JP3380039B2 - Special symbol reading device and inspection device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a special symbol reading device for reading a special symbol obtained by converting character and numerical information into code data such as a bar code, and an inspection device therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A handy type special code for reading and decoding a special symbol in which a black and white striped bar code is arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally by using a one-dimensional image sensor (CCD). Symbol reading devices are conventionally known. At the time of manufacturing, repairing or inspecting such a special symbol reading device, the video signal of the special symbol read by the CCD is displayed on the monitor device to check the operation. Was connected to a monitor device.

[0003]

However, since such an operation check is carried out by removing the cover of the main body, the work is complicated in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus,
The work efficiency is lowered, and the operation check is performed in a state different from the actual use, so the accuracy of the inspection is not high.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a special symbol reading device and an inspection device which can easily perform an operation check by video output during manufacturing and inspection.

[0005]

A special symbol reading apparatus according to the present invention includes an opening member having an opening, an image sensor for detecting an image of a special symbol incident through the opening, and an image sensor of the image sensor. An analog video signal generator is provided that includes means for generating an analog video signal corresponding to a special symbol based on the output signal, and a contact piece made of a conductive material and provided on the opening member and exposed to the outside of the opening member. The means is characterized in that it is electrically connected to the contact piece.

The inspection device for the special symbol reading device according to the present invention is capable of electrically connecting the means for providing the inspection special symbol to the reading area of the image sensor and the contact piece, and is capable of transmitting an analog video signal. And a means for outputting to the outside.

[0007]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing the structure of a special symbol reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the scanner body 11 is composed of a handle portion 13 held by an operator and an opening member 14 applied to a special symbol such as a two-dimensional barcode. A trigger switch 15 is provided on the abdomen of the handle portion 13, and an annular cord holding member 17 is fitted on the end portion of the handle portion 13. An output cord 16 connected to a communication driver 33 described later is inserted through the cord holding member 17.

The opening member 14 has a frustoconical shape in which the upper part is widened, and an opening 22 is formed in the lower part. The side wall (outer peripheral wall) of the opening member 14 is covered with a cover member 18 having a truncated cone shape slightly larger than the opening member 14. The cover member 18 is made of, for example, rubber or the like, and is attachable to and detachable from the opening member 14. Further, a connection hole 19 and a fixing hole 21 penetrating therethrough are formed in the side wall of the opening member 14, respectively.

A lamp 24, a prism 25, an optical system 26, a CCD 31, a signal processing circuit 3 are provided in the scanner body 11.
2, a communication driver 33, a signal line connecting these, and the like are provided.

The prism 25 is fixed between the inner wall surface of the opening member 14 and the gap K, and diffuses and irradiates the light emitted from the lamp 24 inside the opening 22 so that the surface to be read is set. Illuminate evenly. The optical system 26 is a CCD
The reflected light from the two-dimensional bar code provided in the opening 22 at a position facing the light receiving surface of the CCD 3 is provided to the CCD 3
An image is formed on the light receiving surface of 1.

In the gap K between the prism 25 on one side and the inner wall surface of the opening member 14, a contact piece 27 made of a conductive metal is formed.
Is inserted and pinched, and a part of the surface is exposed from the connection hole 19. The contact piece 27 is electrically connected to the video output circuit 47 (FIG. 3) of the signal processing circuit 32 via the signal line S1. The signal processing circuit 32 uses the O of the trigger switch 15.
The operations of the lamp 24, the CCD 31, etc. are controlled according to the N, OFF switching operation. The image signal output from the CCD 31 is subjected to predetermined processing by the signal processing circuit 32, converted into a digital binary signal, and output to the output code 16 via the communication driver 33. In normal use, hole 19,
Since 21 is closed by the cover member 18, it does not change in appearance and protects the contact piece 27.

FIG. 2 shows an image reading area 51 formed inside the opening 22 (FIG. 1). The image of the two-dimensional bar code 53 located in the image reading area 51 is imaged on the light receiving surface of the CCD 31, whereby an image signal corresponding to the two-dimensional bar code is generated.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the special symbol reader. The configuration and operation of each circuit will be briefly described.

The CCD 31 is driven by a CCD drive circuit 46, from which an image signal corresponding to the two-dimensional bar code 53 is read out and output to the amplifier circuit 41. The image signal is amplified by the amplifier circuit 41, and the video output circuit 4
7 and the A / D converter 42. In the video output circuit 47, the amplified image signal is converted into an analog video signal (composite video signal) conforming to the standard television system, and the contact piece 27 (FIG. 1) is provided via the signal line S1.
Is output to.

On the other hand, in the A / D converter 42, the image signal output from the amplifier circuit 41 is converted into an 8-bit digital signal and output to the binarization circuit 43 and the CPU 45. In the binarization circuit 43, this digital signal and CP
A digital binarized signal is formed based on the 8-bit threshold value output from U45 and output to the memory 44.
The binarized signal is once stored in the memory 44, then output to the CPU 45 at a predetermined timing, subjected to a predetermined process in the CPU 45, and passed through the communication driver 33 and the output code 16 to a host computer (not shown). Is output to. The illumination light source 24 is turned on and off by the CPU 4
Controlled by 5.

Next, the structure of the device for inspecting the special symbol reading device will be described. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inspection device body 61, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the scanner body 11 is inserted into the inspection device body 61.

