Thomas C Amundsen Deceased411 Whitman Dr, Blenheim, NJ 08012

6360947, Mar 26, 2002

Mar 24, 1998

09/047146

C. Harry Knowles - Morristown NJ
LeRoy Dickson - Morgan Hill CA
Timothy A. Good - Blackwood NJ
Thomas C. Amundsen - Turnersville NJ
Charles Naylor - Sewell NJ
Thomas Carullo - Marlton NJ

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

G06K 810

23546201, 23546243, 23546234, 23546222

A fully automated package identification and measuring system, in which an omni-directional laser scanning system are used to read bar codes on packages entering the tunnel, while a package dimensioning subsystem is used to capture information about the package prior to entry into the tunnel. Mathematical models are created on a real-time basis for the geometry of the package and the position of the laser scanning beam used to read the bar code symbol thereon. The mathematical models are analyzed to determine if collected and queued package identification data is spatially and/or temporally correlated with package measurement data using vector-based ray-tracing methods, homogeneous transformations, and object-oriented decision logic so as to enable simultaneous tracking of multiple packages being transported through the scanning tunnel.

6375074, Apr 23, 2002

Feb 17, 1999

09/251568

LeRoy Dickson - Morgan Hill CA
John Groot - San Jose CA
Carl Harry Knowles - Morristown NJ
Thomas Amundsen - Turnersville NJ

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

G06K 710

23546201, 23547201

A holographic laser scanner for scanning bar code symbols, in which a plurality of scanning planes are projected through a plurality of different focal regions in order to provide, at each such focal region, a plurality of scanlines that are substantially confined within the highly-defined 3-D scanning volume of the holographic laser scanner. This remarkable capability of the system ensures that the scanlines of the holographic scanner extend only where scanning is required (e. g. , within the highly-defined 3-D scanning volume). This avoids scanning regions of space where bar code symbols are known to not be present, or collecting scan data from such âemptyâ regions of space. By virtue of the present invention, the highly-defined 3-D scanning volume of the holographic laser scanner can be easily positioned above a doorway, conveyor belt, loading dock or the like where objects bearing bar code symbols are expected to pass.

6382515, May 7, 2002

Mar 22, 1999

09/274265

Timothy A. Good - Blackwood NJ
Xiaoxun Zhu - Philadelphia PA
David M. Wilz - Sewell NJ
George B. Rockstein - Audobon NJ
Stephen J. Colavito - Broookhaven PA
Robert E. Blake - Woodbury Heights NJ
Ka Man Au - Philadelphia PA
Sankar Ghosh - Philadelphia PA
George Kolis - Pennsawken NJ
Ian A. Scott - Haddonfield NJ
Andrew D. Dehennis - Cheltenham PA
Thomas Amundsen - Turnersville NJ
LeRoy Dickson - Morgan Hill CA
Carl Harry Knowles - Morrestown NJ

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

G06K 710

23547201, 23546201

A fully automated package identification and measuring system, in which an omni-directional holographic scanning tunnel is used to read bar codes on packages entering the tunnel, while a package dimensioning subsystem is used to capture information about the package prior to entry into the tunnel. Mathematical models are created on a real-time basis for the geometry of the package and the position of the laser scanning beam used to read the bar code symbol thereon. The mathematical models are analyzed to determine if collected and queued package identification data is spatially and/or temporally correlated with package measurement data using vector-based ray-tracing methods, homogeneous transformations, and object-oriented decision logic so as to enable simultaneous tracking of multiple packages being transported through the scanning tunnel.

6415980, Jul 9, 2002

Feb 11, 2000

09/503079

LeRoy Dickson - Morgan Hill CA
John Groot - San Jose CA
Carl Harry Knowles - Morristown NJ
Thomas Amundsen - Turnersville NJ

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

G06K 710

23546235, 23547201

A holographic laser scanning system for producing a highly defined 3-D scanning volume for omni-directional laser scanning of bar code symbols therein having a minimum element width on the order of about 0. 017 inches or less. The holographic laser scanning system comprises a housing, a plurality of laser sources, a holographic scanning disc and a plurality of photodetectors. The plurality of laser sources are disposed within the housing, for producing a plurality of laser beams. The holographic scanning disc is disposed within the housing, and has a plurality of holographic optical elements for scanning the laser beams and producing a plurality of laser scanning planes for scanning a code symbol. Each laser scanning plane has predefined beam characteristics and is spatially confined within a highly-defined 3-D scanning volume having at least three focal zones, a depth of field of at least 10 inches, and a scanning volume of at least 1,440 cubic inches. The plurality of laser scanning planes intersect within the highly defined 3-D scanning volume and the predefined beam characteristics of the laser scanning planes cooperate within the highly defined 3-D scanning volume so as to produce an omnidirectional laser scanning pattern for omnidirectional scanning therewithin, code symbols having a minimum element width on the order of about 0.

