JP2007207085A - Optical information reader - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical information reader for easily reading an information code displayed on the screen of portable information terminal equipment. <P>SOLUTION: In a scanner device 10, a QR code Q displayed on a liquid crystal display 103 of a portable telephone set 100 is imaged from the light reception face of an area sensor, and whether or not the whole code image of the imaged QR code Q is within the range of a pickup image specified by the light reception face of the area sensor is determined by a control circuit or the like. Then, when it is determined that the whole code image is not within the range of the pickup image by a control circuit or the like, a reference point showing the position of the code image and the XY coordinates are detected, and guide directions(up, down, right, left, upper right, upper left, lower right, and lower left) for guiding the whole QR code Q to the range of the pickup image by the control circuit based on the XY coordinates of the reference point, and displays instruction content M based on the guide direction on a liquid crystal display part 46. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical information reader that is stationary and capable of reading an information code (one-dimensional, two-dimensional code, etc.) displayed on a screen of a portable information terminal device such as a cellular phone.

As a stationary optical information reader capable of reading an information code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code, for example, there is a “two-dimensional barcode reader” disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. According to this prior art, by providing a transparent window, the user of the barcode reader aligns while visually observing so that the window is positioned on the barcode to be read, The barcode reading operation is simplified.
JP 2002-230476 A

  However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like is based on the premise that the barcode reader is placed on paper or the like on which a barcode or the like is printed. For this reason, in such a state that the paper surface is in contact with the paper, the horizontal alignment of the paper surface is facilitated. For example, the barcode reader is separated from the paper, for example, in contact with the paper surface. When alignment is performed in a non-contact state (non-contact state), there is a problem that horizontal alignment is not always easy.

  In addition, when the barcode and barcode reader are reversed and the barcode or the like is placed on a fixed barcode reader and the barcode or the like is read, The paper must be placed over the reading opening of the barcode reader. Therefore, in such a case, there is a problem that it is difficult not only to look through the window as described above but also to make horizontal alignment difficult because the paper blocks the user's field of view.

  Further, in the optical information reading apparatus adopting a configuration in which the positional relationship between the barcode and the barcode reader is reversed in this way, a paper or the like on which a barcode or the like is printed or a mobile phone or the like on which a barcode or the like is displayed on the screen is displayed. Rather than placing the portable information terminal device on the barcode reader, the portable information terminal device is often held in a non-contact state by holding it a little apart. Therefore, in such a case, there is a problem that it is difficult to align in the horizontal direction due to the difficulty of grasping the position in the space.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical information reader capable of easily reading an information code displayed on a screen of a portable information terminal device. There is.

  In order to achieve the above object, the optical information reader according to claim 1 described in the claims can be read stationary without touching the information code displayed on the screen of the portable information terminal device. An optical information reader, an imaging unit having a light receiving surface capable of capturing an information code displayed on the screen, and a whole code image of the information code captured by the imaging unit is a light receiving surface of the imaging unit A determination unit capable of determining whether or not the code image is within a predetermined range, and when the determination unit determines that the entire code image is not within the predetermined range, the position of the code image is determined. A reference point to be detected and detection means capable of detecting the position thereof, and guides the entire information code to fall within the predetermined range based on the position of the reference point detected by the detection means. A calculating means capable calculating the guiding direction, and technical features in that it comprises a display unit capable of displaying a guidance direction calculated by said calculating means.

  In the optical information reading device according to claim 2, the determination unit is configured to determine the entire range of the code image based on at least three points. It is a technical feature to determine whether or not the entire code image is within the predetermined range.

  In the optical information reading device according to claim 3, the detection unit is configured to include at least three points capable of defining the entire range of the code image. A technical feature is that a reference point of the code image is detected based on one or more points.

  In the optical information reading device according to claim 4 according to the claims, in the optical information reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the light receiving surface of the imaging means is constituted by a solid-state imaging device, When the predetermined range is defined by a two-dimensional array of pixels constituting the solid-state imaging device, the detection means detects the position of the reference point as a coordinate by the two-dimensional array. To do.

  5. The optical information reader according to claim 5, wherein the calculating means calculates the current position of the reference point in the entire coordinate space by the two-dimensional array. It is a technical feature that a direction in which the at least three points of the code image are within the predetermined range is obtained as the guide direction based on the coordinates.

  6. The optical information reader according to claim 6, wherein the calculating means calculates the current position of the reference point by coordinates based on the two-dimensional array. Obtained as coordinates for the entire space, and based on these coordinates, the distance required for the at least three points of the code image to fall within the predetermined range is obtained, and this distance is compared with a predetermined value to enter the predetermined range. And the display means displays the degree of positional deviation of the code image in a visually comprehensible manner based on the distance obtained by the calculation means. To do.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the information code displayed on the screen is imaged by the light receiving surface of the image pickup means, and the entire code image of the information code imaged by the image pickup means is defined by the light receiving surface of the image pickup means. It is determined whether it is within a predetermined range. When the determining means determines that the entire code image is not within the predetermined range, the detecting means detects the reference point indicating the position of the code image and its position, and the detected reference point Based on the position, the calculation means calculates a guidance direction for guiding the entire information code to be within a predetermined range, and the calculated guidance direction is displayed by the display means. Accordingly, when it is determined that the entire code image of the information code imaged by the imaging unit is not within the predetermined range, the guidance direction for guiding the entire information code to be within the predetermined range is displayed on the display unit. Therefore, the user of the optical information reading device changes the position of the portable information terminal device in accordance with the displayed guidance direction, so that the entire information code is within a predetermined range. Can be aligned. Therefore, it is possible to easily read the information code displayed on the screen of the portable information terminal device. Further, even when alignment is performed in a non-contact state, since such a guide direction is displayed, it is possible to eliminate difficulty in grasping the position in the space and to easily read the information code.

  In the invention of claim 2, the judging means judges whether or not the entire code image is within the predetermined range based on at least three points that can define the entire range of the code image. For example, if the overall shape of the information code is a rectangle, any three of the four corners of the rectangle, if the overall shape of the information code is a triangle, all its vertices, and the overall shape of the information code If the circle is circular, the entire range of the code image of the information code can be defined by specifying three points located on the circumference of the circle. Thereby, the determination means can easily determine whether or not the code image is within a predetermined range as compared with the case where such three points are not specified.

