JP2000099617A - Bar code reader and bar code information converting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain data processing by normally transmitting an EAN(Europe article numbering)-128 code including a character (GS) by a keyboard I/F type BCR(bar code reader). SOLUTION: At the read of bar code data by a BCR, the classification of the bar code data is judged. In the case of an EAN-128 code, whether or not a character (GS) is included in read data is retrieved, and when the character (GS) is present in the data, the character is converted into, for example, a character (, comma). The converted data are transmitted as keyboard data to a connected personal computer so that the read data of the EAN-128 can be normally received by the personal computer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of electrically scanning a bar code using an image sensor or the like, and using a JAN (Japa).
n Article Numbering), EAN (Europe Article Numb)
ering), UPC (Universal Product Code) and NW-
7, CODE39, ITF (Interleaved 2 of 5), S
TF (Standard 2 of 5), CODE93, CODE1
The present invention relates to a bar code reader, a bar code reading method, and a recording medium for reading bar codes of various types and the number of digits such as EAN128 and EAN128.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A bar code reader (BCR) is
It is connected to the OS terminal device and is used to input the read barcode data to the POS terminal.

In recent years, with the spread of personal computers, personal computers are increasingly used as POS terminal devices.

A personal computer is usually RS-23.
A serial interface such as 2C is provided. Normally, the BCR is connected to the serial interface, converts read data into a data format defined by the serial interface standard, and transmits the data.

[0005] The personal computer receives this data and uses it for data such as tabulation of sales data.

In a bar code standard such as CODE128,
Characters that cannot be transmitted by these keyboard I / Fs are defined.

[0007]

However, in recent years, with the increase and diversification of information to be represented by bar codes,
In a barcode information processing method created in accordance with a barcode standard such as DE128, there has been a case where barcode information analysis processing cannot be performed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and it is an object of the present invention to enable a barcode information representing a large amount of various information to be analyzed and to allow a personal computer to accurately recognize barcode data. Aim.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and reads bar code data with a bar code reader to determine the type of the bar code. The processing of the barcode data conforming thereto is performed.

More specifically, the type of the bar code is determined, and when the bar code is a bar code separated into a plurality of groups, the separated identification information existing between the separated bar code information is replaced with a predetermined code. It has separation / identification information conversion means for converting into a form.

A bar code reader for reading bar code information divided into a plurality of groups, a sensor for reading the bar code information, a decoding means for decoding the read bar code information, and a bar code reader for reading the decoded bar code information. It comprises a transmitting unit for transmitting to the upper terminal, and a separating and identifying information converting means for converting the separating and identifying information existing between the separated barcode information into a predetermined code form recognizable by the upper terminal.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With the above arrangement, the bar code reader and the bar code information converter of the present invention convert characters that cannot be transmitted with a normal keyboard I / F into transmittable characters, and By converting this character back to the original information,
The EAN-128 code can be used with the keyboard I / F type BCR.

For example, like the EAN-128 code,
This is suitable for a barcode having a group separator code (hereinafter, referred to as GS) between barcode information.

That is, when the bar code data is read by the BCR, the bar code type is determined, and if there is an EAN-128 code, it is searched whether or not the character (GS) is included in the read data. , The character is converted, for example, into a character ("," comma). By transmitting the converted data as keyboard data to the connected personal computer, the personal computer can normally receive the EAN-128 code read data.

The personal computer receives the converted character (for example, "," comma) when receiving the converted character.
By performing data processing on the assumption that a character (GS) defined in the AN-128 standard has been received, EAN-1 is processed in the same manner as data received from the serial interface.
28 can be processed. The character to be converted and the character after the conversion are stored in a conversion data storage unit (for example, a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM), and can be changed as needed.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The embodiment of the present invention relates to a keyboard I / F BC
R includes a sensor and a decoding unit and a transmission unit having an I / F circuit connectable to a keyboard port of a personal computer or the like.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a barcode reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. The barcode reader 1 includes a sensor 2 for receiving a barcode image input optically, a conversion data storage unit 3, a decode processing unit 4, and a data transmission unit 5. The transmission data is input to the personal computer 7 via the Y-shaped cable 6 as keyboard format data. A keyboard 8 is connected to one end of the Y-shaped cable 6, and data can be input from the keyboard.

A personal computer 7 and a keyboard 8 are connected by a Y-shaped cable 6 as shown in FIG. When reading the barcode, the barcode reader 1 converts the read data into keyboard data and transmits it to the personal computer 7. By employing this transmission method, the bar code data is input to the personal computer 7 as if it had been input from the keyboard 8.

Next, the barcode will be described. FIG.
FIG. 2A is an explanatory diagram of a barcode, and FIG.
3 shows a barcode data array. According to FIG. 2A, the identifier fixed digit data 1 is displayed on the barcode from the left.
Data is arranged like variable identifier digit data 2. As described above, when the data before the identifier in the data is fixed digit data, even if a plurality of data are arranged and expressed, each data range is clearly separated, and individual data can be discriminated. However, when the number of digits is variable, the length of the data is different, and the range of each data cannot be determined, which is inconvenient in data processing. For this reason, a character for separating data is added at the end of the variable data digit number. This is GS. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, GS is inserted after the variable digit data. As a bar code standard using GS in the data,
"EAN-128", in which case GS (ASCII
Code 1Dhex). Since this GS is not defined in the standard of the I / F of the personal computer, it cannot be directly transmitted to the PC, but can be solved by the following embodiment.

Specifically, this is realized by the following method. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a series of processes from analysis of bar width data on the BCR side to data transmission to the host.

