CN1212774A - Scanner arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a scanner arrangement which comprises a scanner unit, a pattern-detection unit, a memory element and a power supply, these components being integrated in a portable housing, and a separable connection to a computer being provided. The scanner arrangement, which advantageously takes the form of a marker pen, enables lines (text) to be scanned in a user-friendly manner. In particular, texts which are difficult to access, for example affixed to crates or other packaging devices, appliances or motor vehicles, can also be scanned in. Consequently the invention is suitable in particular for use within the context of customs checks.

Description

Read equipment

The present invention relates to a kind of equipment of reading, this equipment comprises that is read a unit, an image identification unit, a memory element and a power supply.

This paper begins the described automatic collection that equipment is used for file of reading.Wherein, read the unit by means of one, promptly what is called has scanner, gathers the image information (Bitmap) of file, and is converted to a preface to given character group by means of image recognition processes.The symbol of for example so-called ASCII-sign indicating number.Can adopt common text processing system to be handled these symbols then.

Common read equipment disposition have one itself be exactly a complete electrical equipment read unit-scanner-, this element always links to each other with a personal computer by cable, comprises image recognition and memory function with personal computer.Based on this structure, only limit to file than the application of reading equipment and be easy to approaching situation, perhaps as duplicating machine, file can be produced on situation on the given scanning plane.

Therefore, task of the present invention is, proposes one and reads equipment, also can gather inaccessible text or symbol sebolic addressing with this equipment.

This task begins described a kind of equipment of reading by this paper and solves according to the present invention, be assembled in the portable casing at the above various element of this equipment, and being connected on the computing machine of can disconnecting in addition.

The present invention also can read inaccessible text, for example at packing or the text on electric equipment.Therefore can be applied in for example distribution in the warehouse.But this equipment also is applicable to customs inspection, because not only can gather the data of passport and vehicle file with an independent electric equipment, and can gather the number of engine and floor underframe for vehicle.

Wherein, if shell has the shape of mark probe pen, and will to read device assembles then be favourable at the top of shell.Operation according to mark probe pen mode is that people are familiar with, thereby is subjected to user's welcome especially.

In addition, if with being connected of can disconnecting of a computing machine be that keyboard input end by a keyboard adapter unit and computing machine carries out, then also be favourable.The connection of this mode can be read this equipment and is connected on the common personal computer, and need not special control program and special data input pin.

Have one section no lead infrared data transmission highway section if be connected with disconnecting of a computing machine, then this operation of reading equipment is comfortable especially.Like this, this reads equipment just can not have the on-line operation that cable connects interference.This on-line operation is advantageous particularly under the very big situation of data volume.

In addition, if memory component then is favourable to the implementing as nonvolatile memory of small part.Like this, dump is not for example because whole discharges of used accumulator or battery just can cause losing of data.

By means of an accompanying drawing the present invention is further set forth below, this accompanying drawing is exemplary shows of having stube cable and keyboard adapter unit and reads equipment.

The equipment of reading shown in the figure has the form with the general commercial mark probe pen of removable lid A1.On shell, have one and read display A2, a load button A3, an attention display A4, a text display A5, a Menu key A6, shifting bond(s) A7 and a 0K-key A8.

The scanning device that this inner structure of reading equipment is included in cover top portion is used to wait to read the optically detecting of symbol and be converted to electric signal, also comprise a storage unit, an image information that is used for image recognition, is about to read is converted to the symbol of given character group, with read with storing process in be used for the control module of process control, and some be used to control with computing machine can disconnect the logic element that is connected.

When realizing scanning device once with following understanding and parameter as starting point.

Should gather the text about the big or small 8-16pt (1pt=1/72 inch) of being of literal.Therefore corresponding row is high under the situation of considering alphabetical upper length and lower length, should 2.82 and 5.64mm between.Adopt a suitable range of tolerable variance, so the width of acquisition range is about 8mm.The length of acquisition range has little significance, and equipment moves on text to be read according to the type of mark probe pen just because this reads.

Be in height should adopt at least 20 picture points with each symbol (pixel dots) represents as starting point aspect the image resolution ratio of optical sensor.When resolution is 200dpi (dots per inch), can be satisfied for this condition of literal of 8pt with 22.22 picture points.