  In the invention of claim 3, the detecting means detects the reference point of the code image based on at least one of at least three points that can define the entire range of the code image. For example, if the overall shape of the information code is a rectangle, any three of the four corners of the rectangle, if the overall shape of the information code is a triangle, all its vertices, and the overall shape of the information code Can be defined by specifying each of the three points located on the circumference of the circle, the entire range of the code image of the information code can be defined, and the reference point of the code image can be determined based on one or more of them. To detect. Accordingly, when the determination unit determines that the entire code image is not within the predetermined range, the detection unit determines the reference point of the code image and its position based on the one or more points. By detecting within, the calculation of the guide direction by the calculation means can be easily performed.

  In the invention of claim 4, when the light receiving surface of the image pickup means is constituted by a solid-state image pickup device and the predetermined range is defined by a two-dimensional array of pixels constituting the solid-state image pickup device, the detection means sets the position of the reference point. Detect as coordinates by two-dimensional array. In the invention of claim 5, the calculation means obtains the position of the current reference point as coordinates with respect to the entire coordinate space by the two-dimensional array, and at least three points of the code image fall within a predetermined range based on the coordinates. The direction is obtained as the guide direction. Thereby, for example, the range and position of the code image of the information code can be grasped by the coordinate space on the XY plane. Therefore, the determination unit determines whether the code image is within the predetermined range, and the detection unit determines the reference point. The position detection and the calculation of the guide direction by the calculation means can be easily processed by the information processing means such as a computer.

  In the invention of claim 6, the calculation means obtains the position of the current reference point as coordinates for the entire coordinate space by the two-dimensional array, and based on these coordinates, at least three points of the code image fall within a predetermined range. The required distance is obtained, and the distance until it falls within the predetermined range is obtained by comparing this distance with a predetermined value, and the display means detects the displacement of the code image based on the distance obtained by the calculating means. The degree of is displayed visually. Thereby, the user of the optical information reading device can know the degree of positional deviation of the portable information terminal device that is about to read the information code by such visually understandable display. It is possible to accurately perform alignment according to the above. Therefore, reading of the information code displayed on the screen of the portable information terminal device can be further facilitated.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the optical information reading device of the present invention is applied to a two-dimensional code scanner device (hereinafter referred to as “scanner device”) capable of reading an information code displayed on the screen of a portable information terminal device will be described with reference to the drawings. I will explain. In the present embodiment, a mobile phone 100 will be described as an example of a mobile information terminal device, and a QR code Q will be described as an example of an information code.

  First, the mechanical configuration and optical configuration of the scanner device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 (A) shows a plan view of the scanner device 10 and FIG. 1 (B) shows a plan view of the mobile phone 100. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the scanner device 10 taken along line 2A-2A shown in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 2B is an explanatory diagram showing the difference in imaging range by the area sensor. Has been.

  As shown in FIG. 1 (A), the external appearance of the scanner device 10 is constituted by a housing 11 formed of a substantially rectangular box. Two rectangular window holes are formed on the surface 11a of the housing 11, one reading window 12a is located at the approximate center of the surface 11a, and the other display window 12b is located slightly closer to the corner of the surface 11a. , Are arranged to be located respectively. As shown in FIG. 2A, legs 13 are provided at the four corners of the back surface 11b of the housing 11.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 2A, the reading window 12a functions as an opening for reading the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 of the mobile phone 100. 100 liquid crystal displays 103 are formed in a substantially similar rectangular shape or a slightly smaller rectangular shape. As a result, the liquid crystal display 103 can be irradiated with illumination light Lf emitted from the illumination unit 21 accommodated in the housing 11 as described later, and the reflected light Lr reflected by the liquid crystal display 103 is reflected on the housing 11. The imaging optical unit 25 accommodated in the optical receiver 25 can receive light. The reading window 12a is provided with a transparent plate 15 capable of closing the entire surface of the reading window 12a from the inside of the casing 11, and foreign substances such as dust and dust enter the casing 11 from the outside. Is preventing.

  The display window 12b allows the liquid crystal display unit 46 to be attached so that the display surface of the liquid crystal display unit 46, which will be described later, can be viewed from the outside of the housing 11, and has a rectangular shape that is slightly larger than the liquid crystal display unit 46. Is formed. Thereby, the user of the scanner device 10 can visually recognize the predetermined instruction content M displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 46, as will be described later. The “user” refers to a person who performs an operation for causing the scanner device 10 to read the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 of the mobile phone 100 (the same applies hereinafter). FIG. 1 (A) shows the cellular phone 100 as seen from the back side 101b of the case, and the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 is also outlined from the back side. Please note that.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the mobile phone 100 is provided, for example, with a main body case 101, a liquid crystal display 103 provided with a display surface facing the case front side 101a of the main body case 101, and a pressable case from the case front side 101a. Various key switches 105 and a control unit, a radio unit, etc. (not shown) housed in the main body case 101 are configured to output a QR code Q to the liquid crystal display 103. In the present embodiment, the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 is to be read by the scanner device 10. The liquid crystal display 103 is provided with a reflector that can reflect extraneous light on the back side thereof, and a reflective type that makes the liquid crystal display clear by using the reflected light, and a light emitter that can emit light on the back side. There is a transmissive type in which a (backlight) is provided to make the liquid crystal display clear by using the emitted light.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (A), a printed wiring board 16, an illumination unit 21, an area sensor 23, an imaging optical unit 25, and the like on which electronic components 18 and 19 are assembled are provided in a housing 11 of the scanner device 10. Contained. The printed wiring board 16 can constitute an electronic circuit capable of realizing the functions described later by electrically connecting the electronic components 18 and 19 with a predetermined wiring pattern. It is fixed via a mounting member (not shown).

  The illumination unit 21 is an illumination light source configured to irradiate illumination light Lf to the QR code Q to be read by the scanner device 10. For example, a plurality of light emitting diodes capable of emitting red light are rectangular or annular. The LED illumination that is arranged in a similar manner corresponds to this. Therefore, the illumination unit 21 can emit the emitted illumination light Lf to the outside of the housing 11 through the reading window 12a, and can emit the illumination light Lf at a predetermined angle θ1 with respect to the front of the reading window 12a. Installed inside. As a result, the illumination light Lf can be emitted to the outside through the reading window 12a from an oblique direction, so that the illumination light Lf can be irradiated over a wider range than when the illumination light Lf is emitted directly under the front of the reading window 12a. It becomes possible.

