Patent ID: 6814292
Filing Date: 2004-11-09
Classification: G02B,G06K,G07G

Abstract:
A bioptical laser scanning system providing 360Â° of omnidirectional bar code symbol scanning coverage at a point of sale (POS) station, said bioptical laser scanning system comprising:a horizontal section integrally connected to a vertical section; a horizontal-scanning window formed in said horizontal section; a vertical-scanning window formed in said vertical section, and being substantially orthogonal to said bottom-scanning window; a first plurality of laser beam folding mirrors disposed within said horizontal section; a second plurality of laser beam folding mirrors disposed within said vertical section; a first laser beam production module for producing a first laser beam, and a second laser beam production module for producing a second laser beam; a first polygonal scanning element disposed within said horizontal section and having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a first axis of rotation, for scanning said first laser beam and producing a first laser scanning beam that reflects off said first plurality of laser beam folding mirrors to generate and project a first plurality of laser scanning planes through said horizontal-scanning window; and a second polygonal scanning element disposed within said vertical section and having multiple reflective surfaces rotating about a second axis of rotation, for scanning said second laser beam and producing a second laser scanning beam that reflects off said second plurality of laser beam folding mirrors to generate and project a second plurality of laser scanning planes through said vertical-scanning window, whereby said first and second pluralities of laser scanning planes (i) intersect within predetermined scan regions contained within a 3-D scanning volume defined between said horizontal-scanning and vertical-scanning windows, and (ii) generate a plurality of groups of intersecting laser scanning planes within said 3-D scanning volume, and wherein said plurality of groups of intersecting laser scanning planes form a complex omni-directional 3-D laser scanning pattern within said 3-D scanning volume capable of scanning a bar code symbol located on the surface of an object presented within said 3-D scanning volume at any orientation and from any direction at said POS station so as to provide 360Â° of omnidirectional bar code symbol scanning coverage at said POS station.