JP2774387B2 - Barcode reader - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bar code reader for reading bar code information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional bar code reader has a sensing unit 1 for measuring a bar width of a bar code as shown in FIG.
And a memory unit 2 for storing the measured bar width data, and a microprocessor 3 for decoding bar code information based on the data in the memory unit.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 10 denotes an output port of the sensing unit 1 for outputting a bar width count value and an address signal for writing to the memory unit 2. Reference numeral 30 denotes a data bus and an address bus of the microprocessor 3;
Are output and input ports of the microprocessor 3.

[0004]

However, in the configuration shown in FIG. 4, while the bar width data measured by the sensing unit 1 is being written into the memory unit 2, the microprocessor 3 cannot perform the bar code information decoding process. In this case, the bar code reader is in a waiting state, and the reading time of the bar code reader becomes longer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bar code reader which can decode bar code information by a microprocessor even during measurement of bar width data, and can shorten the reading time.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a bar code reader comprising: a sensing unit for taking in bar code information; a first memory unit and a second memory unit for storing the bar code information taken in by the sensing unit. Connecting a microprocessor for decoding barcode information stored in the first memory unit or the second memory unit, and connecting the sensing unit to the first and second memory units and the microprocessor; And a bus controller for controlling the bus, wherein the bus controller performs sensing with the microprocessor for the first memory unit and the second memory unit according to the decoding state of barcode information in the microprocessor. The configuration is such that the connection relation of the units is switched.

[0007]

According to the bar code reader of the present invention, the connection relationship between the microprocessor and the sensing unit for the first memory unit and the second memory unit is controlled according to the decoding state of the bar code information in the microprocessor. Becomes possible.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A bar code reader according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a sensing unit for measuring a bar width of a bar code. This sensing unit 1
As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor unit 11 and the sensing circuit unit 1
Consists of two. The sensor unit 11 includes a bar code illumination LED (light emitting diode) 13, a reflection mirror 14,
Condensing lens 15, reflection mirror 14 and condensing lens 15
(Solid-state imaging device) image sensor 16 on which an image of bar code 20 is formed by CCD image sensor 1 and CCD image sensor 1
6 and a CCD drive circuit 17 for amplifying the output signal. The sensing circuit unit 12 is configured to output address data for storing the bar width count value of the barcode 20 and the count result in the memory unit.

In FIG. 1, reference numerals 21 and 22 denote a first memory unit and a second memory unit, and 3 denotes a microprocessor. Reference numeral 4 denotes a bus controller, which performs switching control for connecting the bar width count value and the address data output 10 from the sensing unit 1 to the first memory unit 21 or the second memory unit 22 based on a command from the microprocessor 3. The switching control for connecting the data bus and the address bus 30 of the microprocessor 3 to the first memory unit 21 or the second memory unit 22 is performed.

Reference numeral 31 denotes an output port for outputting a command signal for starting bar width measurement from the microprocessor 3 to the sensing unit 1, and 32 denotes an output port from the sensing unit 1 to the microprocessor 3.
An input port 33 receives a signal indicating that the bar width measurement has been completed, and an output port 33 outputs a command signal from the microprocessor 3 to the bus controller 4.

FIG. 3 shows a processing flow of the microprocessor 3. Hereinafter, each process by the microprocessor 3 will be described with reference to FIG. After turning on the power, predetermined initialization processing is performed, and the microprocessor 3
, The sensing unit 1 and the first memory unit 21 are connected,
An instruction is issued to connect the microprocessor 3 and the second memory unit 22 (process A). After the completion of the initial processing, the output port 31 instructs the sensing section 1 to start the bar width measurement (processing b), and performs the barcode decoding processing based on the measurement data in the second memory section 22 (processing c). .

Next, it is determined whether or not the decoding is OK (processing d). If the decoding is OK, the barcode decoding process is completed. If the decoding is error, the bar width measurement completion signal from the sensing unit 1 is sent. Waits until is input to the input port 32 (process e). Immediately after the initial processing, since the bar width measurement data is not stored in the second memory unit 22, the processing always proceeds to processing e.

When the bar width measurement is completed in the processing (e), the microprocessor 3 outputs a switching command from the output port 33 to the bus controller 4. That is, the state where the sensing unit 1 and the first memory unit 21 are connected and the microprocessor 3 and the second memory unit 22 are connected is changed from the state where the sensing unit 1 and the second memory unit 22 are connected to each other. And the first memory unit 21 are connected to each other, and in the opposite case, commands are issued to switch to the opposite connection states (processing f).

Thereafter, the process shifts to the process A, and thereafter, the processes from the process A to the process F are repeated until the decoding of the bar code becomes OK in the process D.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the bar width can be measured by the sensing unit 1 and the bar code can be decoded by the microprocessor 3 at the same time, and the bar code reading time can be reduced.

As a specific example, the conventional example shown in FIG.
Since it takes about 15 ms for the bar width measurement by the sensing unit 1 and about 30 ms for the bar code decoding process of the microprocessor 3 to decode one bar code, if the decoding is OK in three decoding processes, about 135 ( 45x
3) Although ms was required, in the present embodiment, the measurement of the bar width and the barcode decoding process can be performed at the same time.
Decoding is possible in 5 + 30 × 3) ms.

In the above embodiment, the light emitting diode 13 and the CCD image sensor 1
6, the bar width is detected. However, a similar effect can be obtained when a semiconductor laser diode and a photodiode are used for the sensor unit 11.

[0019]

According to the bar code reader of the present invention, basically, while decoding the bar code information stored in one memory unit, the other memory unit stores the other bar code information. When the sensing unit succeeds in decoding the barcode information and when it fails, the switching state of the memory unit is made different, and the barcode information can be read rationally. The reading time of the code information can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a barcode reader according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a sensing unit.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of processing by a microprocessor.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a conventional barcode reader.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 sensing unit 3 microprocessor 4 bus controller 21 first memory unit 22 second memory unit

Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Masahiro Dan 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. References JP-A-2-90383 (JP, A) JP-A-57-182246 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06F 13/36 520 G06K 7/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A and the sensing unit to capture bar code information, bar code information which thus captured on the sensing unit
A first memory portion及 beauty second memory section for storing the broadcast, prior to
The buffer stored in the first memory unit or the second memory unit.
A microprocessor for decoding the keycode information, and the cell <br/> Nshingu portion and the first memory portion and a second memory section
A bus for connecting the microprocessor, the bus
A bus controller for controlling the bar code information in the microprocessor.
A bar code reader , wherein a connection relationship between a microprocessor and a sensing unit for the first memory unit and the second memory unit is switched according to a decoding state .