  The area sensor 23 is a light receiving sensor configured to be able to receive the reflected light Lr irradiated and reflected by the QR code Q. For example, a light receiving element that is a solid-state imaging element such as a C-MOS or a CCD is two-dimensionally arranged. Is. The area sensor 23 is attached at a position where image formation by the imaging optical unit 25 is possible on the light receiving surface 23a of the area sensor 23, and is electrically connected to an amplification circuit 31 described later. Thereby, after the code image formed on the light receiving surface 23 a is converted into an image signal, the image information can be output to the amplifier circuit 31.

  The imaging optical unit 25 is an optical member that receives the reflected light Lr of the illumination light Lf irradiated to the QR code Q to be read and enables a code image or the like to be imaged on the light receiving surface 23a of the area sensor 23. And an imaging lens 27 and the like. The imaging optical unit 25 is also mounted in the housing 11 so as to be able to receive the reflected light Lr at a predetermined angle θ2 with respect to the front surface of the reading window 12a, similarly to the illumination unit 21 (shown in FIG. 2A). Reference numeral 12a ′ indicates a virtual line parallel to the opening surface of the reading window. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the imaging optical unit 25 (imaging lens 27 ′) is attached so as to face the front of the reading window 12a (predetermined angle θ2 = 0 °). Compared with the imaging ranges Wd ′ and Lr ′, an enlarged imaging range Wd can be obtained (reference numeral 103 ′ shown in FIG. 2B indicates a virtual line parallel to the display surface of the liquid crystal display 103).

  In the present embodiment, since the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 of the mobile phone 100 is to be read, the received light varies depending on the light emission state of the liquid crystal display 103. That is, when the liquid crystal display 103 is reflective or transmissive and the backlight does not emit light (hereinafter referred to as “backlight off state”), the illumination light Lf emitted from the illuminating unit 21 is mirrored on the surface of the liquid crystal display 103. Since the possibility of reflection is high, the imaging optical unit 25 receives the total reflection component stronger than the diffuse reflection component of the light as the reflected light Lr.

  On the other hand, when the liquid crystal display 103 is transmissive and the backlight emits light (hereinafter referred to as “backlight on state”), the backlight 21 does not irradiate the illumination light Lf, and the backlight does not irradiate the liquid crystal display. The imaging optical unit 25 receives the light emitted from 103 (corresponding to the reflected light Lr in FIG. 2) as reflected light Lr. Thus, in order to make it possible to read the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 regardless of the light emission state of the liquid crystal display 103 such as the backlight off state and the on state, the imaging optical unit 25 is set at a predetermined angle θ2. It is attached in the housing 11.

  Next, an electrical configuration of the scanner apparatus 10 having such a mechanical configuration and an optical configuration will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the electrical configuration of the scanner device 10 includes an amplifier circuit 31, an A / D conversion circuit 33, a memory 35, an address generation circuit 36, a synchronization signal generation circuit 38, a control circuit 40, a power switch 42, a buzzer. 44, a liquid crystal display unit 46, a communication interface 48, and the like.

  These can function as a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a “microcomputer”) (information processing apparatus) composed mainly of the control circuit 40 and the memory 35 by the electronic components 18 and 19 assembled to the printed wiring board 16 described above. Therefore, the image signal of the QR code Q imaged by the above-described mechanical configuration and optical configuration can be processed in hardware and software. The control circuit 40 also performs control related to the entire system of the barcode reader 20.

  A code image or the like imaged on the light receiving surface 23 a of the area sensor 23 by the imaging optical unit 25 is converted into an image signal (analog signal) by the area sensor 23 and then input to the amplification circuit 31 to be predetermined. Amplified by the gain and further input to the A / D conversion circuit 33. As a result, since the analog signal is converted into the digital signal, the digitized image signal, that is, the image data is stored in the image data storage area when input to the memory 35. The synchronization signal generation circuit 38 is configured to generate a synchronization signal for the light receiving sensor 23 and the address generation circuit 36. The address generation circuit 36 is based on the synchronization signal supplied from the synchronization signal generation circuit 38. Thus, the storage address of the image data stored in the memory 35 can be generated.

  The memory 35 is a semiconductor memory device, and corresponds to, for example, a RAM (DRAM, SRAM, etc.) or a ROM (EPROM, EEPROM, etc.). In addition to the above-described image data storage area, the RAM of the memory 35 includes a work area used by the control circuit 40 in each processing such as arithmetic operation and logical operation, and display output data used in an alignment guidance process described later. The area and the like can be secured. In addition, the ROM stores in advance a predetermined program that can execute an alignment guide process, which will be described later, and a system program that can control each hardware such as the illumination light source 21 and the area sensor 23.

  The control circuit 40 is a microcomputer that can control the entire scanner device 10 and includes a CPU, a system bus, an input / output interface, and the like. The control circuit 40 constitutes an information processing device together with the memory 35 and has an information processing function. The control circuit 40 is configured to be connectable to various input / output devices (peripheral devices) via a built-in input / output interface. In the case of the present embodiment, a power switch 42, a buzzer 44, and a liquid crystal display unit. 46, a communication interface 48, and the like are connected. Thereby, for example, monitoring and management of the power switch 42, turning on / off of the buzzer 44 capable of generating a predetermined beep sound and alarm sound, and a liquid crystal display capable of displaying a predetermined instruction content M on the screen as will be described later. This enables screen control of the unit 46, communication control of the communication interface 48 enabling serial communication with an external device, and the like. The external device connected to the communication interface 48 corresponds to, for example, a host computer HST that can process data of QR code Q read by the scanner device 10.

