JP4106159B2 - Multi laser marking system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a multi-laser marking system that forms a two-dimensional code by laser baking of a plurality of lasers.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, a bar code printed with striped stripes is used to wrap a product for use in product management or sales calculation at the time of sale. However, the bar code based on the striped stripe has a small amount of data that can be recorded compared to the area used, and can only be used for managing the product number of the product.
[0003]
For this reason, in recent years, a two-dimensional code formed by a matrix of dot-like bright and dark patterns has come to be used. This has the advantage that it can record 12 alphanumeric characters per square mm, and the amount of data per unit area is much larger than that of a bar code, can record a large amount of information, and can be read by a reader from any direction of 360 degrees. is there. Furthermore, since the data can be recovered even if a part of the code is broken or dirty, the information can be secretly managed by encrypting the data, so that its application has been expanded.
[0004]
In order to mark the two-dimensional code with a laser printing machine, it is necessary to control the galvanometer with high accuracy. As shown in FIG. 7, the two-dimensional code includes various codes, and in order to perform the marking process, a laser printing machine dedicated to the code has to be used. For this reason, data of different codes could not be shared, and a general-purpose laser printing machine could not be used. In the conventional system, since all operations are performed by one terminal, it is not possible to proceed to the next operation until all marking processes are completed, and multiple types of marking processes cannot be performed at the same time. It was.
[0005]
When the two-dimensional code 1 shown in FIG. 8 is created, the data code is converted into a bitmap and image data composed of unit cells 2 of black cells 2a and white cells 2b is created. The two-dimensional code 1 is formed on the display surface by printing.
[0006]
In this bitmap data, size information and resolution are specified, but coordinates of the start position and stop position are not managed. Therefore, when forming the black-filled cell 2a, first, as shown in FIG. The laser beam is scanned left and right and burned linearly from top to bottom, and finally the whole is burnt into a square as shown in FIG. 9B to form black cells 2a.
[0007]
In this method, since the laser irradiation interval is not regular, irradiation is performed to the outside of one cell area. For example, as shown in FIG. When the two-dimensional code 1 including such irregular cells 2a is formed on the display surface, there is a problem that it is read as erroneous data by the reader.
[0008]
In particular, in the case of a fine two-dimensional code 1 in which one side of the cell is about 1 mm square, there is a problem that reading errors increase and the advantage of the two-dimensional code capable of recording a large amount of information is hindered. As described above, conventionally, since the two-dimensional code is created by sequentially scanning and combining the line drawing continuous data based on the bitmap data based on the image data, a coordinate management system such as marking start point and end point recognition has not been adopted. There was a problem that aligned cells were formed.
[0009]
Therefore, a two-dimensional code having a structure in which the cells 2 are formed by arranging the circular dots 5 vertically and horizontally as shown in FIG. 11 has been developed. However, when a two-dimensional code with this dot arrangement is marked with a laser, the reaction value of the laser differs depending on the material to be processed, and the diameter of the circular dot 5 formed is the same even when irradiated with the same diameter and the same output laser beam. Different. For example, if the diameter of the laser beam is 30 μm, the diameter of the circular dot 5 to be baked may be 50 μm. For this reason, when the two-dimensional code 1 based on the dot arrangement is laser-printed, the laser beam is irradiated at equal intervals, and it is necessary to round off the protruding portion.
[0010]
Even if the size of one cell is defined as shown in FIG. 11 (A), the size of the cell to be actually baked is different, and the protruding portion is cut off as shown in FIG. 11 (B). There is a problem that the size of the cell differs depending on the time and when the protruding portion is rounded up as shown in FIG. If the rounding process is performed in this way, the size of one cell changes, and this effect is particularly noticeable when a very small two-dimensional code is formed. Therefore, the rounding process is not required by changing the code size. Had to change to size.
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention eliminates the above drawbacks and replaces the light and dark pattern of the bitmapped image data with 1 bit per cell, so that different types of code data can be shared, and multiple types of marking can be processed simultaneously with a general-purpose laser printing machine. It is possible to improve the reading accuracy by forming a two-dimensional code on the display surface with high accuracy, and to provide a multi-laser marking system that is particularly effective for forming a two-dimensional code composed of minute cells. .
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A multi-laser marking system according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a step of converting a data code such as a character, a figure, and a sound into a bitmap to obtain image data composed of unit cells of a light and dark pattern, and a bitmap. The process of converting 1 cell of bright or dark pattern of the image data into two-dimensional array data as 1 bit of 0 or 1, the size of 1 cell, the processing diameter of the beam spot according to the material to be processed, and 1 A step of designating size information defined by the number of beam spots entering the cell, a step of combining the size information with two-dimensional array data converted to 1 bit per cell, and processing data; The process of saving in memory, the process of reading the saved machining data into the sequence terminal, and outputting the machining data to any laser printing machine And it is characterized in that comprising the step of marking the display surface of the wood.
[0013]
The multi-laser marking system according to claim 2 of the present invention is characterized in that the machining data is output to a plurality of laser printing machines and processed in parallel.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows the processing flow of the multi-laser marking system of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows the system configuration. In the figure, 6 is a data generation terminal, 7 is a memory disk such as MO, 8 is a sequence terminal, Reference numerals 9a, 9b and 9c denote control terminals, and 10a, 10b and 10c denote laser printing machines.
[0015]
