JP2003256765A - Bar-code reader integrated with integrated temperature sensor or others - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bar-code reader with a built-in measuring means such as a temperature sensor for reading data for bar-codes and measuring and determining objects with ease at the same time. <P>SOLUTION: The bar-code reader with the integrated sensor is provided with bar-code reading means for reading bar-codes marked on commodities, temperature measuring means for measuring the temperatures of the commodities as temperature measured objects, and information processing means for storing or transferring information including the temperatures obtained by the measuring means in coordination with information obtained by the bar-code reading means. The bar-code contains temperature correcting data which is utilized as a trigger in measuring accurate temperatures corresponding to those of various commodities, while reading the bar-codes with the bar-code reading means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

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 including a temperature sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, at convenience stores and the like,
We have introduced a POS system for product management and customer management. The POS obtains the sales point data, grasps the sales data, and links this with the purchase data, thereby enabling integrated management of sales, purchase, and inventory. For example, in the distribution industry such as the convenience store industry, the barcode on the product is read at the cash register, the purchase amount is calculated, the receipt is issued, and the product inventory and sales are managed. These data are transferred online to the headquarters server. At this time, enter data such as gender and age of the customer,
In addition, by storing the data such as the season, the date and time, and the area of the store together, the data can be utilized for marketing, product purchasing, inventory management, sales forecast, and the like.

Even when the above data is used, at present, for example, when selling canned drinks, PET bottled drinks, etc., it may be possible to determine whether hot drinks or cold drinks were sold. It cannot be grasped unless it is manually input, and that is the case. This is because it is not possible to determine whether it is hot or cold only by the barcode printed on the product.
It is possible to solve by attaching different barcodes for hot and cold ones, but if you print different barcodes on the same product in the stored state, considering the trouble of managing product inventory, etc., It does not match the labor and cost. In addition, at the turn of the season, if the product on which the hot bar code is printed is sold cold, the POS data may manage incorrect data.

[0004]

An example of a conventional bar code reader or a technique for measuring temperature in order to manage products in a POS system is, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
In 001-33316 “Portable Thermometer and Food Sanitation Management System”, a portable thermometer having a bar code reader and a thermocouple sensor unit is used, and a position code indicating each work process number and the like There is disclosed a system in which temperature information of food processed in a process is stored as a pair and is directly transferred to a personal computer device. However, in this case, the barcode must be read and the temperature must be changed, and the purpose of use is quality control for a specific product in the manufacturing work process. It cannot be used for POS systems that handle various products at convenience stores.

Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-160160 "Food production information collection management system", temperature history over food production and processing, food production information such as equipment used, etc. are collected and automatically recorded on a recording medium, and comprehensively. There is disclosed a food production information collection management system capable of outputting various management information. This is a temperature history detecting device that stores the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means together with the measurement time and sends the stored data to a higher-level computer, and at least the worker ID, the production facility information input from the input means,
And a portable data input device that sends data in which product information data and time are linked to a higher-level computer,
The temperature history collecting device is provided with a control means for editing the temperature history, the operator and the production equipment in time series for each product based on the data received by both devices and recording the edited information on a recording medium. However, in this case, the barcode must be read and the temperature must be changed, and the purpose of use is quality control for a specific product in a food processing factory. It cannot be used for POS systems that handle various products at convenience stores. This is because the measurement result of the temperature of the food in the food processing factory, the information about the worker and the production facility, and the information about the product are only input and managed by each device.

At present, there is a type in which a bar code reader and a temperature measuring probe are completely separated for manufacturing equipment. However, in this case, the barcode must be read and the temperature must be measured and used again. Moreover, the purpose of use is quality control for a specific product in manufacturing (production), and it cannot be used in a POS system that handles various products.

