JP2760161B2 - Reader - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to point-of-sale information management (Poi
The present invention relates to a reading device such as a bar code scanner used for a system or the like (hereinafter referred to as a POS system). In particular, a plurality of reflection holograms having different diffraction angles are arranged on an outer peripheral surface of a polygonal column, and a plurality of types of scanning beams are provided. The present invention relates to a reading device capable of forming a pattern.

In recent years, POS systems have become widespread in department stores, supermarkets, and the like, and the efficiency of sales management and registration of sales products has been improved. Bar code scanners are widely used for inputting data such as product prices in the POS system, and there is a strong demand for improved reading performance, smaller size, and lower cost as usage increases. A method is desired.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) are a perspective perspective view and an internal side view showing the inside of a scanner 1. As shown in FIG.
The scanner 1 includes an optical unit 2, a data processing unit 3, and a reading control unit 4. The optical unit 2 receives light from a light source 20 a composed of, for example, a laser diode, and a light emitting unit 22 composed of a beam shaping lens 21. Outgoing light is a flat mirror
The scanning beam is reflected by the rotating polygon mirror 24a and reflected by the rotating mirrors 23a and 23b.
a to 25f, the scanning beams in different angular directions are reflected from the reading window 26 of the glass sheet to the bar code 50a of the article 5 in the upper space.
Beam scanning function to scan the product, and the bar code 50 of the product 5
The reflected light obtained by scanning a is scanned by mirrors 25a-25
It has a light receiving conversion function of condensing light with a condenser lens 27 via f and a polygon mirror 24a, reading it with a light receiving sensor 28a, and converting it into an electric signal.

[0004] As shown in FIG.
It is composed of a combination of a thick line and a thin line, and the size of the interval between them. Characters, numbers or symbols are displayed in a permutation of these predetermined numbers, and are printed directly on the packaging of the product 5, or
It is printed on a label or the like and affixed to the product 5.

The polygon mirror 24a, for example, has six reflecting surfaces and scans six times in one rotation, and each surface is provided at a different angle with respect to the vertical direction, and reflects light in different directions. A scanning beam is emitted. Polygon mirror 24
a is rotated by a motor M1, the motor M1 and the light source 20a are connected to the reading control unit 4, and the light receiving sensor 28a is connected to the reading control unit 4 via the data processing unit 3. The reading control unit 4 is connected to an electronic register (not shown).
The optical unit 2, the data processing unit 3, and the reading control unit 4 are housed in a housing 10.

The data processing section 3 converts the electric signals, which have been received and converted by the respective light receiving sensors 28a of the scanner 1, into a sensor amplifier (not shown), an analog / digital (A /
D) Recognize as a bar code signal via a conversion circuit and a binarization circuit.

Accordingly, the scanner 1 is controlled by the reading control section 4 to control the respective sections, as shown in FIG.
A scanning beam is emitted from 26 and scans the barcode 50a of the product 5 facing the reading window 26, and the barcode 50a is read by the reflected light to recognize the data.

In the above example, a case where a plate glass is used for the reading window 26 has been described. However, a transmission type hologram may be used in a small scanner.

[0009]

According to the above conventional method, in order to form a scanning pattern for scanning in a plurality of directions, a plurality of mirrors, in the above example, six scanning pattern forming mirrors are arranged in front of the polygon mirror. Therefore, the number of parts is large and cost is high, the arrangement space hinders miniaturization of the device, and the reflected light from the barcode is transmitted from the reading window through the scanning pattern forming mirror, polygon mirror,
In addition, since the light reaches the light receiving sensor via the condenser lens and the like, if the transmittance of the mirror or the like is low, there is a problem that the reflected light is attenuated and the reading performance is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a reading apparatus which can improve the reading performance and can reduce the size and cost.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes a light source, 29 denotes a reflection type hologram, 50 denotes a scanned object, 24 denotes a plurality of reflection type holograms 29 having at least two types of diffraction angles arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the polygonal column, and the axis of the polygonal column. Is a rotating polyhedron that rotates at a predetermined speed around the center, and 28 is a rotating polyhedron that emits light emitted from the light source 20.
This is a light receiving unit that receives reflected light obtained by scanning the object to be scanned 50 with at least two types of scanning beam patterns formed by reflection on the 24 reflection holograms 29, and converts the reflected light into an electric signal.

