Hand-wearable coded data reader Number:7,070,110 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent A reading device adapted to read an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item, the reading device including: a housing for mounting on at least one finger of the user in use, the housing including an aperture; a radiation source for illuminating the interface surface of the product item; a sensor provided in the housing for sensing at least some of the coded data through the aperture when the product item is positioned substantially in contact with the housing; and a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.<H wearable, reader, Hand, wearable, c, 7070110.html, Patent, pto, 7070110

Title: Hand-wearable coded data reader

Abstract: A reading device adapted to read an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item, the reading device including: a housing for mounting on at least one finger of the user in use, the housing including an aperture; a radiation source for illuminating the interface surface of the product item; a sensor provided in the housing for sensing at least some of the coded data through the aperture when the product item is positioned substantially in contact with the housing; and a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

Patent Number: 7,070,110 Issued on 07/04/2006 to Lapstun, et al.

Inventors: Lapstun; Paul (Balmain, AU); Silverbrook; Kia (Balmain, AU); Rusman; Jan (Balmain, AU)
Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd (Balmain, AU)

Appl. No.: 815622

Filed: April 2, 2004

Foreign Application Priority Data


Apr 07, 2003 [AU]			2003901617
Apr 15, 2003 [AU]			2003901795

Current U.S. Class: 235/462.45 ; 235/462.43; 235/472.01

Current International Class: G06K 7/10 (20060101)

Field of Search: 235/462.43-462.46,472.01,383,462.04,462.01

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


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5477012	December 1995	Sekendur
5514861	May 1996	Swartz et al.
5589679	December 1996	Dvorkis et al.
5652412	July 1997	Lazzouni
5661506	August 1997	Lazzouni et al.
5692073	November 1997	Cass
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5837990	November 1998	Shepard
5852434	December 1998	Sekendur
5959286	September 1999	Dvorkis et al.
6003774	December 1999	Bard et al.
6076734	June 2000	Dougherty
6203069	March 2001	Outwater et al.
6234393	May 2001	Paratore et al.
6375079	April 2002	Swartz
6607134	August 2003	Bard et al.
6612494	September 2003	Outwater
6685095	February 2004	Roustaei et al.
6764012	July 2004	Connolly et al.
6772949	August 2004	Wilz et al.

Foreign Patent Documents


0540781	May., 1998	EP
0517957	Sep., 1999	EP
2287150	Sep., 1995	GB
2306669	May., 1997	GB
WO 99/18487	Apr., 1999	WO
WO 99/50787	Oct., 1999	WO

Other References

Brock, D. "White Paper: Integrating the Electronic Product Code (EPC) and the Global Trade Number (GTIN)". MIT AUTO-ID Centre (online), Nov. 2001 (retrieved on May 18, 2004). Retrieved from the Internet <URL:http://archive.epcglobalinc.org/aboutthetec.sub.--research.sub.--- results:asp?searchBy=Subject>. cited by other .
Dymetman, M., and Copperman, M., Intelligent Paper; in Electronic Publishing, Artistic Imaging, and Digital Typography, Proceedings of EP '98, Mar./Apr. 1998, Springer Verlag LNCS 1375, pp. 392-406. cited by oth- er.

Primary Examiner: Stcyr; Daniel
Assistant Examiner: Taylor; April

Claims

The invention claimed is:

1. A reading device for reading an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item and of a plurality of reference points, each reference point corresponding to a respective location on the interface surface, the reading device including: (a) a housing for mounting on at least one finger of the user in use, the housing including an aperture; (b) a radiation source for illuminating the interface surface of the product item; (c) a sensor provided in the housing for sensing at least some of the coded data through the aperture when the product item is positioned substantially in contact with the housing; and (d) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item and position data representing the position of a sensed reference point on the interface surface.

2. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the reading device includes a harness being worn by the user, the housing being fitted to the harness.

3. The reading device of claim 2, wherein the reading device further including a second housing mounted to a body portion of the harness, the processor being provided in the second housing and being coupled to the sensor by a data link.

4. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the housing is a thimble.

5. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a prism for directing radiation reflected from the product item to the sensor.

6. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the sensor senses coded data when the interface surface is provided in a sensing region positioned adjacent the aperture.

7. The reading device of claim 6, wherein the reading device includes a focusing system to focus radiation from the sensing region on to the sensor.

8. The reading device of claim 7, wherein the focusing system includes a lens positioned between a prism and the image sensor.

9. The reading device of claim 1, wherein in use the aperture is positioned on the underside of the user's finger.

10. The reading device of claim 1, wherein in use the reading device reads interface surfaces oriented substantially parallel to a plane defined by the user's hand.

11. The reading device of claim 1, wherein in use the aperture is positioned so as to allow the sensor to sense coded data when the user grasps a product item in use.

12. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the reading device includes an input control, and wherein the sensor senses the coded data upon activation of the input control by at least one of: (a) the user; and, (b) physical contact between the housing and the product item.

13. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the coded data is printed on the interface surface in infrared ink, and the radiation source generates infrared radiation.

14. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the radiation source is an LED.

15. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a 2-D image sensor which captures an image of at least a portion of the interface surface on which the illuminated coded data is disposed.

16. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is an infrared image sensor.

17. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the reading device senses coded data from the interface surfaces of a number of product items substantially simultaneously.

18. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the reading device further includes a memory for storing the product identity.

19. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the coded data encodes an EPC associated with the product item, and wherein the processor determines the EPC.

20. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the product identity data distinguishes the product item from every other product item.

21. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the processor generates read data representing the identity of the read product item.

22. The reading device of claim 21, wherein the read data is the product identity data.

23. The reading device of claim 21, wherein the processor: (a) determines the product identity data of the product item during a read event; and, (b) generates the read data if the determined product identity data is different to product identity data determined during previous read events.

24. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the processor: (a) compares the determined product identity data to previously determined product identity data; and, (b) generates read data representing the identity of the product item if the determined product identity data has not been previously determined.

25. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the coded data is redundantly encoded.

26. The reading device of claim 25, wherein the processor uses the redundantly encoded coded data to detect one or more errors in the coded data.

27. The reading device of claim 26, wherein, in response to the detection of one or more errors, the reading device performs at least one of: (a) correcting the one or more detected errors; (b) signaling a failed read; and, (c) ignoring the coded data.

28. The reading device of claim 25, wherein the coded data is redundantly encoded using Reed-Solomon encoding.

29. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the interface surface includes at least one region, the region including coded data indicative of an identity of the region, and wherein the processor determines the identity of the at least one region from at least some of the sensed coded data.

30. The reading device of claim 29, wherein the at least one region includes at least one coded data portion, and wherein the coded data portion is indicative of the region identity.

31. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the coded data includes at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the interface surface and the position of the coded data portion on the interface surface, and wherein the processor uses the sensed coded data portion to thereby: (a) determine the identity of the interface surface; (b) determine position data representing at least one of: (i) a position of the sensed coded data portion on the interface surface; and (ii) a position of the reading device relative to the interface surface; (c) determine a description of the interface surface using the determined identity; and, (d) identify the at least one region from the description and the position data.

32. The reading device of claim 31, wherein the at least one region represents a user interactive element.

33. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the reading device includes a filter for filtering radiation incident on the sensor, the filter being at least one of: (a) a near infrared filter; (b) a bandpass filter; and, (c) a longpass filter.

34. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the interface surface is printed using a printer, to print the information and coded data substantially simultaneously.

35. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the reading device detects the presence of a plurality of product items in the sensing region.

36. The reading device of claim 35, wherein the processor: (a) determines the presence of coded data during a reading event; (b) determines product identity data corresponding to the detected coded data; and, (c) activates an alarm if the determined product identity data is indicative of more than one product item.

37. The reading device of claim 1, the coded data being disposed on or in a substrate in accordance with at least one layout, the layout having at least order n rotational symmetry, where n is at least two, the layout including n identical sub-layouts rotated 1/n revolutions apart about a center of rotational symmetry of the layout, the coded data disposed in accordance with each sub-layout including rotation-indicating data that distinguishes the rotation of that sub-layout from the rotation of at least one other sub-layout within the layout.

38. The reading device of claim 37, wherein the rotation-indicating data of each sub-layout distinguishes the rotation of the sub-layout from the rotation of each other sub-layout.

39. The reading device of claim 37, wherein the coded data includes at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, and wherein each coded data portion has a plurality of codewords arranged in accordance with a respective layout, the plurality of codewords being indicative of the identity of the product item.

40. The reading device of claim 39, wherein each sub-layout has at least one codeword that is different to the codeword of each other sub-layout.

41. The reading device of claim 39, wherein each layout has at least one codeword that is different to at least one codeword of at least one other layout.

42. The reading device of claim 39, wherein each layout has at least one codeword that is identical to at least one codeword of at least one other layout.

43. The reading device of claim 39, wherein each codeword is formed from a number of data elements arranged in accordance with a respective sub-layout.

44. The reading device of claim 43, wherein the data elements are arranged such that each data element has a unique position.

45. The reading device of claim 44, wherein the positions of the data elements of respective sub-layouts are interleaved.

46. The reading device of claim 1, the coded data being disposed on or in a substrate in accordance with at least one layout, the layout having at least order n rotational symmetry, where n is at least two, the layout encoding orientation-indicating data comprising a sequence of an integer multiple m of n symbols, where m is one or more, each encoded symbol being distributed at n locations about a center of rotational symmetry of the layout such that decoding the symbols at each of the n orientations of the layout produces n representations of the orientation-indicating data, each representation comprising a different cyclic shift of the orientation-indicating data and being indicative of the degree of rotation of the layout.