  Here, the configuration outline of the code image and the QR code stored in the image data storage area will be described with reference to FIG. The code image or the like stored in the image data storage area of the memory 35 is image data captured in the captured image range W defined by the light receiving surface 23a of the area sensor 23. Therefore, for example, when the light receiving surface 23a is expressed in an XY space (two-dimensional coordinate space) by the X axis and the Y axis, it is expressed as shown in FIG. Since all image information captured by the area sensor 23 exists as data in the XY space, for example, the liquid crystal display 103 that displays the QR code Q in addition to the code image Q ′ of the QR code Q or the mobile phone 100 And the like, non-code images 100 ′ and 103 ′.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the code image Q ′ is detected by detecting the reference points α, β, γ that form the centers of the three position detection element patterns FP constituting the QR code from such image data. It is possible to recognize the whole range. That is, as shown in FIG. 4B, the QR code generally includes a position detection pattern composed of position detection element patterns FP arranged at three corners on the upper left, lower left, and upper right. In the present embodiment, by detecting the centers of the three position detection element patterns FP as the reference points α, β, and γ, the code area that is the entire range of the code image Q ′ is grasped. The position detection element pattern FP is also referred to as a “finding pattern”.

  More specifically, the position detection element pattern FP is a square (such as black) 3 × 3 module FPa, bright (in accordance with the basic specifications of the QR code (Japanese Industrial Standards; JIS X 0510: 2004)) Three of white 5 × 5 module FPb and dark 7 × 7 module FPc are formed by overlapping concentric squares. For this reason, this concentric center is set as a “reference point” in the present embodiment, and for convenience, the center of the position detection element pattern FP arranged at the upper left of the QR code Q (code image Q ′) is set as the reference point α, The center of the position detection element pattern FP arranged at the lower left is the reference point β, and the center of the position detection element pattern FP arranged at the upper right is the reference point γ. The “module” referred to here is a unit cell constituting a QR code and corresponds to 1 bit of data.

  The symbol AP shown in FIG. 4B is an alignment pattern (alignment pattern) formed by concentrating a dark 1 module, a bright 3 × 3 module, and a dark 5 × 5 module in a concentric square shape. It is possible to correct the distortion of the QR code Q. Further, the code QZ shown in the figure is called a quiet zone surrounding the QR code Q in a frame shape with four bright modules, and the code BT is data and error correction constituting the QR code Q. It shows the data area that accommodates the code.

  Thus, the scanner apparatus 10 configured with hardware (a mechanical configuration, an optical configuration, and an electrical configuration) performs an alignment guide process described below. In this process, the user of the scanner device 10 holds the liquid crystal display 103 of the mobile phone 100 held by the user over the reading window 12a of the scanner device 10 or the mobile phone with the liquid crystal display 103 facing the reading window 12a. When 100 is placed on the transparent plate 15, a predetermined detection program that detects the presence of the mobile phone 100 is activated. As a result, the user of the scanner device 10 can easily align the mobile phone 100 held by the user by following the predetermined instruction content M displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 46 of the scanner device 10. It becomes possible.

  As the detection program, for example, based on the image data stored in the image data storage area of the memory 35, image data corresponding to the frame of the liquid crystal display 103 of the mobile phone 100 is stored in the image data storage area. If it is detected that the mobile phone 100 is present in the reading window 12a, or more than about half of the image data has changed, the state has continued for more than 1-2 seconds. In some cases, there is one that detects the presence of an object such as the mobile phone 100 in the reading window 12a.

  Here, the flow of the alignment guidance process by the scanner device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the alignment guidance process shown in FIG. 5 and the like is processed by a microcomputer including the control circuit 40 described above. 6 to 8 illustrate, in order from the left side of the drawing, (1) the range W of the captured image, (2) the liquid crystal display unit 46, and (3) the positional relationship between the reading window 12a and the mobile phone 100. Yes. In these drawings, (1) the range W of the captured image, and (3) the positional relationship between the reading window 12a and the mobile phone 100, the QR code Q and its code image Q ' It should be noted that the positional relationship between the two is left-right mirror-symmetric because they are expressed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the alignment guidance processing, after predetermined initialization processing such as clearing the work area secured in the memory 35 and setting parameters, image information acquisition processing is first performed in step S101. In this image information acquisition process, image data based on the image signal output from the area sensor 23 is acquired from the image data storage area of the memory 35.

  In the next step S103, processing for detecting a position detection pattern is performed. As already described with reference to FIG. 4B, in the case of the QR code, since the position detection pattern is composed of three position detection element patterns FP, in this process, the image acquired in step S101 is displayed. By detecting three position detection element patterns FP from the data, a position detection pattern is detected and a QR code range is detected. These detection results are digitized using the XY coordinates described above. Thereby, it is possible to detect a data range corresponding to the entire code image Q ′ of the QR code Q. In the present embodiment, even when only a part (for example, one or two) of the three position detection element patterns FP is detected, the number of detected position detection element patterns FP and their coordinates are used as detection results. If any position detection element pattern FP cannot be detected, 0 (zero) is set as the detection result as the number of position detection element patterns FP. Note that this step S103 is a point where the reference points α, β, γ and their positions can be detected by XY coordinates, and should be located between step S107 and step S109. Since it is also necessary for the code data reading process in the next step S105, a configuration in which the process is performed before step S105 and the process is repeated after step S107 is avoided. Therefore, step S103 can correspond to “detection means” described in the claims.

  In the subsequent step S105, a code data reading process is performed. In this process, the QR code is decoded in accordance with a predetermined algorithm based on the data range of the code image Q ′ detected in step S103. In addition, as such a decoding process, a well-known thing is used for patent 2938338 etc., for example. Thereby, in step S105, when the QR code can be normally decoded, the decoding result is stored in a predetermined area of the memory 35, and the fact that the decoding has been normally performed is set in the decode enable / disable flag. On the other hand, if the QR code could not be decoded normally, a message indicating that the QR code could not be decoded is set in the decode enable / disable flag. Note that, based on whether the QR code Q can be normally read, it can be determined whether the QR code Q is within the range W of the captured image defined by the light receiving surface 23a of the area sensor 23. Step S105, along with the next step S107, can correspond to the “determination means” recited in the claims.