Therefore, in order to solve the various problems described above, in the present invention, a temperature sensor is built in the bar code reader, and the bar code data reading and the temperature measurement / judgment of the object are simultaneously performed. This makes it possible to easily and accurately input the product data, the date, and the temperature data thereof by integrating them. Further, another object is to enable accurate measurement by using correction data and the like when reading a barcode attached to a product or the like. Further, in the present invention, in addition to the combination of the bar code reader and the temperature sensor, by combining the bar code reader and various sensors such as humidity, moisture, odor, and gas, acquisition of correction data and acquisition and setting of measurement conditions can be performed. We will provide a system that can be easily performed and can judge the measured object from the bar code and judge whether the humidity, moisture, smell, sound, illuminance, etc. are appropriate.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, in the invention described in claim 1, a bar code reading means for reading a bar code attached to an article or the like, and an article to be temperature-measured. And the like, and information processing means for storing or transferring the temperature information obtained by the temperature measuring means and the information obtained by the barcode reading means in association with each other. It is a bar code reader integrated with a temperature sensor, which is capable of measuring data and temperature data at the same time.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a second aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention according to claim 1, in the invention according to claim 1, the temperature correction data included in the barcode can be read by the barcode reading means, and accurate temperature measurement corresponding to various products can be performed. It is characterized by being a bar code reader integrated with a temperature sensor.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a third aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention according to claim 1, in the invention according to claim 1 or 2, the temperature measurement area is determined by using the bar code reading success of the bar code reading means as a temperature measurement trigger. It is a bar code reader with a built-in temperature sensor, characterized in that the temperature measurement area can be set by changing the reading focus range.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a fourth aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention described in, in the invention described in claims 1 to 3, according to the temperature measurement conditions contained in the barcode,
A bar code reader integrated with a temperature sensor, characterized in that the temperature measuring means can perform measurement by a measuring method suitable for a temperature measurement target.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a fifth aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention according to claim 4, in the invention according to claim 4, the bar code reader is provided with data input means other than the bar code reading means, and the data read or input by the data input means A bar code reader integrated with a temperature sensor, characterized in that the information processing means can store or transfer the data in association with the temperature data measured by the temperature measuring means. There is.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a sixth aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention according to claim 1, in the invention according to claims 1 to 5, in place of the temperature measuring means or separately from the temperature measuring means, humidity, moisture, odor, gas of an article or the like to be measured, Information processing for storing or transferring the measuring means for measuring any one or more of the other, the information obtained by the measuring means, and the information obtained by the barcode reading means in association with each other. Means and is capable of measuring the product data and the data obtained by the measuring means at the same time.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a seventh aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention described in claim 1, in the invention described in claims 1 to 6, when the information processing means stores or transfers information, time information when the information is obtained is added. The feature is that it is a sensor-integrated bar code reader.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention as set forth in claim 8
In the invention according to claim 1, in the invention according to claims 1 to 2 or 4 to 7, various sensors are constantly measured at the same time when the bar code reader is read, and the sensor reads the bar code at that time as a trigger. The temperature sensor integrated bar code reader is characterized in that the responsiveness is improved by storing or transferring the previously stored data in association with the information obtained by the bar code reading means. It has a feature.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the basic configuration of the system of the present invention. In FIG. 1, bar code reading means such as a bar code sensor section for optically reading a bar code attached to a product or the like by a bar code sensor is provided. Further, temperature measuring means such as a radiation type temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the product etc. at the same time as the barcode is provided. Also, P
An example is shown in which a data input means such as a keyboard for inputting OS data and the like and an input key of a cash register is provided. Bar code reading means such as a bar code sensor section and temperature measuring means such as a radiant temperature sensor section read the bar code and temperature at the same time.
As shown in FIG. 2, it is desirable that the measurement be performed in the same direction so that the same range or the overlapping range can be measured.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of another basic configuration of the system of the present invention. In FIG.
Bar code reading means such as a bar code sensor section for optically reading a bar code attached to a product or the like by the bar code sensor is provided. Further, temperature measuring means such as a radiation type temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the product etc. at the same time as the barcode is provided. Further, an example in which a data input means such as a keyboard for inputting POS data and an input key of a cash register is provided is shown. Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a humidity measuring unit such as a humidity sensor unit for measuring the humidity of a product or the like is provided at the same time as the barcode. Further, an odor detecting unit such as an odor sensor unit for detecting the odor of the product and the like at the same time as the barcode and measuring the freshness of the product is provided.

In any of the forms shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in order to control the operation of the information processing means for processing the read / measured data and the operation of the hardware and software. Control means are provided. Correct the read / measured data according to the predetermined rules,
In order to perform information processing, in order to correct data as a reference for correcting data and appropriate data according to the reference, a temperature correction unit, a humidity correction unit, and an odor correction unit are provided corresponding to each sensor. Is provided. next,
Storage means such as a memory and a hard disk for storing the processed data, the Internet, a LAN
Network communication means for transferring data via a network such as Further, the display means is a display, a liquid crystal display screen, or the like for displaying when the POS data is input, the amount of money is input by the cash register, and the data is read / measured. However, these do not have to be provided in the bar code reader itself, and it is a normal form to be provided by being connected to the bar code reader. Further, the barcode reader and the storage means, the display means, etc. may be connected by wireless communication.