In the data generation terminal 6, first, data codes such as characters, graphics, and sounds are converted into bitmaps, and an image composed of light and dark pattern unit cells of black cells 2a and white cells 2b shown in FIG. Data 11 is assumed. Next, the black cell 2a of the bitmapped image data 11 is set to 0 and the white cell 2b is recognized as 1, and converted into two-dimensional array data 12 having 1 bit per cell as shown in FIG. .
[0016]
Next, from the two-dimensional code 1 formed on the display surface, specify size information such as the size of one cell, the processing diameter of the beam spot according to the material to be processed, and the number of beam spots entering one cell as shown in FIG. To do. In other words, since the laser reaction value varies depending on the material to be processed for marking, the diameter of the circular dot 5 to be formed is different even when the same spot diameter and the same output beam spot are irradiated. The processing diameter of the beam spot is determined in advance from the size of the circular dot 5.
[0017]
Next, the size information of the one cell is combined with the two-dimensional array data 12 converted into one bit per cell, and converted into processing data in which the beam spot coordinates are stored in the scanning order. The steps so far are performed by the data generation terminal 6, and the converted machining data is stored in a memory disk 7 such as MO as shown in FIG.
[0018]
Next, the memory disk 7 is inserted into the sequence terminal 8 and the saved machining data is read into the sequence terminal 8. Here, the processing order of the processing data is sequenced. That is, the machining data is transferred to the control terminals 9a, 9b, and 9c in parallel as shown in FIG. 2 and simultaneously processed for marking, or the machining data is serially transferred as shown in FIG. , 9c to determine whether to send sequentially.
[0019]
As described above, when the processing data in which the beam spot coordinates are stored in the order of scanning is transferred in parallel to the control terminals 9a, 9b, and 9c, the laser beams are applied to the display surfaces of the materials by the laser printing machines 10a, 10b, and 10c. As shown in FIG. 6, circular cells 5 are arranged vertically and horizontally to form black cells 2a, and portions not irradiated with the laser beam become white cells 2b to form a two-dimensional code 1.
[0020]
In this black cell 2a, the size of the cell 2 is defined, the circular dots 5 are arranged along the outer frame of the cell 2, and the number of the dots arranged therein is also defined. Can be configured.
[0021]
As described above, in the present invention, the light and dark pattern of the image data of the two-dimensional code converted into the bit map is replaced with one bit per cell, so that the size information and resolution can be changed even with different types of code data having size information and resolution. By combining the two-dimensional array data of 0 and 1 excluded, and size information that arbitrarily defines the beam spot processing diameter and the number of beam spots entering one cell according to the type of material to be marked. Because different types of code data are converted into common processing data, they can be processed with a general-purpose laser printing machine.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the multi-laser marking system of the first aspect of the present invention, different types of code data can be shared by replacing the light and dark pattern of the bitmapped image data with 1 bit per cell. The laser printing machine enables various types of marking processing, and also improves the reading accuracy by forming a two-dimensional code on the display surface with high accuracy, and is particularly effective for forming a two-dimensional code composed of minute cells. It is.
[0023]
The multi-laser marking system according to claim 2 can simultaneously perform a large number of marking processes by outputting machining data to a plurality of laser printing machines and performing parallel machining.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a processing flow of a multi-laser marking system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a multi-laser marking system performing parallel processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram in which a black cell of a two-dimensional code is associated with 0 and a white cell is associated with 1, and FIG. 3B is two-dimensional array data in which 0 and 1 read from now are two-dimensional matrix arrays.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing one cell in which beam spots are arranged vertically and horizontally inside a cell frame.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a multi-laser marking system for serial processing according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of a two-dimensional code laser processed according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing various two-dimensional codes.
FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a two-dimensional code.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a conventional method of scanning a laser beam to the left and right to burn linearly from top to bottom and finally forming a black-filled cell.
FIG. 10 is a plan view of a black cell formed by a conventional method in which a protruding portion or a blank portion is generated.
11A is an explanatory diagram of one cell configured by arranging circular dots by a conventional method, FIG. 11B is an explanatory diagram when a protruding portion is rounded down, and FIG. 11C is a case where the protruding portion is rounded up; It is explanatory drawing.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 two-dimensional code 2 cell 2a black cell 2b white cell 3 protruding portion 4 blank portion 5 circular dot 6 data generating terminal 7 memory disk 8 sequence terminal 9a control terminal 10a laser printing machine 11 image data 12 two-dimensional array data

Claims (2)

Converting data codes such as characters, figures, and voices into bitmaps and converting them into image data composed of light and dark pattern unit cells, and 1 cell of light or dark patterns of bitmapped image data, The size defined by the process of converting to 2D array data as 1 bit of 0 or 1, the size of 1 cell, the processing diameter of the beam spot according to the material to be processed, and the number of beam spots entering 1 cell A step of designating information, a step of converting the size information into two-dimensional array data converted to 1 bit per cell, converting the processed data into processing data, a step of storing the processing data in a memory, and a sequence terminal for storing the stored processing data And a process of outputting processing data to an arbitrary laser printing machine and marking the display surface of the material. Multifunction laser marking system that. The multi-laser marking system according to claim 1, wherein the machining data is output to a plurality of laser printing machines and processed in parallel.

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