JP4135115B2 - Dot pattern reading unit and mouse equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for optically reading dot pattern information formed on a medium surface such as a printed material such as a book.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a sound generating toy has been proposed that reads a bar code printed on a picture book or a game card using an optical sensor and generates a specific sound. In these sound generating toys, various kinds of sound information can be reproduced by reading out sound information corresponding to the read barcode from the memory.

  However, such a barcode-based technique requires a paper area for barcode printing on the paper surface, and the barcode is for the information processing system to read. Since the contents of the code could not be grasped visually, the bar code printed on the limited paper was troublesome for the reader and could reduce the value of books such as picture books.

  Furthermore, as mentioned above, barcode technology cannot be printed over limited characters, figures, symbols on paper, so if you want to play back sound on these characters, figures, symbols, etc. In other words, a barcode is printed in the vicinity of a character or the like, and it has a characteristic that it is difficult for a reader to add other audio information to the character or the like intuitively.

  With respect to this point, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of reproducing information by reading code information printed with a dot pattern. The technique described in Patent Document 1 defines data according to the arrangement of dot patterns in a block area, and defines a marker with a dot pattern that cannot be a data dot pattern, such as a visible large-diameter circle dot. By doing this, it is made to function as a synchronizing signal. Therefore, in this technique, a dot pattern in which dots are printed in a two-dimensional direction according to a predetermined rule is read by a pen-type scanner as shown in FIG. 32, and the scanning speed and scanning direction of the scanner are analyzed by an information processing device. Information such as voices associated in advance is reproduced.

  In such dot code technology, for example, the dot code is read by irradiating a printing surface on which the dot code is printed with a light source, and the reflected light brightness and color of the portion where the dot code is printed and the portion where the dot code is not printed. The dot code is read by the difference. When reading the dot code in this way, it is necessary to irradiate the illuminated surface so that no highlight is generated. If a highlight occurs, the dot pattern cannot be accurately recognized due to the difference in reflected light, and as a result There is a possibility that the code that the pattern means cannot be analyzed.

  For example, the dot code reading apparatus 100 described in Patent Document 1 includes a light source 101 that illuminates one dot code, a first polarizing filter 102 disposed on the front surface of the light source 101, that is, an irradiation side, a lens 103, and the like. The second polarizing filter 104 disposed on the front surface of the lens 103 is disposed such that the pattern surfaces of the first polarizing filter 102 and the second polarizing filter 104 are orthogonal to each other (see FIG. 32).

  According to this reading apparatus 100, the random light emitted from the light source 101 is limited in the plane of polarization by the first polarizing filter 102, and is irradiated with, for example, P waves. Then, the regular reflection component returns from the printing surface on which the polarization plane is preserved and the dot code is printed as a P wave. However, since the polarization plane of the second polarizing filter 104 is orthogonal to the first polarizing filter 102, this regular reflection component is blocked by the second polarizing filter 104. On the other hand, with respect to the light emitted from the first polarizing filter 102 and returned as the luminance information in the dot code, the polarization plane becomes random and has both the P wave and the S wave. Among them, the P wave is cut by the second polarizing filter 104, and the S wave orthogonal to the P wave passes through the second polarizing filter 104 and enters the lens 103. Thereby, the dot code can be analyzed.

According to the reading apparatus 100, since the first polarizing filter 102 is disposed in front of the light source 101, the irradiation light from the light source 101 is irradiated as indirect light without being directly applied to the dot code. Therefore, the light from the light source 101 is dispersed and it is possible to make it difficult for highlights to occur. However, since the reading device 100 uses the first polarizing filter 102 and the second deflection filter 104, the amount of light from the light source 101 is attenuated, and sufficient light cannot be applied to the dot code to be analyzed. There is a fear. In order to obtain a sufficient amount of light, it is conceivable to provide a plurality of light sources 101. However, an increase in the number of light sources 101 causes an increase in power consumption and cost.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-261059

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is a technical problem to provide a dot pattern reading technique capable of efficiently irradiating a dot pattern with a small number of light sources while preventing highlights. To do.

  The present invention provides a dot pattern reading unit that optically reads a dot pattern with a camera in order to reproduce information corresponding to the dot pattern formed on the medium surface, and the medium surface on which the dot pattern is formed. A light source for irradiating light, a lens for allowing the reflected light from the dot pattern to enter the camera, and a cylindrical shape having a hollow portion, the irradiation light from the light source and the reflected light from the medium surface at the tip A nose portion having an opening serving as an entrance and exit of the nose portion, and the light source and the lens are disposed in a hollow portion of the nose portion so as to face the opening portion of the nose portion, A mirror surface treatment is applied to the hollow part surfaces separating the parts, and the irradiation light from the light source reflects the hollow part surface of the nose part and is irradiated to the dot pattern from the opening part.

  In the dot pattern reading unit according to the present invention, the nose portion is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the light source and the lens are arranged in the hollow portion of the nose portion. The medium surface is irradiated while reflecting the surface in the circumferential direction. Since this reflected light is irradiated to the dot pattern as indirect light, it becomes almost uniform without forming spots or shadows. The light uniformly irradiated onto the dot pattern reflects the medium surface and enters the lens. For example, by arranging a camera unit at a position retracted from the lens, reflected light can be imaged and a dot pattern can be analyzed.

  Here, when the direct light from the light source is irradiated from the opening and is directly incident on the lens as reflected light from the paper surface, the light of the light source irradiated on the paper surface is directly incident on the lens as reflected light. It becomes highlighted and the image disappears and the analysis becomes impossible.

  In order to prevent this, it is possible to adjust the position of the light source in the nose part. However, when the pen (reading device) is tilted only by adjusting the position of the light source, the direct light from the light source may be emitted from the paper surface depending on the angle. The light may be reflected and directly incident as reflected light, and highlights may still occur.

For this reason, it is conceivable to arrange a light source in the vicinity of the opening, but because the distance between the light source and the paper surface is short, a light spot is likely to occur, and it is difficult to arrange a switch mechanism that controls on / off of the light source. There was a problem.
In addition, since the light source is disposed at the tip, it is easily affected by vibration and causes damage.
Furthermore, the light source mounting workability was not easy.
Furthermore, a shadow may be generated with one light source due to the structure of the pen tip and the angle with the paper surface, and another light source for irradiating the shadow portion is necessary to compensate for this.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the light irradiated from the opening to the paper surface is all indirect light, and the reflected light from the paper surface of the indirect light can be irradiated more uniformly from the opposite side of the light source while reflecting in the circumferential direction. I made it bright. In addition, the reflected light irradiated with indirect light has a characteristic which does not produce a highlight.

  In the technique of optically reading a dot pattern as in the present invention, the presence or absence of a dot pattern is read based on the rate of change in the color of the dot pattern periphery and the dot pattern. For example, when the rising edge of a dark part and a bright part is steep or a shadow is generated on the surface of a medium irradiated with light, or when a part of the spot is irradiated with light, the dot pattern Read errors are likely to occur. Therefore, it is desirable that the light irradiated on the medium surface be as uniform as possible. However, the dot pattern analysis program installed in this unit analyzes the rate of steep change in the brightness of the medium surface due to the irradiated light. The dot pattern can be read without any problem as long as the gradation is such that the irradiation light on the medium surface gently changes.

