which said window area has an approximate height-to-width ratio of 1:3 and further in which said vertical and horizontal scans are arranged in a cycle in which the vertical scan is divided into a first set of three scans, approximately evenly arranged across said window and followed by a second set approximately evenly arranged across said window followed by a single horizontal scan, each element of the vertical scan being shifted slightly such that when the complete scan is made, vertical scan lines appear approximately uniformly distributed across said window.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as in claim 6 in which said vertical scans are grouped in sub-cycles sets, each successive subcycle set being shifted a predetermined distance from the preceding and away from that location where said preceding set began.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus as in claim 6 in which said vertical and horizontal scans are arranged to form a complete scan cycle having sub-cycles thereof, each sub-cycle having vertical elements progressively shifted further away from the location of preceding scan lines by predetermined increments, said vertical scan lines being sufficient throughout one cycle to become uniformly distributed across said window.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as in claim 9 in which each subcycle is characterized by three groups of vertical scans so distributed in space with respect to said window as to tend to uniformly trace said window in space and time during each cycle.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as in claim 6 in which said vertical scan means, horizontal scan means, and said retrodirective receiving means each include a plurality of stationary members and further in which a single moving member is common to each of said means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as in claim 11 in which said moving member comprises a rotating wheel having a plurality of mirror elements disposed about the same and serving as scanning optics thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
71 words
Apparatus as in claim 12 in which said wheel consists of a surface of revolution, means for rotating said wheel about the axis of said surface of revolution, means forming a plurality of flat mirrors disposed on said surface, and oriented in predetermined tilt directions with respect to said axis of revolution, said tilt directions serving to cause the successive vertical scans to progressively shift a predetermined amount at said window.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as in claim 6 further including optical gating means for selectively passing one of said vertical or horizontal scans.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as in claim 6 in which said viewing optics include a large aperture, retro-viewing optical system arranged for accepting reflected light from labels passing said window, said reflected light being reflected back through said scanning optics.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus as in claim 6 in which said scanning optics consist of a surface of revolution in the form of a frusto-conical cone, said cone being formed with flats thereon, said flats having predetermined tilt angles with respect to a radius through the axis of said surface of revolution, a plurality of flat mirrors located on said flats, said mirrors consisting of horizontal scan mirrors having predetermined tilt angle and vertical scan mirrors having a predetermined tilt angle to the normal of said surface of revolution.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus as in claim 16 in which said vertical scan means comprises a mirror pair consisting of a raster mirror normally producing a horizontal scan and a sub-raster mirror, the combination having tilt angles which cause successive vertical scans to be shifted across said window by increments determined by the combination of tilt angles of said raster and sub-raster mirrors.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as in claim 6 in which said raster scan retro-directively stabilizes the reflected beam with respect to horizontal scan to thereby reduce the necessary size of the photomultiplier in one dimension.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
105 words
A method of reading coded labels on merchandise passing a window defining a short vertical dimension in the direction of movement of said merchandise and a longer horizontal dimension across the direction of movement thereof, creating a laser beam, moving said beam sequentially in a pattern consisting of a plurality of substantially vertical scans interspersed with substantially horizontal scans, said vertical scans being moved across said window by predetermined increments until said window area has been covered by said scans, retrodirectively scanning the path of travel of said beam to receive reflection variations from said label, developing an electrical signal indicative of said reflection variations.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
105 words
A method of reading coded labels on merchandise passing a window defining a short vertical dimension in the direction of movement of said merchandise and a longer horizontal dimension across the direction of movement thereof, creating a laser beam, moving said beam sequentially in a pattern consisting of a plurality of substantially vertical scans interspersed with substantially horizontal scans, said vertical scans being moved across said window by predetermined increments until said window area has been covered by said scans, retrodirectively scanning the path of travel of said beam to receive reflection variations from said label, developing an electrical signal indicative of said reflection variations.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
272 words
Apparatus for reading machine readable coded labels on merchandise at a check-out station, means for supporting said merchandise for movement past said window means, a laser source having an output beam, means for focusing said beam at a plane slightly beyond said window, means for splitting said beam into multiple vertical beams V 1 , V 2 , . . . V n having a predetermined angular divergence and at least one horizontal beam H, scanning optics including a mirror wheel having a plurality of mirrors thereon, a raster location, movement of said wheel causing said horizontal beam to scan a horizontal angle translatable into a horizontal movement of said H scan line, means for delivering said vertical beams to said sub-raster location, said relay optics means having another input for accepting and for injecting said vertical beams V 1 , V 2 , . . . V n into said raster location, said relay optics means serving to transform motion of said wheel at said sub-raster location into a vector cancelling the horizontal scanning vector component at said raster location while adding a resultant vertical component thereto, and further serving to convert the resultant of the sub-raster scan into a point image with a purely angular scan component at the raster location, gating means for permitting only one of said beams V 1 , V 2 , . . . V n , H to pass through the system, and retrodirective viewing means for receiving reflected light from the area of impingement of said beam on a label, means for converting reflected light into electric signals indicative of the strength thereof.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
