Datalogic IP Tech S.r.l.

Datalogic S.p.a.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V.

Datalogic Mobile S.r.l.

Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario Per Le Telecommunicationi

Datalogic Automation S.r.l.

Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario Per Le Telecomunicazioni

Marco Bottazzi

Rinaldo Zocca

Federico Natali

Enrico Savioli

Elena Brunelli

Francesco Caselli

Niels Hadaschik

Claudio Saporetti

Roberto Tunioli

Andrea Conti

Stefano Amorosi

Toshiyuki Yoshino

Davide Dardari

Maurizio Scaramella

Paolo Mazzocato

Luigi Frison

Systems and methods for providing improved accuracy for beacon-based location systems. A location estimation system may include a multi-beacon system which includes two or more beacons positioned proximate each other. The beacons emit correlated beacon frames which are time and data correlated. A mobile device receives the beacon signals and processes them to estimate the distance between the mobile device and the multi-beacon system. The mobile device processes the signals based on a correlation function of the beacons signal strength trends, which indicates homogeneity and reliability of the acquired signals. When the correlation is high, the two or more RSSI signals are stable and may be used for the distance estimation. When the correlation is low, at least one of the signals is irregular. The mobile device compensates for the irregular signal, thus improving distance estimation accuracy.

Multi-beacon-based location system and method

Systems and methods for preventing the unauthorized removal of mobile processor-based devices from designated areas (e.g., inside of a shopping area). The system may utilize a beacon technology based on a low energy protocol to prevent unauthorized removal of the devices. An anti-theft beacon system which includes an RF beacon transmitter may be positioned proximate an exit of a designated area. Mobile processor-based devices detect beacon signals from the anti-theft beacon system. Responsive to such detection, a device determines that it has been removed from the designated area. The device may then perform one or more anti-theft actions, including operating as a beacon once removed from the designated area. An auxiliary power source may power a beacon of the mobile processor-based device when the mobile processor-based device has been removed from the designated area so that the beacon may still broadcast signals even when a primary power source is disabled.

Systems, methods and articles to prevent unauthorized removal of mobile processor-based devices from designated areas

A beacon anchor may include a signal generator configured to generate an ultra-wide band signal inclusive of a unique identifier associated with the beacon anchor, where the UWB signal is a pulse sequence. A transceiver may be in communications with the signal generator. Responsive to receiving the UWB signal from the signal generator, the UWB signal may be broadcast. A processing unit may be in communication with the transceiver, and, responsive to receiving a unicast communications session request from a portable device, be configured to establish a unicast communications session with the portable device to enable a distance between the portable device and beacon anchor to be determined. Through use of UWB signals, relative position (e.g., in front of or behind the beacon anchor) may be determined, thereby enabling different actions to be taken in response to determining the relative position.

High accuracy indoor locating system

A data reading system, and associated methods of operation, for locating and tracking a position of tagged items on a conveyor system. The system includes a data reader and a conveyor system operable to transport the tagged items through a read region of the data reader. A processor, in operative communication with the data reader, obtains data from an item tag being passed through the read region at a first time, at a second time, at a subsequent third time, and so forth. Based on the readings, the processor estimates an initial position of each item tag and determines an order at which each item reaches a reference position on the conveyor system.

Method and system for determining the position and movement of items using radio frequency data

Real-time locating systems (RTLS) for self-shopping systems that utilize a dual technology approach. Self-shopping terminals are equipped with a passive or active ultra-wideband (UWB) tag that includes a UWB backscatter module or a UWB transmitter, respectively, as well as a standard wireless communication transceiver, such as a Wi-Fi&#xae; or UHF-RFID transceiver, that enables communication over the wireless communication channel. Readers fixed within a shopping environment activate the UWB tag of a selected one of the self-shopping terminals by addressing the self-shopping terminal using the standard wireless communication channel. Once activated, the UWB tag of the selected self-shopping terminal transmits UWB signals which are received by a plurality of the readers and used to determine the location of the UWB tag and hence the location of the self-shopping terminal. A messaging system may send messages to the self-shopping terminal for presentation to the customer on a display of the self-shopping terminal.

Ultra-wideband location engine for self-shopping devices

In a UWB real time locating system, UWB readers () are synchronized by adjusting a clock of a UWB slave reader () until the UWB reader () receives each UWB pulse () of a sequence of UWB pulses () having a predetermined pulse period (Tp) and encoding a master UWB reader unique identifier at an expected time slot () within each predetermined pulse period (Tp), the expected time slot () being related to the distance between the UWB tag reader () and a master UWB reader ().