  In step S107, based on the decoding enable / disable flag in step S105, processing is performed to determine whether or not the QR code has been normally read (decoded). That is, when the fact that the decoding has been normally performed is set in the decoding enable / disable flag, it is determined that the reading has been normally performed (S107; Yes). In this case, is the user of the scanner device 10 holding the mobile phone 100 within an appropriate range, that is, within a captured image range W (predetermined range) defined by the light receiving surface 23a of the area sensor 23? Or (see FIG. 6A), the process proceeds to step S121, the normal message (OK) is set in the display output data area, and the display process in step S151 is performed. In this case, “OK” is displayed as the predetermined instruction content M on the liquid crystal display unit 46 of the scanner device 10 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when it is set in the decode enable / disable flag that the decoding has not been performed normally, it is determined that the decoding has not been performed normally (S107; No), and the process proceeds to the subsequent step S109. This step S107 can correspond to “determination means” described in the claims.

  In step S109, processing for determining whether or not the center position of the position detection element pattern FP has been detected is performed. This process determines whether or not the center position of the position detection element pattern FP has been detected based on the detection result (number of position detection element patterns FP) detected in step S103. This can correspond to the “detection means” described. . That is, when the number of the position detection element patterns FP detected in step S103 is 1 or more, the center position of the position detection element pattern FP can be detected (S109; Yes). The process proceeds to S111.

  On the other hand, when the number of position detection element patterns FP detected in step S103 is 0 (zero), the center position of the position detection element pattern FP cannot be detected (S109; No). There is a high possibility that the QR code Q does not exist in the reading window 12a. In this case, since the user of the scanner device 10 does not hold or place the mobile phone 100 within the captured image range W (see FIG. 6B), the process proceeds to step S123. After the process is shifted and the abnormal message 1 (no QR code) is set in the display output data area, the display process in step S151 is performed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6B, “no QR code” is displayed as the predetermined instruction content M on the liquid crystal display unit 46 of the scanner device 10.

  In step S111, processing for determining the number of detected position detection element patterns FP is performed. This process is performed based on the number (1 to 3) of position detection element patterns FP detected in step S103. When the number of position detection element patterns FP is 3, the position detection element patterns FP Even though all of the codes can be detected, reading of the code data in step S105 has failed (S111; 3), so that the QR code Q existing in the reading window 12a is displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 or the like. There is a possibility that the optical condition is difficult to read due to reflection, or that there is a problem in the structure of the QR code Q itself. In this case, even if the user of the scanner device 10 holds or places the mobile phone 100 within the captured image range W, a reading error occurs (see FIG. 6C). After the process proceeds to step S125 and abnormal message 2 (reading error) is set in the display output data area, the display process in step S151 is performed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6C, “reading error” is displayed as the predetermined instruction content M on the liquid crystal display unit 46 of the scanner device 10.

  On the other hand, when the number of position detection element patterns FP detected in step S103 is 1, only one of the three position detection element patterns FP constituting the position detection pattern can be detected. Therefore (S111; one piece), the process proceeds to the subsequent step S131 to generate a guide direction, and then a guide arrow according to the guide direction is set in step S133, and the display process in step S151 is performed.

  For example, when the lower left direction is generated by the guide direction generation process 1 in step S131, the user of the scanner device 10 holds the mobile phone 100 in the upper right direction with respect to the range W of the captured image. Or, since it is placed (see FIG. 6D), the process proceeds to step S133, the guide arrow Ar3 (downward to the left) is set in the display output data area, and the display process in step S151 is performed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6D, the liquid crystal display unit 46 of the scanner device 10 displays a left-downward guide arrow Ar3 as the predetermined instruction content M.

  When the number of position detection element patterns FP detected in step S103 is 2, two of the three position detection element patterns FP constituting the position detection pattern are detected. (S111; 2) After shifting to the subsequent step S141 to generate a guide direction, a guide arrow according to this guide direction is set in step S143, and the display process in step S151 is performed.

  For example, when the right direction is generated by the guide direction generation process 2 in step S141, the user of the scanner device 10 holds the mobile phone 100 in the left direction with respect to the range W of the captured image. Or, since it is placed (see FIG. 6E), the process proceeds to step S143, the guide arrow Ar8 (rightward) is set in the display output data area, and the display process in step S151 is performed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6E, a right-pointing guide arrow Ar8 is displayed as the predetermined instruction content M on the liquid crystal display unit 46 of the scanner device 10.

  In this way, the predetermined instruction content M is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 46 in step S151, so that the user of the scanner device 10 can capture the captured image on the reading window 12a by the mobile phone 100 that he / she is holding. It is possible to grasp whether or not the position is within the range W, and when the position is not within the range W of the captured image, the direction to be included in the range W can be visually grasped. Thus, for example, even when “non-contact reading” is performed in which the liquid crystal display 103 of the mobile phone 100 is not brought into contact with the transparent plate 15 of the reading window 12a, the position of the user's hand holding the mobile phone 100 is appropriately guided. Therefore, the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 can be easily read.

  In addition to the display processing in step S151, a predetermined sound may be generated by the buzzer 44 based on the normal / abnormal message content. As a result, the user of the scanner device 10 can grasp whether or not the QR code Q can be read normally by hearing rather than visually, and thus can more reliably recognize whether or not the reading is possible.

  Here, the content of the guide direction generation process 1 by step S131 is demonstrated based on FIG. This step S131 can correspond to “calculation means” described in the claims. This guide direction generation process 1 is performed when the number of position detection element patterns FP detected in step S103 is 1, and for example, as shown in FIG. 7A, the liquid crystal display of the mobile phone 100 is displayed. Of the QR code Q displayed in 103, only the upper right part (upper left part when viewed from the case back side 101b side) is within the range W of the picked-up image, or the like.

  (A1) First, the center position of the position detection element pattern FP detected in step S103 is digitized (for example, γ (X, Y)) as the XY coordinates in the range W of the captured image. By subtracting from the maximum coordinates (Xmax, Ymax) of the range W, the positional relationship with the origin coordinates (Xo, Yo) is calculated.

