Patent Description:
The present invention relates to the field of scanners for detecting objects behind an opaque surface.

As an example, stud finders have been commonly used in construction and home improvement industries. <FIG> illustrates a cross-sectional view of a conventional scanner used as a stud finder. As shown in <FIG>, a scanner <NUM> may be used in a construction and home improvement environment <NUM>. For example, the scanner <NUM> may be configured to detect an object <NUM> behind an opaque surface <NUM>. In some applications, the object <NUM> may be a stud or a metal pipe. The opaque surface <NUM> may be a wall covered with drywall, particle board, plywood, or other material that prevents visual identification of objects behind the opaque surface <NUM>.

The scanner <NUM> may include a housing to enclose and protect various electronic components. For example, within the housing of the scanner <NUM>, it may include a printed circuit board (PCB) <NUM>, which can be configured to hold the various electronic components, such as capacitive sensor(s) <NUM>, a metal sensor <NUM>, a controller/processor and other integrated circuits (labelled as 106a and 106b). The PCB <NUM> may be coupled to a battery <NUM>, which provides power to the scanner <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, D1 represents a distance between the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> to the object <NUM> to be detected. D2 represents a distance between the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> and the metal sensor <NUM>.

There are a few drawbacks associated with the conventional scanner. First, since the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> are attached to the PCB <NUM> inside the housing, the distance from the object <NUM> (D1), and thus the sensitivity of the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM>, may not be optimal because of the placement of the PCB <NUM>. In addition, the accuracy of the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> can also be reduced by possible displacement of the PCB <NUM>, for example the PCB <NUM> can be displaced from its factory-set location if the scanner has been accidentally dropped. The scanner <NUM> may need to be recalibrated after such accidental drop that caused the PCB <NUM> to be displaced. Another drawback of the conventional scanner is the requirement of a separation such as over four inches between the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> and the metal sensor <NUM> on the PCB. This is because the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM>, formed with copper plates, can create electromagnetic interference with the metal sensors, and thus reduce the accuracy of metal detection by the scanner <NUM>.

Therefore, there is a need for a scanner that can address the above drawbacks of the conventional scanner in detecting objects behind an opaque surface. <CIT> discloses a locating device, in particular a handheld locating device, for detecting objects which are enclosed in a medium, said device having a housing and at least one sensor apparatus, which is arranged in the housing, as well as an opening which penetrates the device. It is proposed that the opening can be illuminated in a pulsating manner using at least one light source which is arranged in the measuring device, the illumination repetition rate being dependent on the type of object detected. <CIT> discloses a sensor device and a method of using the device. The device comprises a layer of electrically conductive material and a layer comprising an electronic connector and/or circuitry, with an insulating barrier provided between the layer of electrically conductive material and the circuitry layer. The insulating barrier may be configured to selectively permit the layer of electrically conductive material to contact the circuitry layer to produce one or more electrical signals in response to pressure or force applied to the sensor device urging the layer of electrically conductive material towards the circuitry layer. The sensor device may further be configured to create a change in one or more electrical signals in response to movement of a conductive object across the surface of the electrically conductive material. <CIT> discloses an obscured feature detectors and methods of detecting obscured features. This prior art document discloses a housing configured to hold a plurality of components; one or more sensors, coupled to the housing, configured to collect sensor data of an object behind an opaque surface, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more capacitive sensors configured to measure a change in capacitance caused by the presence of the object behind the opaque surface, and wherein the one or more capacitive sensors reside outside of the housing; a controller, residing inside the housing, configured to process the sensor data collected by the one or more sensor; and a display configured to convey information about a detected object to a user. <CIT> discloses embodiments that relate to a wall scanner that includes a housing, a plurality of sensors, a display, and a control section. The housing includes a handle portion and a body portion. The handle portion is adapted to receive a removable and rechargeable battery pack such as a high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack. The body portion of the housing encloses the plurality of sensing devices, such as, for example, capacitive plate sensors for sensing the presence of a stud behind a surface, a D-coil sensor for identifying the presence of metal behind the surface, and a non-contact voltage sensor for detecting the presence of live wires carrying AC currents. The display is configured to display, among other things, the location of an object behind the surface in real-time, the depth of an object behind the surface, and whether an object behind the surface is ferrous or non-ferrous. The control section includes a plurality of actuation devices for controlling the functions and operations of the wall scanner, such as the scanning mode.

