1. Field of Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to improvements in reading bar code symbols in point-of-sale (POS) environments in ways which increase flexibility and POS throughput.
2. Brief Description of the State of Knowledge in the Art
In modern self-service POS-stations, customers often checkout their own product purchases without the assistance of a cashier. In such application environments, bi-optical and flat-bed type laser scanning systems are often deployed to facilitate the scanning of bar code symbols on both small and large products being purchased at the POS checkout station.
Typically, self-checkout systems employ flat-bed type laser scanning systems, or more robust “bi-optical” laser scanning systems. Flat-bed laser scanning systems employ a single set of optics disposed behind a single scanning window. Bi-optical laser scanning systems employ two sets of optics disposed behind the bottom and side-scanning windows thereof. Examples of polygon-based bi-optical laser scanning systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,229,588; 4,652,732 and 6,814,292; each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Commercial examples of bi-optical laser scanners include: the PSC 8500—6-sided laser based scanning by PSC Inc.; PSC 8100/8200, 5-sided laser based scanning by PSC Inc.; the NCR 7876—6-sided laser based scanning by NCR; the NCR7872, 5-sided laser based scanning by NCR; and the MS232x Stratos®H, and MS2122 Stratos® E Stratos 6 sided laser based scanning systems by Metrologic Instruments, Inc., and the MS2200 Stratos®S 5-sided laser based scanning system by Metrologic Instruments, Inc.
While conventional flat-bed and bi-optical laser scanning systems allow the omni-directional reading of bar code symbols transported past the scanning windows of such POS-based checkout systems, the scanning coverage allowed by such conventional systems is currently much smaller than would be otherwise desired to increase the speed and throughput of conventional self-checkout systems.
Thus, despite the many improvements in the laser scanning bar code symbol readers over the years, there is still a great need in the art for an improved laser scanning bar code symbol reading system, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art systems and methodologies.