As the temperature sensor used in the temperature measuring means, conventionally, a contact type and a non-contact type are generally known. The contact type is a method in which measurement is performed by directly contacting an object, and the sensor configuration is simple and widely used, and typical examples thereof include a platinum resistance temperature detector, a thermistor, and a thermocouple. The non-contact type measures infrared rays emitted from an object,
It is a method to measure the temperature of an object from the amount of infrared rays. There is a radiation temperature sensor etc., and even from a place about 1 m away, the infrared sensor on the front of the main body receives infrared rays emitted naturally by the object to measure the temperature. It can be measured. That is, the temperature can be sampled without touching the object to be measured at all, and the temperature can be integrated into the barcode reader of the present invention. The radiation thermometer can measure the temperature in a non-contact manner by capturing the amount of infrared energy emitted from an object according to the temperature.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the temperature correction data contained in the bar code can be read by the bar code reading means, which enables accurate temperature measurement corresponding to various products. ing.

For example, in the case of canned drinks, the merchandise is specified by the read bar code, and hot / cold determination is performed based on the temperature at that time. If hot / cold determination of canned beverages, the measurement accuracy does not need to be very high. To make accurate temperature measurements, it is necessary to know the emissivity of the object. The temperature measuring sensor includes a contact type thermocouple type temperature sensor and a non-contact type radiant temperature sensor. In the case of a non-contact type radiant temperature sensor, the emissivity of heat (infrared ray) of an object must be known in order to measure temperature accurately. For cabbage, it is necessary to use the emissivity of cabbage, and for iron and aluminum cans, the emissivity of each must be used.

The data for temperature correction is stored in a storage means such as a memory provided in the bar code reader, or a storage means connected to the bar code reader and provided with a correction coefficient for each product read and identified by the bar code. It is possible to store temperature correction data such as. As another method, it is possible to adopt a method of inserting temperature correction data in the barcode itself. If accurate temperature measurement is required, the emissivity of the object can be judged and accurately measured by including emissivity correction data in the bar code. If accurate temperature measurement is required, correct the temperature by including (correction) data of emissivity in the barcode. Infrared emissivity is usually 0.85
It is about 0.95. The measurement accuracy can be improved by using the temperature correction data and combining it with the barcode information. If the temperature of the part where the barcode is printed is measured, the temperature can be accurately measured even if the material is not made of a homogeneous material.

Next, in the invention described in claim 3,
The temperature measurement area is determined by using the bar code reading success of the bar code reading means as a temperature measurement trigger, and the temperature measurement area can be set by changing the reading focus range of the bar code reader. Has been For example, the focus range can be changed by a laser marker in order to aim at the temperature sampling point of the object. By using the successful reading of the barcode as a trigger, it is possible to perform accurate temperature measurement without making a mistake in the temperature measurement location.
The temperature measurement area can be set by changing the reading focus range of the barcode reader.

As the timing of measurement by the various sensors, it is possible to always measure the various sensors at the same time as the reading by the bar code reader and use the data read by the sensor at the time when the successful reading of the bar code is a trigger. it can. In this case, the responsiveness is enhanced.

Furthermore, the beam width of the radiation type thermometer is adjusted by measuring the entire temperature or the temperature of the portion where the barcode is printed, based on the instruction written in the read barcode data. The measurement object can be set flexibly with. For example, if the reading focus range of the barcode reader is set to about 0 to 1 cm, the temperature of the portion where the barcode is printed can be reliably measured.

Select the material of the part where the barcode is printed,
More accurate measurements can be made by painting the surface matte black. From the temperature data read from the product,
You can also control the temperature of the refrigerator and storage. Not limited to handy bar code readers, table bar code readers, O
It can also be applied to automatic reading devices such as CRs, laser scanners, two-dimensional code readers, QR code readers, and handy terminals.

Next, in the invention described in claim 4,
According to the temperature measurement conditions contained in the barcode, the temperature measurement means can perform measurement by a measurement method suitable for the temperature measurement target. By describing the temperature measurement conditions in the bar code, it is possible to flexibly indicate the measurement method suitable for the object.

The structure is such that the conventional handy bar code reader also has a temperature sensor, and the bar code is scanned to measure the temperature at that time. By integrating them, product data and its temperature data can be easily and definitely input. Bar code readers normally scan while power is on. When the bar code is read close to the bar code and the bar code is read successfully, the temperature at that time is measured by the radiation type temperature sensor.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a bar code reading process. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the temperature measurement process. Further, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the basic processing of the present invention. The processing by the barcode reader integrated with the barcode reading / temperature measurement described above will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 4 shows a barcode attached to a product or the like by an operator at a sales site or the like. To scan and read. Normal PO by barcode
Information such as product name, manufacturer name, and price can be read as in the S system. In addition, it is possible to calculate the purchase amount by inputting the quantity in a cash register or the like connected to the barcode reader. Further, customer information (gender, age, etc.) can be input, and the date and time can be automatically read by the time counting means, and the area of the store can be read. Next, correction data such as emissivity and measurement conditions are acquired directly or indirectly from the barcode. When the barcode is successfully read by scanning, it triggers the temperature measurement means,
The measurement by the temperature sensor is performed. When there are other measuring means and input means, the measured data and the input data are also acquired. The measured or input data and the data acquired by reading the barcode such as product information are stored in association with each other. It is also possible to transfer the data online to a remote location such as the headquarters of the store.

