Apparatus for and method of distinguishing among successive products entering a point-of-transaction workstation by detecting their exit therefrom

Abstract

Successive products associated with targets to be electro-optically read are swiped or presented, in their respective turns, to a window in a point-of-transaction workstation. A proximity system detects entry of each product into a zone outside the window. The products are distinguished from one another in response to detection by the proximity system of the exit of each product from the zone, preferably by sensing a change in magnitude over time of return infrared light returned by each product.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE[0001]The present disclosure relates generally to an apparatus for, and a method of, distinguishing among successive products entering a point-of-transaction workstation and bearing, or associated with, targets to be electro-optically read, by detecting the exit of each product from the workstation and, more particularly, to preventing accidental double-reading of the same target and to accelerating intentional reading of successive identical targets.BACKGROUND[0002]Point-of-transaction workstations employing laser-based readers and / or imager-based readers have been used in many venues, such as supermarkets, department stores and other kinds of retail settings, as well as libraries and parcel deliveries and other kinds of public settings, as well as factories, warehouses and other kinds of industrial settings, for many years. Such workstations were often configured either as stand-mounted scanners each resting on a countertop and having a presentation window; ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This solution reliably prevents accidental double-reading and accelerates the reading of successive identical targets, improving the overall throughput of the workstation without delays from fixed timeout periods.

Problems solved by technology

Although generally satisfactory for their intended purpose, one issue with such known presentation-type workstations involved accidental double-reading of a target, i.e., where a single target was read and reported to a host more than once.

Although the known workstations were effective in preventing accidental double-reads by relying on the above-described timeout period, this reliance slowed down any such intentional reading of successive identical targets, because the user had to wait for the timeout period to elapse before the next product could be swiped or presented.

As a consequence, the overall throughput of the workstation was decreased, and the performance of the workstation was sometimes regarded as sluggish and, in some cases, was regarded as a defect.

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