[0012]

The light emitted from the light source 20 is diffracted by a plurality of reflection holograms 29 having at least two kinds of diffraction angles of a rotating rotating polyhedron 24 and reflected in different directions, so that at least two kinds of scanning beam patterns are formed. Are formed, the scanning beam pattern scans the scanning target 50, and the reflected light is received by the light receiving means 28, converted into an electric signal, and the scanning target 50 is read.

In this manner, the light emitted from the light source 20 can be formed into a scanning beam pattern by the plurality of reflection holograms 29 of the rotating polyhedron 24, so that a scanning pattern forming mirror is required as in the conventional example. Instead, the number of parts is reduced, and space and cost are reduced.

Further, since the shape of the rotating polyhedron 24 is a polygonal prism and rotates around the axis, the rotation is stabilized, and the light receiving means 28
Since the light received by the mirror is not attenuated by the mirror, the reading performance can be improved.

[0015]

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view in which the present invention is applied to the optical unit described in the conventional example. 3 denote the same object.

The holograms 29a to 29f and the light receiving sensor 28 shown in FIG.
a and the bar code 50a are the reflection type hologram 29, FIG.
The light receiving means 28 and the scanned object 50 respectively correspond. Fig. 2 (a)
As shown in (b) and (b), in the scanner 1a, reflection-type holograms 29a to 29f having different diffraction angles are mounted on the outer peripheral surface of a rotating polyhedron 24b formed in a hexagonal column shape. The rotating polyhedron 24b is rotated at a predetermined speed about the axis by the motor M1.

The scanning pattern forming mirrors 25a to 25f described in the conventional example are omitted. With such a configuration, light emitted from the light source 20a is reflected by the plane mirror 23, diffracted by the holograms 29a to 29f having different diffraction angles of the rotating rotating polyhedron 24b, and reflected in different directions. Various kinds of scanning beam patterns are formed, and the scanning beam patterns are radiated to the outside from the reading window 26 and the scanning beam pattern is
Scans the bar code 50a of the
The light is received at a and converted into an electric signal, and the bar code 50a is read. In this manner, the light emitted from the light source 20a can be formed into a scanning beam pattern by the holograms 29a to 29f of the rotating polyhedron 24b, thus eliminating the need for the scanning pattern forming mirrors 25a to 25f unlike the conventional example. Since the number of parts is reduced, the space and cost are reduced, and the size and cost of the scanner 1a can be reduced.

Further, since the shape of the rotating polyhedron 24b is a polygonal prism and rotates around the axis, the rotation is stable, and the light reflected from the bar code 50a and received by the light receiving sensor 28a is attenuated by a mirror in the middle. Since there is no reading performance, the reading performance can be improved.

Further, conventionally, in the case of a small scanner, a transmission type hologram is used for a reading window.
Since the scanning beam can be emitted to a desired range of the reading window 26 through .about.29f, the size can be reduced without using a transmission hologram.

When the transmission hologram is used, the size can be further reduced.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, the irradiation light from the light source is reflected in different directions by a rotating polyhedron having a plurality of reflection holograms having at least two kinds of diffraction angles on the outer peripheral surface. Since a plurality of scanning patterns can be formed, a mirror group for forming a scanning pattern, which is conventionally used, can be omitted, space is saved, the number of parts is reduced, and the size and cost of the apparatus are reduced. In addition, the light reflected by scanning the object to be scanned is received by the light receiving means without passing through the mirror group for forming the scanning pattern, so that the reading performance is improved without light attenuation. There is an effect that can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a reading apparatus to which the present invention is applied;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a bar code.

[Explanation of symbols]

20,20a is a light source, 24,24b is a rotating polyhedron, 24
a is a polygon mirror, 28 is a light receiving means, 28a is a light receiving sensor, 29 is a reflection hologram, 29a to 29f
Is a hologram, 50 is a scanned object, 50a is a barcode,

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06K 7/12 G06K 7/10

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A light source (20) and a plurality of reflection holograms (29) having at least two types of diffraction angles are arranged on an outer peripheral surface of a polygonal prism, and a rotating polyhedron (rotating at a predetermined speed about an axis) is provided. 24), and a light beam irradiated from the light source (20) is reflected on the reflection hologram (29) of the rotating polyhedron (24) by at least two types of scanning beam patterns formed by the scanning object.
A reading device comprising: a light receiving unit (28) for receiving reflected light obtained by scanning the (50) and converting the reflected light into an electric signal.