Patent · US Expired

Method and system for automatically identifying packages during package sortation operations manually carried out by a human operator

US6328215A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
43References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 6, 2000
Grant dateDec 11, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 6, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K2207/1018
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of and system for automatically identifying packages during manual package sortation operations, wherein, a laser scanning system is supported above a workspace environment of 3-D spatial extent, which is occupied by a human operator involved in the manual sortation of packages bearing bar code symbols. In the illustrative embodiment, the laser scanning system includes a housing having a light transmission aperture, and a laser scanning pattern generator disposed within the housing. During operation of the system, the laser scanning pattern generator employs a holographic scanning disc to project through the light transmission aperture, an omnidirectional laser scanning pattern which is substantially confined within the spatial extent of a predefined 3-D scanning volume that spatially encompasses a substantial portion of the workspace environment occupied by the human operator, through which packages are transported during sorting operations. As each package bearing a bar code symbol is transported through the workspace environment occupied by the human operator the package is automatically identified by the laser scanning system supported above the workspace environment. …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.