(A2) Then, when the relationship of the following expression (1) is satisfied, the γ (X, Y) is located at the lower left (lower right as viewed from the user) in the range W of the captured image. Therefore, a guide direction “upper left” for guiding the mobile phone 100 in the upper right direction (upper left as viewed from the user) is generated (see FIG. 7A).
(Xmax-X)> X and (Ymax-Y)> Y (1)

(A3) On the other hand, of the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103, only the upper left part (upper right part when viewed from the case back side 101b side) is located within the range W of the captured image. In addition, when satisfying the relationship of the following expression (2), α (X, Y) is located at the lower right (lower left as viewed from the user) in the captured image range W. A guide direction “upper right” for guiding the mobile phone 100 in the upper left direction (upper right as viewed from the user) is generated (see FIG. 7B).
(Xmax−X) <X and (Ymax−Y)> Y (2)

(A4) Further, among the QR codes Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103, only the lower left part (the lower right part when viewed from the case back side 101b side) is located within the range W of the captured image. When β (X, Y) is satisfied when the relationship of the following expression (3) is satisfied, the mobile phone is located in the upper left (upper right as viewed from the user) in the captured image range W. A guide direction “lower left” for guiding the telephone 100 in the lower right direction (lower left as viewed from the user) is generated (see FIG. 7C).
(Xmax−X)> X and (Ymax−Y) <Y (3)

(A5) Similarly, in the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103, only the lower left part (the lower right part when viewed from the case back side 101b side) is located within the range W of the captured image. In addition, when satisfying the relationship of the following expression (4), β (X, Y) is located on the upper right side (upper left side when viewed from the user) in the captured image range W. A guide direction “lower right” for guiding the mobile phone 100 in the lower left direction (lower right as viewed from the user) is generated (see FIG. 7D).
(Xmax−X) <X and (Ymax−Y) <Y (4)

  As a result, any one of the guide directions “upper left”, “upper right”, “lower left”, and “lower right” is generated. By passing this guide direction information to the guide arrows 1 to 4 setting process (S133), In the guide arrow 1-4 setting processing (S133), guide arrows Ar1 (upper left), Ar2 (upper right), Ar3 (lower left), and Ar4 (lower right) corresponding to the respective directions are set in the display output data area. As a result, arrows corresponding to the respective directions are displayed and output as predetermined instruction contents M on the liquid crystal display unit 46 (FIGS. 7A to 7D).

  Here, the content of the guide direction generation processing 2 in step S141 will be described with reference to FIG. This step S141 may correspond to “calculation means” described in the claims. This guide direction generation process 2 is performed when the number of position detection element patterns FP detected in step S103 is 2, for example, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, The processing is performed when a part of the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 of the mobile phone 100 is located within the range W of the captured image.

  (B1) First, the center positions of the two position detection element patterns FP detected in step S103 are both digitized as XY coordinates in the range W of the captured image. For example, in the case of FIG. 8A, the reference point α is (X2, Y2), the reference point γ is (X1, Y1), and in the case of FIG. 8B, the reference point α is (X1, Y1). The reference point β is (X2, Y2). Therefore, the distance between these two reference points (| X1-X2 |, | Y1-Y2 |) is obtained, and the following equations (5), (6) are obtained from the magnitude relationship between the distance in the X-axis direction and the distance in the Y-axis direction. ) To obtain XM or YM.

If | X1-X2 |> | Y1-Y2 |, then YM = (Y1 + Y2) / 2 (5)
If | X1-X2 | <| Y1-Y2 |, then XM = (X1 + X2) / 2 (6)
For example, in the case shown in FIG. 8 (A), since the relationship of the above equation (5) is satisfied, YM is obtained, and in the case shown in FIG. 8 (B), the relationship of the above equation (6) is satisfied. Find XM.

(B2) When the relationship of the above equation (5) is satisfied, the guide direction “up” or “down” is further generated based on the following equations (7) and (8).
(Ymax−YM) <YM (7)
(Ymax−YM)> YM (8)

  That is, YM obtained by the above equation (5) corresponds to the Y-axis coordinate of the intermediate point between Y1 and Y2, and therefore when the equation (7) is satisfied from the position of YM, the code image Q ′ (QR Since the code Q) is shifted upward in the range W of the captured image, the guide direction “down” for guiding the mobile phone 100 downward is generated (see FIG. 9A). ). On the other hand, when the expression (8) is satisfied, the code image Q ′ (QR code Q) is positioned downward in the captured image range W. A guide direction “up” for guiding upward is generated (see FIG. 9B). The code image Q ′ shown in FIGS. 9 (A) and 9 (B) is not inclined with respect to the X axis and the Y axis, but is substantially parallel, but in such a case, Applying the above equations (5) and (6), the processing according to equations (7) and (8) is performed.

(B3) On the other hand, when the relationship of the above equation (6) is satisfied, the guide direction “left” or “right” is generated based on the following equations (9) and (10).
(Xmax−XM)> XM (9)
(Xmax−XM) <XM (10)

  That is, the XM obtained by the above equation (6) corresponds to the X-axis coordinate of the intermediate point between X1 and X2, and therefore when the equation (9) is satisfied from the position of this XM, the code image Q ′ (QR Since the code Q) is located offset to the left (right when viewed from the user) within the range W of the captured image, the mobile phone 100 is directed to the right (left when viewed from the user). The guiding direction “Left” to be guided is generated (see FIG. 9C). On the other hand, when the expression (10) is satisfied, the code image Q ′ (QR code Q) is shifted to the right (left as viewed from the user) in the captured image range W. Therefore, a guide direction “right” for guiding the mobile phone 100 in the left direction (right direction as viewed from the user) is generated (see FIG. 9D). The code image Q ′ shown in FIGS. 9 (C) and 9 (D) is not inclined with respect to the X-axis and Y-axis, but is almost parallel. Applying the above equations (5) and (6), the processing according to equations (9) and (10) is performed.

  As a result, any one of the guide directions “down”, “up”, “left”, and “right” is generated. By passing this guide direction information to the guide arrows 5 to 8 setting process (S143), In the guide arrows 5 to 8 setting process (S143), guide arrows Ar5 (down), Ar6 (up), Ar7 (left), and Ar8 (right) corresponding to the respective directions are set in the display output data area. As a result, arrows corresponding to the respective directions are displayed and output as predetermined instruction contents M on the liquid crystal display unit 46 (FIGS. 9A to 9D).

