JP2002183183A - Information retrieval device, communication equipment and printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide communication equipment which can easily specify an opposite party. SOLUTION: The communication equipment reads a bar code added to an existing merchandise or the like by a bar code reader (S101). Data on the bar code is converted and is transmitted to a server through the Internet (S103 and S105). A company corresponding to the URL, telephone number and E-mail address on the company and merchandise corresponding to the bar code are returned from the server (S107), and communication is made based on the URL or the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information retrieval apparatus, a communication apparatus, and a printing apparatus, and more particularly, to an information retrieval apparatus, a communication apparatus, and a printing apparatus for performing information retrieval, communication, or printing using bar codes and other coded information. Related to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a human being identifies a telephone number, a URL (Universal Resource Location), and an e-mail address printed on a print medium, and communicates with a communication device (telephone, mobile phone, personal computer, PDA).
(Personal digital assistant), etc., to identify a communication partner.

[0003]

However, as described above, there is a problem that it is complicated for a person to input information for specifying a communication partner. In particular, since the input interface varies depending on the type of the communication device, the user must operate the input interface according to the type of the communication device.

[0004] In addition, there is a problem that inputting an e-mail address or a URL using only a numeric keypad such as a cellular phone requires much labor.

Further, when a human identifies a telephone number, a URL, and an e-mail address and inputs the information,
There is a problem that a reading error or an input error may occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide an information search device, a communication device, and a printing device that can easily specify a communication partner. .

[0007]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information retrieval apparatus for inputting data obtained by reading a bar code or other encoded information. Input means, search means for searching for information identifying a communication destination, such as a telephone number, URL, e-mail address, etc., based on the input data, and transmission means for transmitting the searched information to the outside.

[0008] Preferably, the input means and the transmitting means input and transmit data through a communication line.

[0009] Preferably, the coded information is a code attached to the product and specifying the product.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, an information retrieving apparatus includes a database for storing information on companies, products, and services, and a data obtained by reading bar codes and other coded information on a communication line. And input means for inputting the input data through a network, searching means for searching information from a database using the input data, and transmitting means for transmitting the searched information to a source of the input data via a communication line.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a communication device includes: a reading unit that reads a barcode or other coded information; a converting unit that converts the read information into a telephone number or an e-mail address; Communication means for performing communication using the telephone number or the e-mail address converted by the means.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the printing apparatus includes a conversion unit for converting any of a telephone number, a URL, an e-mail address or an address into a barcode or other coded information, and a telephone number, a URL. Printing means for printing the coded information together with the e-mail address or address.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information retrieval system using the Internet according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an information retrieval system includes a reading device 100 for acquiring data by reading a bar code or other coded information, and an Internet I / O.
And servers 200 and 300.

In this embodiment, the reading device 1
Although the Internet I is used as a communication method between the server 00 and the servers 200 and 300, another type of communication line such as a telephone line, a LAN, or a dedicated line may be used instead.

The server 200 stores bar code data,
URL corresponding to the bar code data, telephone number,
A plurality of E-mail addresses and the like are stored in association with each other. In addition, the server 300 stores information on a product indicated by the barcode, a company that manufactures or sells the product, a service performed by the company, and the like.

When a bar code attached to a product, magazine, catalog, or the like is read by the reading device 100, data obtained by the reading is sent to the server 200,
In the server 200, the UR corresponding to the barcode data
At least one search of L, telephone number, and E-mail address is performed. The searched data is returned to the reading device 100. In the reading device 100, if the transmitted data is a URL, the server 3 downloads the data corresponding to the barcode using the URL.
It is performed from 00. The reading device 100 uses the received telephone number to connect to a communication destination corresponding to the bar code, or activates an editor for sending an e-mail to the sent E-mail address.

As described above, in the present embodiment,
When the bar code is read by the reading device 100, information corresponding to the bar code is downloaded to the reading device 100, a connection is made to a telephone number corresponding to the bar code, or an e-mail is transmitted.

Most of existing products have a bar code. The bar code data, the data of the manufacturer / distributor of the product, the data of the product, the telephone number of the manufacturer / distributor, and the E -Store the server's instruction manual, version-up information, advertisement, or information on the manufacturer or distributor of the product with the barcode attached to the server by associating it with a mail address and storing it on the server. deep. By constructing such a system, the user can read the barcode attached to the product or the like with the reading device 100 and obtain an instruction manual, version upgrade information, and the like regarding the product without particularly requiring any other input. be able to.