Aspects of the present disclosure include, an exemplary device for detecting objects behind an opaque surface, comprising a housing configured to hold a plurality of components of the device, one or more sensors, coupled to the housing, configured to collect sensor data of an object behind the opaque surface, a controller, residing inside the housing, configured to process the sensor data collected by the one or more sensors, at least one printed circuit board, residing inside the housing, configured to hold the controller and the plurality of components of the device, and a display configured to convey information about a detected object to a user.

Aspects of the present disclosure include an exemplary method for detecting objects behind an opaque surface by a device, comprising providing a housing configured to hold a plurality of components of the device, wherein the device includes at least one printed circuit board, residing inside the housing, that is configured to hold a controller and the plurality of components of the device, collecting, by one or more sensors coupled to the housing, sensor data of an object behind the opaque surface, processing, by the controller residing inside the housing, sensor data collected by the one or more sensors, and conveying information about the object behind the opaque surface to a user on a display.

The aforementioned features and advantages of the disclosure, as well as additional features and advantages thereof, will be more clearly understandable after reading detailed descriptions of embodiments of the disclosure in conjunction with the non-limiting and non-exhaustive aspects of the following drawings. Like numbers are used throughout the disclosure.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for detecting objects behind an opaque surface. The following descriptions are presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the disclosure. Descriptions of specific embodiments and applications are provided only as examples. Various modifications and combinations of the examples described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples described and shown, but is to be accorded the scope consistent with the appended claims. The word "exemplary" or "example" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration. " Any aspect or embodiment described herein as "exemplary" or as an "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or embodiments.

Some portions of the detailed description that follow are presented in terms of flowcharts, logic blocks, and other symbolic representations of operations on information that can be performed on a computer system. A procedure, computer-executed step, logic block, process, etc., is here conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of one or more steps or instructions leading to a desired result. The steps are those utilizing physical manipulations of physical quantities. These quantities can take the form of electrical, magnetic, or radio signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated in a computer system. These signals may be referred to at times as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like. Each step may be performed by hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof.

<FIG> illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary implementation of a scanner for detecting objects behind an opaque surface according to aspects of the present disclosure. In the example shown in <FIG>, a scanner <NUM> may be used in a construction, home improvement, commercial, artistic, design or any applicable environment <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The scanner <NUM> is configured to detect an object <NUM> behind an opaque surface <NUM>. Object <NUM>, for example, includes, but is not limited to metal and/or wood studs, metal objects, wooden objects, electrical wiring, electrical and/or other conduit, plumbing, and other imbedded or hidden liquids or solids behind an opaque surface <NUM>, such as, for example, the installed drywall, sheetrock, particle board, plywood or wallboard forming a wall surface. In some applications, the object <NUM> may be a stud or a metal pipe.

The scanner <NUM> includes a housing <NUM> to enclose and protect various electronic components. For example, within the housing <NUM> of the scanner <NUM>, one or more printed circuit board(s) (PCB) <NUM> is included, which is configured to hold the various electronic components, such as a sensor that detects change in capacitance <NUM> (hereinafter "capacitive sensor"), a metal sensor <NUM>, a controller/a processor, or, alternatively, a controller may include a processor and other integrated circuits (labelled as 206a and 206b). The PCB <NUM> may be coupled to a battery <NUM>, which provides power to the scanner <NUM>. The capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> are externally coupled to the housing <NUM> or, in other words, placed outside the housing <NUM> of the scanner <NUM>. Alternatively, in an example (not shown and not covered by the claims), the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> may reside inside the housing <NUM> of the scanner <NUM>. Alternatively, in another exemplary embodiment (not shown), capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> reside outside and optionally inside the housing <NUM> of the scanner <NUM>. With the change in placement of capacitive sensor(s) <NUM>, D3 represents a distance between the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> and the object <NUM> to be detected. D2 represents a distance between the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> and the metal sensor <NUM>. One benefit of the exemplary implementation of <FIG> is that the distance between the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> and the object <NUM> to be detected has been shortened, which in tum improves the sensitivity and accuracy of the scanner <NUM> in detecting the object <NUM> behind the opaque surface <NUM>.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, scanner <NUM> may be configured to detect changes in the dielectric constant of a wall. The dielectric constant changes when a sensor, such as capacitive sensor(s) <NUM>, is over an object, for example, a stud. In some implementations, the scanner <NUM> may be configured to detect edges of a stud or other material or objects behind an opaque surface. In this approach, the scanner may first be calibrated over a section with an empty cavity behind the wall, and then it can be moved along the wall surface until it senses a change in capacitance - such as the edge of a stud. The scanner may be moved from both directions to find both edges of the stud. After both edges have been marked, the user may determine the location of the stud's center.