  As described above, according to the scanner device 10 according to the present embodiment, the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 of the mobile phone 100 is imaged by the light receiving surface 23a of the area sensor 23, and the control circuit 40 and the memory 35 are captured. Thus, it is determined whether or not the entire code image Q ′ of the QR code Q imaged by the area sensor 23 is within the captured image range W defined by the light receiving surface 23a of the area sensor 23 (S105, S107). ). When the control circuit 40 or the like determines that the entire code image Q ′ is not within the captured image range W (S107; No), the control circuit 40 or the like indicates a reference point indicating the position of the code image Q ′. XY coordinates indicating α, β, γ and their positions are detected (S103, S109), and the entire QR code Q is detected by the control circuit 40 or the like based on the XY coordinates of the reference points α, β, γ detected thereby. A guide direction (up, down, left, right, upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right) for guiding the user to enter the range W of the captured image is calculated, and the calculated guide direction is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 46. (S151).

  Thereby, when it is determined that the entire code image Q ′ of the QR code Q captured by the area sensor 23 is not within the captured image range W (S107; No), the entire QR code Q is captured image. Since the guide direction for guiding the user to enter the range W is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 46, the user of the scanner device 10 changes the position of the mobile phone 100 in accordance with the displayed guide direction, thereby imaging. The cellular phone 100 can be aligned so that the entire QR code Q falls within the range W of the image. Therefore, the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 of the mobile phone 100 can be easily read. Further, even when alignment is performed in a non-contact state, such a guide direction is displayed, so that difficulty in grasping the position in the space can be eliminated and QR code Q can be easily read.

  In the embodiment described above, the length of the guide arrows Ar1 to Ar8 indicating the guide direction has been described as an example of a certain length. However, for example, as shown in FIG. The degree of positional deviation of the code image Q ′ may be expressed by the lengths of the guide arrows Ar4L, Ar4M, and Ar4S based on the magnitude of the distance to be led to.

  For example, when the guide arrow Ar4 for guiding the guide direction “lower right” is displayed, it is necessary to satisfy Equation (4) above, but in addition to this, the coordinates (X, Y) of the reference point β are Depending on which of the following formulas (11), (12), and (13) is satisfied, guide arrows Ar4L, Ar4M, and Ar4S having different lengths are displayed. Note that xL, xL ′, xM, xM ′, xS, and xS ′ are arbitrary positive integers that satisfy the magnitude relationship of xL ′> xL> xM ′> xM> xS ′> xS.

xL <X <xL ′ and yL <Y <yL ′ (11)
When the condition is satisfied, a guide arrow Ar4L having a length of “large” is displayed (see FIG. 10A).

xM <X <xM ′ and yM <Y <yM ′ (12)
When the condition is satisfied, a guide arrow Ar4M having a length of “medium” is displayed (see FIG. 10B).

xS <X <xS ′ and yS <Y <yS ′ (13)
When the condition is satisfied, a guide arrow Ar4S having a length of “small” is displayed (see FIG. 10C).

  As a result, the user of the scanner device 10 can visually grasp the degree of positional deviation of the mobile phone 100 about to read the QR code Q, such as guide arrows Ar4L (large), Ar4M (middle). , Ar4S (small), it is possible to accurately perform alignment according to the display (see FIG. 10D). Accordingly, it is possible to further easily read the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 of the mobile phone 100. In this example, the guide arrow Ar4 that guides the guide direction “lower right” has been described. However, the guide directions (upper left, upper right, lower left, lower, upper, left, right) described so far are also described. Applicable.

  Thus, the control circuit 40 or the like obtains the position of any of the current reference points α, β, γ as coordinates for the entire XY coordinate space by the two-dimensional array (S103), and based on this, xL, xL ′ , XM, xM ′, xS, xS ′ (Equations (11), (12), (13)), the degree of position deviation of the code image is indicated by the guide arrow until it falls within the range W of the captured image. Although the length (Ar4L (large), Ar4M (medium), and Ar4S (small)) is displayed so that it can be visually grasped, at least three reference points α, β, γ of the code image Q ′ based on the XY coordinates The distance required to enter the range W of the captured image is obtained, and the distance to enter the range W of the captured image is obtained by comparing this distance with a predetermined value. Based on the size, the degree of misalignment of the code image Q ′ is determined by the length of the guide arrow (Ar4 (Large), Ar4M (medium), Ar4S (small)) in may be visually grasp to be able to display.

  Accordingly, the user of the scanner device 10 can determine the degree of positional deviation of the mobile phone 100 to read the QR code Q. If the arrow is long, the degree of positional deviation is large, and if the arrow is short, the degree of positional deviation. Since the position deviation degree can be known from the length of the guide arrow, for example, the position can be accurately adjusted by following the display showing the movement direction and the movement amount. Accordingly, it is possible to further easily read the QR code Q displayed on the liquid crystal display 103 of the mobile phone 100.

  In the embodiment described above, the QR code Q is exemplified as the information code. However, for example, the information code is not limited to this, and other two-dimensional codes (PDF417, data matrix, maxi code, RSS composite) Etc.) and one-dimensional codes (EAN / UPC, interleaved 2 of 5, coder bar, code 39/128, standard 2 of 5, RSS, etc.) can also be applied.

  Note that each information code like this does not include the position detection element pattern FP at the corner of the code area unlike the QR code, so the position detection pattern detection process (S103) of the alignment guidance process shown in FIG. ), Four corners are detected as shown in FIG.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, when the information code is a data matrix DM, a code area (frame) of the data matrix DM is detected by a known algorithm, and the four corners DMα of the code area frame J are detected. DMβ, DMγ, and DMδ are processed as reference points (DMα, DMβ, DMγ), respectively, similarly to the reference points α, β, γ of the position detection element pattern FP described above. Similarly, when the information code is a barcode BC, the code area of the barcode BC is detected and the four corners BCα, BCβ, BCγ, BCδ of the code area frame K are similarly detected as shown in FIG. Processing is performed in the same manner as the reference points α, β, γ of the position detection element pattern FP.

  Further, when the information code is the data matrix DM, two L-shaped orthogonal straight line portions exist at the boundary of the code area due to the specification of the code. Therefore, as an example of detecting the four corners without generating the code area frame, after detecting the two straight lines L1 and L2, the intersection of the two straight lines L1 and L2 is set as the reference point DMβ, The end of L1 is the reference point DMα, the end of the straight line L2 is the reference point DMδ, and the intersection of the straight line L3 orthogonal to the straight line L1 from the reference point DMα and the straight line L4 orthogonal to the straight line L2 from the reference point DMδ is the reference point DMγ may also be used. Thereby, it is possible to perform the same processing as the reference points α, β, γ of the position detection element pattern FP described above.