Synchronization of a real-time UWB locating system

A portable terminal for the acquisition of product data, for example in a point of sale or in a collection, distribution and/or storage point, includes a coded information reader, a user interface, and an interface for the logical connection with an external control station. Advantageously, the terminal also includes an interface for the wireless connection with cellular devices and/or telephones and/or PDAs and at least one internal management unit for the activation of the interface. The interface allows establishing a wireless connection with a single pre-identified cellular device and/or telephone and/or PDA, i.e., recognized following a recognition procedure. The terminal is then configured as a peripheral device of the pre-identified cellular device.

Portable terminal for acquiring product data

A dispensing device of portable terminals for acquiring product data in a shopping centre comprises a plurality of static cradles for a corresponding plurality of portable terminals. The terminals are adapted to be withdrawn and used by the customers for acquiring product data. The dispenser has a customer verification unit which identifies each customer enabled to the use of the portable terminals, a communication unit for communicating to each identified customer a terminal to be withdrawn for carrying out the product data acquisition, and a control and data processing unit adapted to control the customer verification unit and the communication unit and to process the product data acquired through said terminals. The plurality of cradles is housed into a substantially flat portion of the container provided in close proximity of the customer identification means so as to allow access to the plurality of terminals.

Dispensing device of portable terminals for acquiring product data in a shopping centre, integrated system for dispensing said portable terminals, and integrated system for selling products through the use of portable terminals

The method comprises acquiring a bidimensional image formed by a plurality of dots, characterized by a brightness value; dividing the bidimensional image into a plurality of image regions, each formed by a respective first number of dots; for each of the image regions, determining a first quantity correlated to the brightness variation intensity of each dot with respect to adjacent dots; for each image region, determining at least one second quantity correlated to the brightness variation direction of each dot with respect to adjacent dots; and determining any presence and type of a code in each of the image regions, on the basis of the determined quantities. These quantities typically comprise the contrast level of the image region, obtained by adding the gradient variation intensity of all contrast dots of the image region and directionality of the image region, obtained by calculating the gradient variation direction for all dots and searching for the prevalent direction or directions.

Method for locating codes in bidimensional images

The method comprises the steps of determining initially the structure of the code being read, to identify the number of rows and columns of the code; generating an ideal rectangular grid formed by rows and columns unambiguously defining the coordinates of notable points corresponding to the central point of each code element; determining, on the basis of reference points of known position, the homographic transformation linking notable points of the rectangular grid and characteristic points on the deformed image; calculating the coordinates of the characteristic points; and generating a transformed image to be decoded, the pixels of transformed image having the coordinates of the grid notable points and a value equal to the binarized brightness value of the corresponding characteristic points.

Distortion correction method in optical code reading

The method for reconstructing a bar code through consecutive scans comprises the following steps: a) carrying out at least one scan of the bar code; b) determining a reconstructed wave form representative of the at least one scan; c) carrying out an actual scan of the bar code; d) determining an actual wave form representative of the actual scan; e) aligning the reconstructed and actual wave forms; and f) combining the aligned wave forms by updating the reconstructed wave form with the actual wave form. The method can directly operate on the photo-sensor signal before carrying out any digitization of it.

Method for reconstructing a bar code through consecutive scans

The invention relates to a process for scanning a bar code which includes acquiring a first bar code scanning along a scanning line, identifying the family of the bar code, determining the width of at least one of the synchronism characters, calculating the estimated width of each character of the code being examined, based an the width of the synchronism character considered, determining a character following one of the synchronism characters by counting a number of m elements equal to the number of elements that make up each character in the family identified, determining the width of the following characters, checking whether the width of such following character differs from the estimated width of a lower quantity with respect to a prefixed tolerance. If the check gives a positive result, identifying the character and reiterating the steps until the other synchronism character has been reached. If the check gives a negative result, label the following character as an &ldquo;undecodable character&rdquo;.

Process for scanning a bar code

A method of compensating the edge positions of a signal generated by scanning elements of a bar code, the method including the steps of lighting the code and determining the light diffused by the code to generate in response a signal having a substantially alternating waveform defined by a sequence of high-amplitude portions separated by and joined to low-amplitude portions by steeply sloping edges of the waveform. A number of local minimum and maximum points of the waveform are determined to determine coordinates defining approximate edge positions. The coordinates are then corrected to generate modified coordinates, each relative to a corrected position of the edge compensating for any shift in the edge induced by blurring of the signal.

Method of compensating the edge positions of a signal generated by

A method of estimating the mid-points of elements of a bar code, wherein the code is illuminated, and the light diffused by the code is picked up to generate in response a signal having a substantially alternating waveform profile defined by high-amplitude zones alternating with low-amplitude zones; each high-amplitude zone corresponding to a space of the code, and each low-amplitude zone corresponding to a bar of the code. The signal is then quantized to obtain a discretized waveform having a number of local maximum and minimum points, and an observation window of a given width is defined by which to observe the waveform. The observation window is positioned on the maximum and minimum points of the discretized waveform to eliminate redundant maximum and minimum points within the observation window.

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Ferrara, Italy

Marco Bottazzi