47. The reading device of claim 46, wherein the coded data includes at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, and wherein each coded data portion has a plurality of codewords arranged in accordance with a respective layout, the plurality of codewords being indicative of the identity of the product item.

48. The reading device of claim 47, wherein the coded data includes a plurality of layouts of two or more layout types, each layout encoding its layout type.

49. The reading device of claim 48, wherein each layout encodes a distributed codeword wherein fragments of the distributed codeword are distributed between the two or more layout types in a predetermined manner such that the distributed codeword can be reconstructed from fragments located in a plurality of adjacent layouts of different types.

50. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the interface surface is at least one of: (a) product item packaging; (b) product item labelling; and, (c) a surface of the product item.

51. The reading device of claim 1, wherein the coded data is disposed over at least one of: substantially all of any one of: (i) the entire product surface; (ii) the packaging; and, (iii) the label; (a) more than 25% of any one of: (i) the entire product surface; (ii) the packaging; and, (iii) the label; (b) more than 50% of any one of: (i) the entire product surface; (ii) the packaging; and, (iii) the label; and, (c) more than 75% of any one of: (i) the entire product surface; (ii) the packaging; and, (iii) the label.

52. A system incorporating the reading device as claimed in claim 1 and a laser scanning device for scanning an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data which includes, at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the product item, the product item being provided in a sensing region, the scanning device including: (a) a laser for emitting at least one scanning beam, the scanning beam being directed in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch, the scanning patch being provided in the sensing region such that the laser exposes at least one coded data portion; (b) a sensor for sensing the at least one exposed coded data portion; and (c) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

53. A system incorporating the reading device as claimed in claim 1 and a scanning device for scanning an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item, the product item being provided in a sensing region, the scanning device including: (a) a beam generator for emitting at least one scanning beam, the scanning beam being directed in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch provided in the sensing region; (b) at least one beam controller for directing the at least one scanning beam along selected ones of a number of patch beam paths, each patch beam path extending into the sensing region at a respective angle; (c) a sensor for sensing at least some of the coded data on the interface surface of the product item as the product item passes through the sensing region; and (d) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

54. A system incorporating the reading device as claimed in claim 1 and a scanning device for scanning an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item, the product item being provided in a sensing region, the scanning device including: (a) a beam generator for generating at least one scanning beam having a predetermined spectrum; (b) at least one beam controller for directing the at least one scanning beam into the sensing region through a scanning surface, the scanning surface being transmissive to radiation of at least a portion of the predetermined spectrum; (c) a sensor for sensing at least some of the coded data on the interface surface of the product item; and (d) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

55. A system incorporating the reading device as claimed in claim 1 and a scanning device for scanning an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item, the product item being provided in a sensing region, the scanning device including: (a) a beam generator for emitting at least one beam; (b) first and second acousto-optic deflectors for deflecting the beam in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch; (c) a sensor for sensing at least some of the coded data on the interface surface of the product item as the product item passes through the sensing region; and (d) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

56. A system incorporating the reading device as claimed in claim 1 and a scanning device for scanning an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item, the product item being provided in a sensing region, the scanning device including: (a) a beam generator for emitting at least one beam; (b) at least one rotating holographic optical element for selectively deflecting the beam in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch; (c) a sensor for sensing at least some of the coded data on the interface surface of the product item as the product item passes through the sensing region; and (d) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

57. A system incorporating the reading device as claimed in claim 1 and a laser scanning device for scanning an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data which includes, at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the product item, the laser scanning device including: (a) a housing being held by a user in use; (b) a laser for emitting a scanning beam from the housing, the scanning beam being directed in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch, the scanning patch being provided in the sensing region such that the laser exposes at least one coded data portion; (c) a sensor for sensing the at least one exposed coded data portion; (d) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

58. A system incorporating the first reading device as claimed in claim 1 and a second reading device for reading an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data which includes, at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the product item, the second reading device including: (a) a housing being held by a user in use; (b) a radiation source for emitting radiation from the housing such that the radiation source exposes at least one coded data portion; (c) an image sensor for sensing the at least one exposed coded data portion; (d) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

59. A reading device for reading an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item and of a plurality of reference points, each reference point corresponding to a respective location on the interface surface, the reading device including: (a) a housing for mounting on at least one finger of the user in use, the housing including an aperture, wherein in use, the aperture is positioned on the underside of the user's finger; (b) a radiation source for illuminating the interface surface of the product item; (c) a sensor provided in the housing for sensing at least some of the coded data through the aperture when the product item is positioned in a sensing region adjacent the aperture; and (d) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item and position data representing the position of sensed reference point on the interface surface.