  The light source may be any light source that can irradiate light and cause the reflected light from the medium surface to enter the lens to analyze the dot pattern. For example, when the dot pattern is formed with ink that absorbs infrared rays. Infrared LEDs can be used. According to this configuration, when an infrared LED is irradiated on the medium surface, the portion where the dot pattern is formed absorbs infrared rays and does not diffusely reflect. On the other hand, the portion where the dot pattern is not printed does not absorb infrared rays but diffusely reflects. The diffusely reflected light is incident on the lens, and only the dot pattern that does not emit reflected light appears black, and the dot pattern can be read. Further, ultraviolet light or light having a specific wavelength may be used as the light source.

  The dot pattern is preferably printed with ink that does not develop color in the infrared wavelength range, for example, carbon ink such as toner, infrared ink, or transparent ink. Even when other information is printed on the medium surface by using ink that is visible in the visible light wavelength and reflects infrared light in the infrared region, the dot pattern can be read without being affected by this information. Is possible. The camera is for capturing reflected light from the medium surface, and preferably has a configuration including an image sensor such as a CCD or C-MOS.

  An image sensor such as a CCD or C-MOS is for converting the intensity of light entering through a lens of a camera into an electric signal and transferring it. Since the C-MOS has a simple structure as compared with the CCD, the power consumption can be reduced as compared with the CCD. However, the image of the CCD is superior to the C-MOS in a dark place. Therefore, it is desirable to select an appropriate one according to the application.

  The lens is not particularly limited as long as it allows the reflected light from the medium surface to enter as appropriate. For example, when an LED that emits light of the infrared wavelength is used as a light source, the lens is used. It is desirable that an IR filter (visible light blocking filter) is attached to the front surface of the lens so that visible light emitted from a portion where no dot pattern is formed is blocked and only infrared rays are incident on the lens.

In the dot pattern reading unit, the hollow portion of the nose portion is formed in a tapered shape that gradually increases in diameter from the lens toward the opening, and at least one light source is provided around the lens. It is desirable that the light emitted from the light source is applied to the dot pattern from the opening while reflecting the inner peripheral surface in the circumferential direction.
Since the hollow portion of the nose portion is formed in a tapered shape toward the opening at the tip, the irradiation light reflected in the circumferential direction of the hollow portion surface can be diffused to irradiate the medium surface. It should be noted that the number of light sources to be installed should be at least one, and should be appropriately selected according to the required light quantity. However, if a plurality of light sources are arranged in pairs facing each other across the lens, It is preferable because it can irradiate light more uniformly.

  In addition, the dot pattern reading unit according to the present invention includes a light source that irradiates light to the medium surface on which the dot pattern is formed, a lens that causes reflected light from the dot pattern to enter the camera, and a hollow portion. A light guide that has an opening serving as an entrance of reflected light from the medium surface at its tip, and the inside functions as a light guide path, and the lens includes the light guide. The light guide is disposed in the hollow portion of the light guide so as to face the opening, the light source is disposed in the vicinity of the proximal end in the light guide, and the irradiation light from the light source travels inside the light guide and The dot pattern may be irradiated from the end face that separates the opening.

  The light guide is made of a transparent resin, and the irradiation light is allowed to travel inside the light guide so that the irradiation light from the light source is condensed on the end face that defines the opening. According to the reading unit configured as described above, since the light source is disposed in the vicinity of the base end in the light guide, the irradiation light from the light source is irradiated into the light guide, and the inner surface of the light guide (the surface on the hollow portion side) is irradiated. For example, it is reflected by this inner surface by making it smooth. In this way, by making the inner surface (surface on the hollow part side) of the light guide a smooth surface, incident light of a predetermined angle or less (critical angle or less) is radiated to the hollow part, but more than a predetermined angle (greater than the critical angle). The incident light is totally reflected in the light guide and confined. As described above, the light reflected in the light guide is further reflected in the circumferential direction, and is irradiated onto the medium surface from the end face that defines the opening formed at the tip. That is, the irradiation light from the light source is not directly applied to the dot pattern, but is applied as indirect light reflected in the light guide. Therefore, the diffused light is irradiated on the medium surface, and highlighting can be prevented. In addition, by forming the shape of the light guide in a tapered shape toward the tip, it is possible to properly collect the light emitted from the light source in various directions on the end face that separates the opening. Further, the dot pattern can be read efficiently.

  In order to more efficiently irradiate the light in the light guide from the end face, a mirror surface treatment for reflecting the light toward the inside of the light guide may be performed on the side surface of the hollow portion of the light guide. As a result, no matter what angle the light enters inside the ride guide, the light can be confined in the light guide and efficiently irradiated from the end face.

  In addition, although the light guide was demonstrated by the case where it comprised with the transparent body, the thing of a hollow structure may be sufficient.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that an end face that separates the opening portion of the light guide is a satin surface, and the irradiation light to the dot pattern is diffused on the satin surface. As described above, the irradiation light from the light source is applied to the medium surface from the end face that separates the opening of the light guide. It is desirable to make the portion darker and to make the lightness as small as possible in the other portions. The end surface that separates the opening of the light guide is a pear ground surface, and the light is diffused on the pear ground surface, so that the irradiated light is diffused compared to the case where the end surface is a smooth surface, and more uniform light is transmitted to the medium surface. It is possible to accurately read the dot pattern.

  In addition, it is desirable that an outer frame member that includes the light guide is provided on the outer periphery of the light guide. By providing an outer frame member on the outer periphery of the light guide, it is possible to reflect all of the irradiation light transmitted outside from the outer surface of the light guide into the light guide. It is possible to prevent highlights that are generated when light directly reflected from the surface of the medium is incident on the lens, and to prevent attenuation of the amount of light. Furthermore, since the light guide is included in the outer frame member, the light guide can be protected by the outer frame member, and damage to the light guide can be prevented.

  Further, a light shielding portion extending in the photographing direction may be provided on the lens side of the light source of the dot pattern reading unit according to the present invention. As described above, when light directly irradiates the medium surface from the light source, highlighting occurs and the dot pattern cannot be read accurately. Therefore, it is desirable that all direct irradiation light from the light source is reflected by the nose part or the light guide to be indirect light. However, depending on the shape of the nose portion or the light guide, the irradiation light from the light source may pass through the nose portion or the light guide tip and directly irradiate the medium surface. In such a case, it is possible to prevent highlights by blocking the light directly irradiating the medium surface by providing a light blocking part to block the direct light from the light source directly irradiating the medium surface. It becomes.

  The light shielding portion may be any member that does not transmit light, and the material and shape thereof are not limited. For example, a configuration in which a light shielding part is formed as a cylindrical body and a rectangular parallelepiped having a hollow part by utilizing the characteristic that incident light having an angle larger than the critical angle is totally reflected, and is arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the light source. . In addition, when the light shielding unit is used, the amount of light that has been blocked is attenuated. Therefore, when it is desired to secure the amount of light, mirror surface processing is performed to reflect light in the path of light that is directly irradiated onto the medium surface. You may provide the mirror surface member which gave. By providing the mirror member together, it is possible to prevent light from being directly irradiated onto the medium surface from the light source, and it is possible to prevent attenuation of the light amount, so that even with a small number of light sources, the dot pattern can be efficiently formed. Reading can be done.

  Furthermore, the dot pattern reading unit according to the present invention may include an ink unit that is filled with ink and can be marked. By providing the ink unit together, it is possible to read the dot pattern and write the result on the medium surface. The ink unit is desirably provided close to the medium surface. For example, the tip of the nose portion or the tip of the light guide is suitable. Furthermore, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the seal is automatically performed according to the analysis result by linking with the analysis result of the dot pattern.