The inspection device main body 61 has a frustoconical shape in which the upper part is widened and has a shape capable of accommodating the opening member 14 of the scanner main body 11. On the inner wall surface of the inspection device body 61,
A hole 6 through which the connection pin 73 provided in the storage portion 64 can be inserted and removed
8 and the protrusion 69 are formed. Hole 68 and protrusion 69
The opening member 14 of the scanner body 11 is the inspection device body 6
In the state of being inserted in 1, the scanner body 11 is formed at a position facing the connection hole 19 and the fixing hole 21, respectively.

A hole 6 formed in the lower part of the inspection device main body 61
A disk-shaped bottom portion 63 is screwed onto the reference numeral 8. This bottom 63
Is provided with an inspection two-dimensional bar code 67 for inspecting the image reading state of the CCD 31. The inspection two-dimensional barcode 67 is arranged at a position corresponding to the image reading area 51 of the opening 22 in a state where the scanner body 11 is inserted into the inspection device body 61. A screw groove is formed on each of the outer peripheral surface of the bottom portion 63 and the bottom end portion of the main body 61, and the bottom portion 63 is attachable to and detachable from the inspection device main body 61. As a result, the bottom portion 63 can be removed and an arbitrary inspection barcode 63 can be attached, and the operation check can be performed using different reading targets.

The hollow storage part 64 is provided in the inspection device main body 61.
It is attached to the outer peripheral wall of the inspection device main body 61 so as to cover the hole 68. A support portion 72 having elasticity and conductivity is provided inside the storage portion 64. A connection pin 73 is formed at the end of the support portion 72, and the connection pin 73 projects through the hole 68 to the inner wall surface of the inspection device body 61. An annular cord holding member 65 is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the storage portion 64.
Is attached to the cord holding member 65 and is electrically connected to the connecting pin 73 via the support portion 72.
Is inserted. The output cord 66 is electrically connected to the connection pin 73 via the support portion 72.

Next, the operation of the special symbol reading device will be described. The operation described below is controlled by the CPU 45 as a whole.

The operation of reading a two-dimensional bar code is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the opening member 22 is fitted to the cover member 18, and the opening 22 is applied to the two-dimensional barcode. When the trigger switch 15 is operated to turn it on, the reading operation starts. That is, the CPU 45
The lamp 24 emits light based on the above control, and the image reading area 51 is illuminated through the prism 25. CCD31
Then, the reflected light incident from the opening 22 is detected, photoelectrically converted, and the image signal corresponding to the image reading area 51 is read out and output to the signal processing circuit 32.

The signal processing circuit 32 performs a predetermined process on the image signal to generate an analog video signal and a binarized signal. The analog video signal is output to the contact piece 27 via the signal line S1, and the binarized signal is output to the host computer. In the host computer, for example, the information recorded in the two-dimensional bar code 53 is decoded based on this binarized signal. Note that this decryption operation has been publicly known, and therefore its description is omitted.

The operation check of the special symbol reader is
The cover member 18 is removed from the opening member 14 of the scanner body 11, and the opening member 14 is inserted into the inspection apparatus body 61 as shown in FIG. In this state,
Since the protrusion 69 engages with the fixing hole 21 and the connecting pin 73 projects from the inner wall surface of the inspection device body 61, it elastically and electrically contacts the contact piece 27.

When the trigger switch 15 is turned on in this state to start the reading operation, an analog video signal corresponding to the image signal (two-dimensional bar code 67 for inspection) generated by the CCD 31 passes through the output code 66. It is output to the monitor device and displayed on the display screen of the monitor device. Thereby, the image area read by the CCD 31 is inspected.

As described above, in the apparatus of this embodiment, the contact piece 27 is exposed in the connection hole 19 by removing the cover member 18 from the opening member 14 in the inspection step at the time of manufacturing, and C
An analog video signal corresponding to the image signal read by the CD 31 can be output to an external monitor device, and the operation check is performed by inserting the opening member 14 into the inspection device main body 61. Therefore, as compared with the conventional device, the operation check operation by the output of the analog video signal is easier. Further, since this operation check can be performed in the same state as the normal use state, the accuracy of inspection is improved. Furthermore, the appearance and operability of the reading device are not impaired.

Although the apparatus of this embodiment reads a two-dimensional bar code, it may be a one-dimensional bar code reading apparatus.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, the operation check operation by video output can be easily performed during manufacturing and inspection.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a special symbol reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a reading area of an opening.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a scanner body.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an apparatus for inspecting a reading area of the scanner body.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the scanner body is inserted into the inspection device body.

[Explanation of symbols]

14 Opening member 19 connection holes 22 opening 27 contact piece

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-86964 (JP, A) JP-A-3-183278 (JP, A) JP-A-63-238444 (JP, A) Actual Kaihei 5- 17760 (JP, U) Actual development 4-12189 (JP, U) Actual development Sho 62-201827 (JP, U) Actual development Sho 64-57551 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06K 7/00 G06K 7/10

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An opening member having an opening for reading a special symbol, an image sensor for detecting an image of the special symbol incident from the opening, and the special symbol based on an output signal of the image sensor. Means for generating a corresponding analog video signal, and provided in the opening member,
A special symbol reading device, which is electrically connected to the analog video signal generating means and has a contact piece that can be exposed to the outside of the opening member. 2. The special symbol reader according to claim 1, wherein a connection hole is formed in the opening member, and the contact piece can be exposed to the outside through the connection hole. 3. The special symbol reading device according to claim 1, wherein a cover member that is detachable and covers the back surface of the contact piece is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the opening member. 4. A body provided with a special symbol for inspection located in an opening of the special symbol reading device according to claim 1 and electrically connectable to a contact piece of the special symbol reading device. And a means for outputting an analog video signal of an image signal corresponding to the special symbol to the outside, the inspection device of the special symbol reading device.