Abstract: A bar code scanning system such as for use in retail checkout having a scanner housing; a plurality of surfaces facing a scan volume from different directions; and sets of pattern mirrors positioned adjacent the respective surfaces, the housing being positioned above the scan volume and containing one or more laser beam modules and/or a scanning mechanism for producing scanning beams which are routed to the pattern mirrors and out through the respective surfaces into the scan volume.

Abstract: An automated retail point of sale scanning system includes a means for preferentially aligning an item traveling on an item path and through a scanning region such that two or more surfaces to be scanned are stably maintained in a substantially coplanar alignment with a corresponding focal plane of a bar code scanner. Two orthogonally disposed belts define an item path. The belts are tilted at an angle from the horizontal so that an item placed on either belt will have at least two surfaces stably registered by gravity, one surface to each adjacent belt. Alternatively, a stationary platen is disposed orthogonally to a transport belt such that at least two surfaces of the item being scanned are stabilized in a focal plane coplanar with a bar code scanner, one surface of the item being stabilized against the platen and another surface being stabilized against the adjacent transport belt.

Abstract: A mass archival optical recording and reproduction system includes a recording light source such as a laser beam focussed and directed upon an acousto-optic linear modulator array (or page composer) that receives parallel blocks of data converted from a serial stream of digital data to be stored. The page composer imparts to the laser beam modulation representative of a plurality of parallel channels of data and through focussing optics downstream of the page composer parallel arrays of optical spots are recorded upon a suitable recording medium such as a photographic film floppy disc. The recording medium may be substantially frictionlessly and stably positioned for recording at a record/read station by an air-bearing platen arrangement which is preferably thermodynamically non-throttling so that the recording film may be positioned in the path of the information-carrying light beam in a static or dynamic mode.