In some other implementations, the scanner <NUM> can be configured to detect the center of an object <NUM>, for example, a stud by using two sensors that register separate readings of the wall's dielectric constant. When the two readings match, it is an indication that the scanner <NUM> is centered on a stud. Several readings may be used to determine the target center. In this approach, the scanner <NUM> may only need to be moved from one direction.

In yet some other implementations, the scanner <NUM>, large in size, can be configured to have multiple sensor plates (not shown), and not need to be moved across the wall to detect a stud, overcoming the effects of bumpy wall texture. The scanner may use an algorithm to analyze the sensor data collected from the multiple sensor plates for an indication of different objects behind an opaque surface. In this approach, the scanner may be configured to sense the presence or absence of different objects, such as certain wooden stud, a nearby stud, or regions without studs, behind a wall surface. A display of the scanner may be configured to indicate or convey varied widths of studs and the location of multiple studs on a single image or any information that would be useful to the user. In using multiple readings to determine the location of studs, this approach may be less vulnerable to construction anomalies (such as uneven paint, wall textures, wallpaper, uneven plaster, etc.) that may disorient other approaches that are based simply on center and edge detection.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the capacitive sensors <NUM> are implemented using conductive rubber sensor(s). A conductive rubber sensor is a rubberized material with conductive properties, determined by the mix of the material, which may reduce or eliminate the electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI) that is often associated with electronics. Some exemplary materials may be used to implement the conductive rubber sensor, such as, for example graphite in either sponge or solid silicone (aka conductive silicone) to act as a conductor to determine the capacitance of the materials behind the opaque surface.

In one exemplary embodiment, conductive rubber material can be provided in a wide range of configurations, thicknesses and widths to meet the various design criteria of a conductive rubber sensor, or the material may be die-cut or by injection molding, or any other method, to meet various configurations of the conductive rubber sensor. In one exemplary approach, the conductive rubber sensor can be made to have a thickness such that it touches the opaque surface during operation. In another approach, the conductive rubber sensor can be made to have a larger sensor area compared to the conventional copper plate sensors placed on a PCB residing inside the housing of the scanner.

<FIG> illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary implementation of a scanner for detecting objects behind an opaque surface according to aspects of the present disclosure. In the exemplary implementation of <FIG>, certain elements of the environment <NUM> are similar to that of environment <NUM> of <FIG>. For example, the object <NUM> and the opaque surface <NUM>, and the battery <NUM> (the description of these elements is not repeated here).

The scanner <NUM> includes a housing to enclose and protect various electronic components. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, within the housing of the scanner <NUM>, at least one printed circuit board (PCB) <NUM> is included, which can be configured to hold the various electronic components, such as a metal sensor <NUM>, a controller and other integrated circuits (labelled as 306a and 306b). The capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> are placed outside and optionally inside of the housing of the scanner <NUM>. In the exemplary embodiment shown in <FIG>, capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> are placed outside of the housing of the scanner <NUM>. With the change in placement of capacitive sensor(s) <NUM>, D3 represents a distance between the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> to the object <NUM> to be detected. D4 represents a distance between the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> and the metal sensor <NUM>.