Further, it becomes possible for the user to make a telephone call or transmit an e-mail to the manufacturer / distributor of the product only by reading the bar code with the reading device 100.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the reading device 100 of FIG. Referring to the figure, a reading apparatus 100 includes a CPU 110 for controlling the entire apparatus, a speaker 102 for outputting sound, a communication unit 104 for connecting to the Internet or a telephone line, and a mode, a telephone number, a URL, and the like. Input unit 106 for inputting as needed
And a display unit 10 composed of a liquid crystal display or the like
8, a ROM 112 for recording a program, a RAM 118 for temporarily storing data, a microphone 114 for inputting a user's voice, and a barcode reader 11 for reading barcodes attached to products, books, catalogs, pamphlets and the like.
6 is provided.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of information stored in server 200. Referring to the figure, a plurality of barcode data and corresponding URLs, telephone numbers, and E-mail addresses are stored in server 200.

Thus, it is possible to search for the URL, telephone number, and E-mail address corresponding to the transmitted barcode data.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the reading apparatus 100. Referring to the figure, a bar code is read in step S101. In step S103, the barcode image data is converted into numerical data (or text data).

At step S105, the converted data is transmitted. In step S107, it is determined whether there is a reply from the server. If there is a reply, the URL, telephone number, and E-m received in step S109 are received.
Communication is performed based on the aile address.

Note that, without using the server 200, information such as the URL corresponding to the barcode data shown in FIG. 3 is recorded in the reading device 100, and the URL corresponding to the barcode is stored inside the device. It is also possible to search.

In this case, step S1 in FIG.
In step 05, the database inside the apparatus is searched, and the URL, telephone number, E-ma
Communication is performed in step S109 based on the il address.

However, since it is desirable that the bar code data shown in FIG. 3 and the corresponding information such as URL are always prepared at the latest, the latest information is stored in the server 200 as shown in FIG. , It is not necessary to add / update information in each reading device, so that convenience is increased.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing performed in server 200 of FIG.

Referring to the figure, it is determined whether or not bar code data has been received in step S201, and if received, the URL, telephone number, and E-mail address corresponding to the bar code data are determined in step S203. Search for. Then, the retrieved information is returned to the transmission source of the barcode data in step S205.

In FIG. 1, the server 200 and the server 300 may be integrated into one. The server 200 stores data on products, services, companies, and the like as data corresponding to the barcode in the server 200. When the barcode information is transmitted from the reading device 100, the server 200
The information may be sent directly to the reading device 100 from.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a communication apparatus according to a second embodiment. Referring to the figure, the communication device is a personal computer 400,
It includes a fixed telephone body 500 and a telephone 600 that performs wireless communication with the telephone body 500. The telephone 600 includes a scanner unit 616 that reads a barcode.

The telephone main body 500 is connected to a telephone line, and can be connected to a communication device of the other party using the telephone line, or can be connected to the Internet by connecting to an Internet service provider.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of telephone 600 in FIG. Referring to the figure, telephone 600 includes communication unit 602 for communicating with telephone body 500,
CPU 610 for controlling the entire apparatus, speaker 606 for outputting voice, and microphone 6 for inputting voice of the user
08, a scanner unit 616, an input unit 604 including a numeric keypad, a display unit 612 including a liquid crystal display, a RAM 614, and a ROM 61.
And 8.

The communication apparatus according to the present embodiment is also connected to the Internet environment as shown in FIG. 1 and transmits data to the server 200 when a bar code is read by the scanner unit 616.

As in the first embodiment, the server 200 searches for information corresponding to the bar code, and searches for the URL, telephone number or E-ma corresponding to the bar code.
The il address is returned to the telephone body 500. Thus, the user can make a phone call, access a URL, or send a mail without inputting a telephone number, a URL, or an E-mail address.

When reading a barcode from the scanner unit 616, the user operates the input unit 604 to select a user such as "call", "access URL", or "send mail". It may be. Alternatively, the device allows the device to define in advance which of these options is to be executed by the user with the switch, and when the barcode is read, a call is immediately made,
If an operation such as accessing a URL or sending a mail can be performed, the user's labor can be reduced.

The communication apparatus according to the present embodiment can be used as a normal telephone, and automatically accesses a server based on the barcode information read by the scanner as described above to make a telephone call. You can also call.

[Third Embodiment] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a printing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the figure, the printing apparatus includes a CPU 708 for controlling the entire apparatus, a communication unit 702 for inputting data from outside, and an input unit 7 for receiving an input from a user.
04, a display unit 706 composed of a liquid crystal display or the like, a ROM 710, a RAM 712, and a print unit 714 composed of an existing printer or the like.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printing apparatus according to this embodiment. Referring to the figure, in step S301, the input unit 704 or the communication unit 702
Enter a telephone number, URL, address or E-mail address via the Internet.