First, the bar width data of the bar code captured by the sensor is analyzed (STEP 1). The bar width of this bar code is converted into analog binary data, and is decoded into digital character data by an A / D converter (not shown) (STEP 2).
Next, it is determined whether the bar code is EAN-128 or not (STEP 3). This determination can also be made by, for example, a barcode length or the like.

If the bar code is EAN-128, a detector (not shown) in the decode processing unit 4 detects whether or not GS exists in the read data (STEPs 4, 5).

When the GS exists, the GS is stored in the conversion data storage unit 3 composed of, for example, an EPROM.
Is converted to a character (for example, "," comma) stored and set in advance (STEP 6).

Next, the GS is converted to character data such as "1" or "a" on the keyboard by the keyboard I / F by the keyboard I / F, and then transmitted to the host (STEPs 7 and 8). The process ends.

If the bar code is not EAN-128, it is not necessary to convert the GS into a character, and the process of STEP 7 is immediately performed.

On the personal computer side, data processing from the BCR is performed as follows. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a receiving process on the personal computer side.

Receiving Data from BCR (STEP
9). It is confirmed whether or not the received character is a conversion character determined by BCR (STEP 10). If it is a converted character, it is assumed that a character (GS) has been received, and the processing defined in EAN-128 such as data separation is performed. By executing this processing, the read data of the EAN-128 code can be processed in the same manner as the data received from the serial interface.

Here, "," comma is used as an example of the converted character. If this is a key existing on the keyboard of the personal computer, the character may be BCR.
Any key code can be set on the side. For example, Shi
These are key codes of the ft key, the ALT key, and the CRTL key.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the EAN-BCR is used for the personal computer by the keyboard I / F type BCR.
128 codes can be transmitted.

The present embodiment is realized by a program, and is recorded on a recording medium such as a floppy disk and transferred, so that it can be easily implemented by another independent computer system. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a case where this is carried out using a floppy disk.

FIG. 5A is a diagram showing an example of a physical format of a floppy disk as a recording medium. A track is formed concentrically from the outer circumference to the inner circumference, and is divided into 16 sectors 101 to 116 in the angular direction. Each sector is divided into a plurality of tracks concentrically with respect to the center of the floppy disk. The program is recorded according to the allocated area.

FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a case for storing the floppy disk. From the left, a front view of the floppy disk case 301, a sectional view thereof, and a floppy disk 302 are shown. By storing the floppy disk 301 in the floppy disk case 302 in this way, the floppy disk can be protected from dust and external impact, and can be transported safely.

The present embodiment can be realized by recording and reproducing the programs shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 on the floppy disk 301. By connecting the floppy disk drive to the computer system as shown,
The program can be recorded and reproduced on the floppy disk. The floppy disk is installed in the floppy disk drive through the floppy
And removal is performed. When recording, a program is recorded from a computer system to a floppy disk by a floppy disk drive. For playback, the floppy disk drive reads the program from the floppy disk and transfers it to the computer system.

In this embodiment, a description has been given using a floppy disk as a recording medium.
The same can be done using an optical disk. The recording medium is not limited to these, but can be similarly implemented as long as the program can be recorded, such as an IC card or a ROM cassette.

In the keyboard I / F type BCR, EAN-
When 128 codes are read, the data can be normally transmitted to the personal computer. Also, by processing the converted character as a character before conversion on the personal computer side, it is possible to handle the EAN-128 code.

Further, it is not necessary to develop receiving software required for connection to the serial interface, and bar code data can be easily used.

Further, since the BCR can be operated by the power supply from the keyboard port of the personal computer,
Power supply equipment is not required.

[0038]

According to the present invention, it is possible to process such barcode information on a computer even if the barcode contains information that cannot be converted into a code or a character defined in a keyboard interface of a computer. Become.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a data array of a barcode.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating barcode information processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing signal processing on the personal computer side according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a floppy disk storing software for barcode information processing of a barcode reader according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Barcode reader 2 Sensor 3 Conversion data storage part 4 Decoding processing part 5 Data transmission part

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Mikio Kinoshita 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Term (reference) 5B072 CC24 DD28 MM02

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A bar code reader for reading bar code information separated into a plurality of groups, a sensor for reading bar code information, decoding means for decoding the read bar code information, and the separated bar code. A bar code reader comprising: separation identification information conversion means for converting separation identification information existing between information into a predetermined code form. 2. A bar code reader for reading bar code information separated into a plurality of groups, a sensor for reading the bar code information, a decoding means for decoding the read bar code information, and a bar code reader for reading the decoded bar code information. A bar code reader comprising: a transmitting unit for transmitting to the upper terminal; and a separating and identifying information converting means for converting the separating and identifying information existing between the separated bar code information into a predetermined code form recognizable by the upper terminal. . 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a separation identification information converting means for converting the separation identification information existing between the barcode information into predetermined character information existing on a keyboard of the host terminal. Barcode reader as described. 4. A receiving section for receiving separation identification information existing between barcode information from a barcode information transmission means of a barcode reader, and separation identification information conversion means for converting the received separation identification information into a predetermined code form. And a bar code information conversion device. 5. The bar according to claim 4, further comprising a separation identification information converting means for converting the separation identification information existing between the bar code information into predetermined character information existing on a keyboard of the host terminal. Code information conversion device. 6. A detecting means for detecting whether or not there is information that cannot be converted into a code related to a keyboard defined in a keyboard interface of a computer in a bar code, and converting the unconvertible information into a predetermined code form. A bar code reader having a code conversion means for converting a bar code.