60. A reading device for reading an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item and of a plurality of reference points, each reference point corresponding to a respective location on the interface surface, the reading device including: (a) a housing for mounting on at least one finger of the user in use, the housing including an aperture positioned so as to allow the sensor to sense coded data when the user grasps a product item in use; (b) a radiation source for illuminating the interface surface of the product item; (c) a sensor provided in the housing for sensing at least some of the coded data through the aperture when the product item is positioned in a sensing region adjacent the aperture; and (d) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item and position data representing the position of a sensed reference point on the interface surface.

61. A method of reading an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item and of a plurality of reference points, each reference point corresponding to a respective location on the interface surface, the method including, having a user: (a) wear a reading device including: (i) a housing mounted on the user's finger, the housing including an aperture; (ii) a radiation source for illuminating the interface surface of the product item; (iii) a sensor provided in the housing for sensing at least some of the coded data through the aperture when the product item is positioned in a sensing region adjacent the aperture; (iv) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item and position data renresenting the position of a sensed reference point on the interface surface, (b) grasping the product item such that the finger is positioned adjacent the interface surface with the product item provided in the sensing region.

62. A method of reading an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item and of a plurality of reference points, each reference point corresponding to a respective location on the interface surface, the method including, having a user: (a) wear a reading device including: (i) a housing mounted on the user's finger, the housing including an aperture positioned on the underside of the user's finger in use; (ii) a radiation source for illuminating the interface surface of the product item; (iii) a sensor provided in the housing for sensing at least some of the coded data through the aperture when the product item is positioned in a sensing region adjacent the aperture; (iv) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item and position data representing the position of a sensed reference point on the interface surface, and (b) position the finger adjacent the interface surface such that the product item is provided in the sensing region on the underside of the user's finger.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to unique object identification and, in particular, to methods and systems for identifying and interacting with objects.

CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS

Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention simultaneously with the present application:

U.S. Ser. Nos. 10/815,609, 10/815,627, 10/815,626, 10,815,610, 10/815,611, 10/815,623, 10/815,629, 10/815,621, 10/815,612, 10/815,630, 10/815,637, 10/815,638, 10/815,640, 10/815,642, 10/815,643, 10/815,644, 10/815,618, 10/815,639, 10/815,647, 10/815,634, 10/815,362, 10/815,631, 10/815,648, 10/815,641, 10/815,645, 10/815,646, 10/815,617, 10/815,620, 10/815,615, 10/815,613, 10/815,633, 10/815,619, 10/815,616, 10/815,614, 10/815,625, 10/815,624, 10/815,628, 10/815,636, 10/815,649, 10/815,635.

The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference.

CROSS-REFERENCES

Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention. The disclosures of all of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference.

TABLE-US-00001 10/409,876 10/409,848 10/409,845 09/575,197 09/575,195 09/575,159 09/575,132 09/575,123 09/575,148 09/575,130 09/575,165 09/575,153 09/693,415 09/575,118 09/609,139 09/608,970 09/575,116 09/575,144 09/575,139 09/575,186 09/575,185 09/609,039 09/663,579 09/663,599 09/607,852 09/575,191 09/693,219 09/575,145 09/607,656 09/693,280 09/609/132 09/693,515 09/663,701 09/575,192 09/663,640 09/609,303 09/610,095 09/609,596 09/693,705 09/693,647 09/721,895 09/721,894 09/607,843 09/693,690 09/607,605 09/608,178 09/609,553 09/609,233 09/609,149 09/608,022 09/575,181 09/722,174 09/721,896 10/291,522 10/291,517 10/291,523 10/291,471 10/291,470 10/291,819 10/291,481 10/291,509 10/291,825 10/291,519 10/291,575 10/291,557 10/291,661 10/291,558 10/291,587 10/291,818 10/291,576 10/291,589 10/291,526 6,644,545 6,609,653 6,651,879 10/291,555 10/291,510 19/291,592 10/291,542 10/291,820 10/291,516 10/291,363 10/291,487 10/291,520 10/291,521 10/291,556 10/291,821 10/291,525 10/291,586 10/291,822 10/291,524 10/291,553 10/291,511 10/291,585 10/291,374 10/685,523 10/685,583 10/685,455 10/685,584 10/757600 09/575,193 09/575,156 09/609,232 09/607,844 09/607,657 09/693,593 10/743671 09/928,055 09/927,684 09/928,108 09/927,685 09/927,809 09/575,183 09/575,160 09/575,150 09/575,169 6,644,642 6,502,614 6,622,999 09/575,149 10/322,450 6,549,935 NPN004US 09/575,187 09/575,155 6,591,884 6,439,706 09/575,196 09/575,198 09/722,148 09/722,146 09/721,861 6,290,349 6,428,155 09/575,146 09/608,920 09/721,892 09/722,171 09/721,858 09/722,142 10/171,987 10/202,021 10/291,724 10/291,512 10/291,554 10/659,027 10/659,026 09/693,301 09/575,174 09/575,163 09/693,216 09/693,341 09/693,473 09/722,087 09/722,141 09/722,175 09/722,147 09/575,168 09/722,172 09/693,514 09/721,893 09/722,088 10/291,578 10/291,823 10/291,560 10/291,366 10/291,503 10/291,469 10/274,817 09/575,154 09/575,129 09/575,124 09/575,188 09/721,862 10/120,441 10/291,577 10/291,718 10/291,719 10/291,543 10/291,494 10/292,608 10/291,715 10/291,559 10/291,660 10/409,864 10/309,358 10/410,484 10/683,151 10/683,040 09/575,189 09/575,162 09/575,172 09/575,170 09/575,171 09/575,161 10/291,716 10/291,547 10/291,538 10/291,717 10/291,827 10/291,548 10/291,714 10/291,544 10/291,541 10/291,584 10/291,579 10/291,824 10/291,713 10/291,545 10/291,546 09/693,388 09/693,704 09/693,510 09/693,336 09/693,335 10/181,496 10/274,119 10/309,185 10/309,066 10/778090 10/778056 10/778058 10/778060 10/778059 10/778063 10/778062 10/778061 10/778057 10/782894 10/782895 10/786631 10/793933 10/804034

