Zero-footprint camera-based point-of-sale bar code presentation scanning system

Abstract

A bar code scanning system and method for reading and processing bar code symbology uses a scanning station installed above the check-out stand and a receiving station at some distance away from the scanning station. The scanning station projects light onto a surface of the check-out stand. The projected light can have a well defined border indicating where a user should place items to be scanned. Alternatively, a pattern coincident with the projected light can be projected onto the surface and which includes a target indicating where items should be placed for scanning. Light reflected by items in the target region is processed to decode optical symbology on the item and produce a signal that is representative of said sensed symbology. Information about the scanned item can be processed and displayed by the receiving station for use in, e.g., a point-of-sale transaction. The system can also be configured to capture images of a user's payment card for use in payment processing and to store images of at least selected scanned items for use in subsequent processes.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A optical scanning system having a scanning station and a receiving station, wherein said scanning station comprises: 
 a light source for projecting at least one incident beam of light onto optical-code symbology on an item to be scanned;    an optical assembly having at least one optical lens for focusing light reflected from said symbology; and    an imager for sensing and capturing said focused light to obtain said sensed symbology;    wherein the beam of light, when incident on a surface over which the item to be scanned are passed, produces an illumination spot with a well-defined boundary, the boundary indicating to a user where the item to be scanned should be placed.    the receiving station comprises a microprocessor and a computer memory;    the scanning stating being in data communication with the receiving station.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a decoder for converting said sensed symbology into a signal that is representative of said sensed symbology.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the decoder is in the scanning station and the scanning station is configured to send said signal from said scanning station to said receiving station.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the scanning station further comprises a wireless transmitter and the receiving station comprises a wireless receiver.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein said receiving station further comprises a display screen for displaying information related to said received signal.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said receiving station further comprises an input device and a receipt printer for processing transactions associated with said received signal.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said receiving station further comprises a cash register.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the scanner is configured to capture an image of a payment card placed within the beam of light.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an image database, the system configured to capture an image of the item during a scanning process and place the image in the image database.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the system is configured to capture images of a plurality of items during the scanning process and place at least some of the captured images in the image database.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a checkout stand having a surface, the scanning station being positioned relative to the surface such that the beam of light is incident on and generally perpendicular to the surface;    the receiving station being associated with the checkout stand.    
     
     
         12 . An optical scanning system having a scanning station comprising: 
 a first light source projecting at least one beam of light onto a surface over which items to be scanned are passed so as to illuminate coded symbology on said items;    an optical assembly having at least one optical lens for focusing light reflected from said symbology;    an imager for sensing and capturing said focused light to obtain said sensed symbology; and    a second light source configured to project at least a first pattern onto said surface, the first pattern comprising a target indicating to a user where an item to be scanned should be placed.    
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first pattern further comprises instructional indicia related to the scanning of an item.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the second light source is configured to project a plurality of patterns onto said surface.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the system is for use in a retail environment and has an item scanning phase and a second operating phase; 
 the system configured to display the first pattern during the item scanning phase and a second pattern during the second operating phase.    
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the scanner is configured to capture an image of a payment card placed within the beam of light; 
 the second operating phase is a payment phase;    the second pattern comprising indicia related to the placement of a payment card in the beam of light.    
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the second pattern comprises a target indicating to a user where a payment card should be placed.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a decoder for converting said sensed symbology into a signal that is representative of said sensed symbology.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the scanning station is in communication with a receiving station and is configured to send the signal to the receiving station; 
 the receiving station comprising a microprocessor for processing said signal and a computer memory for storing received signal.    
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said receiving station further comprises an input device and a display screen for displaying information related to said signal.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the receiving station further comprises a printer and a cash register.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the scanning station further comprises a wireless transmitter and the receiving station comprises a wireless receiver.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the scanning station is ceiling mounted over the surface over which items to be scanned are passed.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said imager of said scanning station is one of a CCD-based detector and a CMOS-based camera.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said first light source comprises at least one of a laser diode, an incandescent lamp, and a light emitting diode.  
     
