Patent ID: 6739513
Filing Date: 2004-05-25
Classification: B07C,G06K

Abstract:
In a system where cardboard boxes are moved in a predetermined largely horizontal first direction along a defined box path and the boxes contain barcodes that move along a barcode path that is parallel to said box path and the barcodes have vertically elongated bars and spaces, where the boxes are to be detected and the barcodes are to be read, where the system includes a barcode reader that reads a detected barcode, a largely horizontally scanning laser beam source that directs a scanning laser beam at the barcode path, and a laser reflection sensor that detects reflections of the laser beam by producing sensor signals whose magnitude is largely proportionate to the intensity of detected light, where said sensor signals are delivered to said barcode reader, the improvement of apparatus for detecting each container, comprising:a cardboard box detecting circuit having an input connected to said laser reflection sensor to receive said sensor signals; said box detecting circuit is constructed to generate a â€œbox-detectedâ€  signal indicating detection of a box when the magnitude of the output from said laser reflection sensor increases from a lower level representing no box to above a predetermined level which represents reflections from a box, with said container detecting circuit having a circuit part that ignores an increase in reflectance from a barcode space element or other highly reflective surface that follows a brief decrease from an adjacent barcode bar element or other similarly thin low reflective marking on the box.