In step S302, the input telephone number and the like are converted into barcode image data.

In step S303, the telephone number, U
RL, address, e-mail address, etc., print unit 7
At 14, print with the barcode.

In this embodiment, the telephone number, UR
Information obtained by converting the data into a barcode together with the L, address, E-mail address, etc., is printed on a sheet. For example, if you use a business card or postcard as this paper, the person who receives the business card or postcard will
The phone number, the URL, the address, and the E-mail address can be confirmed with the naked eye, and the bar code attached to the periphery thereof is read by the reading device shown in the first embodiment or the second embodiment, You can access a URL, make a phone call, send an e-mail, or enter an address.

When contracting for a telephone (including a mobile phone) or contracting with an Internet provider, a telephone company or a provider converts a telephone number into a bar code, URL or E-mail using the apparatus according to the present embodiment. If the mail address is converted into a barcode and the sticker is distributed to the user, the user can attach the sticker to a business card, postcard, or the like, which is convenient.

The barcode in the above-described embodiment may be a one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional barcode. Also, if JAN, standard ITF, CODE-128, or the like is used as a barcode format, for example, a barcode attached to a product that has already been sold can be used as a clue to search for information related to the product. It is convenient. For example, if data such as after-sales service of an already sold product or an instruction manual is recorded in the server, the user can obtain information stored in the server by reading the barcode. As a result, a company can easily provide after-sales service for products.

Further, by performing processing using an existing barcode, it is not necessary to construct an original infrastructure, and a low-cost system can be constructed.

According to the above embodiment, the telephone number, U
RL and the like can be easily input. In addition, there is an effect that input mistakes and the like are reduced, and erroneous calls are reduced. Further, since the input is facilitated, the number of accesses to the information source is increased. Furthermore, since the input which does not depend on the input interface can be performed, there is an effect that elderly people and people with a handicap can easily perform the input.

The processing shown in the above-mentioned flowchart may be executed by software,
It may be executed by using a hardware circuit.

Further, a program for executing the processing of the flowchart in the above-described embodiment can be provided, and the program is recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, and a memory card. Can also be provided to the user.

The reading device 100 according to the first embodiment can be provided in a portable telephone, a PDA, or the like. Further, the optical reader may be connected to a mobile phone, a PDA, or the like. At this time, if the PDA does not have an automatic phone number calling function or code conversion function,
A device having an automatic transmission function and a code conversion function may be interposed between the optical reader and the PDA.

The present invention can also be used in the field of digital television having a two-way communication function.
That is, a bar code reading device may be provided on a remote controller of a digital television or the like, the read information may be sent to a broadcasting station, the information may be searched, and the result (such as product information) may be returned to the viewer.

The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information search system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the reading device 100 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing information recorded on a server 200 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the reading apparatus 100.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of the server 200.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a telephone 600 of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing apparatus according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process performed by the apparatus of FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

100 reader, 104 communication unit, 106 input unit,
116 barcode reader, 200,300 server,
400 computer, 500 telephone body, 600
Telephone, 602 communication unit, 604 input unit, 612 display unit, 616 scanner unit, 702 communication unit, 704 input unit, 714 printing unit.

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (reference) G06K 17/00 G06K 17/00 A

Claims (6)

[Claims] An input means for inputting data obtained by reading a bar code or other coded information; and a telephone number, a URL, a URL, and the like based on the input data.
An information search device, comprising: a search unit that searches for information that specifies an e-mail address and other communication destinations; and a transmission unit that transmits the searched information to the outside. 2. The information search device according to claim 1, wherein said input means and said transmission means input and transmit data via a communication line. 3. The coded information is attached to a product and is a code for specifying the product.
Or the information retrieval device according to 2. 4. A database for storing information on companies, products, and services; input means for inputting data obtained by reading bar codes and other coded information through a communication line; An information retrieval apparatus, comprising: retrieval means for retrieving information from the database using the information processing means; and transmission means for transmitting the retrieved information to a source of the input data via a communication line. 5. A reading means for reading a bar code or other coded information; a converting means for converting the read information into a telephone number or an e-mail address; and a telephone number or electronic data converted by the converting means. Communication means for performing communication using an e-mail address,
Communication device. 6. A conversion means for converting any of a telephone number, a URL, an e-mail address or an address into a bar code or other coded information, and the code together with the telephone number, the URL, the e-mail address or the address. A printing unit for printing the converted information.