Compared to the conventional implementation of <FIG>, the implementation of <FIG>, takes advantage of having the capacitive sensor(s) <NUM> being placed on the outside of the housing of the scanner <NUM>, which frees up space on the PCB <NUM>. In addition, by taking advantage of the properties of the conductive rubber sensor(s), which produce negligible interference with the metal sensor <NUM>, the distance between the conductive rubber sensor(s) and the metal sensor <NUM> can be shortened to D4. As a result, the size of the PCB <NUM> and the size of the scanner <NUM> can be reduced, which in turn reduces the material cost of the scanner <NUM>.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, conductive elastomer may be used to implement the described conductive rubber sensor. In one approach, a manufacturing process of injection molding can be used to form a capacitive sensor having a variety of different profiles. In another approach, conductive elastomer can be die-cut to form a capacitive sensor having a variety of different profiles. Common profile configurations of conductive elastomers may include round, square, and rectangular, for example.

In some implementations, the conductive rubber sensor can comprise compounds such as silicone, fluorosilicone, or ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). The use of a specific rubber is based upon the properties unique to each and determined by the intended environment and application. For example, silicone can be used for general weather sealing and high temperatures up to <NUM> degrees Fahrenheit (F). Fluorosilicone can be used for applications where exposure to fuel, gasoline, and alcohols is present. EPDM can be used for applications where exposure to coolants, steam, or phosphate ester is present, or where supertropical bleach (STB) is used. After choosing a specific rubber suited for the intended environment, a conductive filler can be determined. In one exemplary embodiment, some of the conductive fillers used can be, conductive glass, graphite, and other nonmetallic conductive substances. In another embodiment, depending on the application and desired information sought, conductive fillers used can be silver aluminum, silver glass, silver copper, and nickel graphite and other metallic conductive substances.

<FIG> illustrates a bottom view of the scanner of <FIG> according to aspects of the present disclosure. As shown in <FIG>, items in solid lines represent objects in plain view from the bottom of the scanner <NUM>, such as capacitive sensor(s) 308a and 308b, and an alternating current (AC) sensor 310a. Items in dotted lines represent objects inside the housing of the scanner <NUM>, such as the metal sensor <NUM>, the controller and other integrated circuits 306a and 306b, and the battery <NUM>.

In some implementations, conductive ink may be used to implement a capacitive sensor of the present disclosure. Conductive ink may be created by infusing graphite or other conductive materials into ink, and then applying the ink to a printed object, such as a bottom surface of a scanner, to conduct electricity. Conductive ink can be an economical way to lay down a conductive area/traces when compared to traditional approaches such as etching copper from copper plated substrates to form the same conductive area/traces on a surface, as printing can be an additive process producing no waste streams that need to be recovered or treated as opposed to a typical PCB manufacturing process.

<FIG> illustrates another bottom view of an exemplary implementation of a scanner according to aspects of the present disclosure. As shown in <FIG>, certain elements shown in <FIG> are like the similar elements shown in <FIG>, thus the description of these elements is not repeated here. As discussed above, by taking advantage of the placement of the conductive rubber sensor(s) 312a and 312b on the outside of the housing of the scanner <NUM>, the size of these sensors can be increased, shown as the increased sensor size from 308a and 308b in <FIG> to 312a and 312b in <FIG>. This increase in size of the sensors produces improved accuracy in detecting studs or other objects. In addition, by taking advantage of the properties of the conductive rubber sensor(s), which produce negligible interference with the metal sensor <NUM>, the distance between the conductive rubber sensor(s) 312a and 312b as well as the distance from the AC sensor 310b, to the metal sensor <NUM>, can be shortened to D5. As a result, the size and sensitivity of the conductive rubber sensor(s) 312a and 312b can be increased, which in turn improves the accuracy in detecting studs or other objects behind an opaque surface.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, a metal sensor, such as metal sensor <NUM>, may include an oscillator producing an alternating current signal that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field. If a metal object is close to the coil, eddy currents can be induced in the metal, and this produces a magnetic field of its own. If another coil is used to measure the magnetic field (acting as a magnetometer), the change in the magnetic field due to the metallic object can be detected.

