Symbol reading system

Abstract

A POS-based bar code symbol reading system reads bar code symbols on objects being passed through the 3D imaging or scanning volume supported by the system, and employs one or more object motion sensors (e.g. imaging based, IR Pulse-Doppler LIDAR-based, ultra-sonic energy based, etc.) to (i) measure or estimate the speed of objects being manually passed through the 3D imaging or scanning volume by the system operator, and (ii) visually and/or audibly display object scanning speed measures or estimates to provide the system operator with feedback for optimizing system throughput. The POS-based bar code symbol reading system has a performance advantage that leads to quicker customer checkout times and productivity gain that cannot be matched by the conventional bar code symbol scanning technology.

1 . A code symbol reading system, comprising:
 a coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem for reading code symbols within a volume;   an object motion sensor for measuring the pass-through speed of objects passing through the volume and generating pass-through speed data representative of the measured pass-through speed; and   an output subsystem for transmitting the pass-through speed data generated by the object motion sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object motion sensor comprises an imaging-based object motion sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object motion sensor comprises an IR Pulse-Doppler LIDAR-based object motion sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a database for storing the pass-through speed data generated by the object motion sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the output subsystem transmits the pass-through speed data generated by the object motion sensor to a database system. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem adjusts illumination and imaging parameters based on the pass-through speed data generated by the object motion sensor. 
     
     
         7 . A code symbol reading system, comprising:
 a subsystem for reading code symbols within a volume;   an object motion sensor for measuring the pass-through speed of objects passing through the volume and generating pass-through speed data representative of the measured pass-through speed; and   an output subsystem for transmitting the pass-through speed data generated by the object motion sensor.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the object motion sensor comprises an imaging-based object motion sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the object motion sensor comprises an IR Pulse-Doppler LIDAR-based object motion sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , comprising a database for storing the pass-through speed data generated by the object motion sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the output subsystem transmits the pass-through speed data generated by the object motion sensor to a database system. 
     
     
         12 . A code symbol reading system, comprising:
 a subsystem for reading code symbols within a volume; and   an object motion sensor for measuring the pass-through speed of objects passing through the volume and generating pass-through speed data representative of the measured pass-through speed.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , comprising a database for storing the pass-through speed data generated by the object motion sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , comprising an output subsystem for transmitting the pass-through speed data generated by the object motion sensor to a database system. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the subsystem for reading code symbols adjusts parameters for reading code symbols based on the pass-through speed data generated by the object motion sensor. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the object motion sensor comprises an imaging-based object motion sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the object motion sensor comprises an IR-based object motion sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the subsystem for reading code symbols comprises a coplanar illumination and imaging subsystem. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the subsystem for reading code symbols comprises a laser scanning subsystem. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 12 , comprising a sound generator for generating indications corresponding to the pass-through speed data generated by the object motion sensor.