BACKGROUND

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

For the purposes of automatic identification, a product item is commonly identified by a 12-digit Universal Product Code (UPC), encoded machine-readably in the form of a printed bar code. The most common UPC numbering system incorporates a 5-digit manufacturer number and a 5-digit item number. Because of its limited precision, a UPC is used to identify a class of product rather than an individual product item. The Uniform Code Council and EAN International define and administer the UPC and related codes as subsets of the 14-digit Global Trade Item Number (GTIN).

Within supply chain management, there is considerable interest in expanding or replacing the UPC scheme to allow individual product items to be uniquely identified and thereby tracked. Individual item tagging can reduce "shrinkage" due to lost, stolen or spoiled goods, improve the efficiency of demand-driven manufacturing and supply, facilitate the profiling of product usage, and improve the customer experience. There are two main contenders for individual item tagging: visible two-dimensional bar codes, and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. Bar codes have the advantage of being inexpensive, but require optical line-of-sight for reading and in some cases appropriate orientation of the bar code relative to the sensor. Additionally they often detract from the appearance of the product label or packaging. Finally, damage to even a relatively minor portion of the bar code can prevent successful detection and interpretation of the bar code.

RFID tags have the advantage of supporting omnidirectional reading, but are comparatively expensive. Additionally, the presence of metal or liquid can seriously interfere with RFID tag performance, undermining the omnidirectional reading advantage. Passive (reader-powered) RFID tags are projected to be priced at 10 cents each in multi-million quantities by the end of 2003, and at 5 cents each soon thereafter, but this still falls short of the sub-one-cent industry target for low-price items such as grocery. The read-only nature of most optical tags has been cited as a disadvantage, since status changes cannot be written to a tag as an item progresses through the supply chain. However, this disadvantage is mitigated by the fact that a read-only tag can refer to information maintained dynamically on a network.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Auto-ID Center has developed a standard for a 96-bit Electronic Product Code (EPC), coupled with an Internet-based Object Name Service (ONS) and a Product Markup Language (PML). Once an EPC is scanned or otherwise obtained, it is used to look up, possibly via the ONS, matching product information portably encoded in PML. The EPC consists of an 8-bit header, a 28-bit EPC manager, a 24-bit object class, and a 36-bit serial number. For a detailed description of the EPC, refer to Brock, D. L., The Electronic Product Code (EPC), MIT Auto-ID Center (January 2001), the contents of which are herein incorporated by cross-reference. The Auto-ID Center has defined a mapping of the GTIN onto the EPC to demonstrate compatibility between the EPC and current practices Brock, D. L., Integrating the Electronic Product Code (EPC) and the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), MIT Auto-ID Center (November 2001), the contents of which are herein incorporated by cross-reference. The EPC is administered by EPCglobal, an EAN-UCC joint venture.

EPCs EPCs are technology-neutral and can be encoded and carried in many forms. The Auto-ID Center strongly advocates the use of low-cost passive RFID tags to carry EPCs, and has defined a 64-bit version of the EPC to allow the cost of RFID tags to be minimized in the short term. For detailed description of low-cost RFID tag characteristics, refer to Sarma, S., Towards the 5c Tag, MIT Auto-ID Center (November 2001), the contents of which are herein incorporated by cross-reference. For a description of a commercially-available low-cost passive RFID tag, refer to 915 MHz RFID Tag, Alien Technology (2002), the contents of which are herein incorporated by cross-reference. For detailed description of the 64-bit EPC, refer to Brock, D. L., The Compact Electronic Product Code, MIT Auto-ID Center (November 2001), the contents of which are herein incorporated by cross-reference.