  As the ink used in the ink unit, for example, any of ink that absorbs infrared wavelengths (carbon ink, infrared ink, transparent ink) and ink that reflects infrared light (non-carbon ink, etc.) can be used.

  In addition, the present invention may be a dot pattern reading device including the dot pattern reading unit and a pen-type reading device main body. By providing the pen-type reading device main body, it can be handled with the same feeling as a pen of a writing instrument, and operation becomes easy. Further, by providing the ink unit together, the dot pattern read result can be easily written on the medium surface.

  Further, the dot pattern reading device is disposed between a switch mechanism for controlling turning on / off of irradiation light from the light source and / or photographing of the camera, and between the nose part or the light guide and the reading device main body. An elastic member, wherein the nose portion or the light guide is movable in the axial direction of the reading apparatus main body, and the switch is operated by moving against the elastic force of the elastic member. Also good. By providing the switch, for example, when using batteries, a weak current is allowed to flow during standby to reduce power consumption, and the current required for the light source and camera flows when the switch is turned on. The analysis circuit of the light source and the image sensor may be activated by turning on the switch, and the image sensor may be maintained in the active state for a certain time while returning the light source to the off state after shooting with the camera. When a C-MOS is used as an image sensor, a rise time at startup is required compared with a CCD. Therefore, when such a control is performed, a dot pattern is read intermittently in a short time by the C-MOS. It is advantageous.

  The present invention also provides a mouse having a dot pattern reading unit that optically reads the dot pattern in order to reproduce information corresponding to the dot pattern formed on the medium surface. In order to reproduce the information corresponding to the dot pattern, an irradiation light source that irradiates light to the medium surface on which the dot pattern is formed, a lens that causes the reflected light from the dot pattern to enter the camera, and An opening serving as an entrance and exit for light irradiated from the irradiation light source and reflected light from the medium surface is formed, and a mouse main body that comes into contact with the medium surface is provided. An extending portion made of a transparent resin that extends further is provided, and a hole portion through which the medium surface can be visually recognized is formed in the extending portion, and a dot on the medium surface is formed through the hole portion. Light is irradiated to the pattern, it may be characterized in that reads the dot pattern. Further, a cross-shaped mark indicating a reading position with non-carbon ink may be provided on the extending portion.

  According to the mouse having the above configuration, the dot pattern can be read by irradiating the medium surface on which the dot pattern is written with the irradiation light from the irradiation light source. In addition, by forming a visually recognizable hole on the bottom surface of the mouse body, the position of the dot pattern can be confirmed visually from this hole. That is, the position of the readable dot pattern can be accurately grasped, the mouse can be operated accurately, and the reading accuracy can be improved.

  Furthermore, the present invention provides a mouse comprising a dot pattern reading unit that optically reads the dot pattern in order to reproduce information corresponding to the dot pattern formed on the medium surface, wherein the dot pattern is formed. An irradiation light source that irradiates light onto the surface of the medium, a lens that receives reflected light from the dot pattern, and an opening that serves as an entrance and exit for irradiation light from the irradiation light source and reflected light from the medium surface are formed. And a pointer light source that irradiates the center of the reading point on the medium surface on which the dot pattern is formed from the opening, and the irradiation light source while irradiating the medium light with the pointer light from the pointer light source It is good also as irradiating the said irradiation light to the said dot pattern, and reading the said dot pattern with the reflected light of the irradiation light.

  Since the mouse having the above-described configuration includes a pointer light source that irradiates a reading point on the medium surface, the mouse can also be operated while accurately grasping the position of the dot pattern to be read. In addition to the above-described configuration, the mouse including the dot pattern reading unit according to the present invention may have a configuration in which a light guide and a light-shielding portion are provided as necessary, and a configuration in which the mouse body is subjected to mirror surface processing. Similar to the above-described reading unit, when the dot pattern cannot be read accurately due to irradiation to a non-uniform medium surface due to spot light or shadow and attenuation of the amount of light, etc., by appropriately providing the light guide, It becomes possible to read the dot pattern efficiently and accurately.

The mouse body is preferably provided with an ink unit that can be stamped. Thereby, a dot pattern can be read and the result can be written on the medium surface. The ink unit is desirably provided so as to be in contact with the medium surface, and the bottom surface of the mouse body is suitable. Moreover, since it can visually recognize even when operating a mouse | mouth by providing in the extension part of the said bottom face, a mouse | mouth can be operated, confirming a marking state.
As the ink used in the ink unit, for example, any of ink that absorbs infrared wavelengths (carbon ink, infrared ink, transparent ink) and ink that reflects infrared light (non-carbon ink, etc.) can be used.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a dot pattern can be optically read by efficiently irradiating a medium surface with a small number of light sources efficiently while preventing highlights. In addition, if necessary, mirror treatment is performed, or a light guide and a light-shielding portion are provided, so that light can be irradiated to an appropriate position and a dot pattern can be read accurately.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those unless otherwise specified. Absent.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal structure of the dot pattern reading unit 20A. The dot pattern reading unit 20A is attached to a pen-type dot pattern reading device main body (not shown) and reads a dot pattern formed on the medium surface X. The dot pattern reading unit 20A has a hollow portion formed therein, a nose portion 1 having an opening 1a at the tip thereof, a lens 2 disposed at a position facing the opening 1a of the nose portion, and the lens 2 The LED 3 as a light source for irradiating light onto the medium surface X on which the dot pattern is formed, the light shielding part 4 extending in the shooting direction from between the LED 3 and the lens 2, and the lens 2 retracted And a C-MOS camera 5 arranged at the above position.

  A cap member 17 shown in the figure is attached to the opening 1a to close the opening 1a. The cap member 17 is made of a light-transmitting material such as glass or synthetic resin, and prevents intrusion of dust or the like into the internal space while not affecting the imaging of the medium surface X by the lens 2. Yes.

  The LED 3 and the light-shielding portion 4 extending from the side thereof are configured so that the irradiation light from the LED 3 does not directly irradiate the opening 1 a of the nose portion 1, and the irradiation light from the LED 3 The hollow surface 1b or the light-shielding portion 4 separating the hollow portions is irradiated, and this reflected light is irradiated to the outside as indirect light from the opening 1a. Therefore, the irradiation light applied to the medium surface X on which the dot pattern to be analyzed is formed becomes indirect light that has been reflected one or more times, so that it is in a diffused state, and the dot pattern is almost uniform from the opening 1a of the nose portion 1. The highlights can be prevented.

  Further, the hollow surface 1b of the nose portion 1 is mirror-finished. By applying the mirror surface treatment, the light can be completely reflected, and the light quantity of the LED 3 can be efficiently irradiated without being attenuated, and the irradiated light is reflected within the hollow portion without being diffused and attenuated. Can be made. Further, since a plurality of LEDs 3 are provided at positions opposed to each other with the lens 2 as the center, the irradiation light from the LEDs 3 can be reflected from the facing hollow portion surface 1b to irradiate the medium surface X. it can. That is, since light can be irradiated on the medium surface X not only from one direction but also from various directions, as shown in FIG. 2, it is in a state of being inclined with respect to the medium surface X on which the dot pattern is formed. However, it is possible to irradiate the light from the LED 3 uniformly to the photographing surface (reading surface). In the figure, the case where a plurality of LEDs 3 are arranged has been described. However, since only one LED 3 is irradiated on the medium surface X while reflecting the hollow portion surface 1b of the nose portion 1 in the circumferential direction, the same effect is obtained. Can be obtained.

