Fixed retail scanner with extended weigh platter crown, visual indicators, and related methods of operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12014610-B2
Application number	US-202217981344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2022
Priority date	Nov 4, 2022
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

A bi-optic data reader has a horizontal housing portion including a horizontal reading window, a vertical housing portion including a vertical reading window disposed between a left panel area and a right panel area of a body of the vertical housing portion, and a weigh platter having a horizontal weigh surface extending over the horizontal housing portion, and a crown extending over the vertical housing portion including overhanging portions that extend over the left panel area and the right panel area.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A bi-optic data reader, comprising:
a horizontal housing portion including a horizontal reading window;
a vertical housing portion including a vertical reading window disposed between a left panel area and a right panel area of a body of the vertical housing portion; and
a weigh platter having a horizontal weigh surface extending over the horizontal housing portion, and a crown extending over the vertical housing portion including overhanging portions that extend over the left panel area and the right panel area.

2. The bi-optic data reader of claim 1 , wherein the crown includes a crown light window for providing a first visual indicator from a light source.

3. The bi-optic data reader of claim 2 , wherein the crown light window is disposed within at least one of a front portion of the crown or a back portion of the crown.

4. The bi-optic data reader of claim 2 , wherein the crown light window is disposed within at least one overhanging portion of the crown.

5. The bi-optic data reader of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the left panel area and/or the right panel area corresponding to the overhanging portion of the crown includes a front light window for providing a second visual indicator from a light source.

6. The bi-optic data reader of claim 5 , wherein first visual indicator for the crown light window and the second visual indicator for the front light window are generated via a common light source disposed within the vertical housing portion.

7. The bi-optic data reader of claim 6 , further comprising a light pipe disposed within the right panel area or the left panel area aligns with the common light source, and is configured to direct light to two different planes of the bi-optic data reader including the crown light window and the front light window.

8. The bi-optic data reader of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first crown light window disposed within the crown for providing a first visual indicator from a first light source; and
a first front light window disposed within one of the left panel area or the right panel area for providing a second visual indicator from the first light source.

9. The bi-optic data reader of claim 8 , wherein the first crown light area is disposed in a left overhanging portion of the crown, and the first front light window is disposed in the left panel area.

10. The bi-optic data reader of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second crown light window disposed within the right overhanging portion of the crown for providing a third visual indicator from a second light source; and
a second front light window disposed within the right panel area for providing a fourth visual indicator from the second light source.

11. The bi-optic data reader of claim 10 , further comprising a controller configured to control the first and second visual indicators independently of the third and fourth visual indicators.

12. The bi-optic data reader of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the first, second, third, and fourth visual indicators to generate:
a first message indicating entry of an item into a read zone for the bi-optic data reader; and
a second message indicating exit of the item from the read zone for the bi-optic data reader.

13. The bi-optic data reader of claim 12 , wherein the first message is generated by the respective visual indicators located on a side of the bi-optic data reader where the entry of the item is detected, and wherein the second message is generated by the respective visual indicators located on a side of the bi-optic data reader where the exit of the item is detected.

14. A data reading system, comprising:
a bi-optic data reader including:
a horizontal housing portion including a horizontal reading window;
a vertical housing portion including a vertical reading window;
a weigh platter having a horizontal weigh surface extending over the horizontal housing portion, and a crown extending over the vertical housing portion including overhanging portions that extend over a left panel area and a right panel area of the vertical housing portion; and
a controller configured to generate messages via visual indicators provided through light windows disposed in different planes of the vertical housing portion; and

a first remote camera having a field-of-view oriented to view the visual indicators of the bi-optic data reader, and configured to detect the messages and to trigger image or video capture in response thereto.

15. The data reading system of claim 14 , wherein the vertical housing portion includes a left panel area and a right panel area with the vertical reading window positioned therebetween, and wherein the crown of the weigh platter includes overhanging portions that extend over the left panel area and the right panel area.

16. The data reading system of claim 15 , wherein at least some of the light windows are disposed in one of the left panel area or the right panel area including a top light window in a horizontal surface and a front light window in a vertical surface.

17. The data reading system of claim 16 , wherein a corresponding overhanging portion of the crown includes a crown light window at least partially aligned with the top light window.

18. The data reading system of claim 14 , wherein the messages include an item entry message responsive to the bi-optic data reader detecting entry of an item into a read zone, and an item exit message responsive to the bi-optic data reader detecting exit of the item from the read zone.

19. The data reading system of claim 14 , further comprising a second remote camera having a field-of-view oriented to view another area that is different than an area that the first remote camera views, wherein the first remote camera is configured to transmit a trigger signal over a network to the second remote camera for the second remote camera to trigger image or video capture in response thereto.

20. The data reading system of claim 19 , wherein the first remote camera is configured to transmit the trigger signal to the second remote camera responsive to the first remote camera detecting an item exit message from the bi-optic data reader generated via the visual indicators.

Assignees

• Datalogic Usa Inc

Inventors

• Thompson Ryan
• Neel Richard
• Shearin Alan
• Hamidat Mohamed
• Monte Matt
• Kelley Anne

Classifications

• G06K7/1096

  the scanner having more than one scanning window, e.g. two substantially orthogonally placed scanning windows for integration into a check-out counter of a super-market · CPC title

• G06K7/10861

  sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels (postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48) · CPC title

• G06K7/10732 Primary

  Light sources · CPC title

• G06V20/52

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title

• G07G1/0018

  Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means · CPC title