Patent ID: 7395970

Claim:
An optical scanning system in a retail environment for purchasing items, comprising: a checkout stand having a surface across which the items to be purchased are passed; a scanning station including a light source for projecting an incident beam of light generally perpendicular to the surface onto optical-code symbology on an item to be purchased, an optical assembly having an optical lens for focusing light reflected from the symbology, and a two-dimensional imager for sensing and capturing the focused light over a field of view to obtain an image of the symbology during a scanning mode of operation, the beam of light, when incident on the surface, producing an illumination spot sized and shaped to cover an area generally coincident with the field of view of the imager such that an image of substantially everything illuminated by the spot will be captured and imaged, the scanning station being further operative for displaying indicia on the surface to prompt a user where to place a payment card during a payment mode of operation, the illumination spot having a well-defined outer boundary in which the user places the item during the scanning mode, and the payment card during the payment mode; and a receiving station in data communication with the scanning station and associated with the checkout stand, the receiving station including a microprocessor and a memory.