  FIG. 3 shows a dot pattern reading unit 20B in which the arrangement of the LEDs 3 of the dot pattern reading unit 20A shown in FIG. 1 and the shape of the hollow portion surface 1b of the nose portion 1 are different. In the dot pattern reading unit 20B, the hollow portion of the nose portion 1 is formed in a tapered shape with a gradually increasing diameter from the lens 2 toward the opening 1a, and the tip of the LED 3 is inclined with respect to the unit central axis. Has been placed.

  Unlike the dot pattern reading unit 20A shown in FIG. 1, the dot pattern reading unit 20B does not include the light shielding portion 4, but is inclined so that the irradiation light from the LED 3 irradiates the hollow portion surface 1b of the nose portion 1. It is arranged in the state. Irradiation light from the LED 3 is not directly applied to the medium surface X, but once reflected from the hollow surface 1b and applied to the medium surface X, the light is diffused and no highlight is generated. Also in this dot pattern reading unit 20B, a plurality of LEDs 3 are provided at positions facing each other with the lens 2 in between, so that the dot pattern can be irradiated more uniformly.

  In the present embodiment, a plurality of LEDs 3 are arranged. However, a plurality of LEDs 3 are not necessarily arranged, and only one LED 3 may be arranged. In the present embodiment, the dot pattern reading unit 20A has a structure that irradiates the medium surface from a position where the irradiation light faces each other while reflecting the inside of the unit as described above. For example, even with a single LED 3, it is possible to prevent highlights from occurring and to obtain high reading accuracy.

Next, an embodiment of a dot pattern reading unit provided with a switch mechanism for controlling turning on / off of irradiation light from the LED 3 and photographing of the C-MOS camera 5 will be described.
4 and 5 show a structure in which a switch mechanism is provided for the dot pattern reading unit as shown in FIG. 1 described above, and FIGS. 6 and 7 show the dot pattern as shown in FIG. In this structure, a switch mechanism is provided for the reading unit. This switch may be a switch that physically opens and closes contacts of an electric circuit, or may be an electronic sensor or a photo switch.

  A dot pattern reading unit 20 </ b> C shown in FIG. 4 includes an outer frame member 6 that covers the outer periphery of the nose portion 1, a spring 7 as an elastic member that engages with the nose portion 1, lighting / extinguishing of the LED 3, and the C-MOS camera 5. The nose portion 1 is movable along the outer frame member 6 in the axial direction of the reading device. The switch 8 may be a switch that physically opens and closes contacts of an electric circuit, or may be an electronic sensor or a photo switch.

  The dot pattern reading unit 20C is turned on when the nose portion 1 is moved against the elastic force of the spring 7 and the switch 8 is operated. When the switch 8 is first turned on, the LED 3, the C-MOS camera 5, and the analysis circuit are turned on. Next, when the dot pattern reading unit 20C is lifted, the switch 8 is turned off and the LED 3 is also turned off. However, the C-MOS camera 5 remains in a standby state for a predetermined time. The analysis circuit is automatically turned off when the dot pattern analysis is completed. Further, when the dot pattern reading unit 20C is dragged while the switch 8 is kept pressed, the reading and analysis processing of the C-MOS camera 5 in a predetermined cycle can be executed while the ON state is maintained.

  The dot pattern reading unit 20D shown in FIG. 5 uses a ring rubber (O-ring) 9 as an elastic member. When the spring 7 and the ring rubber 9 are compared, the ring rubber 9 is suitable for a certain thickness of the ring rubber in order to obtain a high elastic force at the time of mounting, and the spring of the ring rubber 9 in order to obtain the stability at the time of mounting. Compared to 7, a larger ring diameter is required. On the other hand, although the spring 7 can make the spring diameter of a member smaller than the ring rubber 9, it requires height at the time of mounting | wearing in order to ensure elastic force. Therefore, the dot pattern reading unit 20D of FIG. 4 has a long (corresponding portion) cut out above the hollow portion surface 1b of the nose portion 1 in order to ensure the height of the spring 7. That is, it is desirable to select the elastic member appropriately according to the shape of the reading unit and the like.

  In any of the dot pattern reading units 20C and 20D, the outer frame member 6 is provided with a claw portion 6a, and a protrusion 1c that engages with the claw portion 6a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the nose portion 1. 1 and the outer frame member 6 are configured not to be disengaged by the elastic force of the elastic member.

Next, FIGS. 6 and 7 show an embodiment in which the switch 8 is provided in the same structure as the dot pattern reading unit 20B shown in FIG.
In the dot pattern reading unit 20G in FIG. 6, the structure of the LED 3 and the lens 2 is the same as that in FIG. However, the nose portion 1 is not fixed to the main body, and includes an outer frame member 6 provided on the outer periphery of the nose portion 1, a switch 8, and a ring rubber 9. In addition, the nose portion 1 is movable in the axial direction when an elastic member is engaged.

  On the other hand, in the dot pattern reading unit 20E of FIG. 7, the structure of the LED 3 and the lens 2 is the same as that of FIG. However, the outer periphery of the nose portion 1 is not tapered but has the same diameter, and includes an outer frame member 6 provided on the outer periphery of the nose portion 1, a switch 8, and a ring rubber 9. Further, the nose portion 1 is divided into an inner nose portion 10a that defines a hollow portion and an outer nose portion 10b that engages with the outer frame member 6. Only the outer nose portion 10b is engaged with an elastic member and is axially engaged. The inner nose portion 10a is not movable. That is, since the hollow portion surface 1b irradiated with the light from the LED 3 does not move, the medium surface X can be irradiated with light in a stable state.

A switch 8 is embedded in the dot pattern reading unit 20E, and a ring rubber 9 as an elastic member is mounted between the switch 8 and the outer nose portion 10b. The outer nose portion 10 b is movable in the axial direction along the outer frame member 6, and the switch 8 is operated by pressing the outer nose portion 10 b in a direction against the elastic force of the ring rubber 9. Further, since the outer periphery of the outer nose portion 10b is formed to have the same diameter in the axial direction, the reading unit 20E has a large diameter at the tip, but its outer shape is stamp-like. Therefore, it is possible to stably read the dot pattern as if the stamp was printed in the vertical direction without tilting the dot pattern reading unit 20E.
Needless to say, a spring 7 as shown in FIG. 4 may be used instead of the ring rubber 9.

Furthermore, an ink unit may be provided taking advantage of the stability of the dot pattern reading unit 20E. The dot pattern reading unit 20F shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is obtained by providing an ink unit to the dot pattern reading unit 20E of FIG. 7, and the ink unit includes the ink 11 filled in the inner nose portion 10a and its ink unit. It is comprised with the stamping part 12 provided in the front-end | tip.
By providing the ink unit, it can be used for various purposes such as writing a reading result in accordance with the reading of the dot pattern.

  For example, when a dot pattern reading unit 20E is mounted and a dot pattern printing surface is imaged, when the imaging and analysis are completed, an electronic sound generating unit (not shown), for example, “Pick !!” A sound may be generated so that the operator can be notified that the reading has been completed. Then, when this reading is completed, ink may be filled from the ink unit and the medium surface may be marked by the marking unit 12. Thereby, it can be visually confirmed later that the dot pattern has been read by the reading device. In addition to completion of imaging and analysis, in addition to the above-described electronic sound, when a confirmation LED provided in the reading device is caused to emit light, or when the reading device is connected to a liquid crystal display unit or a personal computer, Characters, figures, etc. indicating completion of reading may be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the distal end of the outer nose portion 10 b is pressed by the medium surface, and the base end (upper end in the drawing) of the outer nose portion 10 b urges the ring rubber 9 to be opposite to the ring rubber 9. The distance at which the switch 8 is operated by the pressing force in the direction (opposite nose portion direction) is Y, the tip of the outer nose portion 10b is pressed by the medium surface, the outer nose portion 10b is pushed up, and the marking portion 12 becomes the medium. When the distance until contact with the surface is Z, a double switch mechanism can be realized by setting Y <Z.