<FIG> illustrates a cross-sectional view of yet another exemplary implementation of a scanner for detecting objects behind an opaque surface according to aspects of the present disclosure. In the exemplary implementation of <FIG>, certain elements of the environment <NUM> are similar to those of environment <NUM> of <FIG>; for example, the object <NUM> and the opaque surface <NUM>, and the battery <NUM>, and therefore the description of these elements is not repeated here.

The scanner <NUM> includes a housing to enclose and protect various electronic components. For example, within the housing of the scanner <NUM>, a printed circuit board (PCB) <NUM> is included, which is configured to hold the various electronic components, such as a metal sensor <NUM>, a controller and other integrated circuits (labelled as 406a and 406b). The conductive rubber sensor(s) <NUM> are placed outside of the housing of the scanner <NUM>. With the change in placement of conductive rubber sensor(s) <NUM>, D3 represents a distance between the conductive rubber sensor(s) <NUM> to the object <NUM> to be detected.

In the example of <FIG>, by taking advantage of the properties of the conductive rubber sensor(s) <NUM>, which produces negligible interference to the metal sensor <NUM>, the metal sensor <NUM> can be placed above the conductive rubber sensor(s) <NUM> (from the bottom perspective of the scanner <NUM>), the lateral distance, for example shown as D4 in <FIG>, between the conductive rubber sensor(s) <NUM> and the metal sensor <NUM> along the PCB, can be eliminated. As a result, the size of the PCB <NUM> and the size of the scanner <NUM> can be further reduced as compared to the implementation of <FIG>, which in turn further reduces the material cost of the scanner <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a bottom view of the scanner of <FIG> according to aspects of the present disclosure. As shown in <FIG>, items in solid lines represent objects in plain view from the bottom of the scanner <NUM>, such as conductive rubber sensor(s) 408a and 408b, and an alternating current (AC) sensor <NUM>. Items in dotted lines represent objects inside the housing of the scanner <NUM>, such as the metal sensor <NUM>, the controller and other integrated circuits 406a and 406b, and the battery <NUM>. The AC sensor <NUM> is positioned in between the conductive rubber sensor(s) 408a and 408b, and it is configured to detect electrical wires behind the opaque surface.

By taking advantage of the properties of the conductive rubber sensor(s), which produce negligible interference to the metal sensor <NUM>, the lateral distance, for example shown as D2 in <FIG>, between the AC sensor <NUM> as well as the conductive rubber sensor(s) 408a and 408b, to the metal sensor <NUM> along the PCB can be eliminated. Therefore, the size and sensitivity of the conductive rubber sensor(s) 408a and 408b can be increased, which in turn improves the accuracy in detecting studs or other objects behind an opaque surface. Another advantage of placing the conductive rubber sensor(s) on the outside of the scanner is that even if the scanner is dropped, the locations of the conductive rubber sensor(s) would not be displaced with respect to the housing of the scanner. As a result, a lesser number of calibrations and higher accuracy may be achieved by the scanner.

<FIG> illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary implementation of a scanner for detecting objects behind an opaque surface according to aspects of the present disclosure. In the exemplary block diagram shown in <FIG>, a controller <NUM> is configured to process sensor data collected by sensors of the scanner, namely sensor data collected by capacitive sensors <NUM>, metal sensor <NUM>, and alternating current (AC) sensor <NUM>. The controller is further configured to determine information about the detected object behind the opaque surface based on the sensor data collected by capacitive sensors <NUM>, metal sensor <NUM>, and/or alternating current (AC) sensor <NUM>. A display <NUM> is configured to provide information about the detected object(s) to a user.

<FIG> illustrates an exemplary method of detecting objects behind an opaque surface according to aspects of the present disclosure. In the exemplary method shown in <FIG>, in block <NUM>, the method provides a housing configured to hold a plurality of components of the device, where the device includes at least one printed circuit board, residing inside the housing, that is configured to hold a controller and the plurality of components of the device. In block <NUM>, the method collects, by one or more sensors residing outside of and/or inside the housing, sensor data of an object behind the opaque surface. In block <NUM>, the method processes, by the controller residing inside the housing, the sensor data collected by the one or more sensors. In block <NUM>, the method conveys information about the object behind the opaque surface to a user on a display.