EPCs are intended not just for unique item-level tagging and tracking, but also for case-level and pallet-level tagging, and for tagging of other logistic units of shipping and transportation such as containers and trucks. The distributed PML database records dynamic relationships between items and higher-level containers in the packaging, shipping and transportation hierarchy.

IBM Business Consulting Services, in conjunction with the Auto-ID Center, has carried out a number of case studies analysing and quantifying the costs and benefits of RFID-carried EPCs in the supply chain. They distinguish the benefits which accrue at different stages in the supply chain (e.g. distribution versus retail), at different levels of tagging (i.e. pallet versus case versus item), in response to different sources of loss (e.g. shrinkage versus unsaleables), and across different product categories (e.g. grocery versus apparel versus consumer electronics).

Since the Auto-ID Center exclusively advocates RFID-carried EPCs, the case studies do not clearly distinguish the benefits which accrue from EPCs alone from the benefits which accrue specifically from RFID tags. In addition, the case studies implicitly adopt a very optimistic view of the omni-directional scanning performance of RFID in the presence of radiopaque product, i.e. typically liquid content and metal packaging. More broadly, the case studies do not clearly recognise benefits already beginning to accrue from systemic supply chain changes, such as better utilisation of UPC-based scan data collected at the point-of-sale, increasingly automated reordering and replenishment, and improving levels of communication and data sharing between different participants in the supply chain. In many cases these changes are presented as if predicated on Auto-ID technologies such as RFID-carried EPCs, when in fact they are not. This in turn tends to overstate the benefits of these technologies.

The case studies implicitly assume that tagged units can be accurately scanned in bulk e.g. when a pallet-load of tagged cases is moved within a distribution center. However, a study by Alien Technology, the first manufacturer of RFID tags conforming to the Auto-ID Center's UHF RFID specifications, shows that cases of radiopaque product (such as soft drinks, shampoo, detergent, and coffee in metal containers) can only be effectively scanned when the case tags are within line-of-sight of tag readers as discussed in Alien Technology, "RFID Supply Chain Applications--Building Test 1", February 2002. In practice this means that pallets of radiopaque product must be split so that individual cases can be conveyed past tag readers, precluding pallet-level operations including storage and dock-to-dock transfer.

Although not directly explored in the Alien study, the same restrictions apply at the item level. For example, while the case study on obsolescence Alexander, K. et al., Applying Auto-ID to Reduce Losses Associated with Product Obsolescence, MIT Auto-ID Center, November 2002, assumes that shelf scanners in a retail store can perform a complete scan of shelf stock, and the case study on shrinkage Alexander, K. et al., Applying Auto-ID to Reduce Losses Associated with Shrink, MIT Auto-ID Center, November 2002, assumes that exit scanners in a retail store can successfully read items jumbled together in a shopping cart or in grocery bags, in reality the presence of radiopaque product is likely to undermine performance in these situations, thereby compromising some of the claimed benefits of RFID. The Auto-ID Center's own study of supermarket shelf reader design factors concludes that UHF radiopaque product items should have their RFID tags attached to their tops within line-of-sight of shelf readers Cole, P., A Study of Factors Affecting the Design of EPC Antennas & Readers for Supermarket Shelves, MIT Auto-ID Center, 1 Jun. 2002.

As with case-level RFID scanning in the distribution center, item-level RFID scanning in the retail store works best when items are handled individually, such as during stock movement to and from shelves, and during the checkout process, i.e. where each item is allowed to fall within line-of-sight of the reader. The case studies generally conclude that benefits accrue predominantly from case-level tagging when the case is the primary unit of product movement, which remains true right through the supply chain to the retail store backroom.

Benefits from item-level tagging begin to accrue in the retail store once cases are split and product hits the shelves, and these benefits fall into three main categories: a reduced shrinkage rate; a reduced unsaleable rate; and reduced out-of-stocks (with less safety stock). These benefits are discussed in detail below.

Stage-relevant tagging levels are illustrated in FIG. 100.

The case studies assume seven product categories, summarised in Table 1. For every product category except grocery, the case studies conclude that item-level tagging is cost-effective. Specifically, the case studies do not consider item-level RFID tagging in grocery to be cost-effective because of the high cost of RFID tags relative to the average item price.

Note that if partial and incremental item-level RFID tagging of higher-value grocery items occurs (such as of packets of razor blades Alien Technology, "Alien Announces Major Order for Low-cost RFID Tags", 6 Jan. 2003, http://www.alientechnology.com/library/pr/alien_gillette.htm, then from the point of view of per-tag cost it becomes more difficult to justify item-level tagging of remaining products, since the average price of untagged items has been reduced. Conversely, it may become easier to justify from the point of view of sunk investment in reader infrastructure.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 1 Product categories and average item prices product category average item price grocery $1.75 apparel $14 consumer electronics $130 health & beauty $9 music & video $18 pharmacy $27 toys $18

The case studies therefore make a convincing argument for case-level RFID tagging for all product categories. Additionally item-level RFID tagging may be used for more expensive items.