  That is, when the dot pattern reading unit 20H is pushed into the medium surface, the outer nose portion 10b is first pushed up to increase the distance Y, and the switch 8 is operated. Next, when the distance Z is reached, the stamping is performed with the ink 11 inside the stamping portion 12 in contact with the medium surface. With such a double switch mechanism, an electronic sound is first generated by operating the switch 8 to cause the operator to confirm reading, and then the operator further presses and performs marking on the medium surface to visually check the dot pattern. You can know the completion of recognition.

Furthermore, when the reading apparatus is configured using the reading unit of the present embodiment, there is the following usage method.
For example, a correct answer area and an incorrect answer area are provided on an answer sheet (medium), and different dot patterns are printed. When the respondent operates the reading device in the correct area, the dot pattern in the correct area is captured by the image element through the lens, and the code corresponding to the dot pattern is analyzed by the analysis circuit. Then, the ink unit is controlled based on the analysis result, and the filled ink 11 is leached to the medium surface via the marking unit 12. Thus, only when the respondent selects the correct area with the reading device, the area can be marked.

  In the present embodiment, as the ink used in the ink unit, for example, any of ink that absorbs infrared wavelengths (carbon ink, infrared ink, transparent ink) and ink that reflects infrared light (non-carbon ink, etc.) may be used. it can.

  For example, when the dot pattern is accurately read by controlling the computer that analyzes the reading of the dot pattern and the ink unit, the ink 11 is replenished to the stamping portion 12 so that the stamping is possible and cannot be accurately read. In such a case, a mechanism that cannot be stamped without being filled with the ink 11 may be used. For example, when alternative selection and marking are performed by controlling a computer that analyzes the reading of a dot pattern and a plurality of ink units, the first selection branch (first dot pattern) is first selected. After selecting and stamping by the stamping unit 12, if the error is noticed and an attempt is made to select the second selection branch (second dot pattern), a correction button is provided on the reading device and the correction button is pressed. However, when the first selection branch (first dot pattern) is selected again, the first selection is canceled on the computer side, and the marking unit 12 is filled with an ink different from the ink 11. Then, a stamp (cancellation stamp) is performed on the first selection branch (first dot pattern). At this time, the cancellation stamp may be an ink eraser that makes the visible pigment of the ink 11 transparent, or may be an ink of a different color from the ink 11.

  In this state, the correction button is released, and the second selection branch (second dot pattern) that is the correct answer is selected by the reading device, whereby the second dot pattern is selected again and read by the computer. At the same time, the stamping portion 12 of the ink unit is filled with the original ink 11 and stamped with the first ink 11.

  Furthermore, for example, two types of ink 11 are filled separately, a dot pattern described as a test answer is read, and automatically printed with one ink if correct, and printed with the other ink if incorrect. can do. In addition, by installing a lamp etc. on the outer periphery that can be seen from the outside and adding a configuration such that the lamp lights up or makes a sound when the dot pattern is read accurately, the user can It is also possible to confirm and seal.

  The dot pattern reading unit described above may function not only as an ink unit but also as a writing instrument. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a dot pattern reading unit 20I equipped with a pen 13 as a writing instrument. When printing with a writing instrument such as a normal pen, since it is used in an inclined state, the outer periphery of the dot pattern reading unit 20I is formed so that it can be inclined up to 45 degrees. According to the dot pattern reading unit 20I, not only can the analysis result be stamped and described, but also printing or the like can be performed with the pen 13 as necessary. In this case, by capturing an image of the medium surface in the vicinity of the tip of the pen 13 (medium surface on which the dot pattern is formed), the handwriting, the moving distance, and the like at the time of printing of the pen 13 at a position away from the image capturing center are accurately analyzed. It is also possible to do.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, a switch 8 may be provided at the end of the pen 13 to be mounted so that the dot pattern reading and printing functions are switched, or only when the dot pattern is correctly recognized. It is also possible to configure so that the pen 13 can be printed.

When the dot pattern reading unit 20I used in FIG. 10 is used, if characters or symbols are entered using the pen 13 on the printing surface of the dot pattern in which the XY coordinates and codes are registered, the switch 8 of the pen 13 is turned on. You may make it read the dot pattern corresponding to the locus | trajectory of the pen 13 when it will be in a state.
In addition, after reading the dot pattern and displaying the analysis result or confirming by voice, a check or the like may be entered on the paper surface with a pen.
When inputting a drawing trajectory, it is desirable that XY coordinates are registered in the dot pattern. When a check box is printed on a sheet of paper and only the check box is checked using the pen 13, a predetermined code may be registered.

  Next, an embodiment of a dot pattern reading unit using a light guide 14 instead of the nose portion 1 will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an internal structure of a dot pattern reading unit 30A provided with a light guide. Note that the LED 3 and the lens 2 that are light sources are the same as the dot pattern reading unit including the nose portion 1 described above, and therefore the description thereof is omitted using the same reference numerals.

  The dot pattern reading unit 30A has a cylindrical shape having a hollow portion, an opening portion 14a is formed at the tip thereof, and the light guide 14 functions as a light guide path inside, so that the opening portion 14a of the light guide 14 is faced. The lens 2 is disposed in the hollow portion of the light guide 14. Moreover, the cap member 17 which consists of a transparent glass plate or a transparent plastic plate is attached to the opening part 14a, and the penetration | invasion of dust etc. to internal space is prevented by obstruct | occluding the opening part 14a.

  The LED 3 is disposed in the vicinity of the base end of the light guide 14, and the irradiation light from the LED 3 travels inside the light guide 14 and enters the medium surface X from the end surface 14 b of the light guide 14 that defines the opening 14 a. Irradiated in a diffused state.

  The light guide 14 is made of a transparent resin, and the inside functions as a light guide. Light emitted from the LED 3 is collected on an end surface 14b that separates the opening 14a. The light guide 14 is reflected to the inside without being transmitted to the outside when the light is directed from the inside to the outside at an incident angle larger than the critical angle α (arrow A in FIG. 12). However, when the light is directed from the inside to the outside at an incident angle smaller than the critical angle α, the light is transmitted to the outside (FIG. 12, arrow B). Therefore, it is desirable to form the light guide so that the irradiation light from the LED 3 does not pass through. The shape of the light guide 14 shown in FIG. 12 is tapered at the tip to increase the incident angle of the irradiation light, That is, it is formed so that the diameter of the hollow portion becomes smaller as it goes to the tip.

  Further, in the dot pattern reading unit 30A shown in the figure, since the light guide 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a hollow portion, the irradiation light from the LED 3 travels in the light guide in the circumferential direction and separates the hollow portion. It reaches the end surface 14b which is the opposite side. Therefore, the medium surface X can be irradiated not only from the end surface 14b located directly below the LED 3, but also from the opposite end surface 14b. In addition, in order to improve the irradiation efficiency of LED3, it is good also as a structure which made the irradiation front-end | tip of LED3 protrude in the light guide 14, as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 14 shows the light guide 14 used in the dot pattern reading unit 30B shown in FIG. 13. As shown in FIG. 14, the side surface of the light guide 14 is formed in a gentle taper shape, and its base end surface (in the figure). Grooves 14e are formed in the circumferential direction on the upper surface. The dot pattern reading unit 30B is assembled such that the tip of the LED 3 enters the groove 14e.