272 words
Apparatus for reading machine readable coded labels on merchandise at a check-out station, means for supporting said merchandise for movement past said window means, a laser source having an output beam, means for focusing said beam at a plane slightly beyond said window, means for splitting said beam into multiple vertical beams V 1 , V 2 , . . . V n having a predetermined angular divergence and at least one horizontal beam H, scanning optics including a mirror wheel having a plurality of mirrors thereon, a raster location, movement of said wheel causing said horizontal beam to scan a horizontal angle translatable into a horizontal movement of said H scan line, means for delivering said vertical beams to said sub-raster location, said relay optics means having another input for accepting and for injecting said vertical beams V 1 , V 2 , . . . V n into said raster location, said relay optics means serving to transform motion of said wheel at said sub-raster location into a vector cancelling the horizontal scanning vector component at said raster location while adding a resultant vertical component thereto, and further serving to convert the resultant of the sub-raster scan into a point image with a purely angular scan component at the raster location, gating means for permitting only one of said beams V 1 , V 2 , . . . V n , H to pass through the system, and retrodirective viewing means for receiving reflected light from the area of impingement of said beam on a label, means for converting reflected light into electric signals indicative of the strength thereof.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
158 words
Apparatus for reading machine readable coded labels on merchandise at a check-out station comprising means forming an elongate window opening positioned transversely of the path of travel of said merchandise with its major length perpendicular to said path, means for introducing a pencil beam of electromagnetic radiation along a movable path passing through said window and intersecting the region through which said merchandise will travel, means for moving said beam along a scan pattern intersecting said region said scan pattern comprising a plurality of short strokes dispersed over said window and generally aligned with the minor axis thereof and a plurality of horizontal strokes aligned along the major axis thereof, means for causing said vertical strokes to be progressively shifted by predetermined increments so as to evenly cover said window and for causing said horizontal strokes to be interspersed repetitively among said vertical strokes, means for retrodirectionally detecting the refelctivity of said beam as reflected from said merchandise.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
158 words
Apparatus for reading machine readable coded labels on merchandise at a check-out station comprising means forming an elongate window opening positioned transversely of the path of travel of said merchandise with its major length perpendicular to said path, means for introducing a pencil beam of electromagnetic radiation along a movable path passing through said window and intersecting the region through which said merchandise will travel, means for moving said beam along a scan pattern intersecting said region said scan pattern comprising a plurality of short strokes dispersed over said window and generally aligned with the minor axis thereof and a plurality of horizontal strokes aligned along the major axis thereof, means for causing said vertical strokes to be progressively shifted by predetermined increments so as to evenly cover said window and for causing said horizontal strokes to be interspersed repetitively among said vertical strokes, means for retrodirectionally detecting the refelctivity of said beam as reflected from said merchandise.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
171 words
A method for reading machine readable coded labels on merchandise at a check-out station including an elongate window opening positioned transversely of the path of travel of merchandise at said station and having a major and minor axis associated therewith, said major axis being aligned transversely of the path of travel of said merchandise with respect to said path the steps of introducing a pencil beam of electromagnetic radiation along a movable path passing through said window and intersecting the region through which said merchandise will travel, moving said beam along a scan pattern intersecting said region said scan pattern including a plurality of short strokes dispersed over said window and generally aligned with the minor axis thereof and a plurality of horizontal strokes aligned along the major axis thereof, causing said vertical strokes to be progressively shifted by predetermined increments so as to progressively cover said window, causing said horizontal strokes to be interspersed repetitively among said vertical strokes, retrodirectionally detecting the reflectivity of said beam reflected from said merchandise.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
171 words
A method for reading machine readable coded labels on merchandise at a check-out station including an elongate window opening positioned transversely of the path of travel of merchandise at said station and having a major and minor axis associated therewith, said major axis being aligned transversely of the path of travel of said merchandise with respect to said path the steps of introducing a pencil beam of electromagnetic radiation along a movable path passing through said window and intersecting the region through which said merchandise will travel, moving said beam along a scan pattern intersecting said region said scan pattern including a plurality of short strokes dispersed over said window and generally aligned with the minor axis thereof and a plurality of horizontal strokes aligned along the major axis thereof, causing said vertical strokes to be progressively shifted by predetermined increments so as to progressively cover said window, causing said horizontal strokes to be interspersed repetitively among said vertical strokes, retrodirectionally detecting the reflectivity of said beam reflected from said merchandise.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-12-19 | 1981-06-20 | 1981-12-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-12-19 | 1985-06-20 | 1985-12-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-12-19 | 1989-06-20 | 1989-12-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |