Tunnel-type digital imaging system for use within retail shopping environments such as supermarkets

• Main Authors: Tsikos, Constantine J, Knowles, C. Harry, Zhu, Xiaoxun, Schnee, Michael D, Au, Ka Man, Wirth, Allan, Good, Timothy A, Jankevics, Andrew, Ghosh, Sankar, Naylor, Charles A, Amundsen, Thomas, Blake, Robert, Svedas, William, Defoney, Shawn, Skypala, Edward, Vatan, Pirooz, Dobbs, Russell Joseph, Kolis, George, Schmidt, Mark C, Yorsz, Jeffery, Giordano, Patrick A, Colavito, Stephen J, Wilz, Sr, David W, Schwartz, Barry E, Kim, Steven Y, Fisher, Dale, Tassell, Jon Van
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.09.2009

A tunnel-type digital imaging system for use within retail shopping environments such as supermarkets. The system includes a tunnel configuration arranged about a conveyor structure for transporting objects therethrough, and an image capturing and processing subsystem embodied within the tunnel configuration, for generating a 3D digital imaging volume above the conveyor structure and within the tunnel configuration, for capturing digital 1D images of objects transported through the 3D digital imaging volume. The image capturing and processing subsystem includes a plurality of illumination and imaging stations. Each station includes a 2D imaging array having optics providing a 3D field of view (FOV) on the 2D imaging array that is projected and extends into the 3D digital imaging volume, and one or more light emitting devices configured together to produce an illumination beam that extends into the 3D FOV of the 2D imaging array. A digital image processing subsystem processing digital 1D images of objects passing through the 3D digital imaging volume, and a system control subsystem which controls and/or orchestrates the coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems during system operation.