JP2725221B2 - 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, and more particularly to a laser type bar code reader for scanning a bar code by scanning a laser beam a plurality of times.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 shows an example of a scanning pattern on a bar code of a laser bar code reader. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 1 denotes barcode information, 2 denotes characters indicating the contents of the barcode information, a denotes barcode start information, and b denotes barcode end information. A to F indicate laser scanning patterns. In FIG. 5, there are six scanning patterns. Only the scanning pattern A can decode the barcode information 1.

[0003]

However, a bar code reader having a scanning pattern as shown in FIG. 5 can read rotated bar code information as shown in FIG. 6, or can read bar code information as shown in FIGS. ) Cannot be read when the scanning pattern does not cover a part of the barcode information as shown in FIG. 8) or when the barcode information has a wide bar width as shown in FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b). was there. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and has as its object to provide a barcode reader that improves the reading rate of various types of barcode information.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a bar code reader has the following configuration. (1) Scan a bar code a plurality of times in different directions
Means for detecting start information or end information of the bar code, detecting the start information or end information , and performing decoding of information following the detection of the end information or start information , or occurrence of a decoding error. And the decryption information
Means for storing a plurality of times of scanning performed in different directions from each other.
Comprising decryption information containing decryption information and end information including the start information in the storage information scanned in a direction coupled to a predetermined number of digits, and decryption completed when the coupling is made possible. (2) The decoding information including the start information and the decoding information including the end information in the storage information are combined to have a predetermined number of digits,
When the decoding unit including the start information and the decoding information including the end information have two or more overlapping digits in the combining unit, the decoding is completed.

[0005]

According to the present invention, therefore, directions different from each other are provided.
Decoding information including start information among the stored information scanned in
Combine decryption information including end information to a specified number of digits
This makes it possible to improve the reading rate for barcode information placed at the rotating position, when the bar width is wide, or when the barcode information has many digits and cannot be scanned at once from the start information to the end information of the barcode. Is achieved.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a barcode reader according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes bar code information (bar code label), 3 denotes a light projecting module that scans a laser beam to create a scanning pattern, and 4 denotes reflected light of the laser beam of the light projecting module 3 on the bar code label. A light receiving circuit section that receives light and demodulates bar code information is a decoding module that processes the output of the light receiving circuit section and decodes the bar code information. The decoding module controls the light projecting module 3 and loads the output of the light receiving circuit section 4 into the memory 52. It comprises a control unit 50 for performing control, a microprocessor 51 for processing the contents of the memory 52 and performing a decoding process, and a memory 52. 53
Is an interface (I) that communicates decryption information to external equipment.
/ F) circuit. FIGS. 2 to 4 are flowcharts of the decoding process of the bar code information in the microprocessor 51.

Hereinafter, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to a flow chart shown in FIG. 2 for an example of reading bar code information placed at the rotational position shown in FIG. When a bar code is scanned as shown in FIG. 6, six scan data A to F are taken in (S ₁ , S ₂ ). A decoding process is performed on the captured scan data (S ₃ ) (FIG. 2- (II) or FIG.
-(III) flowchart). The flowchart of FIG. 2- (II) is a process for detecting the barcode start information a and decoding the subsequent barcode information. In the example of FIG. 6, “a (1) (2) (3)” is used for the scanning pattern A. , "A (1)" is decoded in the scanning pattern B. The flowchart of FIG. 2- (III) is a process of detecting the barcode end information b and decoding the subsequent barcode information.
"B (2) (3) " in the scan pattern C example of FIG. 6, "b" in the scanning pattern D is decoded (S _21, S _22). The flowchart shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the first embodiment. In the combining process of the decryption information shown in FIG.
(3) "," a ( 1) b (2) " Detection of (S _51), the data including end information" (3) "," b " of detecting (S ₅₂₎ performs .S _51, S ₅₂
If the detection becomes possible by the processing of (3), it is checked whether the detected data can be combined into a predetermined number of digits (S53, _S53) .
_S54 ). If the detection is impossible, it is determined that the connection is impossible and an error is generated. In the example of FIG. 6, since the number of digits is five,
The combination of “a (1) (2) (3)” and “b (2) (3)” and “a (1) (2)
(3) "and" b ", and" a (1) "and" b (2) (3) ", both of which result in" a (1) (2) (3 )
b ", enabling normal decoding. If a normal result is not possible, it is determined that combining is impossible and an error is generated.

The flowchart shown in FIG. 4 improves the detection accuracy of the processing shown in FIG. 3 in the second embodiment. The processing of S ₅₁ , S ₅₂ , S ₅₃ , and S ₅₄ of FIG. 4 is the same as that of FIG. 3, and the data including the start information is “a (1) (2) (3)” and “a
(1) "is detected as data including end information," b (2) (3) "and" b "are detected, and the combination result is" a (1) (2) (3) b ". And 56 are processes for checking the number of overlapping digits in the connection portion. In this embodiment, when two or more digits overlap, "a
(1) (2) (3) ”and“ b (2) (3) ”are combined with“ (2)
(3) ”. The other digits result in an error. For example, if the detection data“ a (1) (2) (3) ”is misidentified as“ a (1) (2) (4) ”, In step 3, "b" is combined, and the combined result is "a (1) (2)
(4) b ", the decoding is completed, and there is a possibility of erroneous reading. However, in the processes S ₅₅ and S _{56 of} FIG. 4, the erroneous reading as described above does not occur because the duplicate digits are checked.
Barcode information detection accuracy can be improved.
In the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, no check digit is inserted in the barcode. However, by inserting and checking the check digit, the reading accuracy can be further improved.

[0009]

As can be seen from the above embodiment, the present invention starts with stored information scanned in different directions from each other.
Decoding information including information and decoding information including end information
Combining the number of digits makes it possible to read barcode labels placed at rotational positions that were previously impossible to read, barcode labels with a wide bar width, and barcode labels with many digits. It has an excellent effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a barcode information decoding process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a first flowchart of a process of combining decoding information in a barcode decoding process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a second flowchart of the decoding information combining process in the barcode decoding process in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a scanning pattern of a laser bar code reader.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a scanning pattern of a laser barcode reader when barcode information is placed at a rotation position.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a scanning pattern of a laser barcode reader when a scanning pattern does not cover a part of barcode information.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a scanning pattern of a laser barcode reader when a scanning pattern does not cover a part of barcode information.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... bar code information, 2 ... characters indicating bar code information, 3 ... light emitting module, 4 ... light receiving circuit section, 5 ...
Decoding module, 50 ... Control unit, 51 ... Microprocessor, 52 ... Memory, 53 ... Interface circuit.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Masahiro Dan 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-57-164373 (JP, A)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of barcodes in different directions on a barcode.
Scanning means; means for detecting the start information or end information of the bar code; and performing decoding processing of the information following detection of the start information or end information until end information or start information is detected or a decoding error occurs. Means, and a bar code reader having means for storing decoding information for a plurality of scans scanned in different directions from each other ,
The decoding information including the start information and the decoding information including the end information in the storage information scanned in different directions are combined so as to have a predetermined number of digits, and when the combination is possible, the decoding is completed. Features a barcode reader. 2. Decoding information including start information and decoding information including end information in storage information are combined so as to have a predetermined number of digits, and a decoding unit includes the decoding information including the start information and the end information. 2. The barcode reader according to claim 1, wherein the decoding is completed when the number of overlapping digits of the decoding information including "2" is two or more.