  The end surface 14b facing the opening of the light guide 14 shown in FIG. 13 is inclined so as to expand downward (medium surface). The inclination of the end surface 14b is the same as that of the opening 14a of the light guide 14. The lens 2 is disposed on the same inclination as the line connecting the lenses 2, that is, on the line extending in the axial direction from the end face 14b of the light guide 14 (indicated by a broken line in FIGS. 12 and 13). By forming the end surface 14b of the light guide 14 so as to be inclined as described above, it is possible to prevent the irradiation light from the end surface 14b of the light guide 14 from directly entering the lens 2 and directly reflecting on the medium surface X. It is possible to irradiate the medium surface X almost uniformly.

  When the dot pattern reading unit is read with the dot pattern reading unit away from the medium surface X, the irradiation light from the LED 3 directly passes through the tip portion of the light guide 14 and the directly reflected light reflected by the medium surface X is reflected. Incidents may cause highlights.

As a method for preventing such highlights, a method of partially blocking the irradiation light of the LED 3 can be mentioned. For example, if the irradiation light of the LED 3 directly leaks from the tip of the light guide 14 to the outside, the irradiation light irradiates the medium surface as so-called direct irradiation light that has never been reflected in the light guide 14. When the reflected light from the medium surface is incident on the lens 2, a highlight is generated in part. In order to prevent such a highlight caused by the direct irradiation light irradiated on the medium surface from the front end portion of the light guide 14, the dot guide reading unit 30C shown in FIG. A space (light-shielding hole) is provided as a light-shielding part 4 inside. By providing such a hole-shaped light shielding portion 4, light incident on the side surface of the light shielding portion 4 at an incident angle larger than the critical angle is reflected by the side surface into the gap of the light shielding portion 4. As a result, it is possible to prevent the direct irradiation light irradiated from the LED 3 from traveling through the inside of the light guide 14 and irradiating the medium surface from the tip portion of the light guide 14.
The light shielding part 4 may be changed in length and shape as long as the light shielding part 4 is configured to suppress the irradiation of the direct irradiation light of the LED 3 from the tip part of the light guide 14.

  As described above, by providing the gap as the light shielding portion 4, all the irradiation light irradiated to the medium surface X from the end surface 14b of the light guide 14 and the tip portion thereof becomes indirect light reflected at least once in the light guide. The dot pattern can be irradiated with light diffusely reflected in the light guide 14. Further, a mirror surface treatment may be applied to the surface that separates the light shielding portion 4 located on the hollow portion side of the nose portion 1 so that the irradiation light from the light source is reflected without waste.

  Further, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 16, a light shielding plate 4a made of a light shielding member may be inserted into the light shielding hole constituting the light shielding portion 4. Further, instead of the light shielding plate 4a, a mirror surface treatment 15a may be applied to the inner surface of the light shielding hole itself as shown in the right figure of FIG.

  Further, in FIG. 16, the hole shape of the light-shielding portion 4 is shown as a cylindrical space, but the space may be a cubic shape as shown in FIG. 17. The left figure in the figure shows a structure in which a light shielding plate 4a is inserted into one side of a cubic hole, and the right figure shows a structure in which mirror treatment 15a is applied to four side faces of a cubic hole.

  Note that the dot pattern reading unit 30 </ b> C provided with the light shielding part 4 attenuates the amount of light blocked by the light shielding part 4, so that there is a possibility that sufficient light quantity cannot be obtained. In such a case, it is desirable to adjust the irradiation direction of the LED 3 and reduce the light irradiated to the light-shielding portion 4 as much as possible in order to make full use without blocking the irradiation light from the LED 3. For example, by irradiating the LED 3 toward the outer peripheral direction, the amount of light irradiated to the light shielding portion 4 can be reduced, and the light guide tip portion on the opposite side sandwiching the hollow portion by traveling in the light guide 14 in the circumferential direction. Can be transmitted. Therefore, it is possible to increase the amount of irradiation light from the end face 14b of the light guide, and to efficiently irradiate the dot pattern even with a small amount of light.

  Next, as a method for preventing highlighting, there is a method of performing mirror processing on the light guide 14 itself. FIG. 18 shows a dot pattern reading unit 30D in which the outer peripheral surface 14d of the light guide 14 is mirror-finished. FIG. 19 shows the light guide 14 on the outer peripheral surface 14d and the hollow portion surface 14c toward the inner side of the light guide. This is a dot pattern reading unit 30E that has been subjected to mirror surface processing. By applying a mirror surface treatment to the outer peripheral surface 14d of the light guide 14, the light emitted from the LED 3 does not pass outside from the outer peripheral surface 14d of the light guide 14. For this reason, since the direct irradiation light from the LED 3 passes through the light guide tip and is not irradiated onto the medium surface X, highlighting caused by the reflected light of the direct irradiation light on the medium surface entering the lens is prevented. Can do.

  It should be noted that the part to be subjected to the mirror surface processing may be only the tip portion of the light guide 14 serving as the photographing part, but it is difficult to determine to which part the mirror surface processing is to be performed with accuracy. In addition, the labor of performing the mirror surface treatment on a part and the operation of performing the mirror surface treatment on the whole is slightly different, and the cost is hardly changed. Further, by applying a mirror finish to the entire outer peripheral surface 14d of the light guide 14, even when the irradiation angle of the light from the LED 3 is smaller than the critical angle, the light guide 14 can be completely reflected. The amount of light applied to the medium surface X can be increased.

  Further, the light guide hollow portion 14c is also mirror-finished inward of the light guide, so that the light transmitted through the hollow portion of the light guide 14 can also be blocked. Light can be collected on the end surface 14b and irradiated onto the medium surface X. Thus, when performing the mirror surface treatment on the outer peripheral surface 14d and the hollow portion surface 14c of the light guide 14, the outer peripheral surface 14d and the hollow portion surface 14c may be subjected to the mirror surface treatment while leaving the end surface 14b of the light guide 14. Considering the construction efficiency and the like, a method of processing the embedded surface of the end face 14b and the LED 3 after performing the mirror surface treatment on the entire light guide 14 is preferable because of its high efficiency.

  In addition, as a method for preventing highlight, a method of providing an outer frame member that covers the outer periphery 14d of the light guide 14 can be cited. FIG. 20 shows a dot pattern reading unit 30 </ b> F in which the outer frame member 6 (cover) is provided on the outer peripheral surface 14 d of the light guide 14. By providing the outer frame member 6, it is possible to prevent light from being transmitted from the outer peripheral surface 14 d of the light guide 14 to the outside as in the case where the outer peripheral surface 14 d of the light guide 14 is subjected to a mirror surface treatment. Furthermore, the light guide 14 itself can be protected by providing the outer frame member 6. In addition, for example, by using the same material as the main body of the reading apparatus, the reading apparatus as a whole has a sense of unity, and the reading apparatus is excellent in design.

  As described above, there are various methods for preventing highlights, and the embodiments have been illustrated and described. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and combinations thereof are possible as much as possible. Is also included.