6422466, Jul 23, 2002

Jan 7, 2000

09/479435

LeRoy Dickson - Morgan Hill CA
John Groot - San Jose CA
Carl Harry Knowles - Morristown NJ
Thomas Amundsen - Turnersville NJ

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

G06K 710

23546201, 23546234

A method of and system for automatically identifying packages during package transport operations carried out by a human operator walking through the doorway of a storage container parked up to a loading dock, wherein a laser scanning system is supported above the doorway defining a passageway of 3-D spatial extent, through which a human operator may walk while manually transporting 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 passageway. As each package bearing a bar code symbol is transported through the doorway as the human operator walks through the doorway, the package is automatically identified by the laser scanning system supported above the doorway. By virtue of the present invention, a bar coded package can now be automatically identified as a human operator holding the package walks through the doorway of a storage container, thus improving inventory control accuracy and worker productivity.

6439462, Aug 27, 2002

Feb 18, 1999

09/252255

LeRoy Dickson - Morgan Hill CA
John Groot - San Jose CA
Carl Harry Knowles - Morristown NJ
Thomas Amundsen - Turnersville NJ

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

G06K 710

23546234, 23546238

An automatic bar code symbol reading system for automatically reading bar code symbols on packages transported along a conveyor belt through a 3-D scanning volume. The system includes a holographic-based bar code symbol detector and a bar code symbol scanner mounted above the conveyor belt. The holographic-based bar code position detector produces a first laser scanning pattern within the 3-D scanning volume, and scans each transported package, detects the position of the bar code symbol therein, and automatically produces bar code position data specifying the position of the detected bar code symbol. In automatic response to the produced bar code position data, the bar code symbol scanner is steered so as to collect light reflected off the detected bar code symbol, and produce scan data indicative of the detected bar code symbol. A scan data processor automatically processes the produced scan data so as to automatically read the detected bar code symbol and produce symbol character data representative thereof. By virtue of the present invention, it is now possible automatically detect the position of high-resolution bar code symbols on packages transported through a large 3-D scanning volume using a holographic-based bar code position detector, and collect high-resolution scan data from the detected bar code symbol using a steerable high-speed bar code symbol scanner, so that such collected scan data can then be subsequently decode processed in a high-speed manner, as required in numerous industrial scanning applications.

6457642, Oct 1, 2002

Mar 24, 1999

09/275518

Timothy A. Good - Blackwood NJ
Xiaoxun Zhu - Philadelphia PA
David M. Wilz - Sewell NJ
George B. Rockstein - Audobon NJ
Stephen J. Colavito - Brookhaven PA
Robert E. Blake - Woodbury Heights NJ
Ka Man Au - Philadelphia PA
Sankar Ghosh - Philadelphia PA
George Kolis - Pennsawken NJ
Ian A. Scott - Haddonfield NJ
Thomas Amundsen - Turnersville NJ
Gennady Germaine - Cherry Hill NJ
Andrew D. Dehennis - Cheltenham PA
LeRoy Dickson - Morgan Hill CA
Carl Harry Knowles - Moorestown NJ

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

G06K 710

23546201, 23546235, 23546225, 23547201

A fully automated package identification and measuring system, in which an omni-directional holographic scanning tunnel is used to read bar codes on packages entering the tunnel, while a package dimensioning subsystem is used to capture information about the package prior to entry into the tunnel. Mathematical models are created on a real-time basis for the geometry of the package and the position of the laser scanning beam used to read the bar code symbol thereon. The mathematical models are analyzed to determine if collected and queued package identification data is spatially and/or temporally correlated with package measurement data using vector-based ray-tracing methods, homogeneous transformations, and object-oriented decision logic so as to enable simultaneous tracking of multiple packages being transported through the scanning tunnel.

6457646, Oct 1, 2002

Sep 17, 1999

09/398741

LeRoy Dickson - Morgan Hill CA
John Groot - San Jose CA
Carl Harry Knowles - Morristown NJ
Thomas Amundsen - Turnersville NJ

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. - Blackwood NJ

G06K 710

23547201, 23546201

The first scanner generates an omnidirectional laser scanning pattern within a large 3-D scanning volume in order to detect the location of a code symbol therewithin and produce data indicative of its location therewithin. Using this location data, the second scanner produces a high density scanning pattern to aggressively scan the region in which the code symbol has been detected, and collect scan data for decode processing. In the illustrative embodiment, the first scanner is realized as a multiple-focal plane holographic scanner, whereas the second scanner is realized as a high-speed 2-D scanner. By virtue of the system and method of the present invention, it is now possible to read bar code symbols located anywhere within very large volume of space, with a high degree of accuracy hitherto impossible using prior art techniques.