The resolution of sensor is determined the highest speed of reading with the time shutter of image, reads the top speed of equipment by the text operation in other words.

The enough exposures of image are by reading the light source of equipment, preferentially adopting high efficiency light emitting diode to guarantee.Wherein, advantageously when the maximum efficiency of light emitting diode spectrum efficiency maximal value and optical sensor is consistent.But, wherein also should be taken into account text substrate to the spectrum different reflection potential relevant with color.

The size of sensor area has determined the characteristic of the optical system that sensor is placed previously, and the image projection that makes text to be identified by means of this optical system and has determined the physical dimension of optical system to sensor.

Thought once that it was favourable adopting the projection ratio to be about 1 sensor.

Like this, just can adopt so-called rod lens (index gradient lens Indexgradientlinse) for optical system.The advantage of rod lens is to be about the target image spacing that may relatively lack of 15-70mm.Therefore they are for the compact structure advantageous particularly.Another advantage is bigger light intensity.Having adopted Nippon Sheet Glas company model in an embodiment is the rod lens array of SLA 20b.

Adopted Texas Instrument TSL401 type as optical sensor.

Storage unit and the control module that is used for image recognition are to be made of as the ADSP2111 type of a digital signal processor, for example Analog Devices company and number of digital memory module and corresponding some logic elements commercial general element.

The identification of reading symbol in an embodiment is to carry out on the basis of a neuroid of realizing with said elements.Neuroid is a mathematical model.The sensation of imitation human brain.These networks are made up of neuron, mainly are summation element, and these summation element have input end and non-linear amplifier part of some weightings, comprehensively in a parallel network with typical two planes.Detailed description about " the Feedforward NeuralNetwork " that adopted in an embodiment sees also B.Widrow, R.G.Winter, R.A.Baxter: " Layered Neural Nets for Pattern Recognition "; IEEETransactions on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing, Vol, 36, No7.july 88.

By means of the image recognition of neuroid is according at C.Yueceer, K.oflazer: " A rotation; scaling; and translation invariant patternclassification system " Pattern Recognition, Vol.26.No5.PP687-710,1993, the method for middle description is carried out.

Read equipment disposition and read display A2, load button A3, attention display A4, text display A5, Menu key A6, shifting bond(s) A7 and OK-key A8 in order to operate this.

Adopt light emitting diode read display A2 when the equipment of reading in order to read light press above chapter paper and when preparing reception information ability bright.

Load button A3 is equivalent to " ENTER " key known on the personal computer with regard to its function, A3 can be divided into the information of reading some paragraphs by the operation load button.On text display A5, show a corresponding symbol when operating this button at every turn.In addition, it also shows the symbol of reading, the reason of the fault of discerning and in a corresponding pattern, show possible operating process, be command menu.

The activation of command menu and deactivate and carry out by means of Menu key A6.Shifting bond(s) A7 and OK-key A8 are used for exchanging and selecting specific instruction between each instruction face of command menu; Below the key that moves in the standby mode that also will further be set forth play a part to make the symbol read " by " read display.

When the equipment of reading can not guarantee normal use, attention display A4 was bright.Particularly when power supply can not guarantee or the storage space that disposes in order to read symbol taken, the symbol of being read this situation will occur in the time of can not compiling or adjust to the mode of operation of a mistake normally.

Keyboard adapter unit B can be connected to the equipment of reading on the computing machine, and need not to move a particular communication program and need not a particular data input end on this computing machine.This keyboard adapter unit is connected on the computer keyboard interface at output terminal.The keyboard of computing machine oneself and read equipment and be connected on two input end B1 and the B2.In order to simulate different keyboard (country sets), this keyboard adapter unit has corresponding executive component B3 to select different characteristics.

Also can connect by means of keyboard adapter unit by a standard interface of computing machine.Should load onto suitable signal procedure in this case on computers and before computing machine transmission data, start.

The function of reading equipment is as follows:

Cover A1 by taking off, will read device activation with a not shown switch and make it be in operating readiness.Can distinguish 4 kinds of different mode of operations now: promptly read-, standby-, menu-and energy saver mode.

