Scanner Wake-Up Detection for Faster Full-Speed Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bi-optic scanners take seconds to reach designed scanning speed after waking up from sleep mode, wasting time and potentially delaying data extraction during high-throughput transactions, as current wake-up methods rely on operator interaction or infrared detection, which may not be timely enough, especially when customers arrive before cashiers.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating detectors such as vibration, weight, or photo/IR sensors to detect the presence of customers or items on a conveyor belt, triggering the scanner to wake up and reach full speed by the time the cashier is ready, thereby reducing the delay in starting the scanning process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the scanner enters sleep mode to conserve energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but the time to reach full scanning speed increases
Solution Approach 1:
The scanner performs preliminary actions by pre-warming the laser diode and pre-spinning the scanner motor upon receiving a wake-up signal, before actual scanning begins. This allows the scanner to reach operational temperature and speed faster, reducing the wake-up time penalty while still maintaining sleep mode for energy conservation during idle periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The scanner uses periodic polling of the queue depth counter to determine when to wake up, rather than continuous operation. By checking the queue at intervals and only activating when items are present, the scanner minimizes energy consumption during idle periods while ensuring rapid response when scanning is needed.
2Device complexity
If the scanner uses operator interaction or infrared detection to wake up, then the wake-up mechanism is simple, but the response time is delayed when customers arrive before cashiers
Solution Approach 1:
The scanner autonomously monitors the queue depth counter and automatically wakes up when items are detected on the conveyor, without requiring operator interaction or external infrared signals. This self-service approach eliminates the delay between customer arrival and scanner activation while keeping the wake-up mechanism relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The scanner continuously polls the queue depth counter to receive feedback about item presence on the conveyor. This feedback mechanism allows the scanner to detect when customers have placed items and automatically wake up, providing rapid response without complex external detection systems.
3Loss of energy
If the scanner remains in sleep mode during idle periods, then energy efficiency is improved, but productivity decreases when high-throughput transactions occur
Solution Approach 1:
When the scanner detects items on the conveyor through queue depth polling, it performs preliminary actions by pre-warming the laser diode and pre-spinning the motor. This head start reduces the time to reach full scanning capacity, minimizing the impact on transaction throughput while still maintaining energy efficiency during truly idle periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The scanner dynamically adjusts its operational state based on real-time queue depth conditions. It transitions from sleep mode to active scanning mode based on the presence of items, optimizing the balance between energy efficiency and productivity. The scanner can scale its activity level to match the transaction demand, preventing both energy waste during idle periods and productivity loss during high-throughput periods.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the scanner to be fully operational and ready to scan items or customers more quickly, ensuring efficient data extraction and reducing wait times during transactions by automatically waking up the scanner upon detecting customer or item presence, thus improving throughput and user experience.
Implementation Method 1
a vibration detector disposed on the scanner to detect vibrations indicative of an item being placed on the conveyor belt
Implementation Method 2
a photo detector or IR detector to detect a presence of a customer
Implementation Method 3
a weight detector to detect a weight of an item on the conveyor belt
Data Source
AI summary
An indicia reader system includes an indicia reader provided at a point of transaction; a controller for controlling power to the indicia reader; a detector for detecting a customer, item or shopping cart at the point of transaction and providing an indication signal to the controller of the presence of customer, item or shopping cart at the point of transaction; wherein the controller interrupts power to the indicia reader during a power save mode and resumes power to the indicia reader upon receiving the indication signal.