Further, in the invention described in claim 5,
The barcode reader is provided with data input means other than the above barcode reading means. The data read or input by the data input means and the temperature data measured by the temperature measurement means are associated with each other, and the information processing means can store or transfer the data. The data input means is a keyboard for inputting POS data or the like, a cash register input key, or the like. In addition, data read from a storage unit such as a memory included in the bar code reader, a storage unit connected to the bar code reader, or data read from a time counting unit having a clock function is acquired through a connection terminal, a circuit, or the like. Including means. By acquiring data in association with data read by barcodes and measured temperature data, product management, freshness management, PO
It can be used for S data management.

The bar code reader may be connected to a cash register, a control device such as a computer device, or may be integrated, or may be a handy type device or a sensor such as a temperature measuring device. Alternatively, an independent bar code reader can be used. A bar code reader or the like having a wireless communication function can also be used.

Furthermore, data measurement and data input /
Regarding the acquisition, various data other than the temperature data can be obtained by the sensor integrated with the barcode reader.
Instead of the temperature measuring means or separately from the temperature measuring means,
It is a form provided with a measuring means for measuring any one or more of humidity, moisture, odor, gas, etc. of an article or the like to be measured. Information processing means for storing or transferring information obtained by measuring means such as humidity, moisture, odor, gas, and the like and information obtained by the barcode reading means in association with each other is provided, and product data and measuring means are provided. The data obtained by can be measured simultaneously.

The humidity sensor mainly utilizes a change in electrical property due to adsorption and desorption of atmospheric moisture. Humidity sensors include dry and wet bulb type, hair type, crystal vibration type, polymer type sensors and metal oxide sensors. Among them, polymer-based metal oxides are small sensors that are compatible with electronic circuits. In addition to the combination of bar code reader and temperature sensor, combination of bar code reader and various sensors such as humidity, moisture, odor and gas makes it easy to acquire correction data and acquisition and setting of measurement conditions. It is possible to judge the object to be measured from the barcode and judge whether the humidity, moisture, odor, sound, illuminance, etc. are appropriate. By inserting the correction data in the bar code, more accurate measurement can be performed. Humidity control is important for quality preservation and storage environment of stored rice. By combining a bar code reader and a hygrometer sensor, the date, control number, brand and humidity can be known at the same time, the humidity condition of stored rice can be centrally controlled, and the storage environment can be easily maintained and managed.

Even when the humidity sensor is used as the measuring means, more accurate measurement can be performed by using the humidity correction data. The data for humidity correction is
Humidity correction data such as a correction coefficient should be stored in a storage unit such as a memory provided in the barcode reader or a storage unit connected to the barcode reader and provided for each product that is read and identified by the barcode. You can As another method, it is possible to adopt a method of including humidity correction data in the barcode itself.

Further, an odor sensor can be provided as a measuring means. To determine and maintain the freshness of fruits and vegetables, measure the water content of the fruits and vegetables. Of course, the proper amount of water varies depending on the fruits and vegetables. By combining a bar code reader and a sensor of a moisture meter, the type of fruits and vegetables, date and water content can be known at the same time, and the freshness according to the type of fruits and vegetables can be judged from the measured water content. Even when the odor sensor is used as the measuring means, more accurate measurement can be performed by using the odor correction data. The data for odor correction is
The odor correction data such as the correction coefficient should be stored in a storage unit such as a memory provided in the bar code reader or a storage unit connected to the bar code reader and provided for each product read and identified by the bar code. You can As another method, a method in which odor correction data is put in the barcode itself can be adopted.

In the food / beverage field, "odor" is judged for quality control and inspection of raw materials. For example, identification of the type of coffee and aging of cheese. By combining a bar code reader and an odor sensor, the date, serial number, cheese production time and ripening condition can be known at the same time, and the ripening degree can be determined and the ripening time can be predicted. Fruits and vegetables produce ethylene gas and act as hormones that accelerate the ripening of fruits and vegetables. When it begins to ripen, a larger amount of ethylene gas is generated. Some fruits and vegetables produce a large amount of ethylene gas, while others produce a small amount. By combining a bar code reader and an ethylene gas sensor, the date, the type of fruits and vegetables and the ethylene gas concentration can be known at the same time, and the degree of aging of fruits and vegetables according to the type of fruits and vegetables can be determined from the measured ethylene gas concentration. .