Place on the data by light pressure if this reads equipment, then adopt reading mode.This pattern is shown by the luminous display A2 that reads, and Menu key A6 in this state, shifting bond(s) A7 and OK-key A8 also do not begin operation, and just load button A3 can be used to set paragraph marks.

In order to read, now this equipment such as same mark probe pen are placed the text top of continuing with slight pressure.Wherein, for obtain high identification probability importantly read equipment with even velocity by waiting to read the top of symbol.By means of text display A5 check readout, and when mistake occurring, may repeated under the situation.

After read procedure finishes, read in other words that equipment quits work and pressure levels off to zero, read equipment and be in standby mode this moment.Read the display deepening in this case.On text display A5, can also see the symbol of reading to the end.Move one in the information that can read by means of shifting bond(s) A7 and write mark in this pattern, A3 can insert a paragraph in the instantaneous position that write mark by the operation load button.Can be converted to menu mode by standby mode with reading equipment by actions menu key A6.

It is dark to read display A2 in menu mode, can see the real position in command menu on text display A5, can selection instruction face and instruction in menu by means of shifting bond(s) A7, and these instructions will discharge by OK-key A8.Different with other pattern is that menu mode still can call after closing the lid.The command menu of reading in the device examples has two faces.First face comprises instruction group echo " STATUS ", " KOMMANDOS " and " EINSTELLUNGEN " (i.e. " state ", " instruction " and " adjustment ").There is a mark on text display, to see in these instruction group echos at every turn.When operation OK-key, will jump to second and can see the instruction identification of the instruction group that shows previously at every turn.All instruction identifications of selected instruction group can be shown in order with shifting bond(s) A7 now.

In instruction group STATUS, this is to showing the identification of battery status and memory stores state, to showing stored symbols quantity and the identification of stored paragraph quantity and vacant storage size, to selected working method and the identification that turns back to the instruction of first of menu.

In instruction group KOMMANDOS, comprise instruction of deleting storer and the instruction that institute's stored text is sent to computing machine in addition.

Instruction group EINSTELLUNGEN represents the selection of working method (on-line) and the type of alerting signal.

If the equipment of reading covers when also not operating more than 3 minutes taking off, then it will carry out the transition to energy saver mode automatically.Read display A2 and text display A5 deepening in this state.

Except above-mentioned mode of operation, also need distinguish two kinds of working methods, promptly work offline and work online.

In the mode of working offline, the equipment of reading is not connected with computing machine during read procedure.Stube cable is not plugged between the equipment of reading and the keyboard adapter unit.The symbol of being read is stored in the storer of the equipment of reading.This storer is with so-called EEPROM technology, in other words as making by storer electrical clean-up, non-volatile.Like this, even under power-down conditions, because used accumulator or running down of battery still have the sense information (manuscript paper that is equivalent to 5 pages of A4) of maximum about 20000 symbols can not lose.Therefore, the symbol of being read can be in reading equipment almost indefinite the storage.Before being sent to computing machine, may situation following need to the battery that exhausts or charge in batteries or with charged battery replacement.

In the mode of working online, the equipment of reading also will link to each other with a computing machine during read procedure.Must before beginning, read procedure access a text processor on computers such as WORD6.0 for this reason.A3 introduces a paragraph marks in the text of reading by the operation load button, and the paragraph that will read at last sends computing machine to.

Claims (5)

1. read equipment, this equipment comprises that is read a unit, an image identification unit, a memory component and a power supply is characterized in that, said elements is assembled in the portable casing, and dispose in addition a connection that disconnects to a computing machine (B, C).

2. according to the described equipment of reading of claim 1, it is characterized in that casing has the form of mark probe pen, and the equipment of reading places the casing top.

3. according to claim 1 or the 2 described equipment of reading, it is characterized in that, is to introduce through a keyboard input end of a keyboard adapter unit (B) and computing machine to the connection that disconnects of a computing machine.

4. according to claim 1 or the 2 described equipment of reading, it is characterized in that having one section no lead infrared data transmission highway section to the connection that disconnects of a computing machine.

5. according to one of them described equipment of reading of claim 1 to 4, it is characterized in that memory element is implemented as nonvolatile memory to small part.

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