Next, how the inner side surface 14c of the light guide 14 should be formed in the technique using the light guide 14 will be described with reference to FIG.
15 In the figure, Q is a limit surface where the focal length of the lens 2 matches in the vertical direction, and the distance between the Q surface and the light guide 14 in the vertical direction is the vertical direction photographing possible range h. On the Q plane, an intermediate point between the center K1 of the lens 2 and the center K2 of the LED 3 is defined as Qc, and an intersection between the straight line connecting Qc and the center K2 of the LED 3 and the hollow portion surface 14c of the light guide 14 is defined as P. In this way, the point P is obtained, and the hollow portion surface 14c of the light guide 14 is shaped to rise from P in the vertical direction.

  By forming the hollow surface 14c of the light guide 14 in this way, even if the light guide 14 directly reflects on the medium surface X at the maximum value within the vertical photographing range h, the reflected light enters the lens 2. Since the highlight due to this occurs only around the dot pattern to be photographed, the dot pattern can be read. That is, with the above configuration, when the dot pattern is read at a distance less than h where the lens 2 is in focus, no light is directly reflected inside the medium surface X to be photographed, and no highlight is generated.

Next, an embodiment of a dot pattern reading unit provided with a switch mechanism will be described.
A dot pattern reading unit 30H shown in FIG. 22 is on the same plane as the lens 2, and is a switch 8 disposed in a contact portion with the light guide 14 and a spring as an elastic member fitted into the hollow portion of the light guide 14. 7 and an outer frame member 6 that supports the light guide 14 against the elastic force of the spring 7. Since the switch mechanism and the like are the same as those of the reading unit having the nose portion described above, description thereof is omitted. When the light guide 14 comes into contact with the medium surface X and moves backward, the switch 8 is operated, the LED 3 is turned on and off, and imaging and analysis are performed. In addition, in order to guide the irradiation light from the LED 3 into the light guide 14 more efficiently, the irradiation tip portion of the LED 3 may be protruded into the light guide 14 as shown in FIG. By adopting the structure shown in the figure, more irradiation light of the LED 3 is guided into the light guide 14, so that the irradiation efficiency from the opening can be increased.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing the structure of a light guide used in such a dot pattern reading unit 30G.
As shown in the figure, the light guide 14 is provided with irregularities on the base end surface (upper end surface in the figure) of the light guide 14 (see FIG. 24). The irradiation tip portion of the LED 3 enters the recess.

  Further, in the dot pattern reading unit provided with the switch 8, when a ring rubber is used as the elastic member, the LED 3 is disposed inside the ring rubber and does not enter the light guide 14 and is outside the light guide 14. There is a risk of increasing the amount of irradiating light. Therefore, in the case of using a ring rubber, an outer frame member 6 is provided for performing mirror surface treatment in order to reflect the irradiation light from the LED 3 on the outer peripheral surface 14d of the light guide 14 or blocking the light transmitted to the outside. It is desirable.

  In addition, the light guide 14 is made of a transparent resin, and can be formed integrally with the lens 2 by using the same material as the lens 2. FIG. 25 shows a dot pattern reading unit 30I formed by integrating the light guide 14 and the lens 2. By forming the lens 2 and the light guide 14 integrally, the work efficiency is improved, and the positional relationship between the lens 2 and the light guide 14 can be accurately maintained. It becomes possible to prevent. Incidentally, in FIG. 25, the light guide 14 is provided with a light-shielding portion 4 (light-shielding groove). A structure provided with such a light-shielding portion 4 can also be obtained by the integral molding.

  As described above, the dot pattern reading unit described in the present embodiment may be configured as a single unit or may be attached to the tip of the pen-type reading device. Further, the dot pattern reading unit may be attached to the external connection terminal of the mobile phone terminal. Further, the dot pattern reading unit may be built in the mobile phone terminal.

Next, an embodiment of a mouse provided with a dot pattern reading unit that optically reads the dot pattern with the camera 5 in order to reproduce information corresponding to the dot pattern will be described.
A mouse 40A shown in FIGS. 26 and 27 includes an LED 3 as an irradiation light source for irradiating light to the medium surface X on which the dot pattern is formed, a lens 2 for causing the reflected light from the dot pattern to enter, and the LED 3 Pointer light source for irradiating a reading point 42A on the medium surface X on which a dot pattern is formed from the opening 41c, and a mouse main body 41 in which an opening 41c serving as an entrance and exit for light emitted from the medium and reflected light from the medium surface X is formed. 42, a light guide 14 that is disposed in front of the LED 3 in the irradiation direction and functions as a light guide inside, and a CCD camera 16 (or a CMOS camera). Pointer light from the pointer light source 42 is applied to the medium surface X. While irradiating, the irradiation light of LED3 is irradiated to a dot pattern, and a dot pattern is read with the reflected light of the irradiation light. Note that the LED 3, the lens 2, the light guide 14, and the mechanism for reading the dot pattern are the same as those of the dot pattern reading unit described above, and therefore the description thereof is omitted using the same reference numerals. In addition, a cap member 17 made of a glass plate or a transparent resin plate may be attached to the opening 41c to prevent dust from entering the mouse.

Since the reading point 42A on the medium surface X is irradiated by the pointer light source 42, the position of the readable dot pattern can be accurately recognized, and the mouse 40A can be appropriately operated with respect to the dot pattern to be read. It becomes possible. The mouse 40A is provided with a switch 43 for operating the reading function on the outer peripheral surface of the mouse main body 41, and can operate the reading function only when necessary. At this time, the normal mouse function can be stopped by operating the switch 43, and the reading function may be activated using either the left or right mouse button 401a or 401b as a photographing button.
Further, the reading function may be activated when the left and right mouse buttons (401a, 401b) are pressed simultaneously, for example, without providing the switch 43 for activating the reading function.

Next, a modified mouse 40B shown in FIG. 28 will be described.
The mouse 40B is provided with an opening 41c serving as an entrance / exit for the irradiation light from the LED 3 and the reflected light from the medium surface X, and includes a mouse main body 41 that contacts the medium surface X. An extending portion 41a extending from the mouse main body 41 is provided on the bottom surface in contact with the opening 41a. A hole 41b through which the medium surface X can be visually recognized is formed in the extending portion 41a. The dot pattern on the medium surface X can be irradiated with light to read the dot pattern.

  Although the detailed description of the structure of the mouse 40B is omitted, an extension 41a of the light guide 14 for guiding the light emitted from the LED 3 is provided, and the medium surface X is provided on the extension 41a. A visually recognizable hole 41b is formed, and the dot pattern can be read by irradiating the dot pattern on the medium surface X through the hole 41b.

  According to the mouse 40B, there is no possibility of reading a dot pattern other than a portion that can be visually recognized from the hole 41b of the extension portion 41a, so that a dot pattern at a necessary portion can be read accurately. Various materials can be used for the extending portion 41a. For example, when the extending portion 41a is made of a transparent material, the medium surface X can be easily seen through the extending portion 41a, and irradiation from the periphery of the hole portion 41b is also possible. Since light is irradiated onto the medium surface X, a large amount of irradiation light is irradiated, and the amount of light can be secured. Further, by integrating the extending portion 41a and the light guide, the amount of light can be increased and the medium surface X can be irradiated more uniformly. Further, by providing an ink unit in the extending portion 41a, not only the dot pattern reading but also the dot pattern analysis result and computer information can be written.

  Further, a cross-shaped mark 41d indicating a reading position as shown in FIG. 29 may be provided in the extending portion 41a in place of the hole portion 41b. This mark is formed by applying a cross shape using an ink that transmits infrared rays (carbonless ink). And this mark is provided in the upper surface side or lower surface side of the extension part 41a. By forming the mark in this way, the mark is shifted from the focal length at the time of imaging, so that it is possible to provide a visible mark without affecting the imaging.