     
         26 . A bar code scanning system for use in scanning bar coded symbology on items for purchase in a retail environment comprising a scanning station, and a checkout stand comprising a surface over which items to be scanned are passed by a operator and a receiving station in communication with the scanning station, the scanning station being mounted above the surface; 
 the scanning station comprising:    a first light source projecting at least one beam of light onto the surface so as to illuminate coded symbology on items passed through the light beam;    an optical assembly having at least one optical lens for focusing light reflected from said symbology;    an imager for sensing and capturing said focused light to obtain said sensed symbology;    a decoder for converting said sensed symbology into a signal that is representative of said sensed symbology, the scanning station configured to send the symbol to the receiving station; and    a second light source configured to project at least a first pattern onto the surface, the first pattern comprising a target indicating to a user where on the surface an item to be scanned should be placed;    the receiving station comprising: 
 a microprocessor for processing the signal;  
 a computer memory for storing the signal;  
 a display screen for displaying information related to said signal; and  
 an input device.  
   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the information related to said signal comprises a price of the item.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the scanning station further comprises a wireless transmitter and the receiving station comprises a wireless receiver.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the first pattern further comprises instructional indicia related to the scanning of an item.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the second light source is configured to project a plurality of patterns onto said surface.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the system has an item scanning phase and a second operating phase; 
 the scanning system configured to display the first pattern in when the system is in an item scanning phase and a second pattern when the system is in the second operating phase.    
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the scanner is configured to capture an image of a payment card placed within the beam of light; 
 the second operating phase is a payment phase;    the second pattern comprising indicia related to the placement of a payment card in the beam of light.    
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the second pattern comprises a target indicating to a user where a payment card should be placed.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said scanning station is mounted one of on or at least partially within a ceiling above the surface.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the imager of said scanning station is one of a CCD-based and detector and CMOS-based camera.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said first light source comprises at least one of a laser diode, an incandescent lamp, and a light emitting diode.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said second light source comprises a laser and a diffractive optical element  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the beam of light emitted by the first light source produces a light spot having a generally uniform intensity across an area of the surface indicated by the target.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the first light source emits substantially non-visible light.  
     
     
         40 . In scanning system having a scanning station and a receiving station, a method of reading and processing optical symbology comprising the steps of: 
 providing a first light source projecting at least one incident beam of light a portion of a surface over which items to be scanned can be passed, the light source forming an illumination spot on the surface, the spot having a well-defined boundary indicating to a user where the item to be scanned should be placed;    focusing light reflected from symbology on an item placed by the user within the spot with at least one optical lens of said scanning station;    sensing and capturing said focused light with an imager of said scanning station to obtain sensed symbology;    converting said sensed symbology into a signal that is representative of said sensed symbology;    transmitting said signal from said scanning station to said receiving station;    capturing said transmitted signal with a wireless receiver of said receiving station; and    displaying information related to the captured signal on a display associated with the receiving station.    
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein said step of converting said sensed symbology into said signal that is representative of said sensed symbology is performed by a decoder at said scanning station.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising a step of processing said received signal on said receiving station using a microprocessor and a computer memory for storing said received signal.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the displayed information comprises a price associated with the scanned item.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising a step of processing transactions associated with said received signal using an input device, a cash register and a receipt printer associated with the receiving station.  
     
     
         45 . In scanning system having a scanning station and a receiving station, a method of reading and processing optical symbology comprising the steps of: 
 illuminating a portion of a surface over which items to be scanned;    projecting at least a first pattern onto the surface comprising a target indicating to a user an area on the surface where an item to be scanned should be placed, the target being at least partially coincident with the illuminated portion of the surface;    focusing light reflected from symbology on an item placed by the user within the target area onto an imager associated with the scanning station;    sensing and capturing the light focused on the imager to obtain sensed symbology;    converting the sensed symbology into a signal that is representative of said sensed symbology;    transmitting said signal from said scanning station to said receiving station;    capturing said transmitted signal with a wireless receiver of said receiving station; and    displaying information related to the captured signal on a display associated with the receiving station.    
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the step of converting said sensed symbology into the signal representative of said sensed symbology is performed by a decoder at the scanning station.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the displayed information comprises a price associated with the scanned item.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising a step of processing transactions associated with said received signal using an input device, a cash register and a receipt printer associated with the receiving station.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the first pattern further comprises instructional indicia related to the scanning of an item.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising the step of projecting a second pattern onto said surface.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the first pattern is projected during an item scanning phase and the second pattern is projected during a second operating phase.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 5   1 , further comprising the step of capturing an image of a payment card placed within the illuminated portion of the surface; 
 wherein the second operating phase is a payment phase and the second pattern comprises indicia related to the placement of a payment card in the beam of light.    
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the second pattern comprises a target indicating to a user where a payment card should be placed.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the second pattern comprises a product advertisement.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the second pattern comprises a logo.