In another exemplary embodiment (not shown), the information received by the processor and/or controller may be transmitted via RF/Bluetooth technology or any other similar technology known to those practicing in the art, to an independent and/or remote receiving device, that may be able to display the information and/or provide it to means accessible to the user.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more sensors, such as, for example, capacitive sensors, may be designed using different materials and forms to meet various design criteria. For example the one or more capacitive sensors can be made of: <NUM>) conductive rubber that includes either sponge or solid silicone with nonmetallic conductive filler material, or, depending on the application, metallic conductive filler material <NUM>) conductive rubber that is made to be in contact with the opaque surface; <NUM>) conductive rubber that is made to cover a majority area of a bottom surface of the scanner; <NUM>) conductive rubber that includes conductive filler imbedded into silicone; <NUM>) waterproof material; or <NUM>) some combinations of <NUM>) through <NUM>) above. In other implementations, the conductive rubber can be made such that a gap is maintained between the conductive rubber and the opaque surface. In another exemplary embodiment, conductive rubber may also be placed inside the housing of the scanner.

In some implementations, the method of <FIG> may further include detecting, by a metal sensor residing inside the housing, a metal object behind the opaque surface, where the metal sensor may be positioned above the one or more capacitive sensors, or may be positioned on a side of the one or more capacitive sensors. The method of <FIG> may further include processing, by the controller, sensor data collected by sensors of the device, determining, by the controller, information about the detected object behind the opaque surface based on the sensor data collected, and providing, via the display, information about the detected object to a user.

It will be appreciated that the above descriptions for clarity have described embodiments of the invention with reference to different functional units and controllers. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units or processors or controllers may be used without detracting from the invention. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processor(s) or controller(s) may be performed by the same processor(s) and/or controller(s) included with the unit. In another exemplary embodiment, functionality illustrated to be performed by the processor and/or controller or the display may be performed by an independent and/or remote receiving device, that may be able to display the information and/or provide a means accessible to the user.

Hence, references to specific functional units are to be seen as references to suitable means for providing the described functionality rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

The invention can be implemented in any suitable form, including hardware, software, firmware, or any combination of these. The invention may optionally be implemented partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors. The elements and components of an embodiment of the invention may be physically, functionally, and logically implemented in any suitable way. Indeed, the functionality may be implemented in a single unit, in a plurality of units, or as part of other functional units. As such, the invention may be implemented in a single unit or may be physically and functionally distributed between different units and processors and/or controllers.

Claim 1:
A scanner for detecting objects (<NUM>) behind an opaque surface (<NUM>), comprising:
a housing (<NUM>) configured to hold a plurality of components of the scanner;
one or more sensors, coupled to the housing (<NUM>), configured to collect sensor data of an object (<NUM>) behind the opaque surface (<NUM>), wherein the one or more sensors include one or more capacitive sensors (<NUM>; <NUM>, 308a, 308b, 312a, 312b; <NUM>, 408a, 408b; <NUM>) configured to measure a change in capacitance (<NUM>) caused by the presence of the object (<NUM>) behind the opaque surface (<NUM>), wherein the one or more capacitive sensors (<NUM>; <NUM>, 308a, 308b, 312a, 312b; <NUM>, 408a, 408b; <NUM>) are made of conductive rubber, and wherein the one or more capacitive sensors (<NUM>; <NUM>, 308a, 308b, 312a, 312b; <NUM>, 408a, 408b; <NUM>) reside outside of the housing (<NUM>);
a controller (<NUM>), residing inside the housing (<NUM>), configured to process the sensor data collected by the one or more sensors;
an at least one printed circuit board (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>), residing inside the housing (<NUM>), configured to hold the controller (<NUM>) and the plurality of components of the scanner; and
a display (<NUM>) configured to convey information about a detected object (<NUM>) to a user.