With item-level tagging, each product item is assigned a unique EPC at time of manufacture. The item's EPC then serves as a key into a distributed PML database which records the characteristics of the item and its evolving history as it proceeds through the supply chain. This includes the item's inclusion in a dynamic hierarchy of packaging, shipping and transportation units, each identified by its own unique EPC. Tracking of higher-level units through the supply chain implicitly support the tracking of lower-level units. For example, once a pallet is loaded and until it is unloaded and split, pallet-level tracking is sufficient to also track its case-level content. Similarly, once a carton is filled and until it is re-opened and split, case-level tracking is sufficient to also track its item-level content. Readers installed in entry and exit portals in factories, warehouses, distribution centers and retail stores can automatically track unit movements and update movement histories. Notwithstanding issues with automatically tracking radiopaque product, RFID readers have benefits for pallet-level and case-level tracking.

At the checkout, the unique EPC of the item prevents it from being recorded as a sale more than once. This allows the checkout to be partially or fully automated. Automatic scanning of a traditional UPC bar code, which only identifies item class, is problematic because multiple scans of the same item are difficult to avoid and impossible to detect from the bar code alone. In an automatic checkout the EPC of an item is typically read many times to ensure that the EPC is read at all, but is only recorded as a sale once. The unique EPC also prevents the checkout operator from multi-scanning a single item to account for a number of similar items, a common time-saving practice which can lead to inventory inaccuracy and thereby undermine automatic reordering and replenishment.

It has been suggested that an RFID-based automatic checkout process can be as simple as wheeling a shopping cart full of RFID-tagged product items through a checkout zone continuously scanned by one or more RFID readers.

In reality, due to issues with radiopaque grocery items, an RFID-based automatic checkout is likely to require each item to pass through the RFID reader's field individually. This may happen when the customer places the item in the cart, i.e. if the cart incorporates a reader, but is more likely to happen at the checkout where the operator or customer either places each item on a conveyor to transport the item through the reader's field, or manually presents each item to the reader's field.

Similarly, whilst the use of item-level RFID tagging arguably makes it possible to construct so-called smart shelves which incorporate RFID readers and continuously monitor RFID-tagged shelf content, practically this is once again subject to performance in the presence of radiopaque product.

The cost of the RFID tag approach is particularly of importance in the grocery sector which is characterised by high-volume sales of low-priced product items, coupled with low net margins. In 2001-2002 the United States grocery sector achieved net profits of 1.36% on net sales of roughly $500 billion.

During the same period the grocery sector experienced a shrinkage rate of 1.42% and an unsaleable rate of 0.95% Lightburn, A., 2002 Unsaleables Benchmark Report, Joint Industry Unsaleables Steering Committee 2002. Net profit and shrinkage were therefore roughly equal at $7 billion each, and unsaleables accounted for an additional $5 billion. Out-of-stocks were further estimated to result in a 3% loss in net sales Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA), Full-Shelf Satisfaction--Reducing Out-of-Stocks in the Grocery Channel (Executive Summary), 2002, which translates into a $200 million reduction in net profit. The grocery sector is also highly labour-intensive, with labour costs accounting for more than 50% of operating expenses. Profitable operation in the grocery sector therefore relies on maximising efficiency, minimising losses due to shrinkage, minimising losses due to unsaleables, and minimising out-of-stocks while minimising levels of safety stock.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 2 Sources of loss in the grocery sector approximate cost source of loss contribution ($millions) shrinkage 1.42% 7,000 unsaleables 0.95% 5,000 out-of-stocks 0.04% 204 total 2.41% 12,204

The grocery sector is likely to significantly reduce these sources of loss over the coming decade, independently of item-level tagging, by better utilising UPC-based scan data collected at the point-of-sale, by increasing the level of automation of reordering and replenishment, and by improving communication between different participants in the supply chain. Furthermore, the benefits of item-level tagging itself only accrue if such systemic changes actually take place.

However, the cost of apply RFID tags to provide item level tagging to further enhance loss reduction is currently cost prohibitive.

As shown in Table 2, the cost of shrinkage, unsaleables and out-of-stocks amounts to about 2.41% of net sales. Assuming an average grocery item price of $1.75, this cost equates to about 4.2 cents. Further assuming universal tagging of grocery items, and ignoring other costs and benefits of item-level tagging, such as the cost of the reader infrastructure and the benefit of an improved consumer experience, 4.2 cents represents an absolute upper limit on the threshold cost of a tag in the grocery sector.