  In the embodiment described above, the control circuit 40 or the like can read the code image Q ′ based on at least three reference points α, β, and γ that can define the code area (entire range) of the code image Q ′. Whether or not the entire code image Q ′ is within the range W of the captured image is determined based on whether or not it has been completed (S105, S107). When the overall shape of the information code is a rectangle, such as a QR code, a data matrix, or a one-dimensional barcode, any three of the four corners of the rectangle are detected, and the area of the code is determined based on this. However, for example, when the overall shape of the information code is a triangle, all vertices thereof are specified, and when the overall shape of the information code is a circle, three points located on the circumference of the circle are specified. Thus, as in the case of the rectangular shape, the entire range of the code image of the information code can be detected.

FIG. 1A is a plan view showing an example of the mechanical and optical configuration of a scanner device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B shows the case front side of the mobile phone shown in FIG. FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the scanner device taken along line 2A-2A shown in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 2B is an explanatory diagram showing a difference in imaging range by the area sensor. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an electrical and optical configuration of the scanner device. FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example in which the range of a captured image is defined, and FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a QR code. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the alignment guidance process by this scanner apparatus. 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams for assisting the description of the alignment guidance processing, in which FIG. 6A is an example in which a normal message is displayed, FIG. 6B is an example in which an abnormal message 1 is displayed, and FIG. FIG. 6C shows an example in which the abnormal message 2 is displayed, FIG. 6D shows an example in which the guide arrow 3 is displayed, and FIG. 6E shows an example in which the guide arrow 8 is displayed. 7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams for assisting the description of the guide direction generation process 1 during the alignment guide process shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7A shows an example in which a guide arrow 1 is displayed, and FIG. 7B shows a guide arrow 2. FIG. 7C shows an example in the case of displaying the guide arrow 3, and FIG. 7D shows an example in the case of displaying the guide arrow 4. FIG. 8A is an explanatory diagram for assisting the description of the guide direction generation process 2 during the alignment guide process shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 8A shows that the reference points α and γ of the code image are | X 1 −X 2 | FIG. 8B shows an example in which the reference points α and β of the code image have a relationship of | X1-X2 | <| Y1-Y2 |. 9A and 9B are explanatory diagrams for assisting the description of the guide direction generation process 2 during the alignment guide process shown in FIG. 5, in which FIG. 9A shows an example in which a guide arrow 5 is displayed, and FIG. 9B shows a guide arrow 6. 9C shows an example in which the guide arrow 7 is displayed, and FIG. 9D shows an example in which the guide arrow 8 is displayed. FIG. 10A is an explanatory diagram for assisting the description of the modified example of the guide direction generation process 1 during the alignment guide process shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 10A is an example in the case of displaying a guide arrow Ar4L, and FIG. FIG. 10C shows an example in the case of displaying an arrow Ar4M, FIG. 10C shows an example in the case of displaying a guide arrow Ar4S, and FIG. 10D shows an example in the case of displaying a normal message. FIG. 11A is an explanatory diagram for assisting in explaining a modification of the position detection pattern detection process during the alignment guidance process shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 11A shows an example in which a code area frame is generated in the data matrix and four corners are detected. FIG. 11B shows an example in which a code area frame is generated in a one-dimensional barcode and four corners are detected, and FIG. 11C shows a case in which four corners are detected without generating a code area frame in a data matrix. Example.

Explanation of symbols

10: Scanner device (optical information reader)
12a ... Reading window 21 ... Illumination unit 23 ... Area sensor (imaging means)
23a ... light receiving surface 25 ... imaging optical part 35 ... memory (determination means, detection means, calculation means)
40. Control circuit (determination means, detection means, calculation means)
46 ... Liquid crystal display (display means)
100: Mobile phone (personal digital assistant)
103 ... Liquid crystal display (screen)
Ar1, Ar2, Ar3, Ar4, Ar5, Ar6, Ar7, Ar8 ... Guide arrow BC ... Bar code (information code)
DM: Data matrix (information code)
Q ... QR code (information code)
Q '... code image FP ... position detection element pattern Lf ... illumination light Lr ... reflected light W ... range of captured image (predetermined range)
α, β, γ ... reference points S105, S107 (determination means)
S103, S109 (detection means)
S131, S141 (calculation means)

Claims (6)

An optical information reader that is stationary and can read an information code displayed on a screen of a portable information terminal device without contacting the screen,
Imaging means having a light receiving surface capable of imaging the information code displayed on the screen;
Determination means capable of determining whether or not the entire code image of the information code imaged by the imaging means is within a predetermined range defined by the light receiving surface of the imaging means;
When the determination means determines that the entire code image is not within the predetermined range, a reference point indicating the position of the code image and detection means capable of detecting the position;
Calculation means capable of calculating a guidance direction for guiding the entire information code to fall within the predetermined range based on the position of the reference point detected by the detection means;
Display means capable of displaying the guidance direction calculated by the calculation means;
An optical information reading apparatus comprising:   2. The optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the entire code image is within the predetermined range based on at least three points that can define the entire range of the code image. Information reader.   The optical information according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects a reference point of the code image based on at least one of at least three points that can define the entire range of the code image. Reader. When the light receiving surface of the image pickup unit is configured by a solid-state image sensor, and the predetermined range is defined by a two-dimensional array of pixels constituting the solid-state image sensor,
The optical information reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the position of the reference point as coordinates based on the two-dimensional array.   The calculation means obtains the current position of the reference point as coordinates with respect to the entire coordinate space by the two-dimensional array, and based on the coordinates, the direction in which the at least three points of the code image are within the predetermined range is determined. 5. The optical information reader according to claim 4, wherein the optical information reader is obtained as a guide direction. The calculation means obtains the current position of the reference point as coordinates for the entire coordinate space of the two-dimensional array, and it is necessary for the at least three points of the code image to fall within the predetermined range based on the coordinates. Find the distance, find the magnitude of the distance to enter the predetermined range by comparing this distance with a predetermined value,
6. The optical information according to claim 4, wherein the display means displays the degree of positional deviation of the code image so as to be visually comprehensible based on the distance obtained by the calculation means. Reader.

Images