FIG. 30 shows a modification of the internal structure of the mouse 40A described in FIG.
In the figure, a CCD camera (or a CMOS camera) as an image pickup device is provided on a bottom plate constituting a mouse body, and its photographing optical axis is set up with respect to a specular reflection plate 402 provided at the top. Arranged in a state.
An LED 3 and a pointer light source 42 are disposed on the side of the specular reflector 402. Such a structure is effective when it is desired to reduce (thin) the height (thickness) of the mouse on which the reading unit is mounted. Also, it is effective when it is desired to focus even when an image of a medium surface having unevenness is not smooth by increasing the distance from the lens to the imaging surface to increase the depth of focus.

In the above description, the characteristics of the ink used for normal printing and the ink used for printing the dot pattern (black) are changed, and the dot pattern has any characteristic of absorbing and reflecting infrared rays. Although it has been described on the assumption that printing is performed with ink and only a dot pattern is read using an infrared filter, such a printing method is not necessarily used.
For example, normal printing is performed with cyan (blue), magenta (red), and yellow (yellow) inks, and black as a print is synthesized with these three colors and printed with an approximate black color. Only the dot pattern is printed using black (black: black).

  In this way, if black ink is used only for dot pattern printing, there is no need to change to ink with different characteristics only during dot pattern printing, and normal visible light is irradiated to the dot pattern. Even so, it is possible to detect only the black color of the dot pattern by performing the color separation process.

In this case, the dot pattern reading unit described in the present invention can also be realized with a simpler structure. This is shown in FIG.
The dot pattern reading unit 30J shown in the figure has a simple structure in which an outer frame member 6 made of a translucent material is attached to the tip, and has neither an LED nor a polarizing filter.
In such a structure, since the outer frame member 6 is a translucent material, external light enters the internal space and irradiates the reading surface of the medium from the opening. The lens 2 reads the surface of the medium irradiated with external light in this way, performs color separation processing by an internal circuit (not shown), and reads only black (black) printing, that is, a dot pattern.
At this time, since black is used only for the dot pattern on the medium surface (printing surface) in this embodiment, black of the reflected light from the medium surface irradiated with natural light such as outside light or indoor lighting is used. If only this is detected, the dot pattern can be read.

  As described above, the present invention is a dot pattern reading technique for optically reading a dot pattern, and is a publication in which a dot pattern is formed, a publication field such as a picture book, a photographic sticker, and a sticker in which a dot pattern is formed for input. , Toy computer field for character products such as game boards, figures, stuffed animals, etc., touch screens for monitor screens of personal computers, set top boxes, TVs, etc., security field for counterfeiting and tracing, electronic equipment as a single scanner It can be used in the computer field such as voice recorders and portable terminals.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of the dot pattern reading unit which provided the light-shielding part (at the time of vertical installation). It is explanatory drawing which shows the reflection state of the irradiation light with respect to the medium surface X (at the time of inclination installation). It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of the dot pattern reading unit which formed the hollow part of the nose part in the taper shape. It is explanatory drawing (1) which shows the internal structure of the dot pattern reading unit which provided the switch mechanism. It is explanatory drawing (2) which shows the internal structure of the dot pattern reading unit which provided the switch mechanism. It is explanatory drawing (3) which shows the internal structure of a dot pattern reading unit. It is explanatory drawing (4) which shows the internal structure of a dot pattern reading unit. It is explanatory drawing (5) which shows the internal structure of the dot pattern reading unit which provided the switch mechanism. It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of the dot pattern reading unit provided with the switch mechanism and the ink unit. It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of the dot pattern reading unit with which the pen was mounted | worn. It is the figure which provided the switch mechanism in the dot pattern reading unit of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the irradiation light path | route of a dot pattern reading unit. It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of the dot pattern reading unit provided with the light guide. It is a perspective view of the light guide used for the dot pattern reading unit shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the irradiation state of the irradiation light in a dot pattern reading unit. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the structure of the light-shielding part 4 (cylinder). It is a perspective view which shows an example of the structure of the light-shielding part 4 (cuboid). It is explanatory drawing (1) which shows the reflection state of the irradiation light of the dot pattern reading unit which performed the mirror surface process to the light guide. It is explanatory drawing (2) which shows the reflection state of the irradiation light of the dot pattern reading unit which performed the mirror surface process to the light guide. It is explanatory drawing which shows the reflection state of the irradiation light of the dot pattern reading unit provided with the outer frame member. It is the figure which showed the relationship between the shape of a light guide, and irradiation light. It is explanatory drawing (1) which shows the dot pattern reading unit provided with the switch mechanism. It is explanatory drawing (2) which shows the dot pattern reading unit provided with the switch mechanism. It is a perspective view of the light guide which formed the rotation stopper. It is explanatory drawing which shows the dot pattern reading unit which integrally formed the lens and the light guide. It is a top view (1) of a mouse provided with a dot pattern reading unit. It is AA sectional drawing for demonstrating the internal structure of the mouse | mouth of FIG. It is a top view (2) of the mouse | mouth provided with the dot pattern reading unit. It is a top view (3) of a mouse provided with a dot pattern reading unit. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the internal structure of the other mouse | mouth provided with the dot pattern reading unit. It is a figure which shows the modification of a dot pattern reading unit. It is a block diagram of the conventional dot pattern reader.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Nose part 1a, 14a, 41c Opening part 2,103 Lens 3 LED
4 Light-shielding part 5 C-MOS camera 6 Outer frame member 7 Spring 8 Switch 9 Ring rubber 10a Inner nose part 10b Outer nose part 11 Ink 12 Stamping part 13 Pen 14 Light guide 14b End face 14c Hollow part face 15a Mirror finish 16 CCD camera 17 Cap member 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F, 20G, 20H, 20I, 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, 30F, 30G, 30H, 30I, 30J Dot pattern reading unit 40A, 40B, 40C Mouse 41 Mouse body 41a Extension part 41b Hole part 41d Mark 42 Pointer light source 42A Reading point 43 Switch 100 Reading device 101 Light source 102 First polarizing filter 104 Second polarizing filter 401a, 401b Mouse button 402 Specular reflector

Claims (5)

A mouse comprising a dot pattern reading unit for optically reading the dot pattern in order to reproduce information corresponding to the dot pattern formed on the medium surface,
An irradiation light source that irradiates light on the medium surface near the mouse, on which the dot pattern is formed,
A lens on which reflected light from the dot pattern is incident;
An opening that serves as an entrance / exit of irradiation light from the irradiation light source and reflected light from the medium surface is opened toward the medium surface in the vicinity of the mouse at the tip or side surface of the mouse body, and the mouse main body is in contact with the medium surface. With
The bottom surface of the mouse body that contacts the medium surface is provided with an extending portion that extends in the irradiation direction of the irradiation light from the opening .
The extension part is formed with a hole part through which the medium surface can be visually recognized, and the dot pattern on the medium surface is irradiated with light through the hole part to read the dot pattern. A mouse with a unit. A light guide is disposed in front of the irradiation direction of the irradiation light source, and the inside functions as a light guide,
2. The mouse having a dot pattern reading unit according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation light from the irradiation light source passes through the inside of the light guide and is applied to the dot pattern.   The mouse provided with a dot pattern reading unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mouse body is provided with an ink unit that can be stamped.   The mouse provided with the dot pattern reading unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a mark indicating a reading position of a dot pattern is provided on the extending portion.   The mouse provided with a dot pattern reading unit according to claim 4, wherein the mark is provided by applying non-carbon ink on the surface of the extending portion.

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