The Auto-ID Center hopes to achieve a 5 cent EPC-compatible passive RFID tag within the next couple of years, and Alien Technology are moving towards that goal with a tag design which they expect to price at 10 cents in multi-billion tag volumes by the end of 2003. Alien Technology, 915 MHz RFID Tag, Ghassali, M., Unsaleables "The U.S. Experience", Unilever Bestfoods North America, 27 Mar. 2001. However, the 5 cent tag goal is still highly speculative, and even in multi-billion tag volumes there is currently no projected timeline for achieving an RFID tag price lower than 5 cents. Despite this, the IBM Auto-ID case studies assume a two cent RFID tag within a couple of years in their most optimistic scenarios Alexander, K. et al., Applying Auto-ID to Reduce Losses Associated with Shrink, MIT Auto-ID Center, November 2002.

Since even wildly optimistic projected cost savings only marginally justify the cost of the most optimistically-priced RFID tags, it is unlikely that universal item-level RFID tagging in the grocery sector is justified in the foreseeable future.

In addition to this however, other disadvantages of the RFID tagging scheme, such as the difficulty of scanning in the presence of radiopaque products, and issues surrounding privacy, make the use of RFID tags undesirable in item-level tagging of more expensive products even where the RFID cost becomes negligible.

It is therefore desirable to find an alternative to the use of RFID tags for item level tagging which ensures reliable item identification, which does not suffer from drawbacks such as reduced privacy for the consumer. It is also preferable that the technique provides a lower cost alternative thereby allowing it to be economically used on grocery items.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect the present invention provides a laser scanning device adapted to scan an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data which includes, at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the product item, the product item being provided in a sensing region, the scanning device including: (a) a laser for emitting at least one scanning beam, the scanning beam being directed in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch, the scanning patch being provided in the sensing region such that it exposes at least one coded data portion; (b) a sensor for sensing the at least one exposed coded data portion; and (c) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

In a further aspect the present invention provides an automated check-out for scanning a product item having an interface surface associated therewith, the interface surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data which includes, at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the product item, the check-out comprising: (a) a conveyor adapted to convey the product item through a sensing region; and at least one scanning device adapted to: (b) emit at least one scanning laser beam, the scanning beam being directed in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch, the scanning patch being provided in the sensing region such that it exposes at least one coded data portion; (c) sense at least one exposed coded data portion; and, (d) determine, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

In another aspect the present invention provides an interface surface for use on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon or therein coded data which includes, at a plurality of locations on the interface surface, a corresponding plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the product item to thereby allow the product item identity to be determined by sensing at least one of the coded data portions using a scanning device.

In a second aspect the present invention provides a scanning device adapted to scan an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item, the product item being provided in a sensing region, the scanning device including: (a) a beam generator for emitting at least one scanning beam, the scanning beam being directed in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch provided in the sensing region; (b) at least one beam controller for directing the at least one scanning beam along selected ones of a number of patch beam paths, each patch beam path extending into the sensing region at a respective angle; (c) a sensor for sensing at least some of the coded data on the interface surface of the product item as the product item passes through the sensing region; and (d) a processor for determining, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

In another aspect the present invention provides an automated check-out for scanning a product item having an interface surface associated therewith, the interface surface having coded data disposed over a substantial portion of the interface surface, the coded data being indicative of an identity of the product item, the check-out comprising: (a) a conveyor adapted to convey the product item through a sensing region; and (b) at least one scanning device adapted to: (i) direct at least one scanning beam: (1) in first and second orthogonal directions to thereby generate a raster scan pattern over a scanning patch provided in the sensing region; and (2) along selected ones of a number of patch beam paths, each patch beam path extending into the sensing region at a respective angle; (ii) sense at least some of the coded data on the interface surface of the product item as the conveyor causes the product item to pass through the sensing region; and (iii) generate, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

In a third aspect the present invention provides a scanning device adapted to scan an interface surface provided on a product item, the interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the product item, the product item being provided in a sensing region, the scanning device including: (a) a beam generator for generating at least one scanning beam having a predetermined spectrum; (b) at least one beam controller for directing the at least one scanning beam into the sensing region through a scanning surface, the scanning surface being transmissive to radiation of at least a portion of the predetermined spectrum; (c) a sensor for sensing at least some of the coded data on the interface surface of the product item; and (d) generate, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

In another aspect the present invention provides an automated check-out for scanning a product item having an interface surface associated therewith, the interface surface having coded data disposed over a substantial portion of the interface surface, the coded data being indicative of an identity of the product item, the check-out comprising: (a) a scanning surface, the scanning surface being transmissive to radiation of at least a portion of a predetermined spectrum (b) at least one scanning device adapted to: (i) directing at least one scanning beam having the predetermined spectrum into a sensing region through the scanning surface; (ii) sense at least some of the coded data on the interface surface of a product item provided in the sensing region; and (iii) generate, using at least some of the sensed coded data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item.

In a fourt