Acetaldehyde is generated when vegetables are putrefaction. When fish and meat rot, ammonia and amines are generated. Some foods generate more gas and some generate less gas. If a barcode reader and various gas sensors are combined, the date, the type of food and the gas concentration can be known at the same time, and the degree of spoilage according to the type of food can be determined from the measured gas concentration.

When inspecting vibration noise / abnormal noise such as wear deterioration in equipment maintenance, if a bar code reader and sound sensor are combined, the date, control number, equipment type and sound can be known at the same time, and the inspected equipment Unified management of sound
Can help with time series management and maintenance.

In any of the forms described above, when the information processing means stores or transfers information,
By adding the time information when the information is obtained, it can be used for product management, inventory management, POS data management, and other purposes. In addition, although the main examples of using foods and other products at the sales site have been used, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, odor sensors, illuminance sensors, voice sensors, wind speed sensors, rainfall sensors, weight sensors, and other various measuring means should be used. Therefore, various applications can be made. For example, if you combine a bar code reader and an illuminance sensor in an illuminance inspection of a fluorescent lamp in an office building, you can know the date, floor number, room number, model, management number, and illuminance at the same time. Can help with time series management and maintenance.

[0040]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the temperature sensor is built in the bar code reader, and the data reading of the bar code and the temperature measurement / judgment of the object are simultaneously performed. This makes it possible to easily and accurately input the product data, the date, and the temperature data thereof by integrating them. Furthermore, when reading a barcode attached to a product or the like, it is possible to use the correction data or the like to enable accurate measurement. Further, in the present invention, in addition to the combination of the bar code reader and the temperature sensor, by combining the bar code reader and various sensors such as humidity, moisture, odor, and gas, acquisition of correction data and acquisition and setting of measurement conditions can be performed. Not only can it be done easily, but it is also possible to judge the object to be measured from the bar code and judge whether its humidity, moisture, odor, sound, illuminance, etc. are appropriate.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a basic configuration of a system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a bar code reader in which a bar code reading unit such as a bar code sensor unit and a temperature measuring unit such as a radiation temperature sensor unit are integrally provided so as to face the same direction.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of another basic configuration of the system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a barcode reading process.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a temperature measurement process.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of basic processing of the present invention.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A bar code reading means for reading a bar code attached to an article or the like, a temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of an article or the like to be temperature-measured, and a temperature obtained by the temperature measuring means. A bar code reader integrated with a temperature sensor, comprising information processing means for storing or transferring information and information obtained by the bar code reading means in association with each other, and capable of simultaneously measuring product data and temperature data. . 2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the temperature correction data included in the bar code can be read by the bar code reading means, and accurate temperature measurement corresponding to various products is possible. A bar code reader with a built-in temperature sensor. 3. The invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the area for temperature measurement is determined by using the success of reading the barcode by the barcode reading means as a trigger for temperature measurement. A bar code reader with a built-in temperature sensor, wherein the temperature measurement area can be set by changing the reading focus range. 4. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature measuring means can perform measurement by a measuring method suitable for a temperature measuring object according to the temperature measuring condition contained in the bar code. A bar code reader with a built-in temperature sensor. 5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the bar code reader is provided with data input means other than the bar code reading means, the data read or input by the data input means, and the temperature. A bar code reader integrated with a temperature sensor, wherein the information processing means can store or transfer the data in association with the temperature data measured by the measuring means. 6. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in place of the temperature measuring means or separately from the temperature measuring means, humidity, moisture, odor, gas, etc. of an article or the like to be measured.
Measuring means for measuring any one or more of the other, information obtained by the measuring means,
And information processing means for storing or transferring in association with the information obtained by the barcode reading means,
A sensor-integrated bar code reader characterized by being able to simultaneously measure product data and data obtained by a measuring means. 7. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the information processing means stores or transfers information, time information when the information is obtained is added.
Bar code reader with integrated sensor. 8. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 2 or 4 to 7, wherein various sensors are constantly measured at the same time as the reading by the barcode reader, and the sensor is reading at that time by using the successful reading of the barcode as a trigger. Data
A bar code reader integrated with a temperature sensor, characterized in that responsiveness is improved by storing or transferring the information obtained by the bar code reading means in association with each other.